An analysis of children's books prepared under the early childhood education project in terms of 21st century skills

This study examines 36 children's storybooks developed under the Ministry of National Education's "Project on Increasing Quality and Access in Early Childhood Education" (EÇEKEAP) through the lens of 21st-century skills. The primary objective of the research is to determine the extent to which these books address such skills. Conducted using a qualitative document analysis design, the books were analyzed in terms of both content and visual elements. The study utilized the "Partnership for 21st Century Learning" (P21) framework, focusing on the themes of learning and innovation skills; life and career skills; and information, media, and technology skills. These themes were selected as they reflect the fundamental requirements of the modern era, such as creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and digital literacy. The findings indicate that the storybooks primarily feature outcomes related to life and career skills, followed by learning and innovation skills. However, no outcomes related to information, media, and technology skills were identified. regarding sub-skills, the most frequently supported areas were found to be leadership and responsibility, communication, critical thinking and problem-solving, and initiative and self-direction, in that order. These results suggest a need to restructure children's literature content to align with contemporary educational requirements and to integrate it more effectively with educational curricula.