Learning beyond the classroom: education for a changing world

The challenges facing young people as they become adults are more complex and demanding than ever before. Education has become vital to young people's life-chances and a central part of strategies for economic prosperity. The author argues that educational research should focus on the connections between schools and society, rather than focusing on spending money on making schools more effective as institutions, more attention should be given to the connection between schools and society. This book reviews projects from the UK and other countries which represent the beginning of a new approach and explains how this approach can be used to address some of the most pressing challenges for education, promoting active citizenship, developing employability and tackling chronic underachievement. The author also stresses that in an increasingly complex society, dedicated teachers must not be solely relied on to deliver the understanding and personal qualities young people will need to thrive. Effective education will have to extend beyond the classroom, using a broader range of resources - cultural, social, finnacial and physical. This book provides a wide-ranging review of educational innovation and on contemporary analyses of economic, social and technological change. It outlines a vision of education which combines the rigour and depth of the best professional instruction with the flexibility of community-based collaborative learning. Show less