Abstract
The changes brought to society by the technological development in the Fourth
Industrial Revolution are also reaching the sphere of education and the education
system needs to respond. Students need skills such as communication, collaboration,
creativity and critical thinking in order to be successful in the 21st Century, which could
be developed through the meaningful use of technology. This study is theorised by the
21st Century Framework for Learning and examines the student perceptions of grade
10 and 11 English Home language learners on how the technology used in their
English classroom contributes to the development of 21st Century skills. The
researcher adopted a constructivist paradigm, and presented findings based on a
general qualitative method. The study found that students perceived the use of
technology in the classroom positively contributed to their development of
communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking. Students also perceived
technology as contributing to their access to information, a positive classroom
atmosphere, heightened engagement in learning and developing skills necessary for
their future. In addition, this study highlighted certain pedagogical strategies and digital
tools that support the development of 21st Century skills. The findings suggest that a
combination of student-centred learning and meaningful integration of technology
fosters the development of 21st Century skills in grade 10 and 10 learners.