This volume, the eighth in the Global Education in the 21st Century series explores the re-imagination of education as we approach the second half of the 21st century. The work identifies dilemmas, challenges, advancements and innovations as they apply in educational contexts around the world.
Global challenges and events are both disrupting and enhancing our world. It is crucial that the education of future generations provides opportunities that allow for an understanding of this complex, challenging world. This volume, Reimagining education for the 2nd quarter of the 21st century and beyond: Dilemmas, challenges, advancements and innovations aims to engage the reader in the challenges and opportunities of the modern, inviting us to examine the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes to thrive in a rapidly changing society.
Twenty-first century pedagogical approaches to learning employ innovative teaching methods that focus on preparing learners for the challenges and opportunities of the modern. These approaches emphasize critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, creativity, and the use of technology. In compiling this volume, the editors grappled with questions about the outcomes we want for all learners, the learning environments that could foster those outcomes, and the systems and structures necessary to create those environments as we move to the second half of the 21st century. Whilst we knew a re-imagined education system would not be a panacea for the many forms of systemic disadvantage facing learners, we challenged the chapter authors to envision learning and teaching systems that are designed to meet all learners where they are and allow each to reach their full potential. Although the editors were conscious that education alone cannot correct social and economic inequities; as the authors illustrate in this volume, it can contribute greatly to enhancing solutions.
STEM education in the 21st century typifies this need for education that meets learners where they are, incorporating hands-on, experiential learning opportunities, such as project-based learning, where students can apply their knowledge to real-world problems. It also encourages the use of technology and digital tools to enhance learning and provide access to resources and information.
The importance of developing learner agency through such approaches is evident in the chapter by Kidman, Tan and Macdonald, which explores a re-imagination of STEM to focus upon agency and creative approaches that enhance design thinking. The authors bring an argument that a transformed STEM education that utilises design thinking as the interconnection between
Both Law and Aktas and Dede also illustrate this necessity of pedagogy and practice that supports these envisaged practical outcomes of critical thinking and problem solving. Aktas and Dede at al tantalisingly pose the context of an action research project with the empirical materials drawn from the case stories of three primary mathematics teachers grappling with professional agency for creating innovative teaching. Their work provides a rallying point for new innovators who see the potential for a shift in paradigms and want to develop these emerging professional networks. In a similar vein, Littlewood and McLaughlin explore the role of mentors in the teaching profession and highlight findings that reveal a lack of support and recognition for mentors and the absence of professional development and support for this critical role. Their findings provide new insights into the potential of developing professional mentoring as a critical component of the teaching profession as it moves deeper into the 21st century. They underline the ever-present challenge and dilemma facing educators- how to keep abreast of professional practice whilst addressing the challenges of 21st century teaching.
A vision of wonder -infused pedagogy and its utilization within an elementary Science methods course as presented by Gilbert, will engage and support those educators already experimenting with ways to develop learner-centred education, elevating their work to an important platform in their own development. It is an exciting contribution to ways of thinking about 21st century learning.
Yet with choice of technological innovations in education, also comes challenges. Whilst some educators and administrators support the benefit and use of emerging technologies such as AI and immersive spaces, others ban their use concerned with cheating and plagiarism. Ersozlu, Ledger and Swartz respond to technology challenges with technology, by using 360 videos to provide alternative perspectives to make learning, assessment, and examination procedures more authentic. Their work illustrates how 360 videos allow pre-service teachers to examine their own video productions, assess their own abilities, and compare them to the level of competence they can meet based
Further addressing the focus in technology in this volume, Athanasiadis, Papadopoulou and Kasimatis present a new measurement scale developed to measure the service quality of teacher-training programs. Their scale allows educators to address the challenges of education in the 21st century by providing valuable insights into learner perceptions of the quality of their education, thus recognising learner agency and voice.
A number of authors in this volume have chosen to address the dilemma of finding space for socially embedded learning in the 21st century and the constant challenge to address such learning in educational contexts.
Socially embedded learning is rooted in meaningful relationships with family, peers, qualified adults, and community members and is grounded in community and social interaction. It values face-to-face contact, as well as opportunities to connect virtually, and recognizes the significance of establishing continuity in learners’ lives through the development of stable relationships.
Independent exploration and practice; collaborative group work; structured, intentional instruction; and cooperative exploration, among other experiences, are integrated to develop learners’ competencies. Skaltsa, Kasimatis and Koutsouris investigate the impact of experiential learning, nature connectedness and “anthropomorphic” empathy for our planet on the mindset and the development of rural Agronomists, whilst Koutouzis, Papadopoulou and Chalkiadaki present an argument for socially embedded learning in the employment and social integration of (young) people, mainly unskilled, who have not completed compulsory education and do not have the qualifications and skills required by the labor market. Their work illustrates that in such learning. Both peers and adults are recognized as integral partners in learning, and learners are encouraged to interact with those developing at different competency rates, from different backgrounds, and with different interests.
Socially embedded learning is a crucial challenge for the second half of the 21st century. It has the capacity to catalyze and structure partnerships with families, community-based employers, civic organizations, and other entities that can foster learning. Brown, Phillips, Goring and Kelly emphasize this in their chapter outlining their project that developed young people’s capabilities in Co-Design for Diversity and Inclusion, evaluated their progress in a series of capability and capacity-building milestone meetings, and awarded if appropriate, a community based micro-credential. Likewise, the exploration of low SES
This volume illustrates how learning experiences in the 21st century will need to be leveraged to bridge gaps and meet challenges; and must be designed to expand interests, opportunities, and perspectives; and responsive to learners’ passions. At the same time, however, learners are rooted in real-world contexts and Cooper and Barkatsas evidence this real-world context by illustrating how psychosocial predictors of students’ intentions to enrol at university can be examined. Their study found that attitude and subjective norm were significant predictors of students’ university intentions. Their study magnifies the need to use such findings to inform policies or interventions associated with students’ participation in higher education.
In conclusion, the authors in this volume offer a new set of lenses that brings into focus the possibilities offered by different pedagogical approaches. With these lenses, this volume recognizes and is ready to answer the growing call from learners, parents, educators, communities, and national leaders for a re-imagined way to educate.
This volume creates a vision of the future of education that calls for engagement in such pedagogies as blended learning, disruptive technology, connected and personalized learning, social and emotional learning, community schooling, out-of-school learning, teaching improvement, and the teaching profession as well as others. The editors recognize, honour, and value the points of view of all of those engaged in its production.