Investigation of Self-Efficacy Perceptions Regarding the 21st Century Skills of University Students Enrolled in Different Faculties

Abstract

The 21st-century skills are considered to be needed by individuals in a changing world. The aim of this research study is to determine whether or not the self-efficacy perceptions of students enrolled in the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Literature, and the Faculty of Nursing (health) pertaining to the 21st-century skills cause any difference among the faculties. The population of the research is comprise of 1,056 students, 841 females and 215 males, at Ege University during the fall semester of the 2018-2019 academic year. “21st Century Skills Self-efficacy Perception” scale, which has 3 subdimensions such as “Learning and Renewal (LR) Skills,” “Life and Career (LC) Skills,” and “Information, Media and Technology (IMT) Skills,” is utilized in the study. The research study is designed in accordance with the causal-comparative model. In the data analysis, independent groups t-test is performed to detect differences in terms of gender, whereas the one-way analysis of variance) techniques are conducted to detect differences in terms of faculties. The margin of error is determined as .05 in the study. No significant difference is detected in the LR skills of university students in terms of the gender variable. It is found that a significant difference exists according to gender in the subdimension of LC skills. No significant difference is observed according to gender variable in the subdimension of IMT skills of university students. According to this result, the LC skills of female students are detected to be higher than that of male students. It is observed that the LR skills of the students in the faculty of education are higher than that of the students in the faculty of health sciences. It is determined that a significant difference exists in the LC skills of university students according to the faculty of education variable. It is determined that the LC skills of the students in both the faculties of education and literature are higher than that of the students in the faculty of health sciences. Furthermore, it is determined that the IMT skills of the students in the faculty of education and the faculty of literature are higher than that of the students in the faculty of health sciences.