Reflections of 21st century skills on religious culture and ethics knowledge curricula and teachers' perceptions of competence towards these skills

This research examines the relationship between 21st century skills, which have gained increasing importance in modern education and have become a global paradigm, and religious education within the context of the P21 skills framework. In this study, the opportunities and limitations of religious education in bringing these skills were analysed. In the research, where convergent parallel design from mixed method designs was adopted, the 2018 and 2024 Religious Culture and Ethics Knowledge curricula were compared in terms of P21 skills by using case study design in the qualitative dimension. The findings show that information literacy was prominent in the 2018 primary education RCEK curriculum, while critical thinking was emphasized in the 2024 curriculum, and that critical thinking was predominant in both programs at the secondary education level. It has been determined that not all of the 21st century skills are included in the curricula. It was determined that creativity and innovation, productivity and accountability skills were not included in either curriculum, no learning outcomes related to media literacy were found, and ICT literacy was associated with only one learning outcome in the 2024 Secondary Education RCEK curriculum. It has been determined that the reflection of other 21st century skills, except for social and cross-cultural skills, in the curricula is also limited. In the quantitative dimension of the study, RCEK teachers' perceptions of their competence to bringing 21st century skills were analysed using a correlational survey model. In the study conducted with the participation of 885 RCEK teachers working in the NUTS 1 regions of Turkey during the 2023-2024 academic year, it was determined that teachers' general perceived competence was high. In the qualitative analysis, it was concluded that perceptions of competence were also high in terms of bringing skills that are not included in the curricula or are associated at a limited level. It was observed that the variables of gender, faculty of graduation, educational level at which they teach, and educational status did not create a significant difference in perceptions of competence. Significant differences were found between scale scores and professional seniority, participation in skills training, technological infrastructure of the institution, evaluations regarding the adequacy of RCEK programs, and views on the role of religious education in bringing 21st century skills.