Examining 21st Century Student Outcomes in Teacher Education Programmes in Higher Education Reform in Egypt

Abstract

With the beginning of the third millennium, teacher education institutions, both nationally and internationally, have been transforming their programs to address “the needs of 21st century learners.” Focusing on teacher education programs offered at a public university in Egypt, this study provides an overview of higher education reform in Egypt including teacher education programs and employs mixed methods, where quantitative and qualitative data were collected from a convenient sample of 43 faculty members and 146 students from teacher education programs. Findings of the study assess the extent to which 21st century skills (critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity and innovation, communication, and use of technology) are developed through teacher education programs at the public institution, and reveal factors that enabled or hindered the development of these skills as perceived by student-teachers and faculty members. This study presents the findings of the first assessment of 21st century skills in teacher education programs in Egypt, thus offering insights for administrators, policy makers and educators in contribution to reform efforts in higher education, especially teacher education programs.