Teachers' Understanding Of 21st Century Skills In Kindergarten Schools With The Implementation Of The Kurikulum Merdeka In Medan City

The implementation of the independent curriculum as an embodiment of 21st century learning should actualize 21st century skills in the learning process. Teachers as the spearhead of successful learning and education are expected to understand 21st century skills. This study aims to describe teachers' understanding of 21st century skills, which consist of critical, creative, communication, collaboration and digital skills. The approach used in this study is quantitative and the method used is descriptive. The population in the study was all Kindergarten schools in Medan City. The results showed that the understanding of kindergarten teachers in schools with the implementation of the independent curriculum showed an average value of 88% with a very good category. However, the critical aspect shows a value below the average, which is 80% with a good category. Meanwhile, for the creative, cooperation, communication, and digital skills aspects, all are in the very good category with values, namely 88% (creative, communication, and digital skills) and 95% (cooperation). The cooperation aspect is the aspect that is most understood by teachers, and the critical aspect is the aspect that is least understood by teachers.