The Role of Distance Education in Developing 21st Century Skills from The Point of View of Early Childhood Teachers in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The current research aims to identify the role that distance education provides to children from the point of view of early childhood teachers in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. The sample consisted of (176) teachers, randomly selected in the eastern region. The research used the analytical descriptive method, and the research tool consisted of (72) skills in its final form under three basic skills. The current research revealed the following results: There are no statistically significant differences at the level of (0.05) in the dimensions of the questionnaire about the role of distance education in the development of 21st century skills from the point of view of early childhood teachers. This result is due to the following demographic variables (kindergarten/school type, area of kindergarten/school, years of experience, and the gender of learner in kindergarten/school). The role of distance education in the development of 21st century skills for children from the point of view of early childhood teachers ranged from low to poor, with levels ranging from (2.5) to (1.7). Current research recommended that 21st century skills should be included in early childhood curricula, and all teachers should be trained in teaching skills appropriate for distance education to train children in early childhood in 21st century skills.