21st Century Educational Imaginary

Social imaginary refers to the “phenomenon that in every age people adopt a commonsense understanding of the way the world is, and
therefore should be, always taken for granted and so treated as unquestionable. “ Part of this is an educational imaginary – a conception of
how we should educate our young” (Hargeaves, 2006, p45). In the past social imaginaries have changed slowly, but we are living in a period
where they are now rapidly changing.

19th century educational imaginary 21st century educational imaginary

I. Place of school 1. Schools prepare students for their fixed position in a. Students identities and destinies are fluid
in the wider society b. Intelligence is plastic, malleable, learnable
society. 2. Intelligence is fixed, we are born with it c. Education is lifelong
3. Schooling is limited for the majority d. ICT removes space and time barriers to
4. The teacher is the gateway to knowledge knowledge
5. School is designed like a production line e. Education services are designed to personalize
learning.

II. Description of 1. Schools are culturally homogenous a. Schools are culturally heterogeneous
schools 2. Schools are similar and interchangeable b. Schools are dissimilar with a distinctive ethos
3. Schools diversify vertically c. Schools diversify horizontally
4. Public / private provision are sharply distinguished d. Public / private distinction is blurred
5. The school of the future can be predicted and e. Schools of the future evolve haphazardly
designed

III. Structures and 1. School is a place with clear and rigid boundaries a. Education is unrestrained by time and place
roles of 2. Roles are sharply defined and segregated b. Roles are blurred and overlapping
teachers and 3. Workforce has a simple structure c. Workforce has a complex structure
students 4. Schools and teachers are autonomous units d. Schools and teachers are embedded in networks
5. Student voice is weak e. Student voice is strong

IV. Leadership and 1. Education aims/ outcomes are few, simple, a. Education aims are many, complex, contested
change uncontested b. Change is a risky opportunity
2. Change is a dangerous threat c. Education is user-led; focus on learning
3. Educations is provider led: focus on teaching d. Leadership is unlimited, distributed
4. Leadership is limited, centralized, hierarchical e. Education services are likened to an
5. Schools part of a managed system “interdependent living web”
V. Learning and 1. Learning is the acquisition of curriculum content a. Learning is the acquisition of essential
assessment 2. Curriculum consists of subjects / disciplines competences
3. Disciplines contain generic learning skills b. Curriculum is framed around themes / concepts
4. Subjects are taught in lessons c. Learning includes explicit learning how to learn
5. Assessment get progressively narrower d. Competences are acquired through extended
projects
 e. Assessment gets progressively broader

Hargreaves, D. (2006). Personalising Learning 6. The final gateway: school design and organisation. London: Specialist Schools and Academies Trust.