Unpacking the 4C's: Evaluating the Integration of 21st Century Skills in Pakistan's New Undergraduate Curriculum

Abstract

This article presents a critical review of the recent undergraduate curriculum reform in higher education in Pakistan, focusing specifically on the integration of 21st-century skills into the new curriculum. This initiative emphasizes the 4C skills—critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration—as central to the revamped courses. The article explores the effectiveness and potential impact of incorporating these 21st-century skills into the curriculum, as well as the challenges that may arise during their practical, on-the-ground implementation. Diverging significantly from Pakistan's traditional English as a Foreign Language teaching model, which is largely based on the grammar translation method within a teacher-centric, delivery-based classroom, the new courses adopt a Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach. This approach aims to prepare students for effective participation in today's world by engaging them in authentic language use and project-based activities. The review examines the integration of the 4C skills into the curriculum and compares this with global contexts reported in current research literature to identify common difficulties. Overall, this review contributes to the critical research literature on educational reform in language education at the tertiary level, providing insights into the potential benefits and significant challenges of implementing a curriculum that includes the 4C skills.