Implementing 21st Century Skills in Quranic Education: A Case Study of Sub-Saharan African Students within Quranic Schools in the Souss Region of Morocco

To help Sub-Saharan African students meet their needs in a globalized era, this article seeks to shed light on the essence of integrating or implementing 21st century skills into Quranic education within the Quranic schools in the Souss region of Morocco. The choice of southern Moroccan Quranic Schools, as the research area is due to its historically vibrant culture and the high-quality training provided by well-versed teachers and jurists. Based on the social ecology of human development theory with the use of a qualitative approach, the analysis highlights the prominent role of implementing critical thinking and problem-solving, communication and collaboration, along with digital literacy skills in classroom practices among Sub-Saharan African students. Fieldwork findings demonstrate that most Sub-Saharan African students actively engage in critical thinking and problem-solving. Moreover, a large number of them develop their communication and collaboration skills in real-life situations. Despite the everyday use of technological tools like WhatsApp and PowerPoint, only a few Sub-Saharan students and teachers implement more advanced digital literacy in classroom practices. This study illuminates the Moroccan Quranic Schools´ need for more advanced digital tools and collaborative, creative, and innovative learning strategies to better prepare Sub-Saharan African students to meet the demands of the 21st century labour market.