The Relationship Between Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions of 21st Century Skills And Digital Literacy Level

Abstract

In the 21st century, individuals are exposed to technology from the moment they are born. They are expected to master 21st century skills and digital literacy in order to use technology appropriately, safely, and effectively and keep up with the times. The 21st century skills and digital literacy of primary school teachers, who form the basis of individuals' learning and lead them, are of great importance. For this reason, in this study, primary school teachers’ perceptions of 21st century skills proficiency, their digital literacy levels, and the relationship between them were examined. A relational survey model was used. The “21st Century Skills and Competences Scale” and “Digital Literacy Scale” were used in data collection. The results showed that the participants’ 21st century skills proficiency and digital literacy levels were high. No significant difference was found in the 21st century skills proficiency perceptions of the participants with regard to gender or work experience. In addition, a significant difference was found in favor of male participants in digital literacy levels, whereas the digital literacy levels of the participants did not differ by work experience. Furthermore, there was a moderate, positive, and significant relationship between the participants’ perceptions of 21st century skills proficiency and their digital literacy levels. Finally, the results of the simple linear regression analysis, revealed that the digital literacy levels of the participants were an important predictor of 21st century skills.