- Critical thinking and metacognition identified as key competencies
- Teaching pedagogy to shift focus towards process rather than outcome
Digital advancements, demographical changes and globalisation are key factors influencing the education systems in many countries, including Thailand. One of the critical dynamics is preparing students adequately for the challenges in a dynamic and fast-moving world. How can education stay relevant in the new 21st century?
"What does 21st Century learning entail?" This was the topic of discussion at the fifth Marshall Cavendish Education Conference 2016 recently held in Singapore. Themed 'Putting Change into Context – A Journey into 21st Century Learning', the biennial event brought together some of the most influential local and overseas experts in education to share their insights on teaching curriculum, use of technology and professional development to empower teachers and engage learners.
There is no doubt that a robust approach is essential for holistic learning, which if done well, can ensure a smooth and efficient transition from school to the workplace. The question is, are the skills being taught in schools today sufficient to meet the demands of the 21st Century economy? In this innovation-driven, rapidly changing world that we live in now, literacy and the ability to solve arithmetic problems are no longer enough to attract employers. Society now demands that its global citizens have more than textbook knowledge. They must have creative thinking, problem-solving, communication and collaborative skills on top of values such as tolerance, social justice, open mindedness, empathy, and a deep respect for their equals.
To facilitate this transformation, schools must revamp themselves as a platform for learners to be inquisitive, proactive to ask questions and build self-confidence. However, the current learning landscape is still full of teacher dominated classrooms that implement regular high stake examinations. Too much emphasis is placed on the outcome, or the grade. To prepare students ready for the 21st Century, we must shift our focus to the process so learners can be more adept in areas of metacognition– the analysis of one's own thinking processes, reasoning development and concept explanation.
Information technology will be a key factor in this transformation. In Thailand a new survey has shown that the digital penetration rate is now 37%. Out of the 23.9 million active Internet users in Thailand, each user spends on average almost 5 and half hours per day using the internet from a PC or tablet and just over 4 hours per day from a mobile phone. By fusing technology into the learning process, educators can provide students the means to learn at their own pace, interact with their peers, and provide them with a window to the world of knowledge beyond the classroom.
Educators can also use technology to differentiate lessons to cater to the specific needs of each student and accustom their teaching to the different learning styles of students. Students learn more productively when they spend time on relevant tasks linked back to their objectives and guidelines.
High quality educators are key to the success of this proposition and professional development should always have this end goal: enhance the teachers' capacity to improve student learning and development outcomes.
Professor S Gopinathan, Academic Director, The HEAD Foundation; Adjunct Professor, LKY School of Public Policy, National University Singapore, said: "Professional development courses need to be contextualised with the realities and challenges of teaching and student learning. In order to be effective, they have to offer a wide range of formats, activities, and experiential learning platforms so that there is greater transferability from teacher learning to classroom practices. Teachers must always be committed to continual and lifelong learning and cannot afford to stay stagnant."
Lee Fei Chen, Head of Publishing of Marshall Cavendish Publishing Group added:
"There will always be changes but these changes are taking place at a much faster pace than before. As a publisher of education solutions, we want to ensure that our contents are effective for both teachers and students so that they can bridge the gap between teaching and learning."
Source: Marshall Cavendish Education http://Www.mceducation.sg/events/mceconference2016