Question:
Which characteristics do you believe are most important for success in today’s society? Please check your top three:
Evaluators:
Sarah Wakeman and Suzannah Brown
Introduction:
Continuing with the theme of success, we wanted to gauge what attributes are most important to Winston-Salem community members. In this case, we want to know what characteristics local residents believe are most important for success in today’s society.
Findings:
Out of the six options, here are the three 21st century characteristics deemed most essential for success in today’s society:
Communication
Percent of Individuals - 75% of respondents (n=110) selected this as one of three themes
Percent Out of Total Responses - 26% of the total number of themes (n=330) selected
Frequency - 83
Critical Thinking
Percent of Individuals - 65% of respondents (n=110) selected this as one of three themes
Percent Out of Total Responses - 23% of the total number of themes (n=330) selected
Frequency - 72
Problem Solving
Percent of Individuals - 64% of respondents (n=110) selected this as one of three themes
Percent Out of Total Responses - 22% of the total number of themes (n=330) selected
Frequency - 70
Which characteristics do you believe are most important for success in today’s society? Please check your top three:
- Creativity
- Innovation
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Communication
- Collaboration
Evaluators:
Sarah Wakeman and Suzannah Brown
Introduction:
Continuing with the theme of success, we wanted to gauge what attributes are most important to Winston-Salem community members. In this case, we want to know what characteristics local residents believe are most important for success in today’s society.
Findings:
Out of the six options, here are the three 21st century characteristics deemed most essential for success in today’s society:
Communication
Percent of Individuals - 75% of respondents (n=110) selected this as one of three themes
Percent Out of Total Responses - 26% of the total number of themes (n=330) selected
Frequency - 83
Critical Thinking
Percent of Individuals - 65% of respondents (n=110) selected this as one of three themes
Percent Out of Total Responses - 23% of the total number of themes (n=330) selected
Frequency - 72
Problem Solving
Percent of Individuals - 64% of respondents (n=110) selected this as one of three themes
Percent Out of Total Responses - 22% of the total number of themes (n=330) selected
Frequency - 70
Interpretations:
Based on the most popular responses, participants believe communication, critical thinking, and problem solving are needed to thrive in the 21st century. This means a person must be able to interact efficiently and effectively with other members of society, thus suggesting communication as the basis for success given it was the most commonly selected theme. Moreover, we infer that in order to problem solve, a person must be able to think critically in an array of challenging situations that most likely involve effective communication skills. As you can see, these three concepts go hand in hand with one another as they relate to notions of success.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
According to these results, schools may want to spend more time emphasizing communication skills and social engagement within the academic curriculum. Teachers spend a large majority of their time teaching their students to meet certain standards because it is what is expected of them. However, focusing so explicitly on curricular goals without creative opportunities for students to communicate, think critically, and problem solve is a missed opportunity for engaged learning. One definite approach for schools to consider is to focus more on project-based learning so their students can learn to solve problems and think critically about issues that are important not only to them but also to the world around them.
Based on the most popular responses, participants believe communication, critical thinking, and problem solving are needed to thrive in the 21st century. This means a person must be able to interact efficiently and effectively with other members of society, thus suggesting communication as the basis for success given it was the most commonly selected theme. Moreover, we infer that in order to problem solve, a person must be able to think critically in an array of challenging situations that most likely involve effective communication skills. As you can see, these three concepts go hand in hand with one another as they relate to notions of success.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
According to these results, schools may want to spend more time emphasizing communication skills and social engagement within the academic curriculum. Teachers spend a large majority of their time teaching their students to meet certain standards because it is what is expected of them. However, focusing so explicitly on curricular goals without creative opportunities for students to communicate, think critically, and problem solve is a missed opportunity for engaged learning. One definite approach for schools to consider is to focus more on project-based learning so their students can learn to solve problems and think critically about issues that are important not only to them but also to the world around them.