21st Century Educational Imaginary

21st Century Educational Imaginary Social imaginary refers to the “phenomenon that in every age people adopt a commonsense understanding of the way the world is, and therefore should be, always taken for granted and so treated as unquestionable. “ Part of this is an educational imaginary – a conception of how we should educate our young” (Hargeaves, 2006, p45). In the past social imaginaries have changed slowly, but we are living in a period where they are now rapidly changing. 19th century educational imaginary 1. Schools prepare students for their fixed position in society 2. Intelligence is fixed, we are born with it 3. Schooling is limited for the majority 4. The teacher is the gateway to knowledge 5. School is designed like a production line

21st century educational imaginary a. Students identities and destinies are fluid b. Intelligence is plastic, malleable, learnable c. Education is lifelong d. ICT removes space and time barriers to knowledge e. Education services are designed to personalize learning. a. b. c. d. e.

Schools are culturally heterogeneous Schools are dissimilar with a distinctive ethos Schools diversify horizontally Public / private distinction is blurred Schools of the future evolve haphazardly

I.

Place of school in the wider society.

II.

Description of schools

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

III.

Structures and roles of teachers and students

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

School is a place with clear and rigid boundaries Roles are sharply defined and segregated Workforce has a simple structure Schools and teachers are autonomous units Student voice is weak

a. b. c. d. e.

Education is unrestrained by time and place Roles are blurred and overlapping Workforce has a complex structure Schools and teachers are embedded in networks Student voice is strong

IV.

Leadership and change

1.

Education aims/ outcomes are few, simple, uncontested Change is a dangerous threat Educations is provider led: focus on teaching Leadership is limited, centralized, hierarchical Schools part of a managed system Learning is the acquisition of curriculum content Curriculum consists of subjects / disciplines Disciplines contain generic learning skills Subjects are taught in lessons Assessment get progressively narrower

a. b. c. d.

Education aims are many, complex, contested Change is a risky opportunity Education is user-led; focus on learning Leadership is unlimited, distributed Education services are likened to an “interdependent living web” Learning is the acquisition of essential competences Curriculum is framed around themes / concepts Learning includes explicit learning how to learn Competences are acquired through extended projects

V.

Learning and assessment

2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Schools are culturally homogenous Schools are similar and interchangeable Schools diversify vertically Public / private provision are sharply distinguished The school of the future can be predicted and designed

e. a.

b. c. d.

e. Assessment gets progressively broader Hargreaves, D. (2006). Personalising Learning 6. The final gateway: school design and organisation. London: Specialist Schools and Academies Trust.