佐賀大学全学教育機構紀要 第 号（ ）

Development of Long-term Support Program for Youth to Improve

21st Century Skills in Community
­ Based on the Case Study of Efterskole in Denmark ­

Sachiko MORITA

Abstract
The way how we live, work, play and learn has been dramatically transformed by technology
over the past 20 years. We need different skills, namely 21st Century Skills , than those we
used in the 20th century (ATC21S). Moreover, in Japan, the labor market in rural
communities strongly requires universities to develop students 21st century skills.
Therefore this research aimed to challenge the development of the long-term support
program for youth in rural communities to improve their 21st century skills. This program is
based on the case study of Efterskole, an alternative education institution in Denmark.
Analyzing the learning environment of the Efterskole according to Four perspectives of
learning environment design of Bransford et al. (2000), the following results were obtained.
The analysis of the learner-centered and community-centered learning environment
showed very positive results and the assessment-centered learning environment showed
positive results, although the perspective of knowledge-centered learning environment
seems inconclusive in this study. Furthermore, this study portrays the conceptual framework
of the long-term support program for youth in rural communities to improve their 21st
century skills based on the case study of Efterskole.

[Keywords] : career education, 21st Century Skills, alternative education, Denmark,

Efterskole

1 Introduction
The way how we live, work, play and learn has been dramatically transformed by technology
over the past 20 years. We need different skills, like 21st Century Skills , than those we used
in the 20th century (ATC21S).
According to ATC21S, a plan was unveiled by that Cisco Systems Inc., Intel Corporation
and Microsoft Corp in January 2008 to sponsor a project to research and develop new
approaches, methods and technologies for measuring 21st-century teaching and learning in

森田佐知子（佐賀大学キャリアセンター）

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classrooms around the world. The Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (ATC21S)
project is focused on defining those skills and developing ways to measure them. Five
founding countries agreed to take part in the research and deployed ATC21S pilot projects in
schools. The five countries were Australia, Finland, Portugal, Singapore and the United
Kingdom. Barry McGaw, a professorial fellow at the University of Melbourne and a former
education director at OECD, was the executive director of the project in 2009.
The 21st Century Skills shown in Figure 1 was developed in the circumstances as
described above.

WAYS OF THINKING TOOLS FOR WORKING

䚷䞉Creativity and innovation 䚷䞉Information literacy

䚷䞉Critical thinking, problem-solving, 䚷䞉Information and communication
decision-making technology (ICT) literacy
䚷䞉Learning to learn/metacognition
(knowledge about cognitive processes)

WAYS OF WORKING WAYS OF LIVING IN THE WORLD

䚷䞉Communication 䚷䞉Citizenship - local and global

䚷䞉Collaboration (teamwork) 䚷䞉Life and career
䚷䞉Personal and social responsibility
- including cultural awareness
and competence
Figure 1. 21st Century Skills
Source: ATC21S Website (http://www.atc21s.org/)

This project had a great impact on schools education and educational policy (Griffin,
McGaw, & Care, 2012).
Incidentally, in Japan, the labor market strongly requires universities to develop
students 21st century skills. Especially, companies in rural areas are facing lack of young
people fully acquiring 21st century skills in comparison to the companies in urban areas. This
is due to the fact that many young people move to urban areas in search of good jobs.
The author succeeded in increasing the motivation of students who want to work in
rural areas to acquire 21st century skills by practicing community-oriented career education
program at the university . However, further support programs are needed to keep their
motivation over a longer period of time. On the above themes, there are few domestic prior
studies.
Therefore, this research aims to challenge the development of the long-term support

For more details, see Morita (2017).

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program for youth in rural communities to improve their 21st century skills. The program is
developed based on the case study of Efterskole in Denmark. There are two reasons why this
study selects the Efterskole as a research site. The first reason is that some previous studies
pointed out that these types of skills are cultivated in an alternative education rather than
mainstream education. The second reason is that the author studied career education of
Northern European countries in past several years and began paying attention to the role of
the Efterskole s teachers in keeping students motivation for improving 21st century skills.
This research is composed of three parts. The first part represents overviews of Danish
education system and Efterskole. The second part shows the methodology and results of this
research. The third part portrays the conceptual framework of the long-term support
program for youth to improve their 21st century skills in rural communities.

2 Overview of the education system in Denmark

First, the education system in Denmark is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Educational system in Denmark

Source: Denmark Higher Education and Science Ministry Website
(http://ufm.dk/en/education-and-institutions/the-danish-education-system/overview/adult_education.jpg)

According to KOF Swiss Economic Institute (2017), since 2009, compulsory education in
Denmark starts at the child s sixth birthday in the calendar year and usually lasts until the

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age of 16/17. The Danish compulsory education lasts 10 years and is provided by municipal
schools ( Folkeskole ) The average class size is 20 students, and classes must not surpass 28
students. As a public institution within the Danish welfare state, the Folkeskole is free of
charge. Additionally, in Denmark, students who feel the need for further academic
qualification, after evaluating their educational prospects, have the opportunity to participate
in a 10th post-mandatory school year (KOF Swiss Economic Institute, 2017).
The Folkeskole is not the only option given to students and parents in Denmark. In the
2014/2015 school year, 78% of all pupils in primary and lower secondary schools attended the
Folkeskole, 16% attended private schools, 4% attended private residential schools known as
Efterskole , and 2% attended special schools (The Ministry of Higher Education and Science,
and The Ministry for Children, Education and Gender Equality, & The Ministry of Culture,
2016).
Nagata (2005) points out related to the educational situation of Denmark as follows.
Denmark is an educated country , but the people do not show the enthusiasm for education
eagerly as an intense academic competition or so-called examination hell . Rather, its
actions are directed towards valuing the well-being of the hearts of individual children and
young people.

3 Overviews of the Efterskole

The Efterskole is a private residential school for pupils in grades 8 to 10. In addition to normal
subjects, emphasis in these schools is typically on social learning and fields such as sports,
music, nature or ecology (The Ministry of Higher Education and Science, The Ministry for
Children, Education and Gender Equality, & The Ministry of Culture, 2016).
According to (Ho/ jskolerne, Efterskolerne, Friskoleforening, & Læreskole, 2017), the first
Efterskole was founded in 1851 by Kristen Kold based on the educational ideas of the famous
Danish poet, philosopher and priest N. F. S. Grundtvig (1789-1872). While Grundtvig intended
the folk high school to be for adults, Kold wanted to reach young people when they entered
puberty. The Efterskole is still for students aged 14-17 is based on the idea of Kold above. Ho/
jskolerne et al., (2017) also mentioned that about 20% of all Danish teenagers attend an
Efterskole. The number of students has increased every year for the last 25 years. Currently
there are about 245 of such schools attracting around 28,000 students from all levels of
society. The size of an efterskole can vary from 35 to 500 students but is on average 100-120
students. Most schools are located in rural areas or near provincial towns with only a few

The examination hell was used in Japan as a word expressing the tough competition among many
young people who try to enter best schools for ensure the best career opportunities.

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being located in a city.
In the leaflet of the Efterskole, the following three points on the characteristics of the
Efterskole are noteworthy.
- Compared to public schools the Efterskole has substantial freedom in terms of e.g. choice
of subjects, teaching methods and educational approach. These vary in accordance with
the school s political, religious or pedagogical orientation. Freedom of the Efterskole is
assured by substantial state subsidies to both schools and students.
- The Efterskole has something to offer both educationally and socially, because the
students live together. It can perhaps be said that the teachers who work at an
Efterskole are not entirely ordinary. They are prepared to involve aspects of themselves
other than the professional, so that the pupils have a positive relationship to the teachers.
- One of the things that is unique about the Efterskole is the teacher-student relationship.
The teacher is responsible for both teaching and supervision outside of school hours.
This means that the teachers and students are together all day from the time the
students wake up until they go to bed. This often opens up for a close, personal and non-
formal relationship between students and teachers.
Figure 3 shows the characteristics of the Efterskole from the above.
There are several prior studies in regard to the effect of the Efterskole s education on
students.
Efterskoleforeningen (2015) mention that the Efterskole s distinct contribution to
students dannelse occurs primarily in three spheres each of which develop students
general formative experiences.
- Students are formed by participating in friendly communities that extend and refine
their self-confidence

Figure 3. The characteristics of the Efterskole

dannelse is a Danish term that mean formation . It is applied to general, non-vocational education
whose aim is to produce well-rounded individuals (Efterskoleforeningen, 2015).

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- Communities of common interest which develop and refine their self-worth
- Efterskole communities that enhance and fine-tune their self-esteem
Moreover, Malik Hyltoft (2008) stated on the students motivation for learning and other
activities at Osterskov
/ Efterskole as follows;

However, there are few prior studies analyzing the Efterskole according to the framework
of learning environment assessment regarding 21st century skills improvement.
Furthermore, there is few papers that examines whether the essence of the Efterskole s
learning environment can be applied to educational programs based on other cultures.
Therefore, we conducted a qualitative survey at three Efterskole which included
interviews with teachers and students, and observations of the learning environments, in
order to analyze the Efterskole related to the improvement of students 21st century skills.

4 Methodology and results of the qualitative survey

4-1. Framework of analysis
In this research, we adopted the Four perspectives of learning environment design (Figure
4) of Bransford, Brown, & Cocking (2000) as the framework of analysis. According to
Bransford et al. (2000), these four perspectives must be considered when designing the
educational environment of the 21st century .
Bransford et al. (2000) explains the four perspectives of learning environment design as
follows;
The learner-centered learning environment indicates an environment in which
sufficient attention is paid to the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs that the learner
brings to the classrooms. In general, teachers do not share living experiences with students,
so it is not easy to bridge the gap between the experience and knowledge that students bring
to classrooms and the contents of schools subjects.
The knowledge-centered learning environment is intended to support students to put

Osterskov
/ Efterskole was founded by Mads Lunau and Malik Hyltoft in 2006. The center of their
educational method is role playing.
This framework is also introduced in Griffin et al. (2012).

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 Figure 4. Four perspectives of learning environment design
Source: Bransford et al. (2000)

to use and develop their intelligence and skills in the true sense of the word by learning based
on understanding and by realizing the behavioral change occurs.
The assessment-centered learning environment indicates an environment in which
students receive feedback and opportunities for modification. The feedback needs to reflect
the learning objectives appropriately.
The community-centered learning environment refers to an environment in which
students, teachers, and local education officials share value criteria that regard learning as
valuable. Communities include not only classrooms and schools, but also families and
communities. Because students are spending a much longer time in the communities than
that of schools. In addition, the sense of community at school is strongly influenced by adults
working at school. The relationship between adults working in schools affects the
characteristics and quality of schools, and even the student s academic performance, more
than other factors.

4-2. Methodology
This qualitative survey consists of interviews and observations at three Efterskole. Table 1 is
the data collection procedure of this research. Table 2 summarizes the basic data of the three
schools which were addressed in this study.
During the interviews, field notes were kept and the interviews were recorded on IC
recorder with the permission of the interviewees. All interviewees approved that these
contents may be published as academic conference, documents and papers.

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 Table 1. Data Collection Procedure
Date Research Site Corresponding persons
September 18, 2017 Flakkebjerg Efterskole Mr. Jan Coermann䠄Principal䠅,
Slagelsevej 13, 4200 (two teachers and three students䠅
Slagelse, Denmark
September 19, 2017 Haslev Idrætsefterskole Mr. Torben Svendsen (principal䠅,
Bregentvedvej 10, 4690 one teacher and two students
Haslev, Denmark
September 20, 2017~ Midtsjællands Efterskole Mr. Hougaard-Jakobsen䠄principal䠅,
September 21, 2017 Tolstrupvej 29, 4330 Hvals two teachers and two students
ø, Denmark

Table 2. The basic data of the three schools which were addressed
School name Flakkebjerg Efterskole Haslev Idrætsefterskole Midtsjællands Efterskole
Principal Mr. Jan Coermann Mr. Torben Svendsen Mr. Christian Hougaard-Jakobsen
Establishment 1987 1987 1960
Slagelsevej 13
Bregentvedvej 10, 4690 Tolstrupvej 29, 4330
Location Flakkebjerg 4200
Haslev Hvalsø
Slagelse
Number of Students 155 130 113
Number of Home Group 9 10 7-14
Students Grade 9,10 10 9,10
Art, Performance, Media, Outdoor & Nature Sports,
Dance / Fitness, Football,
Courses Global, Science, Music & theater,
Handball, Volleyball
Adventuresport Creativity & Craft

4-3. Results
In this section, the results of the study are shared according to the framework of Four
perspectives of learning environment design .
(1) The learner-centered learning environment
As Bransford et al. (2000) mentioned that in general, teachers do not share living
experiences with students, so it is not easy to bridge the gap between the experience
and knowledge that students bring to classrooms and the contents of schools subjects.
However, because the Efterskole is a boarding school, the teachers can share their living
experiences with their students deeply. Therefore, the teachers of the Efterskole will be
able to combine the experience and knowledge that students bring to classrooms and the
contents of schools subjects.
In the interview, one student mentioned that several weeks after enrolling in the
Efterskole, the relationship between teachers and students seemed to be similar to the
one at public schools. From this remark, it became clear that sharing of living
experiences between students and teachers will change the relationship between them.

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 In this regard, in an interview, one of the teachers mentioned that they can observe
the behavior of the students outside the classroom, so they can understand the student s
personality completely. In other words, the teachers will be able to evaluate students
diversely.
(2) The knowledge-centered learning environment
These three Efterskole s principals showed the same opinion that the contents of
normal subjects are the same as that of public schools. On the other hand, one of the
teachers mentioned in an interview that it is an educational advantage of the Efterskole
that teachers can use various facilities and teaching methods in normal subjects such as
native language or English. One of the students also mentioned that the Efterskole s
contents of normal subjects are more interesting than that of public schools. Figure 5 to
Figure 7 show the classroom scenes in the three Efterskole.
However, in this study, we could not verify whether students intelligence and skills
were based on understanding and caused changes in behavior. Considering the above
circumstances, the perspective of knowledge-centered seems inconclusive.
(3) The assessment-centered learning environment
This paper will not discuss the evaluation of normal subjects because this study is
focused on the improvement of 21st century skills rather than academic ability.
Regarding the improvement of 21st century skills, the students of the Efterskole receive
daily feedback from other students and teachers. Some students told in interviews that it
is not easy to communicate with other students in the first couple of weeks, and
sometimes conflicts between students happen.
In order to cope with students adaptation to new schools and resolving conflicts
between students, the Efterskole divides the students into a small groups called home

Figure 5. Classroom scene Figure 6. Classroom scene

at Flakkebjerg Efterskole at Haslev Idrætsefterskole

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 Figure 7. Classroom scene
at Midtsjællands Efterskole

group , and every home group has a teacher who support the member. The mechanism
of this home group seems to work well, and some students mentioned that they would
consult with the teacher of the home group to which they belong immediately when
something goes wrong. Thus, many of the students build new relationships with other
students while receiving support
from the teacher of the home group. In addition, the students receive diverse feedback
from the surroundings from time to time in their daily lives and classrooms.
Regarding this point, all teachers pointed out the importance of dialogue . They
seem to prefer a solution through dialogue for student and school related problems. This
point is also one of the big features of the Efterskole.
(4) The community-centered learning environment
Through the interview of this research, we are able to obtain most of the
information related to this perspective. On this point of view, the students often
mentioned that the teachers of Efterskole are like big brother and big sister .
Furthermore, some students noted that they feel secure at the Efterskole. It seems to be
different for each student what made them feel secure . One student mentioned that
she feel secure because she can stay at the same place for a year. Because her parents
are divorced, she had to regularly go back and forth between her father and her
mother s house so far . Another student mentioned that he was concerned about how he
is perceived by others outside of the Efterskole, but at the Efterskole, he feels accepted
the way he is.

According to the website of Statistics Denmark

(https://www.dst.dk/en/Statistik/emner/befolkning-og-valg/vielser-og-skilsmisser/skilsmisser#),
the divorce rate of Denmark from 2014 to 2016 is 54.39%, 48.70%, 50.81%.

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 One teacher stated that we are living with this school. Another teacher mentioned
that this workplace is the home and life of the teachers, and they have to expose their
weaknesses to students. Every student who responded to the interview had a great
respect for the teachers of the Efterskole. They seem to recognize that teachers are
working not only for the salary, but also for the personal growth of the students. This
teacher s attitude makes the students trust and respect the teachers.
According to Bransford et al. (2000), the relationship between adults working in
schools affects the characteristics and quality of schools. In this regard, one teacher
mentioned that the Efterskole is a very comfortable place for her. Another teacher
stated that the teachers learn a lot from the students and also other teachers as well.
During the research period, it was often observed that teachers frequently talk about
students and school administration at every Efterskole.
The Efterskole s people stated that they are like a family . In the three Efterskole,
the students and teachers start the day with a morning gathering. They have breakfast,
lunch and dinner together. After dinner they do activities that are interested in. At the
end of the day, they spend a relaxing time in the living room. Thus, they share all of their
living experiences.
In addition, each Efterskole also has different characteristics, and it seems that
students and teachers share their values. All the students are proud of their Efterskole
and mentioned that they like it very much. In this way, by sharing values and living
experiences, they have succeeded in forming a very strong community. In addition, more
than 250 Efterskole, all over Denmark, also seem to function as one big community.
Figure 8 to Figure 11 are scenes in the three Efterskole.

Figure 8. Morning gathering Figure 9.Lunch

at Haslev Idrætsefterskole at Flakkebjerg Efterskole

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 Figure 10. Activities after dinner Figure 11. Teachers room
at Midtsjællands Efterskole at Midtsjællands Efterskole

5 Conclusion - the conceptual framework of the long-term support program for youth in
rural communities to improve 21st century skills
This research aimed to challenge the development of the long-term support program for
youth in rural communities to improve their 21st century skills. This program is based on the
case study of the Efterskole, an alternative education institution in Denmark.
Analyzing the learning environment of the Efterskole according to Four perspectives of
learning environment design of Bransford et al. (2000), the following results were obtained.
(1) The analysis of the learner-centered learning environment showed very positive
results because of the fact that teachers and students share living experiences for 1 or 2
years at the Efterskole, so that teachers can bridge the gap between the experience and
knowledge that students bring to classrooms and the contents of school subjects, which is not
the case when it comes to other schools teachers.
(2) The perspective of knowledge-centered learning environment seems inconclusive in
this study. However, teachers can conduct interactive classes using diverse facilities and
teaching methods at the Efterskole.
(3) The analysis of the assessment-centered learning environment showed positive
results because of the fact that teachers place emphasis on problem solving by dialogue.
Additionally, students can receive feedback from teachers and other students on a daily basis
at the Efterskole.
(4) The analysis of the community-centered learning environment showed very
positive results because of the fact that teachers and students share living experiences and
values, and they create a strong community at the Efterskole.
From the above results, the Efterskole could be said to be very suitable learning

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environment to improve students 21st century skills.
It is noteworthy that the Efterskole has one big advantage in improving the youth s 21st
century skills over other schools. The point is that about two thirds of the Efterskole students
are 10th graders who finished school-leaving examination . This means that two-thirds of the
students who belong to the Efterskole are released from the school-leaving examination. In
fact, during an interview, one of the students mentioned that she was released from the
stress of the examination when she went on to the 10th grade. This fact seems to be one of
the key in improving 21st century skills. Because at least the students of 10th grade can
concentrate on improving the 21st century skills for one year at the Efterskole.
The Efterskole is sometimes expressed as the time to stop in Japan. However, the
Efterskole students spend a very dense and fulfilling time with studying, extracurricular
activities, and living activities for one or two years, as Efterskoleforeningen (2015) mentioned
that a year at efterskole equates to seven human years . Like the Efterskole students, being
released from the pressure from the examinations and concentrating for a short time in
improving 21st century skills is considered to have a positive impact on their subsequent
learning and career development. In Japan as well, we need to give these opportunities to

Figure 12. The conceptual framework of the long-term support program

for youth in rural communities to improve their 21st century skills

According to the Efterskoleforeningen (2017), the Efterskole students in 2017 are consists of 9,629
students who are 8th and 9th graders, and 19,213 who are 10th graders. In Denmark, during the 9th
grade, students are required to take the school-leaving examination (KOF Swiss Economic Institute,
2017)

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young people.
Figure 12 shows the conceptual framework of the long-term support program for youth
in rural communities to improve 21st century skills based on the case study of the Efterskole.
The program is considered to be suitable for the period of several months to about a
year, because most Japanese schools are not boarding school. Therefore, it is predicted that it
will take time to build relationship between teachers (or mentors) and students (or mentees).
In order to build relationships, it may be effective to arrange an accommodation training or to
arrange a workshop to share their life background at the period of introduction.
After the relationship between the teachers (or mentors) and the students (or mentees)
is established, it is important to give students (or mentees) daily feedback for proper forming
of the individuals. Teachers (or mentors) are required to have multifaceted evaluations of the
students (or mentees). Furthermore, the conflicts should be resolved through the dialogue. In
addition, it is desirable that students (or mentors) do not receive strong pressure of academic
examination during the program.

It is considered that this research contribute to the improvement of career education in

Japanese universities in a way that in suggests the conceptual framework of the long-term
support program for youth in rural communities to improve their 21st century skills.
However, further research is necessary in the following points.
Firstly, it is necessary to investigate how the students evaluate the improvement of
their 21st century skills. In addition, it will be necessary to clarify the relationship between
the self-reflection process students conducted during the year at Efterskole and the 21st
century skills improvement.
Secondly, it is necessary to conduct a prototype program at a Japanese university and
verify its effect. In particular, attention should be paid whether organizational culture like
solving issues through the dialogue, respect for individuals will be fostered even in the
Japanese community and education program.

Acknowledgments
I would like to show my greatest appreciation to Mr. Sune Kobbero/ (Chief Executive Officer
of Efterskole Association). He cooperated fully on my research and kindly organized and
managed three schools for this study. I am grateful to the principals, teachers, and students of
Flakkebjerg Efterskole, Haslev Idrætsefterskole, and Midtsjællands Efterskole who warmly
accepted me and took time for the interviews. I would like to thank Ms. Ayumi Umino
(Educational researcher, University of Copenhagen). She taught me the background of Danish

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education and culture. This work was supported by the Grant from Saga University for
overseas research 2017. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all of
the faculty and staff of Saga University who helped me accomplish this research.

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