Abdulla, A. M., & Runco, M. A. (2018). Who funds the future?Federal funding support for 21stcentury learning research. Business Creativity and the Creative Economy, 4, 1-7. DOI: 10.18536/bcce.2018.10.8.1.01
Link:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327366051_Who_funds_the_future_Federal_funding_support_for_21st_century_learning_research
Abstract
Support for refocusing education on non-achievement outcomes has burgeoned in recent years, with substantial theoretical, intervention, and assessment efforts focusing on 21stcentury skills, 21stcentury learning, non-cognitive outcomes, soft skills, and various socio-affective variables. One common observation from advocates is that the federal government must increase its support for so-called 21stcentury outcomes, but there has been little research to date on the extent to which federal agencies that fund educational research have supported relevant projects in the past. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which the National Science Foundation and Institute for Education Sciences funded 21stcentury research projects during 2005-2016. Results provide evidence that NSF has funded numerous projects involving collaboration and critical thinking, with IES funding critical thinking and communication projects most often. Across both agencies, very few funded projects have focused on creativity. Recommendations for future research and development are discussed.