Integration of 21st Century Skills in the Tajikistan Curriculum
This report was a course assignment for the KIX EAP Learning Cycle titled ‘Integration of 21 Century Skills in the Curriculum’. The report outlines the vision and mission statements, needs analysis, in-focus skills definitions and audit, and a strategic plan developed by the team, as they plan for the integration of 21st century skills (21 CS) in the curriculum. The report ends with reflections of the authors on the lessons learnt during the course.
The vision and mission statements developed by the team members focus on the skills that the Tajik system of education should include in the curriculum. The needs analysis highlights the drawbacks of the competency-based education reform in Tajikistan and the National Strategy for Education Development (NSED). The Tajik curriculum assessment also shows that there are many steps yet to be undertaken. As NSED or other documents do not provide a framework for the 21 CS, the team decided to adopt the skills definition and framework developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). For the skills audit, the team members did a preliminary audit of collaboration and critical thinking skills in two primary subjects for grade 4, discussed the outcomes and suggested possible solutions for their improvement. In the alignment table, the team put forth a detailed example of how the four C’s (creative thinking, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication) can be successfully incorporated into the curriculum. In the heat map, the team included literacy, numeracy, ICT capability, communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creative thinking skills as a desirable picture of what they would like their curriculum to consider in the future. The strategic plan presented by the team provides possible options of the 21 CS integration task which could be implemented by the MoES of Tajikistan.
The collaborative work on writing the report resulted, first, in formulating the 21 CS’s vision and mission statement demanding that education become a catalyst of effective, quality, and inclusive education for learners through the integration of 21-century skills in the curriculum. The process is ongoing, and the existing curriculum is currently being audited. The report made it possible to formulate the skills framework, define the skills based on internationally accepted terminology and develop the system-level heat map exhibiting the level of coverage of the main skills throughout the subjects taught at schools.
Although this report is a result of the team’s reflections based on their knowledge, observations, and experience, it can serve as a document to navigate the implementation of the 21 CS integration agenda in Tajikistan’s education system.