Conceptual and Organising Frameworks for 21st Century Skills

1. Partnership for 21st Century Learning Framework

CIRES analysis: This US framework places ‘life and career’ and ‘information, media and technology’ skills on par with ‘learning and innovation’ skills. That is, it considers technological and media skills as essential for students to acquire in school and also emphasises the occupational function of education under the ‘life and career’ category. The ‘learning and innovation’ category groups both individual skills (problem solving, critical thinking and creativity) and social skills (collaboration and communication), but only refers to a limited range of individual skills (e.g. metacognition is absent).

2. Assessment and Teaching 21st Century Skills Framework

CIRES analysis: This US framework is focused on developing instruments and strategies for assessing key skills using ICT. As with framework (1) above, it places ICT-related skills in a stand-alone category (‘tools for thinking’) and on the same level as ‘ways of thinking’ and ‘ways of working’. Contrasting with framework (1), it separates interpersonal and intrapersonal skills respectively into ‘ways of thinking’ (problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, and metacognition) and ‘ways of working’ (collaboration and communication).

3. US Committee on Defining Deeper Learning and 21st Century Skills Framework

CIRES analysis: This is the ‘most authoritative framework for making sense of key skills’. It provides a useful visualisation of the range of skills expected to shape student learning and achievement. It is underpinned by detailed analysis of skills ‘generally classified in the intrapersonal and interpersonal domains and critically assess evidence for the transferability of these skills when acquired in educational contexts.’ However, as it is based on a review of existing frameworks, it ‘only partially captures the complex set of skills needed by students for success in school and beyond.’

4. University of Chicago School Consortium on Chicago School Research 21st Century Skills Framework
CIRES analysis: This framework seeks to present the skills needed by young people for a successful life—encompassing their careers, ‘individual goals and hav[ing] the agency and competencies to influence the world
around them’.

5. International Study of City Youth Framework for 21st Century Skills 

CIRES analysis: This Australian framework builds upon (4) above and ‘aims at capturing the broad sets of skills that potentially shape student progress and integration into work and community life as they ascend school and transition to post-school study, careers and family life.’ A distinction of this framework is its ‘comprehensive integration of traditional academic skills (i.e. literacy and numeracy) and non-traditional skills (including social skills).’