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From Alternative Education to The Mainstream: approaches in C anada and G ermany to Preparing Learners to Live in a Changing World
Author(s) -
Sliwka Anne,
Yee Brandy
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
european journal of education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.577
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1465-3435
pISSN - 0141-8211
DOI - 10.1111/ejed.12122
Subject(s) - mainstream , pedagogy , theme (computing) , sociology , public relations , process (computing) , early adopter , mathematics education , psychology , political science , marketing , business , computer science , law , operating system
There has been a shift in the core idea of schooling in both G ermany and C anada: While schools have traditionally focused on cognitive development, they now increasingly focus on ‘engaged learners’ and use integrated settings to support their cognitive, metacognitive and social‐emotional development. In line with the theme ‘Learning to B e’, we argue that beliefs about the purpose of schooling are shifting from a narrow, knowledge‐based approach to understanding that students need knowledge, skills and attitudes to succeed in their private, public and professional lives as adults. To this end, pedagogical concepts developed in alternative education are increasingly being implemented by mainstream schools. This article examines this significant development in G ermany and C anada. We analyse current examples from mainstream schools, highlighting how they use alternative pedagogical concepts to transform the ways in which students come to know themselves as learners. In both countries, this process has been simultaneously bottom‐up, driven by early‐adopter schools, and top‐down, driven by public awards or broad public initiatives.