The Importance of Curiosity and Questions in 21st-Century Learning

In their Framework for 21^st Century Learning, P21 recognizes the importance of teachers developing their students’ learning and innovation skills. These skills, which are often referred to as “the 4 Cs,” stand for creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. The 4 Cs capture the skills students should hone during their formal education to complement and drive knowledge acquisition and content mastery. Yet, there is an additional C that may be just as fundamental for learning and innovation: curiosity and question formulation.