Holistic Education through Hackathon

This study explores the impact of a hackathon as a pedagogical tool to promote twenty-first-century skills among fifth-grade students in a rural elementary school in northern Israel. The research question focuses on the extent to which a hackathon can develop these skills from the students’ own perspective. Utilizing a case-study approach, the methodology involved three research tools: students’ drawings and explanations, open-ended questionnaires, and focus groups. Data analysis followed a deductive approach, categorizing information based on twenty-first-century skills. The findings reveal that the hackathon effectively enhanced students’ creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, information literacy, and life skills. In addition, it fostered holistic education, while integrating technical, cognitive, social, environmental, and ethical values. The study concludes that hackathons can be a powerful tool for comprehensive skill development, preparing students for the complexities of the modern world.