Education in a Changing

Society

Chapter One

The Reality of Social Change

Two major social changes affecting education are taking place:

Changes in demographics

Changes in social institutions

Demographics in Transition

Three factors resulting in changing demographics:

High immigration rates

High birthrates among some segments of the population

An aging population

Institutions in Transition

A social institution is a formal, recognized, established and stabilized way of pursuing some important activity in society.

Social institutions provide rules, or social norms, that become internalized in individuals.

When institutions change, so do the norms they provide.

Changes in Institutions

In today’s world, all social institutions are experiencing fundamental change:Economics – globalization

Politics – new alignments of nations

Family – new forms of family life

Religion – rise of fundamentalism in all world religions

Changes in Economics and Politics

Economically there has been a shift from:Loyalty to a single company to loyalty

to one’s own self interestA national focus to a global focus

Politically there has been a shift from:Political interest within our own

borders to interest in political events around the world

Changes in the FamilyMore women are in the work force.

The divorce rate is high.

More families are in poverty.

New family “forms” are becoming common (e.g., single parent families, blended families).

More ethnic and religious groups are intermarrying.

Changes in Religious Organizations

Immigrants are bringing unfamiliar religions and religious ideas to the society.

Various “new age” religious affiliations are emerging.

There is a rise in fundamentalist religious groups in all major religions.

Schools as a Reflection of Social Change

Changing demographics among students

Increasing numbers of children whose first language is not English

Increasing inclusion of children with disabilities in classrooms

Increasing attention to differential treatment of boys and girls in classrooms

Limited English Proficiency

Most Limited English Proficient (LEP) students speak Spanish.

The United States is the fifth largest Spanish-speaking country in the world.

More than half of LEP students are in grades K-4 and more than three-quarters are poor.

Inclusion

Legal support for inclusion:Public Law 94-142, The Education of All

Handicapped Children Act (1975)

Amendments to P.L. 94-142, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA] (1990, 1992, 1997)

More children with disabilities are being educated side-by-side with children without disabilities.

Gender and Schooling While girls have not been thought to be

educationally different from boys, their experiences in school are often very different.

Research demonstrates that what is good for boys in school is not necessarily good for girls.

Title IX sought to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sex.

Students and Teachers: A Clash of Cultures?

The student population in schools is an increasingly multicultural one, while the population of teachers remains much as it has always been: white, middle class, and predominantly female—in short, monocultural. This can create something of a clash of cultures between students and teachers.

Rethinking Schools and Learning

As society changes, schools must also change to accommodate new needs; thus, there is a national movement for school reform.

Reform efforts are aimed at “leaving no child behind” through testing and accountability.

Schools in Transition

In education, we are experiencing a shift from:Schools that educate the elite to

schools that educate everyone to the same standard

Schools that emphasize rote learning to schools that emphasize critical thinking

Schools that emphasize teaching to schools that emphasize learning

The Root Causes of Change

New circumstances in the society in which schools are embedded:

19th-20th Centuries: schools reflected the needs of an emerging industrial society

20th-21st Centuries: schools are changing to reflect the needs of an emerging information society

Classrooms for an Industrial Age

Futurist Alvin Toffler calls the industrial age a “Second Wave” civilization; characteristics of classrooms for this era include:

StandardizationSynchronizationSpecializationCentralizationLarge scale

Standardization in a Classroom Might Be Demonstrated By:

All teachers being certified by standard criteria

Teachers and students dressing according to a district-wide standard dress code

Textbooks and/or a course of study being the same for all students in a grade level or subject

Student performance being judged by standardized tests

For the most part, students working individually

Students competing for grades, awards, etc.

Synchronization in a Classroom Might Be Demonstrated By:

Class periods being of equal length and times between class periods being of equal length

Each subject being taught on a regular basis, usually—but not always--daily

The school day being planned and coordinated according to a regular schedule

The school year being planned in advance

Specialization in a Classroom Means That:

Subjects are divided by disciplines; there is little interdisciplinary study.

Teachers, administrators, clerical and support staff have differentiated roles.

Ancillary personnel (e.g., nurses, counselors, etc.) also have specific and differentiated roles.

Centralization Means That Many Policy Decisions Are Made at the District Level:

Centralized decisions are often made about:

CurriculumBudgetsPurchasingAttendanceDisciplineScheduling

Large Scale Means That, in General, “Bigger Is Better”

This tendency toward large scale can be seen in:

Large districtsLarge buildingsLarge auditoriumsLarge bandsLarge football stadiums

Classrooms for an Information Age

Toffler names the present information age a “Third Wave” civilization. Characteristics of classrooms in this era include:

Individualization and ChoiceCollaborationDiversityDecentralizationSmall scale

Individual Choice May Mean That:

Within a broad range of standards, teachers and students may make decisions about curriculum and pedagogy.

Students and teachers may make decisions about learning activities.

Students and teachers may set classroom rules to produce an effective learning environment.

Collaboration in Such a Classroom Might Look Like

This: Teachers across subject areas and

disciplines might plan lessons and units together.

Parents and community members might be actively involved in classroom activities.

Groups of students might often be found working together on projects and lessons.

Diversity in the Classroom Might Look Like This:

Students of different ages may be working together.

Students of differing abilities may be working together.

Students and teachers may be acting in multiple roles.

Students and teachers may be incorporating multiple disciplines into their work.

Students may be of differing cultural backgrounds.

Decentralization Often Means School-based Decision-making

Called site-based management, school-based decision-making may involve:

Setting learning goalsPlanning the school budgetSetting attendance policiesDeveloping dress codesHiring new teachers and other

personnel

Small Scale Means More Face-to-face Interaction

Classes are smaller.

Everyone knows everyone else.

Students work with a variety of adults.

Adults work with a variety of students.

It is easier to develop really meaningful learning communities and a sense of belonging for everyone.

As Schools Move Through This Transitional Period,

Remember:

Change is difficult.

Human beings often resist change and react to it with hostility.

New circumstances often mean new opportunities: it’s up to you. . .

Ideological Perspectives on Multicultural Education

Attention to differences among students is not new.

The nature of the differences to which we must attend is broadening.

Multicultural education is becoming less a matter of differences within the U.S. and more a global phenomenon.

A New Role for Teachers

To recognize social and cultural change

To understand culture, learning, and the culture-learning process

To improve intergroup and intragroup interactions

To transmit intercultural understanding and skills to students

The Importance of Stories

Stories help a person visualize and talk about new ideas and experiences.

Stores often “speak to” complex human experiences.

Stories help us to see the universality of common experiences.

Something to Think About

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

--Alvin Toffler