Trends in Education

As educators we not only have to be aware of students academic needs but also their social and emotional well being (Visser &Gagnon 2005). 

A healthy lifestyle through the rise of the middle class means that increasing numbers of young people are leaving school well educated, healthy and aspirational.

We have noticed trends or fashions guided by philosophical knowledge in education over many years. When I first started teaching in the late 1970s the trend was for very formal teaching and maths used a textbook. Nowadays maths is taught through hands on manipulation of equipment. Some of the methods of teaching are cyclical and I have seen them return after years when it was thought they were not conducive to education. Play based learning and developmental share many of the same attributes. when I was at teacher's college we were taught how to question children as they played and now the current thinking is to extend children's play by engaging with them and extending their interactions where possible. The importance of learning to read at five is slowly being replaced by new understanding that a happy child who has transitioned well to school is set up for life long learning and that forcing children to read when they are not showing any interest has a negative effect on their attitude to literacy.

KPMG (2014) put out a report saying that learners need advanced digital skills to flourish in the future market place as well as other key competencies. This seriously important research is backed up the findings of the  National Intelligence Council (2017) who talk about a rapidly changing middle class, the rise of automation and the lack of jobs for a large proportion of the population in the next 20 years. The Horizon report by NMC and CoSN in 2017 also points out that there are going to be many more people living past retirement age and not working. Fewer people will be needed due to robots, Artificial Intelligence and machinery designed to take the place formerly done by menial workers. The education of young people growing up in this rapidly changing culture requires a break from traditional reliance on reading, writing and maths as core subjects and more emphasis on the current trend of play based learning where students have to think creatively, problem solve their own inquiry and think imaginatively about what they are doing. Oral language and the key competencies are seen as vitally important components of a future citizen. The trend to engage children in their own learning by setting up play areas where they can initiate their own activities is a response to all of the reports and studies that tell us what Pearson summarises in saying that its all changing more rapidly than we can keep up with. By trying to future proof by encouraging students to think for themselves is surely a positive trend by conscientious educators who readily admit that we can only guess where we will be in 20 years as the rate of change escalates.

I personally feel that we have hope as we accept research presented by Wallis (2017)which gives us insights into how children learn and when they are ready to learn. While I am near the end of my teaching career my students are just starting their learning journey and many of them are curious, able to discuss in a sophisticated manner and relate well to each other. Wallis helped us to see the trend away from a restrictive curriculum to a more child centred approach and teaching as a collaborative activity with the child driving his own learning. 

References:

Adams Becker, S., Cummins, M., Davis, A., Freeman, A., Hall Giesinger, C., and Ananthanarayanan, V. (2017). NMC Horizon Report: 2017 Higher Education Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

KPMG International. (2014). Future state 2030: the global megatrends shaping governments” [Video]. KPMG International Cooperative: USA. Retrieved from http://www.kpmg.com/Global/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/future-state-government/Documents/future-state-2030-v3.pdfNew Media Consortium. (2017).
NMC and CoSN Release the Horizon Report: 2017 K-12 Edition [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-rPhEltg9o

National Intelligence Council. (2017). Global trends: The Paradox of Progress. National Intelligence Council: US. Retrieved from https://www.dni.gov/files/images/globalTrends/documents/GT-Main-Report.pdf

OECD. (2016) Trends Shaping Education 2016, OECD Publishing, Paris. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/trends_edu-2016-en

Pearson. (2013). Global trends: The world is changing faster than at any time in human history.[video].Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdZiTQy3g1g

Visser, L., & Gagnon, K. (2005). Defining “Trends” and “Issues” in Distance Education. Conversation with Donald Paul Ely Y. Visser, L. Visser, M. Simonson & R. Amirault (Eds. de la serie), Trends and Issues in Distance Education. International Perspectives, pp.83-89.
Wallis, N. (2017) www.nurturingyoungminds.co.nz/workshop.html

Wilson, B. (2012). Trends and issues facing distance education. In L. Visser, Y. Visser M., R. Amirault & M. Simonson (2nd Ed.) Trends and Issues in Distance Education. International Perspectives (pp.39-54). North Carolina: Information Age Publishing, Inc.
Global trends in education