Abstract:

Since each new incoming student would receive a laptop, the school directors of the Dutch secondary school where I work required that I and my fellow music teacher colleagues find and adapt curriculum for use by these new “laptop classes”. Feeling the need to incorporate such new pedagogy in a responsible and accountable educational framework I interpreted this top-down dictated requirement as my school’s manner of engaging in and adapting 21st Century Skills (21CS).

Exhaustive inquiry found a single obscure very small lesson addressing 21st Century Skills from the perspective of a music teacher. Further inquiry via the Dutch National Institute for Curricular Development (SLO) revealed their own 2014 study of the 21CS which found many shortcomings in teachers, schools, and available commercial methods in awareness, implementation and assessment of 21CS. At the end of their study, the SLO list their own recommendations for Dutch secondary schools in 21CS curriculum implementation.

Addressing the question, “How can the SLO findings be used to build a 21CS music curriculum?” this paper begins where the SLO study, "21st Century Skills in the Curriculum of Foundational Education" leaves off. By carefully following the findings and recommendations of the SLO, this paper, via design research uses surveying and testing of curricula and other 21CS research to offer perspectives and initial guidelines for music teachers who wish to incorporate 21CS into their lessons.

Although focusing upon lessons which are specific to music, this study highlights how such conative skills as of working together and self-regulation, as well as cognitive skills such as addressing complex problems analyzing and utilizing information can be used within any learning situation.

As the digital age becomes a ubiquitous reality, “throwing a computer” at the problem of addressing 21CS is certainly not a valid nor responsible pedagogical option. Thoughtful applied research done by teachers and departments at the classroom level are helpful in preparing teachers for the challenges of the 21st Century Skills. This paper and subsequent design research product, offers that help specifically to Dutch music teachers and more widely serves as a general example of implementation of 21st Century Skills to all secondary classrooms.

Keywords:

21st Century Skills, Secondary school, music curriculum, conative skills, cognitive skills, digital age, SLO.