Transcript here - European Institute of Education and Social Policy

Learning for Well-being:
Key competences for lifelong learners
in multicultural societies
Jean Gordon
People to People Study Tour
The challenges for the educational systems in multicultural societies
Brussels, 2nd March 2011
Jean Gordon
EIESP www.eiesp.org
1
“A broad encompassing view of learning
should aim to enable each individual to
discover, unearth and enrich his or her
creative potential, to reveal the treasure
within each of us. ... in order to achieve
specific aims ... that emphasise(s) the
development of the complete person…”
Learning: The Treasure Within, Report to UNESCO of the International Commission on
Education for the 21st Century, 1996
Learning to know
Learning to do
Learning to live together
Learning to be
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
2
OECD - The definition and selection of key
competences (DeSeCo)
Purpose: a flourishing/successful individual
in a well-functioning society
Classified key competences in three broad categories:
• ability to use a wide range of tools
• able to engage with others and to interact in
heterogeneous groups
• take responsibility for managing one’s own life
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
3
EU policy
• “Young people need a wider range of competences
than ever before to flourish, in a globalised economy
and in increasingly diverse societies. Many will work in
jobs that do not yet exist. Many will need advanced
linguistic, intercultural and entrepreneurial
capacities. Technology will continue to change the
world in ways we cannot imagine. Challenges such as
climate change will require radical adaptation. In this
increasingly complex world, creativity and the ability
to continue to learn and to innovate will count as much
as, if not more than, specific areas of knowledge liable
to become obsolete. Lifelong learning should be the
norm.”
Improving Competences for the 21st Century (2008)
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
4
Some background …
The United Nations Convention of the Rights of the
Child:
Art. 28 … the education of the child shall be directed to: (a) The
development of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical
abilities to their fullest potential
Art. 12: Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or
her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters
affecting the child
World Health Organisation:
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Council of Europe: ‘Well-being for All’ basis of social cohesion
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
5
Defining well-being:
Realising one’s unique potential
through physical, emotional, mental,
and spiritual development
… in relation to self, others and the
environment.
Definition: Universal Education Foundation
http://www.uef-learning4wellbeing.org/
Jean Gordon
EIESP www.eiesp.org
6
Shifting the way we think …
about children, education, learning, health
•
•
•
•
Children as full participants
Education centred on the learner
Engaging the full range of human experience
Choosing well-being and health
Purpose:
To inspire and engage people to make all environments more
conducive to Learning for Well-being
Jean Gordon
EIESP www.eiesp.org
7
Learning for Well-being implies:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Self-directed activity
Individual processes and needs
Capacities for self-discovery/expression
Involving whole person
Inherently a social activity -- in relationship
Requiring curiosity, openness and respect
Through and within diverse learning environments
Optimized through autonomy and choices
Ref.: Linda O’Toole & Daniel Kropf, Learning for Well-being. Changing Paradigms, Sharing
our Hearts, Beginning a Dialogue, Universal Education Foundation, 2010
Jean Gordon
EIESP www.eiesp.org
8
Challenges for education:
• Learning to learn/understand who you are is a
foundation for understanding others
• A holistic approach to children’s development &
education – engaging the whole child
• Support the realisation of full & unique potential of
learners
• The right to be listened to – feeling listened to with
respect will hopefully encourage respect for others
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
9
EU: Improving Competences for the 21st
Century
• Every young person should have the possibility of
developing his/her full potential.
• Every learner’s needs differ. Every classroom is a
place of diversity. No one size fits all.
• Holistic approach to learning – mind and body.
• Schools should promote the health and well-being
of pupils and staff and active citizenship.
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
10
EU Framework of Key Competences for Lifelong
Learning
• Communication in the mother tongue
• Communication in a foreign language
• Mathematical competence and basic competence in science and
technology
• Digital competence
• Learning to learn
• Social and civic competence
• Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship
• Cultural awareness and expression.
All that individuals need for personal fulfillment and
development, active citizenship, social inclusion and
employment.
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
11
Key competences include:
•
•
•
•
application of knowledge and skills
include attitudes as well as knowledge, skills
engage the emotions, mind and body
integrated development of skills and attitudes conducive to
the use of knowledge in different situations (familiar or
unexpected)
• sometimes include a standard to be reached
• competence is an individual quality
Fostered in school through team work, participation and
engagement of students in their learning & working with
the families, communities and stakeholders around
schools.
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
12
Learning the Treasure Within
Learning to live together
• School must first help them [children & young people]
discover who they are. Only then will they genuinely be
able to put themselves in other people’s shoes and
understand their reactions. Developing empathy at
school bears fruit in terms of social behaviour throughout
life.
• It would seem that education must take two
complementary paths; on one level, the gradual
discovery of others and on another, the experience of
shared purposes throughout life which seems to be an
effective way of avoiding or resolving latent conflicts.
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
13
Learning to learn
• engages learners to build on prior learning & life
experiences
• organise one's own learning
• awareness of one's learning process & needs
• identifying available opportunities
• ability to overcome obstacles in order to learn
successfully
• motivation & confidence are crucial to an individual's
competence.
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
14
Social and civic competence
• personal, interpersonal & intercultural competence
• all forms of behaviour that equip individuals to
participate in social & working life
• emphasises increasingly diverse societies
• includes capacity to resolve conflict where
necessary & participate in civic life
• commitment to active & democratic participation.
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
15
EU Key competences - links
Learning to learn:
•
•
•
•
•
School must first help them [children & young people] discover who
they are.
Self-directed activity
Individual processes and needs
Capacities for self-discovery/expression
Optimized through autonomy and choices
Social and civic competence:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Only then will they genuinely be able to put themselves in other
people’s shoes and understand their reactions.
Developing empathy at school bears fruit in terms of social behaviour
throughout life.
Experience of shared purposes throughout life which seems to be an
effective way of avoiding or resolving latent conflicts.
Learning involves whole person
Inherently a social activity -- in relationship
Requiring curiosity, openness and respect
Through and within diverse learning environments
Jean Gordon
EIESP www.eiesp.org
16
Selected results of the study
•
Key competences are a major national education policy goal in most Member States
•
Progress is variable
•
Approaches are different - may vary by level (primary, lower or upper secondary) & type
(general academic or VET) of education.
•
Different terminology : key competences / cross-curricular key competences / basic
competences / competencies / core skills / key skills / socle commun.
Some systems use core objectives and general objectives.
•
•
Major issue: how best to implement approaches to school policies for teaching &
learning key competences. Implies shift in school systems:
–
–
–
–
•
from input-led and subject-oriented towards curricula which include competences,
cross-curricular activities,
active and individualised learning
focus on learning outcomes.
Links changes in schools with learning outcomes approaches in other sectors, e.g. VET
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
17
Teacher education & training
• Teacher acquisition of the 8 competences – big issue
•
A lot more effort is needed for teacher education & training
• At EU level, three core competences for teachers are
defined:
– Working with others;
– Working with knowledge, technology and information; and,
– Work with and in society.
• Lack of bridges between the EU framework of competences
for LLL and teacher competences
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
18
Summary of points
• Learning to learn/understand who you are = foundation for
understanding others
• Learning for well-being = learning about ourselves so that we make
the decisions that serve us, others and the environment
• Holistic approach to children’s development & education - focus on
the complete person
• Every learner’s needs differ. Every classroom is a place of diversity.
• Personal, interpersonal and intercultural competence to participate
in civic life – participation of pupils
• Feeling listened to with respect will hopefully encourage respect for
others
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
19
Questions
• How does this speak to the situation in your country? Are
these the relevant questions?
• How are children in your system supported to acquire key
competences for LLL in multicultural societies?
• Where do you see the main challenges in your schools?
• How could teachers, families, local communities be better
supported?
• How are pupils in your country “learning democracy” as
partners in building their learning ?
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
20
THANK YOU
www.eiesp.org
www.learningforwellbeing.org
Jean Gordon
EIESP www.eiesp.org
21
Sources
Learning for Well-being Consortium of Foundations in Europe /
Universal Education Foundation (www.learningforwellbeing.org)
Learning to Live Together; a Necessary Utopia: a seminar (2007)
and special issue of the European Journal of Education (2008)
organised with the support of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
(http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ejed.2008.43.issue-2/issuetoc)
A 2009 study on key competences for the EU Commission, DG EAC:
J. Gordon, G. Halasz, M. Krawczyk, T. Leney, A. Michel, D. Pepper, E.
Putkiewicz, J. Wisniewski, Key Competences in Europe: Opening
doors for lifelong learners across the school curriculum and
teacher education
(http://ec.europa.eu/education/more-information/moreinformation139_en.htm).
Jean Gordon
EIESP
www.eiesp.org
22