The legacy of lifelong learning : competences in active citizenship

Abstract

Focusing on the relation between Education in general and Citizenship Education in particular some key questions come to the surface: Which kinds of new trends in learning are compatible for citizenship education? Which knowledge, skills and attitudes must be protected? How can teachers and students obtain the label ‘ good work’? How can we avoid a dualistic approach and promote a more holistic way to link reason and emotion, personal and social development? How can we empower the relationship of education to a dramatically different world view? In the last decade the European Commission launched the Long life learning process. Not only for students and teachers to go on mobility but also other stakeholders like entrepreneurs. New skills for new jobs became the adagio. Also industry had an impact on the educational system. More and more models of quality assurance came into the school gate and breathed the industrial spirit of a linear. Pupils are so much more than products waiting to be shaped; teachers are so much more than instructors; each are complex adaptive thinkers who need the freedom to grow their own minds1. The third annual Education and Training Monitor (2014) charts the evolution of educational systems across Europe. The strategic message for Member states is clear: we need to strengthen our investment in education and training systems if we want them to fully contribute to productivity, competitiveness and innovation in Europe. These goals require quality education that is both relevant and inclusive (European Commission 2014). The modernization of education systems is an important element of the Europe 2020 strategy, reflected by its education headline target. The early school leaving rate is 12% and still above the Europe 2020 headline target of 10% or less. The more than five million early school leavers across Europe face an unemployment rate of 41% and are at a higher risk of poverty and social exclusion . The Monitor encourages the further professional development of teachers, exploit the potential of innovative pedagogies and digital learning and better address the importance of early childhood education. Our approach will be strongly inspired by the innovated vision of the American cognitive psychologist Howard

Gardner: the five minds for the future. His school policy model will be explained and compared with other taxonomies. Arguments will be given reinforcing the idea that all the five minds are needed within a school policy for the future. They give us a good profile of what an active citizen might look like in complex, interconnected, multi- and trans-cultural societies. Innovative educational models challenge the conventional frontal teaching and row – by – row learning and the hierarchic teaching. ‘Sage on the stage to guide on the side’2 is not an easy switch and is based on constructivist theory of learning. Interactive teaching in combination with cooperative learning and peer – questioning create a new dynamic in the classroom. Putting the classroom desks in a horseshoe shape create a forum for dialogue and debate. Maybe there will be less silence, but the noise will be full of thoughts3. Once the conceptual background is established, we’ll present an enquiry conducted with a group of international students (some of them participated in the Erasmus + program) who have been asked what are their ideas regarding work, character, interpersonal relations, values and mindsets. This will help us to recommend a number of pedagogical ideas to encourage students’ active citizenship.