The Mediating Effect of 21st Century Skills on the Relationship between Learning Environment and Self-Directed Learning

Aims: This study aims to examine the relationship among 21st-century skills, the learning environment, and self-directed learning among Senior High School students. Specifically, it seeks to determine the significant association between 21st-century skills, the learning environment, and students’ capacity for self-directed learning. Study Design: This research employed a quantitative, non-experimental design. Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted during the academic year 2024–2025 among Senior High School students from Padada National High School, Sulop National High School, Perfecto Sagarino National High School, and Molopolo National High School in Davao del Sur, Philippines. Methodology: A total of 325 students from public senior high schools in Davao del Sur, Region XI, Philippines, participated in the study. Stratified random sampling was used to select the participants. Data were collected using a structured survey questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS. Results: The findings revealed that students demonstrated a high level of learning environment quality, contributing to more effective learning experiences. Significantly relationships were found among the variables: the learning environment correlated with self-directed learning ((r = 0.403, p ≤ 0.000) and with 21st century skills (r = 0.705, p ≤ 0.000), while 21st century skills were also significantly related to self-directed learning (r = 0.405, p ≤ 0.000). Further analysis confirmed that 21st century skills partially mediate the relationship between learning environment and self-directed learning, highlighting their role as a bridge in enhancing students’ learning autonomy. This insight highlights the need for schools to deliberately integrate 21st century skills training into classroom design and teaching strategies to foster greater learning outcomes.