Directions of Education in the World

  • Yong Zhao ,
  • Chun Lai ,
  • Ruojun Zhong
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  • 1. School of Education and Human Sciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
    2. Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria 3030, Australia
    3. Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
    4. YEE Education, Beijing 100007, China

Accepted date: 2024-03-04

  Online published: 2024-06-06

Abstract

In the past few decades, we have witnessed exponential increase in educational investment and reform efforts. However, education has seen a decline or regression in quality globally. This paper aims to reveal the reasons behind this paradox and envision the future of education. We argue that the standard curriculum and assessment, the uniform progression, and the selection focus that characterize the current education system is shaped by the sociocultural circumstances of the Industrial Age when modern education was born. This education system constrains students’ growth, hampers education quality, and leads to educational inequalities. This system fails to produce the type of talents needed in the new era that is characterized by the rapid advancement of knowledge, the fast development of AI, and the increasing demand for entrepreneurship, thereby constraining human’s flexibility in thriving in the current and future uncertainties. We hence advocate three key cornerstones of future education: personalizable learning, learning that centers around problem finding and solving, and learning supported by global campus.

Cite this article

Yong Zhao , Chun Lai , Ruojun Zhong . Directions of Education in the World[J]. Journal of East China Normal University(Educational Sciences), 2024 , 42(7) : 1 -14 . DOI: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2024.07.001

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