The beliefs and perceptions of efl instructors working at public universities on 21st century learning and innovation skills (4cs) to expedite post disaster recovery

Today's world is far beyond what we used to know about itself. Globalization, began a long time ago and its effects still increasingly continue, revealed a new term: Global Citizen. This new concept beated a path for reform in many areas, as well as education. In addition, the century we live in is called as the century of uncertainties. We're trying to sustain our lives by adapting to the uncertainties, ranging from the smallest to the largest, and the constantly changing conditions of life. Within these uncertainties, it is possible to talk about a wide range, from everyday problems to natural disasters. In today's world, the occurance of natural disasters at any moment and anywhere is highly probable, and it is happening. While these disasters may be perceived as unavoidable because they stem from the nature, indeed, they mostly result from humankind's selfish actions causing harm to the environment. In a century of uncertainties, coping with natural disasters in a flow and mitigating the effects plays a vital role for humanity. 6th of February earthquakes and the things happened afterwards emphasise the cruciality of the acquisition of this vision on disaster management as well. In this context, we must provide our students, who will be the future officials and the communities, with the necessary education. The attainment of 21st century skills is a powerful source for empowering communities. As dealing with our everyday problems in our lives involves the acquisition of these new era skills, at the same time these skills draw a path that starts with individuals to empowering the society in every field. The way we deal with uncertainties and problems shape our society. More powerful Global Citizens mean more resilient communities and more resilient communities mean, countries that cope with natural disasters more efficiently and easily. In the light of this vision, today's teachers are obligated to equip and educate their students with the necessary competencies. Because today's students form future's leaders and communities. Given the increasing natural disasters and the competitive world created by globalization, the importance of building a resilient society and the contribution of 21st-century skills to this is significant. Therefore, the current research focuses on the perceptions and attitudes of instructors working in English preparatory classes at state universities in earthquake regions towards 21st-century skills. Special emphasis has been placed on the skills known as the 4Cs. Communication, collaboration, creative thinking, and critical thinking skills have been considered under the 4Cs. Accordingly, an explanatory mixed-method design combining quantitative and qualitative data collection methods has been used. Data were collected in the 2023-2024 academic year with the participation of 30 instructors in the quantitative data collection process and 6 instructors in the qualitative data collection process. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, while thematic analysis was conducted for the qualitative data analysis. The findings indicate that the beliefs and perceptions of instructors working at state universities in earthquake regions towards 21st-century skills are positive. Additionally, there has not been a significant difference in the perception of the importance of 21st-century skills after the February 6 earthquakes. On the other hand, it is thought that instructors face some difficulties when integrating 21st-century skills into their lessons. Therefore, this research is expected to contribute to the existing literature by providing insights into the perceptions of instructors working in provinces affected by the February 6 earthquakes regarding 21st-century skills and their implementation in classrooms. It also aims to shed light on the applicability and benefits of 21st-century skills in real life for educators, researchers, curriculum designers, and teacher trainers. Keywords: 21st century skills, 4C, innovation skills, disaster management, Global Citizen, EFL.