 |
DAVID HICKS |
| David is Visiting Professor, School of Education, Bath Spa University, where he helped develop and taught on the undergraduate Education Studies degree. He is now a freelance educator with a particular interest in the global dimension, a futures perspective, climate change and sustainable schools. For the last twenty years his research, writing and teaching have focused on ways of helping students and teachers think more critically and creatively about the future. |
TEACHING FOR A BETTER WORLD
Fundamental task
I firmly believe that one of the most fundamental tasks of education is to help young people:
- make sense of the world that they live in, both locally and globally
- think critically about their future and the future of society
- understand the need to work towards a more sustainable futures
If you also feel this is important I hope you will find this website useful.
It is often useful to see the curriculum as having a spatial and temporal axis on which the global and futures elements have often been neglected. Whilst the importance of a global dimension in the UK curriculum has now been recognised there has been much less understanding, until recently, about the need for a futures perspective.
It is through exploring both the spatial and temporal dimensions of the curriculum that students can begin to make sense of their lives and their interconnections with both the local and global community.
There are thee strands in contemporary education which can particularly help students explore the sort of society and future that they would like to live in. These are known internationally as global education, futures education and education for sustainability.
Global education
The term used internationally to describe a form of education which specifically explores interconnections between the local and global community. More commonly educators talk about the need:
- For a global dimension in the curriculum and
- for pupils/students to develop a global perspective on contemporary issues and events
Futures education
The term used internationally to denote a form of education which specifically helps pupils/students to think more critically and creatively about the future. More commonly educators talk about the need:
- for a futures perspective in the curriculum and
- for pupils/students to develop such a perspective on contemporary issues and events
Education for sustainability
The term used internationally to denote a form of education which specifically helps pupils/students to contribute to the welfare of both people and planet. More commonly educators in the UK talk about the need:
- to create sustainable schools which exemplify good practice across all aspects of life
- for pupils/students to understand the need for, and ways of working towards, a more sustainable society
When these three strands are woven together, whether as a cross-curricular theme or within a particular subject area, critical and creative learning for the future can really begin to take place.
The long transition
The three most pressing problems that we have to face, locally and globally, are those to do with climate change, peak oil and the limits to growth. Taken together these issues will create a future that will be very different from today. One of the key tasks of education therefore is to prepare young people to meet the challenges that lie ahead with confidence and vision. For more detail see The Long Transition.
To contact David please click here: enquiries@teaching4abetterworld.co.uk
