I think if today’s students could tell their teachers what they wish educators knew about their lives and learning, they would first share their interests, talents, and topics that they want to study. I also suggest that students could share their desires about how the educational process should go and build their assumptions about the schools of the future. The issue of how to teach students and what aspects to emphasize is very relevant and discussible for the education sphere. Subsequently, various perspectives and ideologies have developed to consider approaches to learning. Such ideologies as social efficiency and social reconstructionism pay attention to the association of education with public life and call for adapting the learning process following this connection, but their focus is different.
The ideology of social efficiency focuses on meeting the needs of society. It is worth noting that the views of scientists on this ideology may differ, which may affect the opinion about it. From a narrow perspective, efficiency calls for ignoring the children’s needs to meet public needs and teaching only those skills and knowledge necessary for society’s development (Knoll, 2009). A broader and more humane understanding of ideology offers the interaction of children’s abilities and society’s needs to achieve the common good (Knoll, 2009). The first approach suppresses children, which can lead to negative consequences for their mental health and lack of skills, which is harmful to public life and therefore not relevant. The second approach, which includes support for individuality, is applicable and valuable since education should maintain community and teach children living in it.
Social reconstructionism is also significantly focused on the needs of society. This ideology emphasizes the use of schools to solve social problems (Edupedia, 2018). Achieving such a goal is possible by providing knowledge about public issues and dilemmas and their discussion in the classroom. Such an approach is valuable since it aims to build a better society. Knowing about existing problems, children can choose a direction for a future career, and develop and use their abilities for solutions. Thus, understanding society, its life, needs, and problems are vital in educating children but should not wholly replace activities to develop the student’s individuality and talents.
References
Edupedia. (2018). What is social reconstructionism? Web.
Knoll, M. (2009). From Kidd to Dewey: The origin and meaning of ‘social efficiency’. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 41(3), 361-391. Web.