Fostering 4Cs in Thailand’s rural school students using design thinking and experiential learning

Learning in rural areas faces numerous challenges, including limited resources, inadequate infrastructure and reliance on traditional didactic teaching methods, which hinder students’ development of essential skills for the twenty-first century. This study investigated how integrating design thinking with experiential learning enhances essential twenty-first-century skills among rural students. The research involved 30 Grade 7 students in a remote school in Ratchaburi Province, Thailand, implementing a two-phase learning model that combined weekly experiential activities with a two-day design thinking workshop. Using self-assessments and external evaluations, findings revealed significant improvements: Critical Thinking increased by 47.76% (p = 0.0012, Cohen's d = 0.68), Communication by 28.62% (p = 0.0001, Cohen's d = 0.75), Collaboration by 40.97% (p = 0.0045, Cohen's d = 0.75) and Creativity by 30.30% (p = 0.0097, Cohen's d = 0.80). External evaluations supported these findings, demonstrating the effectiveness of integrating design thinking with experiential learning in enhancing rural students’ skills. This research promotes quality education through innovative teaching methods, contributes to reduced inequalities by empowering rural students, and supports sustainable cities and communities through educational development. While the approach shows promise, structured teacher training programs are needed for successful implementation. Future research should explore the long-term sustainability and scalability of this approach across diverse educational contexts.