Meaning of the 21st-Century Skills in Agricultural Education
21st-century skills are increasingly becoming important as science and technology are rapidly advancing. Teachers and would-be teachers need to acquire these skills to succeed in their personal and professional endeavors.
Navigating the complicatedness of modern society with the advancement of technology requires the development of 21st-century skills. Unlike the conventional skills that emphasize rote learning and memorization, 21st-century skills underscore practical application and real-world learning.
As the 21st century progresses, it becomes imperative that possessing these skills is significant for the survival of individuals in all aspects of life. The world is fast changing daily and it is necessary to have these relevant skills to brace up with the current reality.
Technology, concepts, and ideas that seemed to be suitable a few years ago are no longer relevant due to research and the invention of more technology. To be relevant in the prevailing situation teachers and would-be teachers in education must acquire the 21st-Century skills.
21st Century Skills refer to the knowledge, attitude, and competencies that Agricultural Education graduates need to acquire to be fit or take up contemporary Agricultural employment opportunities.
They are special skills and abilities developed by individuals to thrive and survive in the world of work. Since Agricultural Education deals with the inculcation of relevant skills and knowledge to excel both in the field of agriculture and education, it is paramount for the prospective teacher of agriculture to possess these sets of skills, and practically apply them to solving real-world problems in agriculture as well as in education.
Fitting into and taking up contemporary Agricultural employment opportunities in the 21st century as an Agricultural Educator is becoming more difficult as agriculture begins to move from traditional to smart agriculture characterized by advancement in science and technology, to navigate the complexities of smart agriculture education and succeed in the world of work, graduate of agriculture need to possess these skills to survive in both personal and professional endeavor.
The term “21st-Century skills” encompasses a broad range of competencies, including learning skills(critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, creativity), Literacy skills (such as technology literacy, media literacy, and Information literacy), and Social skills such as (Leadership skills, Global Awareness skills).
Importance of 21st-Century Skills in Agricultural Education
Developing 21st-century skills is very important to teachers and would-be teachers to succeed in the world of work. These enable individuals to communicate effectively, solve problems efficiently, help in decision-making, and learn how to communicate effectively with others in the place of work.
For one to succeed in the world of work, one needs to develop these 21st-century skills to become relevant in the workplace. In every area of life, Agricultural educators need 21st-century skills to function effectively. Acquiring these skills will help graduates become more important and effective in their area of specialization. some of the important of the 21st-century skills are:
Effective Communication
Acquiring 21st-century skills in agricultural education will help the teacher to develop effective communication skills. The success of Instructional delivery is built on the teacher’s command of the language. Teachers with poor communication skills will not be able to deliver content effectively. Thus the teacher’s command of language influences content delivery. Therefore possessing effective communication skills will help promote adequate achievement of learning material.
Developed Critical Thinking Ability
This 21st-century skill helps the teacher to look at an event locally with a view of providing an answer to a problem. It involves a careful analysis of a situation and prefers verifiable evidence for a prevailing circumstance.
Possessing critical thinking skills as a teacher will help to provide answers to a crucial problem. A classroom is a place for questions and the discovery of answers through critical thinking skills. this will help provide answers to the vital questions in the classroom.
Improved problem-solving ability
Problem-solving skills and critical thinking look synonymous, but in the right sense, both words are different. Though critical thinking leads to problem-solving this does not mean that the two worlds are synonymous.
Acquisitions of this modern-century skill will help the teacher or would-be teachers to provide a solution to a problem either in the classroom or the workplace. Problem-solving skills enable teachers and students to identify problems, analyze, and provide solutions to the identified problem.
Improved collaboration skills
This is also called interpersonal skills. An agricultural graduate can work or interact with others effectively. No individual exists in isolation, they need to work together to achieve set objectives.
the school environment is a place of different workers with different characters these characters need to be harmonized by working together with other workers to achieve the set goal. Collaborative skills help teachers to deal with members of the school environment, workplace, and others.
It helps the teacher creative
Developing 21st-century skills helps the classroom teacher to be creative. Creativity is a vital ingredient in the classroom. From lesson note preparation to content delivery, creativity is key.
The teacher needs to be creative to make the lesson enthusiastic, it will help the teacher to develop an interest in the lesson. The dull and uninterested lesson will become boring and low academic achievement. The beauty of the classroom and the interactive nature of the classroom depended on the teacher’s creativity. It helps the teacher and students out at school and work
Ability to Utilize Modern Technology
Agricultural education is a course that entails specialization in both agriculture and education. Agriculture involves the use of modern farm implements and tools while education involves the use of computer and internet-related programme and software in content delivery.
The Teacher needs to acquire these Modern agricultural and educational technology skills to pass such skills to students for effective academic achievements in agricultural education.
Effective uses of media and Information Facilities
Education is becoming more of distance learning due to factors such as inadequate manpower, distance, insecurity, inadequate time, and ease of learning. Google Classroom, YouTube lessons, and a website for content sharing and learning.
The teacher and would-be teacher require the 21st-century skill to excel effectively. More so the internet is needed for the marketing of agricultural produce and as well as sharing agricultural-related information.
Developed Leadership skills
The 21st-century skills help the teacher to develop sound leadership ability. It enables the teacher to coordinate and manage the classroom effectively. Agricultural Educators should be able to effectively develop these skills and coordinate activities in the classroom.
The teacher is a leader both in the classroom and in the community where they work. The teacher in the community is a role model, whatever he says the people follow. They are the natural leader by virtue of their positions as a teacher. Today teachers hold various positions in the school or the community.
Adaptability
This is also referred to as a global awareness skill. The teacher must be able to adapt to various situations irrespective of race, language, and religion. He should be able to work with people of different cultures, lifestyles, and races irrespective of their position.
Employment opportunities are spread across different countries with different climates and environments, therefore the teacher must be able to develop this skill to easily adapt and work in various areas or communities regardless of the location.
Categories of the 21st Century Skills in Agricultural Education
There are three categories of the 21st-century skills, they are:
- learning skills
- Literacy skills
- Lifelong skills
Learning and acquiring these 21st-century skills will enable agricultural educators to fit into and take up contemporary Agricultural employment opportunities. The 21st Century Skills Required skills in Agricultural Education are divided into the following:
Learning Skills
these are skills acquired by Agricultural Education Graduates as a result of exposure to a particular task. These skills occur as a result of the difficulties encountered in learning particular activities. Whenever Agricultural Education graduates are exposed to a situation where they don’t know the way forward, as a result of seeking and pondering on the solution to that particular problem they may develop these learning skills. These skills include
- Critical Thinking Skills: this involves a careful analysis of events or objects to provide the solution to a problem. These skills help Agricultural Education graduates evaluate events or objects to do things that have not been done before. This involves thinking about particular situations. Critical thinking skills help Agricultural Education graduates to resolve complex circumstances in the workplace. Examples of critical thinking skills in Agricultural Education are problem-solving skills, reasoning skills, decision-making skills, the ability to identify problems, curiosity, etc. How to Develop Critical Thinking Skills: Generate content, write about the content without an assist, evaluate the content, identify the connection between the topics within the content, and apply it to solve problems in the real world.
- Creativity skills: these are innovative ideas developed by Agricultural Education students to approach a problem or situation uniquely. This involves doing things in entirely new ways. This will help Agricultural Education graduates succeed in the world of work. Creativity skills help agricultural Education graduates to possess unique characteristics in the workplace. Examples of creativity skills are innovative and enterprising skills, Self-motivation skills, desire for challenge skills, resourcefulness, etc. How to Develop Creativity Skills: Generate an idea, build an understating of the idea, compare and contrast the idea, and turn the idea into an innovation.
- Communication skills: these are skills required to pass information effectively to colleagues or subordinates. Communication is a skill that can be learned to become an effective communicator. The ability to explain tasks and activities will help the organization achieve its set goals and objectives. Communication skills help Agricultural graduates to explain ideas, situations, and activities to their superiors in a manner they will accept without delay. Communication skills are both verbal and oral skills. Examples of verbal communication and non-verbal communication skills are language proficiency skills, etc. How to Develop Communication Skills: generate a topic, write extensively about the topic without assistance, practice and prepare often in your leisure time, or learn to speak with humor, use your voice and hand effectively, and organize your speech effectively to achieve your purpose.
- Collaboration skills: these are skills possessed by Agricultural education graduates to work effectively with others in the workplace. No Agricultural Education graduates work in isolation, everybody in an organization is expected to work interdependently with each other. Collaborative skills will help Agricultural Education graduates acknowledge that group performance in an organization is key. So working with the people for the success of the organization is more important. It will help Agricultural Education graduates to work effectively with people in an organization. Examples of Collaboration skills are Relationship management skills, self-control skills, teamwork /coordinating skills, the ability to work independently, self-discipline, flexibility, etc. How to Develop Collaboration Skills: learn to always share your thoughts and feelings about the goals of the organization with colleagues, learn from them and contribute as well, be flexible in your actions and avoid being stereotyped, practice it until it becomes part of you.
Literacy skills
these are skills, knowledge, and competencies acquired by agricultural Education students as a result of exposure to learning experiences related to information, communication, and technology literacy. These skills are developed as a result of exposure to well-arranged experiences in which the students are expected to have an understanding of those mastery experiences over time. Literacy skills include
- Information literacy: these are skills, knowledge, and abilities acquired by Agricultural Education graduates to know the type of information that will help them succeed or make a better decision about their occupation or careers. This is a skill developed by learning information literacy. These skills will help an Agricultural Education graduate to make appropriate use of information in performing occupational tasks associated with his career or profession. Examples are research skills, numeracy literacy, ICT literacy, etc. How to Develop Information Literacy: Acquire computer /ICT skills, learn to search information on Google, choose a reliable Google site that can provide accurate information, and think of effective ways to practice and improve information literacy.
- Media literacy: information literacy and media literacy are often used interchangeably but Media literacy is different information in that media literacy is the knowledge, skills, and ability to choose an accurate source of information in the media that will help agricultural education graduates make meaningful progress in their workplace. Media literacy skills will help Agricultural Education graduates develop an appropriate understanding of the skills needed to make effective use of media. Examples of media literacy are Media content analysis skills; Media content evaluation skills, etc.How to Develop Information Literacy: acquire computer /ICT skills, learn to search media sites on Google, choose a reliable Google site that can provide accurate media, and think of effective ways to practice and improve media literacy.
- Technology Literacy: these are skills and competencies acquired in other to apply scientific knowledge to perform occupational tasks in the world of work. Technology has made the world a global village because information concerning a particular place, organization, and concept is available online and can be seen at any time. Technological literacy helps Agricultural Education graduates to develop an appropriate understanding for adequate usage of new pieces of technology in performing occupational tasks in the workplace or their personal lives. Examples of Technology Literacy in Agricultural education are techno-pedagogy skills, innovative teaching skills, programme instructional skills; Digital literacy skills; farm mechanization skills, Capacity-building skills, etc. How to Develop Technology Literacy: choose a reliable skills acquisition center/institution to learn Vocational Agricultural or Educational skills, develop mastery of the skills, and think of effective ways to practice and improve on skills.
Lifelong Skills
these are knowledge, value, and altitude acquired by the Agricultural Education students to survive and live in harmony with peers in their workplace. This is an interpersonal skill needed to create a good relationship with friends and colleagues. lifelong skills include:
- Leadership skills: Leadership involves the ability to lead others to achieve organizational goals. This is one of the most important skills in the 21st century which employers often look up to when employing Agricultural Education graduates because Agricultural Education graduates with good leadership skills will improve the organization’s working environment. Agricultural education graduates with good leadership charisma will be able to motivate team members to cultivate a good working spirit that will produce more efficient and high-quality work for the success of an organization. Examples, of Leadership skills, are organizational skills, management skills, risk-taking and enterprising skills, listening skills, visionary skills, etc. How to Develop Leadership Skills: choose a reliable institution to learn leadership skills, have a role model that you learn from, develop mastery of the skills, and think of effective ways to practice and improve on the skills.
- Social skills: these are skills required by Agricultural Education graduates to relate and network with friends and colleagues in the work environment. Social skills will help Agricultural Education graduates work effectively with people and customers in an organization. Social skills make it easier for graduates to work with other people by teaching them how to be professional and respectful in the workplace. Practicing social skills may also strengthen other 21st-century skills, such as the ability to collaborate with coworkers or lead others. Examples of Social skills are interpersonal working skills, intra-personal working skills, positive attitude skills, resolve conflict resolution skills, social and community responsibility skills, etc. How to Develop Social skills: learn to share your thoughts, values, and feelings about the goals of the organization with colleagues, have a role model that you learn from, be flexible in your actions, avoid being stereotyped, and think in an effective way to practice and improve on the skills.
- Global Awareness skills: this refers to the skills acquired by Agricultural Education graduates that will enable them to work with different types of people, cultures, and lifestyles. This skill provides people with the opportunity to be competitive and work with different types of people across countries. Many agro-allied industries are spread across West African countries and provide opportunities for Agricultural Education graduates to work with different states of the country or work with other countries across the West African sub-region. Examples: culturally tolerant skills, adaption to situational change, intercultural understanding, etc. How to Develop Global Awareness Skills: think that everybody’s culture and lifestyle are like your own, accept people the way they are, adapt to their does and don’t, and think of effective ways to practice and improve on the skills.