The Study of 21st Century Skills among Deaf Undergraduate Students

Abstract

The goal of the study on 21st century skills among deaf undergraduate students is to look at the skills and the variables that affect them, as well as guidelines for promoting these skills among undergraduate students. With 117 participants, the study was carried out in the academic year 2021. A questionnaire and an interview form were used as research tools to examine undergraduate deaf students' 21st century competencies. The study found that the top three high-level skills were cross-cultural understanding, career, learning, and self-reliance, as well as collaboration, teamwork, and leadership, whereas the three lowest abilities, writing, arithmetic, and reading, were at an average level. Regarding personal factors influencing 21st century skills, it was found that 1) accommodation during studying influenced cross-cultural understanding 2) participation in activities or clubs influenced arithmetic 3) disability history influenced collaboration, teamwork and leadership and career, learning and self-reliance. 4) communications among family or parents using sign language influenced arithmetic and creativity and innovation and 5) deaf instructors or deaf seniors influenced arithmetic, creativity and innovation, and career, learning and self-reliance. The instructional factor affecting 21st century skills was students and the guidelines for 21st century skills promotion were to encourage the students to search, compare and analyze information, to practice Thai language skill and improve Arithmetic through instructional media by themselves, and also to provide deaf instructors who are adept at teaching, explaining and giving examples. Additionally, there should be collaboration between the government and private sector to create rules or legislation that clearly state that parents of deaf children must learn the fundamentals of sign language for daily communication and that they must get deaf cultural education.