CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Learning Skills are the abilities of students who are academically good, poses
that make them different from other students who are not good academically.
Student has a big chance of boosting his self-confidence, improving his
self-esteem and most importantly he could succeed more academically when he
masters these learning skills. Unlike in the past years, the 21st century involves
information and technology literacy levels that are different from the past year's
minimal requirements. Civic literacy could not be more pertinent or applicable to
the curricula of our schools, given the wide range of challenges at our community
phases and the instant connectivity to a global society. Chiruguru (2020)
explained that today's learners must be equipped to overcome the difficulties that
we may face and deal with in today's society like pandemic, inflation rate, global
warming, climate change and immigration reform. A student must be proficient
21st century learner if they wish to compete in this global society. Based on
partnership for 21st century learning (2011), in order for a student to be prepared
for life after high school they should master the 4 C's in their classroom. The 4
C's are also known as Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, and
Creativity. Additionally, they are transferable talents that people can use to move
between jobs and assignments. According to the National Education Association
(2015), in order to develop citizens and employees who are appropriately
equipped for the 21st century, the 4 C's must be thoroughly incorporated into
learning and teaching.

This study seeks to identify the 21st Learning Skills indicators through the

4 C’s, Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking and Creativity.

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 The practice of solving problems is called critical thinking. Critical thinking

can also be defined as solving puzzles, working through problems and other

similar activities. According to a study, when a student implements critical

thinking skills, the student tends to ask more difficult questions and

participate more intensively in the learning process. Developing critical

thinking skills may literally change a student's life forever. Having good critical

thinking abilities translate not just to academics but also to job success.

According to Murawski (2014), using critical thinking skills, the student tends to

ask more difficult questions and participate more intensively in the learning

process. Dobao's study stated that collaborative learning gives a student an

opportunity to discuss a matter with his peers who speak and who could make

him better comprehend and understand what is the material being covered all

about. Based on a study there are students that are much more comfortable

discussing the concepts they do not understand with their peers. And with this

there is a possibility that a student's self-efficacy would increase because he is

getting the help that he needs in order to understand the content because he is

comfortable discussing it with a group. Self-efficacy plays a vital role in a

classroom. Usher (2009) cited that, if a student is confident in his learning skills

or abilities it will result to a good academic attainment

All segments of society are changed by the field of communication. Adler

et al. (2010) stated that in the process of communication, there is a sender and a

receiver. A message is encoded by the sender and sent to the recipient through a

channel. The receiver is the one who processes the information, and sends

2
appropriate feedback through the channel once more. The good usage of

communication establishes good relationships. A good connection is built on

effective communication. Many people hold the view that a number of significant

factors have a role in academic performance. Having said that, no other part of

self-development has dominated in such a way as oral communication ability.

Difficulties in speech and language cannot only affect a person's learning

abilities, it also affects the interpersonal abilities such as developing harmonious

relationships, making friends, establishing a high self-esteem.

In 21st century learning skills, creativity means a unique approach to a

task or problem, or the ability to use imagination to develop new, innovative

ideas. Creativity allows a person to solve complex problems or solve difficult

situations in a different and unique way.

Academic achievement refers to how well a student or professor has met

their short- or long-term learning objectives as determined by continuous

evaluation or cumulative grade point average (CGPA). Additionally, Rono (2013)

supported the idea that a key factor in education is the academic success of

students. According to Narad and Abdullah (2016), student academic

achievement determines the success of any academic institution. According to

Signh et al. (2016), student intellectual achievement significantly affects a

nation's socioeconomic progress. The academic success of pupils, according to

3
Farooq et al. (2011), is the cornerstone for knowledge acquisition and the growth

of abilities.

The researchers chose this area of concern for the reason that the

researchers want to find out how significant acquiring the different learning skills

is to the students’ performance and how it affects the academic performance of

the learners.

Background of the Problem

One of the most crucial elements of human resource development is education.

Poor academic performance not only changes a child's self-confidence, but also

puts a lot of stress on parents. University students' academic achievement is

significantly influenced by their study techniques. These adaptable talents can be

utilized to predict a student's academic performance throughout his course of

study (Rahim and Meon, 2012).

Additionally, our society faces several difficulties in the 21st century where we

live. And as members of this society, we must have the abilities necessary to

address these problems. Because of this, it's critical for students to have 21st

century abilities. These could help a student in becoming a more effective learner

outside of the classroom as well as better equipped for life after high school and

a capable citizen of the twenty-first century.

4
Without a doubt, classroom instruction is essential to the growth of active people.

being a functional element of the educational system that has the power to

dramatically enhance students' conceptual and thinking skills, allowing them to

come up with creative solutions to problems. Their skills will develop as a result,

and they will become valuable in social settings. One of the most important

methods for fostering pupils' creativity is to be critical.

Cooperative learning has been shown not only to help students gain higher

order thinking skills, but also to increase their confidence and self-esteem.

Group projects can enhance learning by introducing subject matter and

improving social and interpersonal skills. Along with developing leadership

skills, students learn to collaborate with diverse learners.

Academic success depends on strong communication skills, starting with

effective verbal communication. Answers must be clearly communicated in order

for researchers to assess student understanding. Students who struggle with

verbal communication may feel embarrassed if they cannot keep up with their

peers. A child who stutters or mumbles may be afraid to speak in front of the

class, which can hurt their grades and self-esteem.

Among the 21st century learning skills, a study showed that the most important

component of learning is creativity. Learners who think outside the box and

venture into unfamiliar matters possess good critical thinking. Creative exercises

5
and activities might be used during recess and daisy part of the curriculum. The

study of Chan (2022) has been found that including creative activities in the last

period of the school day can help kids in keeping their focus. Through including

creativity in students' educational experiences, their skills in this area can be

fostered.

The development of these skills in a student leads to a terrific professional life in

addition to boosting academic success. Since it enables students to reflect on

and understand their ideas, critical thinking is a vital component of learning. This

skill aids a learner in making decisions about how to comprehend their

surroundings based on self-reflection and comprehension.

Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to determine the Relationship of 21st Century Learning

Skills to the Academic Performance of the Gade 12 students in Biñan City Senior

High School - Sto. Tomas Campus. Furthermore, it seeks to answer the following

questions:

1. What is the level of 21st Century Learning Skills in terms of:

a) Critical Thinking Skills

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 b) Collaboration Skills

c) Communication Skills

d) Creativity Skills

2. How may the academic performance of the grade 12 students be described?

3. Is there a significant relationship between the 21st Century Learning Skills to

the Academic Performance of the Students?

Hypothesis

There is no significant relationship between the 21st Century Learning

Skills and the Academic Performance of Grade 12 students in Biñan City Senior

High School Sto. Tomas Campus.

Theoretical Framework

According to the learning theory known as constructivism, knowledge is

best acquired through reflection and active mental construction. (Mascolo and

Fischer, 2005). Therefore, knowledge is a multidimensional interpretation. The

student must reflect on the material discussed and create an interpretation based

on prior knowledge, values and cultural context. There are two main groups in

constructivism: radical and social. The first type of radical constructivism, known

as cognitive constructivism, argues that an individual's subjective interpretation of

7
his active experience determines how he constructs knowledge. Another type of

social constructionism asserts that knowledge emerges through social interaction

and that human growth is socially situated.

The Constructivism Theory of learning is relevant to the researchers’ study

for the reason that this theory showcases the indicators of the 21st Century

Learning Skills namely the Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, and

Creativity. The theory discussed that in order for an individual to learn or to gain

knowledge, he/she needs to reflect and construct his/her own representation of

things and incorporate new ideas where Critical Thinking and Creativity will take

place. Constructivism promotes interpersonal and communication skills by

making a classroom environment that emphasizes collaboration and exchange of

thoughts and ideas that allows students to communicate and work with other

students.

8
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

9
Figure 1. Input-Process-Output

This conceptual framework used the Input-Process-Output model for this

research. Where the input consists of the Level of the Critical Thinking,
Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity skills of the grade 12 students in
Biñan CIty Senior High School - Sto. Tomas Campus. The researchers will ask
permission from the principal informing that the researchers will conduct a
research study. Next step will be, students will distribute the survey
questionnaires to their respective respondents. After that, the researchers will
gather the data and tabulate it using statistical tools and treatment. The output
would be the Correlational Study of the 21st Century Learning Skills and the
Academic Performance of the grade 12 students in Biñan City Senior High
School - Sto. Tomas Campus.

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Figure 2. Research Paradigm

In this study, the independent variable is the 21st Century Learning Skills

of the student that has 4 indicators namely the Critical Thinking, Collaboration,

Communication and Creativity. Independent variable is what we expect will

10
influence and affect the dependent variable which is the Academic Performance

of the Grade 12 student.

Scope and Delimitation

The study only covered the 4 C's of the 21st Century Learning Skills

namely Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity that may

vary depending on the practice and activities these learning skills are used. The

respondents of the study are the students from Grade 12 Arts and Design Track,

Sports Track, and Technical Vocational and Livelihood Track. And their Academic

Performance was measured using the students’ first semester’s General

Weighted Average.

This study is conducted at Binan City Senior High School Sto. Tomas at

Biñan City, Laguna for students who belong to Arts and Design Track, Sport

Track, and Technical Vocational and Livelihood Track.

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Significance of the Study

The primary beneficiaries of the study are the participants who will benefit

positively from the program.

STUDENT - It can help students adapt to a future fierce competitive

society that needs individuals equipped with “21st century” competencies.

SCHOOL - It can help the school to make activities that can help the

student to enhance their Learning Skills.

TEACHER - With the help of this study, the teachers will be able to guide

their students in terms of their academics that can make the students

excel more in the class.

PARENTS - The parents will be able to understand what the learning skills

are, and will have knowledge on how they can help their child in

enhancing these skills inside their home.

FUTURE RESEARCHERS - This study would be able to give the future

researchers an insight about the 21st Century Learning Skills and they can

use this study as their reference if they would want to conduct a study

similar to the researchers’ study.

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Definition of Terms

The study used the terms in the study defined follow:

Academic Performance - The dependent variable that refers to the

measurement of the student achievement across various academic subjects.

Biñan City Senior High School - Sto. Tomas Campus - The school in Biñan

City, Laguna where the study was conducted.

Creativity - Referring to how a learner approaches a problem, creativity allows

students to think outside the box, experiment and find innovative ways to solve

different problems.

Critical Thinking - One of the indicators of study skills, which means an

intellectually disciplined process, during which active and skillful

conceptualization, application, analysis, evaluation and formation of opinions

about what one reads, hears, speaks or writes takes place.

Collaboration - Refers to when members of an inclusive learning community

work together as equals to assist students to succeed in the classroom.

Communication - Learning skills indicator that means the process where people

exchange thoughts or ideas with one answer.

Correlational Research- Correlation studies are defined as a statistical test

that determines a trend or pattern for two pairs (or more) of variables or

two sets of data with variable continuity.

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21st Century Learning Skills - The independent variable that refers to the

ability that can be used throughout your life to attain a good academic standing

and communicate effectively.

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 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Relationship between Learning Skills and Academic

Performance

The 21st century skills prepare a learner (Cs21) to be an efficient professional

and citizen in the contemporary knowledge society in the future (Ananiadou &

Claro, 2009). Future difficulties may include adjustments in industry, economy,

society, technology, and information (Lemke et al., 2003). Cs21 prepares the

current generation to solve these problems. These competencies help

students develop critical thinking, problem-solving skills, decision-making,

and creativity (Silva, 2009; Hirsch, 2009). The Cs21 includes inventiveness,

digital literacy, and high levels of production, communication, and thinking. Along

with life and professional skills, they also comprise learning, innovation, media,

technology, information, and core topic skills (Lemke et al., 2003).

The primary measure for evaluating student growth in an educational system is

academic accomplishment, which is the aim of the entire educational system

(Tabbodi et al. 2015). Knowledge produces successful learning and achievement

at any time because it is necessary for success in the 21st century (Mishra &

Kereluik, 2011). The Cs21 abilities, commonly cited as a prerequisite for success,

incorporate core content knowledge and superior academic achievement in such

traditional academic fields as science. Alternatively, any traditional academic field

15
is thought to provide the foundation for the creation of other CS21s (Gardner,

2008).

The five primary areas of the twenty-first century are digital literacy, rigorous

thinking, effective communication, increased production, as well as moral and

spiritual principles (Trilling & Egan et al., 2017; Fadel, 2009). Brown (2015)

categorizes the aptitude and demeanor in the ways of thinking in the twenty-first

century as knowledge, critical, and creative thinking, literacy, soft skills, and ways

to learn with others (personal, social, and civic obligations) are all possible forms

of education. Critical thinking abilities, creative thinking abilities, communication

abilities, and cooperation abilities are among the 21st century competencies

listed by the US-based Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21). A crucial talent

in issue solving is the ability to think critically (Lang, 2000). Students must have

the ability to identify the root causes of problems and the best solutions to them.

Different fields can instill critical thinking skills. In order to construct learning

programs that are focused on enabling this talent, the teacher is a key player in

the planning and development process. The ability to apply a novel solution and

innovate is related to the ability to think creatively. Both individually and culturally,

this skill is absolutely novel and original (Facione, 2010). Students who are

capable of creative thinking are those who are willing to consider issues or

challenges, share their ideas with others, and accept criticism. The ability to

express ideas, thoughts, knowledge, or new information in written and oral forms

is referred to as communication (NEA, 2010). Speaking, writing, and listening

skills are all a part of this ability (Darmuki et al., 2018; Darmuki et al., 2017;

16
Darmuki et al., 2019). The ability to collaborate successfully and efficiently

involves demonstrating respect for varied teams, developing decision-making

fluency, and being prepared to take risks in order to accomplish shared

objectives Greenstein et al. (2012) Leadership, decision-making, and cooperation

are the three components of group or teamwork Darmuki & Hariyadi (2019).

Because the curriculum was not created to match the needs of modern students,

education in the twenty-first century places a higher emphasis on gaining the

abilities needed to learn and sustain learning, which does not satisfy their needs.

Education must also work to create a generation of people who can use digital

technology to their advantage and increase their chances of obtaining the 4Cs

(Trilling & Fadel, 2009). As stated by Douglas et al. (2006), the teaching and

learning components were thought to be the most crucial. The "4Cs'' of the 21st

century learning model and "innovation skills'' relate to the curriculum that

students should master to get ready for life after graduation. (Supena et al. ;

Pardede, 2020; 2021). Every teacher hopes to see their learners succeed in life.

But today's students need more than what was thought to be a good education

fifty years ago if they want to succeed in school, in the workforce, and as

responsible members of society. Students must be adept communicators,

creators, critical thinkers, and collaborators in order to succeed in today's global

world (Sohaya, 2020). As explained by Supena et al. (2021), the 4Cs learning

paradigm mandates that students learn through conversations and dialogues,

fostering critical and creative thinking and enhancing their grasp of science. The

pupils' learning outcomes would be influenced by the 4Cs learning paradigm.

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Learners nowadays need to be skilled communicators, critical and creative

thinkers, collaborators if they wish to succeed in this global environment. To

educate students for citizenship and the global workforce, educators must add

the “Four Cs'' to all other disciplines. The road of education will prepare students

with the integration of the four Cs to be competitive globally (Duncan, 2011).

Critical Thinking in relation to Academic Performance

Critical thinking refers to the intellectual thinking abilities of the person, including

judgment, accurate decision-making, problem-solving, analysis, reading

comprehension, and scientific and creative thinking. Nowadays, critical thinking is

known as reasoning. The processes that make up critical thinking include

accurately making decisions and judging a situation with intelligence. Some

scientists define critical thinking as understanding in terms of scientific

observation (Paul 199), being aware of one's own thought process, activating

and organizing the issues by using an understanding of oneself and the issues

around us as a goal, by putting the ideas we learn into practice, and by taking

into consideration other people's thinking abilities. Demirel (1999) based critical

thinking on five fundamental dimensions: integration, consistency, application,

sufficiency, and communicating. As demonstrated by definitions and

explanations, critical thinking is a philosophy that includes necessary behaviors

and thinking in areas like reasoning, making logical conclusions, and being

inspired by the aforementioned themes (Demirel, 1999).

18
Cultivating the problem-solving, higher-order thinking, and critical thinking

abilities required for students to adapt to the quickly changing "Information Age"

is one of the goals of education for the twenty-first century (Greenspan, 2001).

Therefore, it is the duty of educators to equip young people with the knowledge

and abilities necessary to adapt in a society that depends more and more on the

intellect and wise decisions of everyone. Critical thinking is a quality that

distinguishes individuals who can bring about change from those who will merely

follow. Additionally, critical thinking can minimize the influence of an

unsubstantiated argument and lessen the influence of the irrelevant few, the

dishonest, and the arrogant. If kids understand how the more attractive this ability

is, the more they will be inspired to acquire it and enjoy doing so since they will

quickly realize how much more control it provides them. He will be able to see

beyond the surface with the help of the lifelong ability of critical thinking. This is

particularly significant. Today, everyone is surrounded by illusions, and many of

them have been purposefully made. The consequences could be minimal or they

might have a major impact on people. While some individuals will purchase and

enjoy these illusions that come in various forms, these deceptions can be

depressing and even harmful. Since kids are always being inundated with

information, they require critical thinking skills to evaluate it all in order to be able

to process them and produce the best judgment.

Students should be taught critical thinking skills in all classroom activities. Critical

thinking was defined by Alwehaibi (2011) as a philosophical and practical logical

perception, understanding, accuracy, and judgment of the worth of a hypothesis

19
or concept. By incorporating critical thinking into various instructional

methodologies, critical thinking abilities could be cultivated and improved.

Students learn how to think critically, acquire a variety of abilities, and adapt to

and thrive in the academic environment through science education. Alwehaibi

(2011) acknowledged that critical thinking is a crucial skill that has a big impact

on how pupils learn and think in the modern information era. In order to become

a critical thinker, one must master a few skills, according to Fleming (2010) the

ability to identify assumptions, process information honestly, recognize

generalizations, assess previous knowledge and ideas, generate new ideas,

analyze problems, use precise vocabulary, control one's emotions, and evaluate

sources.

Collaboration in relation to Academic Performance

Communication is known as the ability of interchanging of thoughts or

ideas , whether vocal or nonverbal. Delivering lessons effectively depends on the

ability to communicate clearly and concisely. Collaboration is when two or more

people work together to finish or to accomplish a task. Employing

communication and teamwork inside the classroom have numerous advantages.

Zhu (2012) demonstrated that academic performance of a student could be

enhanced when a learner works in a collaborative environment with peers.

Collaboration allows students to improve the learning experience for the whole

group because each learner has various strengths and shortcomings. According

to research by Gaudet et al. (2010) on students taking a fourth-year neurobiology

20
course, students who engage in group learning performed much better than

those who worked individually.

According to the study of Thompson (2009) other students prefer to learn

and work with peers because they can exchange thoughts and ideas and they

feel more comfortable when they can ask their classmates and that results in a

better academic performance of the learners.

A study showed that students can better understand a matter and better

comprehend one another by collaborating with other people that translate new

ideas into language that is more understandable. Each individual benefits from

one another's knowledge through collaboration, which boosts self-efficacy.

According to the Scharmann (1995) research, collaborative learning increases

student self-efficacy regardless of how the students are grouped. Following the

completion of four examinations, Scharmann offered evidence that students' level

of self-efficacy increased regardless of whether the collaborative grouping was

heterogeneous, randomized or selected by students.

Collaboration is a set of interactions designed to enable a group of people

to work together to achieve a specific goal or end product, online or not.

Collaboration is also understood as a philosophy of personal lifestyle and

interaction, where individuals take responsibility for their actions. B. Learn, take

responsibility, and respect the skills and contributions of your colleagues (T.

Panitz). Social media has proven to be a powerful tool in improving student

academic performance.

21
 Education is a social and human activity in which people interact with each

other and learn in a meaningful way. Studies show that students' critical thinking

improves significantly through collaborative learning (Mosley et al., 2016).

According to Mosley et al. (2016), some middle and high school students find

some subjects difficult and, in a sense, give up before even trying. By providing

children with opportunities for collaborative learning, they can develop skills that

increase individual self-confidence and enthusiasm for challenging subjects. A

meta-analysis spanning 80 academic years (Roseth et al., 2008) found that

students who work well in collaborative groups are more likely to participate,

have positive attitudes towards others and subjects, and are more likely to put in

a lot of effort. Studies have shown that working in groups can help students

engage with material more (Roseth et al., 2008), ask better questions (King &

Rosenshine, 1993), and provide more insightful answers. It also shows that there

is Students benefit from working together as they progress as a group, especially

when tackling challenging tasks (Jansen, 2012). The support students receive

through collaborative learning in the classroom helps improve learning.

According to Gokhale (1995), collaborative learning occurs when students

work together to achieve common learning goals and take responsibility for each

other's academic development. It is important to distinguish between

"cooperative learning" and "collaborative learning". The former refers to a

paradigm in which learning activities are initially divided into smaller activities that

can be completed by partners alone. Collaborate interactively and

asynchronously to solve problems through collaborative learning. According to

22
Curtis and Lawson (2001), the main difference between the two is that

collaborative learning places more emphasis on communication between

students participating in a task. Verdejo (1996) places great emphasis on

dialogue-based collaborative learning. Gokhale (1995) pointed out that

encouraging active discussion among group members not only stimulates

students' interest but also promotes critical thinking. Studies show that

collaborative learning is superior to one-on-one learning because it gives

students the opportunity to speak longer, think critically, and retain content.

Students, regardless of their academic ability, outperform others who study alone

in a collaborative learning environment (Aitken, 1982). Communication among

students is also considered beneficial (Bruffee, 1982). Recent studies

(Hertz-Lazarowitz et al., 2013) show that collaborative learning can improve

learning more effectively and increase student satisfaction with the overall

learning process (Bligh, 1998; Ocker, 2001).

Communication in relation to Academic Performance

Our lives depend heavily on communication. Expressing thoughts and emotions

is beneficial. Newborns communicate through noises (crying, cooing, screaming),

eye contact, smiles, grimaces, gestures, and body movements from the moment

they are born. As newborns develop into toddlers and then adults, their

communication skills also advance. Communication skills must be

well-developed for a youngster to succeed academically. If their communication

23
skills are not properly developed, school-going children run the risk of slipping

behind their peers, getting emotionally overwhelmed, or withdrawing from their

peers. Therefore, effective communication skills are essential for academic

success and should start with spoken communication. Adults need

communication skills to express their demands, worries, and challenges in daily

life. Communication also paves the way for the development of good

relationships. In other words, effective communication skills are essential for

academic performance and future employment opportunities. In 2021

(Fernandes) Communication that is effective is recognized as a crucial issue to

improve the rapport between the teacher and the students (Frymier, 2007).

Students can, for instance, ask teachers questions about the content they are

studying; nonetheless, the majority of those enrolled in the program's preparation

year complained regarding misunderstandings of the lecture's topics due to

misunderstandings during their lectures. Students with good communication skills

are more likely to be trusted and succeed in school. Therefore, poor lecture

communication may have an impact on students' academic careers, particularly

their success.

Creativity in relation to Academic Performance

The study of Warren, E. et al., stated that divergent thinking is a thinking

style that allows a person to come up with multiple solutions to a given problem.

24
A person's level of creativity allows him to mix unconnected things in novel and

unconventional ways to come up with fresh and adaptable ideas (Krum et al.)

According to M. A. Taylor, creativity is also linked to originality of ideas, openness

to new experiences, willingness to accept something novel and

unconventional—or perhaps even unreasonable—willingness to take risks in

one's thoughts and actions, and sensitivity to the beauty of these ideas'

characteristics. Three elements that could affect creativity, according to Warren et

al.are fluency (quantity of ideas), flexibility (diversity of ideas), and authenticity

(new and beneficial ideas). Additionally, according to S. Agnoli et al. two criteria

that can indicate a student's level of creativity are their attitude toward trying new

things and their internal motivation.

Furthermore the study of Chan (2022) explains that the most important

component of learning is creativity. Students who use creative thinking are better

able to think outside the box and venture into unfamiliar territory. Both during

recess and as part of the curriculum, creative exercises might be used. It has

been found that including creative activities in the final period of the school day

can aid kids in keeping their attention. Every student's creativity may be fostered

by including it in their educational experiences.

According to Kylonen (2012) creative thinking is a higher order thinking

skill that attempts to solve issues, propose other ideas and answers, synthesize

or make sense through re-meaning, and employ imagination. The definition of

creativity given by Torrance (1966) is "being sensitive to problems, malfunctions,

lack of information, lost items, incompatibility, seeking solutions to difficulties and

25
predicting." So, according to Vanderbos (2006), creative thinking can be

described as mental processes that result in an innovation, solution, or synthesis

in any discipline. The degree of topic knowledge and the willingness to learn are

two crucial components when discussing creativity in any field. Most of the

motivation cited in relation to creativity is intrinsic motivation. Because the

assignments become more important to the learner when they are able to select

them during the educational process, motivation rises.

Synthesis

The 21st century learning skills allows a student to be an empowered

critical thinker, collaborator , communicator, and creative thinker. Therefore these

skills are crucial in every aspect of a student's life in order for them to compete in

today's learning competencies and for the learners to explore ideas and topics.

Meanwhile, critical thinking is vital to a learner's success in his/her academics for

the reason that thinking critically improves the way we express our thoughts and

ideas. Moreover, collaboration is an individual's ability to engage with other

people to attain a common goal. Collaboration has a positive impact on the

learners academic achievement as it allows other students to express herself or

himself better when working in a group or with peers. In collaboration, a

student/learner has to communicate in order to express what she/he wants to

convey. Just like Collaboration, academic success of a student depends on how

26
well a learner communicates with his/her teachers and classmates. In contrast to

that, communication plays an important role in our lives especially in the life of a

student to raise his/her concerns, express his/her thoughts and to be able to

build a good relationship with other people around him/her. On the other hand, in

creativity a learner can use creative thinking to discover and apply new ideas in

particular contexts, view current circumstances in a new light, find alternative

explanations, and see or create new connections that result in a favorable

outcome.

27
 CHAPTER III

This chapter presents the research method used, selection, and

description of the respondent.

Research Design

This study used correlational research design. Correlation research is defined as

a statistical test to determine the tendency or pattern for two even (or more)

variables or two sets of data to vary consistently (Creswell). Then, Gay stated

that correlation research involves collecting data in order to determine whether,

and to what degree, a relationship exists between two or more quantifiable

variables.

In correlational research, two variables are observed in order to determine

whether there is a statistically significant link between them. Finding variables

that are related to the extent that a change in one causes a change in the other is

the goal of correlational research.

When using a correlational study design, no variables are within the researcher's

direct control or manipulation. The degree and/or direction of the association

between two (or more) variables is reflected in a correlation. A correlation may go

in either a positive or negative direction. Bhandari (2017).

28
Research Locale

This study was conducted at Biñan City Senior High School - Sto. Tomas

Campus and the respondents are grade 12 students that will be randomly

selected coming from the 3 different track strands in the school year of

2022-2023.

Sample and Sampling technique

The researchers used a simple random sample as a sampling technique.

In scientific study, simple random sampling is a widely used sampling technique.

When participants in the research are chosen at random from groups that are

very homogeneous, simple random selection is used (Bhardwaj, 2019). The

"simplest and most common method of selecting a sample, in which the sample

is selected unit by unit, with equal probability of selection for each unit at each

draw" (Singh, 2003,) is known as simple random sampling. Acharya (2013) writes

that "In this method, every individual has an equal chance of being selected in

the sample from the population.” Every member of a population has an identical

chance of being chosen as a response when using simple random sampling

(Thomas, 2020). Additionally, in this strategy, researchers create a numerical list

of all sample sizes and, when dealing with big sample sizes, use computer

programs to generate random numbers (Rahi, 2017; Omair, 2014), which will

provide them a list of the population for the planned research project.

29
 The population of this study are the grade 12 students coming from the

Arts and Design Track, Sports Track and Technical Vocational and Livelihood

Track with a total of 72 students respectively. The margin of error that was used

in the study is 5%, and the sample sizes are computed using the formula below:

This concludes that the study will require 61 respondents from grade 12

students that will be picked randomly through the fishbowl method.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers asked for the school principal's permission, informing the

principal that they will conduct a survey regarding the learning skills towards

academic performance of the grade 12 students. After getting the principal's

approval, the researchers distributed the letters to the students personally

informing them that they were chosen to be the respondents in the researchers’

30
study. There are a total of 73 participants that will participate in the study

administered by the researchers. They will also inform the respondents that the

information that they will share will be kept private and confidential. After that, the

researchers collected the data ensuring accuracy and the researchers analyzed

and interpreted it using statistical tools.

Research Instrument

The researchers used adapted survey questionnaires from Varona (2020)

questionnaires to gather data. The questionnaire form contained 3 parts. The

introduction, information of the respondent, and the questions. The questions are

about the 21st Century Learning Skills of the students that were divided into 4

indicators. The Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication and Creativity,

with 5 questions each. A 4-point Likert Scale with 4 referring to Always, 3 as

Often, 2 as Sometimes, and 1 as Never.

Statistical Treatment

1. Frequency Count- the calculation of how many people fit into a certain

category or the number of times a characteristic occurs.

2. Percentage- a relative value indicating hundredth parts of any quantity.

31
3. Weighted mean- a weighted average is a type of average that is

calculated by multiplying the weight (or probability) associated with a

particular event or outcome by the associated quantitative outcome

and then summing all the products.

N = number of pairs of scores

Σ𝑓𝑥 = 𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑠

4. Pearson R- Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) is the most common

way to measure linear correlation. It is a number between -1 and 1

that measures the strength and direction of the relationship between

two variables.

32
 CHAPTER IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter presents the results, the analysis and interpretation of the

information collected from the answers to the questionnaires distributed in the field.

This information was presented in a table according to the specific questions asked

in the problem statement.

Table 1: Level of Critical Thinking Skills of the Respondents

Survey Questions Mean Description

I can see the importance of ideas. 3.38 Always

I try to look for solutions to problems. 3. 48 Always

I think of the topic/issue in an objective 3.10 Often

way.

I can solve and make decisions when I 3.08 Often

encounter a problem.

I assess the usefulness, accuracy, and 3.31 Always

credibility of an information.

Total: 3.27 Always

LEGEND

1.00 - 1.75 — Never

1.76 - 2.50 — Sometimes

2.51 - 3.25 — Often

3.26 - 4.00 — Always

33
The table 1 showed the level of critical thinking of grade 12 students where the

statement “I can see the importance of ideas” has a mean score of 3.38 which means

Always, second statement “I try to look for solutions to problems” got the mean score of

3.48 which means Always. Followed by the statement “I think of the topic/issue in an

objective way” which means score is 3.10 and interpreted as Often. The statement “I

can solve and make decisions when I encounter a problem” got a mean score of 3.08

which is interpreted as often. The last statement in Critical Thinking “I assess the

usefulness, accuracy, and credibility of an information” got a mean score of 3.31 and

interpreted as Always. Overall, the questions/statements in Critical thinking got the

mean score of 3.27 which is interpreted as Always. According to a study by Aguila

(2015), students at the University of New Vizcaya have high levels of critical

thinking skills and abilities that they want to promote in their classrooms (APA,

2011). Many researchers have found that critical thinking skills do not develop

without clear instruction (Abramibet al., 2008).

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 Table 2: Level of Collaboration Skills of the Respondents

Survey Questions Mean Description

I take time to respond to group 3.16 Often

problems/ needs.

I facilitate contributions of group 3.15 Often

members.

I contribute to group assignments. 3.41 Always

I love to work when it is done by 3.11 Often

group.

I participate in a class project to 3.34 Always

attain a common goal.

Total: 3.24 Often

LEGEND

1.00 - 1.75 — Never

1.76 - 2.50 — Sometimes

2.51 - 3.25 — Often

3.26 - 4.00 — Always

Table 2 showed the Level of Collaboration of the grade 12 students where the statement

“I take time to respond to group problems/ needs” got a mean score of 3.16 which is

interpreted as Often. The second statement “I facilitate contributions of group members”

got the mean score of 3.15 and was interpreted as Often. The third statement “I

contribute to group assignments” got a mean score of 3.41 which is the highest mean

score among the 5 statements and interpreted as Always. Followed by the statement “I

35
love to work when it is done by group” got the mean score of 3.11, the lowest mean score

and interpreted as Often. The last statement “I participate in a class project to attain a

common goal” got a mean score of 3.34 and which is interpreted as Always. In general,

the Level of Collaboration of the grade 12 students got a mean score of 3.24 and

interpreted as Often. A different study by Prichard, Stratford, and Bizo (2006) found that

training college students to collaborate improves the effectiveness of collective learning.

As noted by Waldman (2016), teacher support in the classroom contributes to students'

personal learning. Academic achievement and success are associated with positive

relationships among students, peers, and adults, and low risk behavior.

Table 3: Level of Communication of the Respondents

Survey Questions Mean Description

I can communicate effectively with 3.26 Always

others.

I ask questions if received messages 3.30 Always

are not here to me.

I am an active listener. 3.31 Always

I see to it that I interpret and receive 3.20 Always

the messages clearly.

I believe being skillful in 3.46 Always

communicating provides freedom to
express my thoughts/feelings properly.

Total Mean: 3.30 Always

LEGEND

1.00 - 1.75 — Never

36
1.76 - 2.50 — Sometimes

2.51 - 3.25 — Often

3.26 - 400 — Always

The table 3 indicated the Level of Communication of the students. Statement “I can

communicate effectively with others” has a mean score of 3.26 which was interpreted

as Always. While the second statement “I ask questions if received messages are not

here to me” got a mean score of 3.30 and interpreted as Always. The third statement “I

am an active listener” got a mean score of 3.31 and was interpreted as Always.

Followed by the statement “I see to it that I interpret and receive the messages clearly”

has a mean score of 3.20 and interpreted as Always. Lastly, the statement “I believe

being skillful in communicating provides freedom to express my thoughts/feelings

properly” got a mean score of 3.46 which is the highest mean score and interpreted as

Always. In total, the Level Of Communication got a mean score of 3.30 which means

Always. Study of Lasala (2014) revealed that the communicative competence of the

students both in speaking and writing is acceptable. Also, there are indicators that

communication skills exercise could develop in preparing students for success.

37
 Table 4: Level of Creativity of the Respondents

Survey Questions Mean Description

I consider myself as a creative 3.02 Often

person.

I am self motivated to use my 3.21 Often

imaginations.

I organize my ideas well so that my Often

classmates will be able to 3.18
understand what I suggest.

I enjoy doing creative work. 3.31 Always

I like to do creative work. 3.21 Often

Total Mean: 3.18 Often

LEGEND

1.00 - 1.75 — Never

1.76 - 2.50 — Sometimes

2.51 - 3.25 — Often

3.26 - 4.00 — Always

The table 4 showed the Level of Creativity of the grade 12 students. The statement "I

consider myself as a creative person" has a mean score of 3.02 which was interpreted

as Often. While the second statement "I am self motivated to use my imaginations"

has a mean score of 3.21 which was interpreted as Often. The third statement "I

organize my ideas well so that my classmates will be able to understand what I

suggest" got a mean score of 3.18 which was interpreted as Often. The fourth

38
statement "I enjoy doing creative works" has a mean score of 3.31 which was

interpreted as Always. And the last statement "I like to do creative work" got a mean

score of 3.21 which was interpreted as Often. Overall, the Level of Creativity of the

grade 12 students got a mean score of 3.18 and interpreted as Often. Based on Hall

(2017), teachers can promote creativity by planning tasks and activities.

Table 5: Academic Performance of Grade 12 students based on their 1st

semester’s GWA

GWA (1st sem) Frequency Percentage Description

90-Above 26 42.62% Excellent

89-85 23 37.70% Very Good

84-80 10 16.39% Good

79-75 1 1.64% Poor

74-Below 1 1.64% Very Poor

Total 61 100%

The table 5 showed the Academic Performance of Grade 12 students based on their

1st semester’s GWA. In which 26 or 42.62 percent of the respondents got an average

of 90 above and described as Excellent, 23 or 37.70 percent got an average of 89-85

and described as Very Good, 10 or 16.39 percent got an average of 84-80 percent and

described as Good, 1 or 01.64 got 79-75 percent and described as Fair, and 1 or

39
01.64 of the respondents got an average of 74 below and described as Fair, with the

total respondents of 61 or 100.

Table 6: Relationship between 21st Century Learning Skills and Academic

Performance of the grade 12 Students

21st Academic r-value p-value Remarks Decision Interpret

Century Performance a-
Learning tion
Skills

Critical Academic 0.439 .000401 low positive null Significan

Thinking Performance correlation hypothesis t
rejected

Collaborat Academic 0.346 .006307 low positive null Significan

ion Performance correlation hypothesis t
rejected

Communi Academic 0.323 .011118 low positive null Significan

ca- Performance correlation hypothesis t
tion rejected

Creativity Academic 0.232 .071999 very low null Not

Performance positive hypothesis significan
correlation accepted t

Table 6 showed the relationship between the students' academic performance

and the level of 21st century learning skills. Critical Thinking and academic

performance have a correlation coefficient of 0.439 (positive but low correlation)

with a significance of .000401 (p-value < 0.05), while Collaboration and

Academic performance have a correlation coefficient of 0.346 (positive but low

correlation) with a significance of .006307 (p-value < 0.05), Communication and

Academic performance have a correlation coefficient of 0.323 (positive but low

40
correlation) with a significance of .011118 (p-value < 0.05), whereas Creativity

and Academic performance have a correlation coefficient of 0.232 (positive but

very low correlation) with a significance of .071999 (p-value >0.05).

Since Creativity is the only 21st century learning skill that has a p-value larger

than 0.05, which failed to reject the null hypothesis, and the majority of the

competencies (critical thinking, collaboration, and communication) have a

p-value less than 0.05 which reject the null hypothesis. Therefore students'

academic performance is significant at the level of 21st century learning skills. In

line with the result of the study, the study of Limna (2022) entitled The

Relationship Between Twenty-First-Century Learning Model (4Cs), Student

Satisfaction and Student Performance-Effectiveness revealed that the

relationship between the twenty-first-century learning model (4Cs) and student

performance-effectiveness through the mediating effect of student satisfaction.

The results reveal that student satisfaction is the significant mediator between

the twenty-first-century learning model (communication, creativity, critical

thinking, and collaboration) and student performance-effectiveness. It indicates

that communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity significantly

influence student satisfaction. Moreover, communication has the most significant

influence on student performance-effectively, followed by collaboration and

creativity. Only critical thinking does not considerably influence student

performance-effectiveness. The educational leaders, program directors and

teachers should pay attention to the twenty-first-century model (4Cs) to increase

student satisfaction and performance-effectiveness.

41
 CHAPTER V

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION

This chapter presents the summary of findings from the data gathered,

the conclusions, and the recommendation framed based on the conclusion of the

study.

Summary

Learning skills are the skills that the good learners have that differentiate

them from those who are not academically good. These learning skills

specifically, the 21st Century Learning Skills help a student learn and it

plays a significant role in terms of students academic attainment. The 21st

Century Learning Skills are also known as the 4 C's or the Critical

Thinking, Collaboration Communication and Creativity.

In gathering the data, the researchers first asked for the permission of the

school principal in order for the researchers to be able to conduct the

study inside the school. After getting the approval of the principal the

researchers distributed the adapted survey questionnaire from Varona

(2020) to the 61 respective respondents which are the grade 12 students

of Biñan City Senior High School Sto. Tomas Campus that we're selected

through simple random sampling technique and using fishbowl method.

Next, the researchers collected the data and then analyzed and tabulated

42
 using the four statistical treatments, Weighted Mean, Percentage,

Frequency Count and Pearson-r.

The study revealed that students have Good Critical Thinking Skills with a

mean score of 3.27, Collaboration Skills with a mean score of 3.24, and

Creativity Skills with a mean score of 3.18. While the study also showed

that the students have Very Good Communication Skills as it got a mean

score of 3.30. In terms of the academic performance of the students the

study showed that the majority of the students have an average of 90 and

above. And using the pearson-r, the study showed that all of the 21st

century learning skills except Creativity have a significant relationship to

the Academic Performance of the students therefore there is a significant

relationship between the 21st Century Learning Skills and Academic

Performance of the grade 12 students in Biñan City Senior High School

Sto. Tomas Campus.

Conclusions

Based on the findings, the following conclusions are drawn:

The 21st Century Learning Skills of the grade 12 students are on a Good

level since they Often applied Critical Thinking, Collaboration, and

Creativity Skills. And they always applied Communication Skills.

43
 The Academic Performance of the grade 12 students show that they are

proficient in academics. Since the majority of the students have an

average of 90 and above.

The result of the study showed that there is a significant relationship

between the 21st Century Learning Skills and Academic Performance of

the grade 12 students in Biñan City Senior High School Sto. Tomas

Campus.

Recommendation

In light of the conclusions drawn, the researchers recommend the

following:

STUDENT- Since the study showed that students possess good 21st century

learning skills, they may use these skills in enhancing their abilities to attain good

academic performance and to excel more in school.

TEACHERS- Teachers are encouraged to conduct different interactive activities

like doing activities in Kahoot, debates, role playing etc. that would be helpful to

enhance the 21st century skills of the students inside the classroom. Since

Creativity got the lowest mean score and shows no significant relationship with

academic performance, the teachers may conduct lessons and give their

students activities that could further develop students' creativity and creative

thinking skills.

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PARENTS- Parents can help their child develop 21st century learning skills

by teaching and tutoring their child at home. Parents can involve them in

the decision-making processes of the small family and give them space to

think through a difficult situation.

SCHOOL- The school may implement project-based learning activities like, for

example, a mural or an art project that would help the students establish and

nurture their skills inside school, or the school may encourage the students to

join in different clubs and organizations that could enhance the 4 C's skills of the

learners.

FUTURE RESEARCHERS- the researchers may explore the other area of 21st

century skills to advance their knowledge about the different components of the

21st century skills aside from the learning skills.

45