TEACHERS READINESS FOR DEVELOPING 21ST-CENTURY SKILLS IN SCHOOLS OF KASHMIR DIVISION UNDER NEP 2020

Abstract

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 articulates a transformative paradigm for Indian school education, mandating a fundamental structural shift from rote memorization toward the cultivation of core 21st-century skills, encompassing critical thinking, computational problem-solving, collaborative creativity, and socio-emotional adaptability. However, the operational success of this policy rests decisively upon the multidimensional readiness and professional agency of classroom practitioners. This empirical study investigates the readiness of secondary and higher secondary school teachers across representative districts of Kashmir Division in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, quantitative data were gathered from a meticulously balanced sample of 100 secondary school educators (N = 100; comprising 56 government and 44 private, 42 urban and 58 rural teachers), followed by in-depth semi-structured interviews (n = 12) and two focus group discussions. Quantitative evaluations utilized an extensive frequency and percentage distribution matrix across four core dimensions: Cognitive Policy Familiarity, Pedagogical-Instructional Competence, Technological-Integrative Efficacy (TPACK), and Perceived Institutional-Systemic Support. Analysis of frequency-percentage distributions and inferential statistics revealed marked disparities: while 78.0% of teachers exhibited moderate-to-high cognitive buy-in, only 34.0% demonstrated operational technological efficacy and 22.0% reported adequate institutional resourcing. Multivariate and chi-square differential analyses indicated significant readiness advantages among urban and private school educators (p < .001). Multiple linear regression confirmed that Continuous Professional Development (CPD) quality (β = .214, p < .001) and Technological Efficacy (β = .482, p < .001) were the strongest positive predictors of classroom 21st-century pedagogical competence (R² = .591, F(5, 94) = 27.18, p < .001). Qualitative thematic synthesis exposed acute infrastructural vulnerabilities, seasonal winter closures, tokenistic cascade-model CPD, and rigid summative board examination pressures. The study presents an empirically grounded, context-sensitive roadmap for strengthening teacher capacity in geographically fragile school ecosystems.