The factors of direct influence on the 21st century instructional competencies of secondary school teachers in the Catholic Diocese of Chennai, India

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to determine the direct factors to enhance the 21st-century instructional competencies of secondary school teachers. Factors of direct influence are herein defined as events, decisions, or situations that influence teaching and learning. The research objectives focused on: (1) finding the ideal 21st-century instructional competencies and the factors that influence those competencies, (2) developing a survey instrument for the assessment of the factors influencing 21st-century instructional competencies of school teachers in southern India, and (3) finding the relationships that exist between the factors influencing 21st-century instructional competencies of secondary school. A simple random sampling of books and journals published between 1999 and 2020 on instructional competencies provided the data for the qualitative content analysis. A survey instrument was constructed using the findings. For the third objective, data collection was done using the survey instrument and then analyzed using advanced statistical methods. The analysis found a Pearson’s Coefficient (r) of .641, with a p-value of .000, indicating a strong positive relationship between the 21st-century instructional competencies (TFCIC) and the factors identified. The findings of this study showed that there were seven statistically significant factors that predict the 21st-century instructional competencies, F (7, 411) = 49.768, p < .001, proving that the regression model was a good fit for the data provided. The regression analysis determined the direct factors influencing 21st-century instructional competencies of secondary school teachers, as identified as student-centered approaches, use of information technology, school policies of teaching and learningstatistically significant at p<.001,and student participation statistically significant at p<.05. This study proposes recommendations for best instructional practices of secondary school teachers that are suited for 21st-century education.