This study investigated ELT pre-service teachers' beliefs and perceptions on 21 st century learning and innovation skills with a special emphasis on critical, creative thinking, collaboration and communication skills (4Cs) in particular. Data were collected with a customized questionnaire including closed and open ended questions and semi-structured interviews. Results demonstrated that pre-service teachers mainly perceived 21 st century learning as the integration of technology into classrooms teaching. They were also moderately aware of and involved in 4Cs though they had high positive perceptions towards them. The words and phrases they used for the definition of critical, creative thinking, collaboration and communication were associated with the ones used in the educational context although 21 st century skills may have divergent or specialized meanings in different context. Pre-service teachers also held negative beliefs about emphasis of 4Cs in the national curriculum and assessment, but positive beliefs about professional development for 4Cs.

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Practicum in pre-service teacher education offers ample opportunities for developing a practical conception of teaching and learning. Yet it may also promote further worry for pre-service teachers if not sufficiently resourced and carefully structured. The present study intended to delve into pre-service teachers' perceptions of practicum undertaken through reciprocal peer mentoring and traditional mentoring trajectories. Designed as a quasiexperimental study, this longitudinal study collected mainly qualitative data through reflective journals, individual interviews and audio-records of peer conferences. The present study revealed a dire need for restructuring the traditional mentoring model currently used in pre-service teacher education programs. The study also unraveled that integration of reciprocal peer mentoring with systematic opportunities for peer conference and peer observation might be a viable suggestion to resolve the perceived shortcomings in practicum. Moreover, the study proposed that apart from an earlier onset of teaching practices, periodic rotations in teaching practices and mentormentee pairings might help to maximize contributions of engagement in practicum experiences.