Authors:

Deepankar Patel, Kartar Singh

Abstract:

With the beginning of this century, digital media has brought rapid changes in the ways of creating, acquiring and evaluating knowledge, hence new challenges for 21st century education. Conventional skill-based education does not seem to be enough to address misinformation, mindless media use, and declining rational inquiry. This paper reviews critical media literature and scientific temper as meta-competencies for modern education. This review combines theoretical and empirical literature from education, media studies, and science education to examine how these two factors shape learners' cognitive judgment, critical reasoning, and evidence-based decision-making beyond individual skills. A narrative review of peer-reviewed studies, policy documents and conceptual frameworks identifies the match between critical media literacy and scientific temper in 21st century skills discourse. Thematic analysis shows that both are based on doubt, analytical reasoning, and reflexive information engagement, making them meta-competencies for navigating difficult media and knowledge ecosystems. The review highlights the shortcomings of current educational research, particularly the lack of integrated pedagogical models and curricular frameworks that deliberately combine critical media literature with scientific thinking. The paper ends with the impact on curriculum design, pedagogy and teacher education and makes suggestions for future research to improve 21st century education for holistic, rational and critically informed learners.

Keywords:

Critical thinking, Media education, Scientific temper, Meta-competencies, 21st-century education, Critical media literacy etc.

Vol & Issue:

VOL.17, ISSUE No.4, December 2025