eTwinning in Armenian EFL teachers’ teaching and students’ learning practices in the light of 21st Century skills

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating the role of eTwinning in Armenian EFL teachers’ teaching and students’ learning practices in the light of the 21st century skills. It examined whether and how eTwinning helps to develop the various 21st skills such as communication and collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving, creativity and innovation, digital literacy, and particularly ICT tool use. The participants were 16 EFL professionals and 67 students from various regions in Armenia, namely Yerevan, Ararat, Kotayk, Tavush, and Lori. All the participants had been awarded at least one European Quality Label (EQL) and were selected by non-probability purposive sampling. A Mixed Method Research (MMR) design was chosen to explore the vast experiences of EFL teachers and their students in eTwinning projects. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through surveys and semi-structured interviews. The results demonstrated that eTwinning promoted particular 21st Century skills, such as collaboration and communication, cross-cultural understanding, creativity and innovation, impacted teachers’ innovative teaching, fostered student's voice, ensured student-driven learning processes within the framework of 21st-century skills. The study also provides some practical recommendations for its stakeholders.