An analysis of the 11th grade Turkish EFL textbook in terms of 21st century skills

Abstract

Language education relies on textbooks as the main source of knowledge. In the 21st century, students need more advanced skills to handle life's complex issues. Few studies have examined how textbooks include 21st-century skills. This study examined to what extent a Turkish EFL textbook representation of 21st-century skills to discover gaps and shortcomings. Content analysis was used in this investigation. An eleventh-grade EFL textbook was the subject of the study. According to the findings, the textbook includes 21st century skills to a great extent and the most common skills in the activities in the textbook are critical thinking & problem solving, collaboration and communication. However some skills like media literacy, social & cross-cultural, productivity & accountablity and ICT skills were observed less often. The consequences show that authors of textbooks must stress 21st-century abilities. This study also intends to give teachers of English real-life examples of skill use to promote skill promotion in the globalization era's problems with students.