EDN679

Reflective Journal (II) Naazreen Angullia (30468471)

Assignment 1 : Reflective Journal (Part II)

§ Key Understandings (main ideas of the thinkers and implications on education).

§ Personal Impact (How has your thinking or values changed? Was there anything that inspired
you? New learning?).

Module 6: Jean Piaget, Ernst von Glasersfeld & Lev Vygotsky

Key Understandings
Len Vygotsky

The social development theory and ideas of Russian psychologist, Vygotsky, are important
contributions to constructivism and educational theory. Vygotsky’s theoretical concepts are
referred to as social constructivism due to his sociocultural emphasis on cognitive
development. Vygotsky believed children are naturally curious and actively involved in
constructing their own learning . He asserted that learning takes place through and is influenced
by the dynamic interactions students have with their environments, including their teachers,
peers and others. Optimal learning occurrs within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD),
referring to the difference between what a learner can achieve independently and with guidance
from a more knowledgeable other (MKO). The role of adults is to facilitate children’s cognitive
development in an intentional and systematic manner through meaningful activities. Vygotsky
was also concerned with the role of language, particularly internalization of language, on
cognitive development. Vygotsky examined tools of intellectual adaptation, which are
culturally determined, that allow children to use the basic mental functions more effectively.

Much of Vygotsky’s social process ideas and theories have impacted on what constitutes ‘best
practice’ in contemporary education and on educational theories which promotes learning
contexts in which students play an active role in learning. Understanding children’s ZPD can be
used to organize learning activities and indicate sensitive instruction to optimize learning
through scaffolding and “apprenticeship”. The application of his theories is evident in the
importance placed on cooperative learning activities with groups of children at different levels
to help each other learn through more skillful peers and peer tutoring. An example of
Vygotskian approach is seen in the progressive International Baccalaureate(IB) curriculum

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where collaboration within a community of learners are key elements of curriculum
organization.

Jean Piaget
Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, best known for his theory of cognitive development based on his
research on how knowledge develops in children, has impacted developmental psychology and
educational theories. Influenced by Montessori, Piaget proposed a theory of intellectual
development that included four distinct stages- sensorimotor , preoperational stage, concrete
operational, formal operational- suggesting that there is a qualitative change in how children
think as they gradually progress through these four critical stages. His theory of cognitive
development was conceived as a universal phenomenon. The fundamental concepts Piaget
developed were organization (human beings inherited the tendency to organize as a result of
biological maturation and environmental experiences), schema (the basic building blocks of
intelligent behavior, a way of organizing knowledge and a stored set of linked mental
representations of the world), adaptation (the intellectual growth which occurs through
assimilation and accommodation, the process of modifying preexisting schemas as a result of
new information or new experiences) and finally, equilibrium (acts as a force driving
development along). Piaget perceived learning as self-initiated and focused on individualized
learning experiences, rather than socially constructed, as Vygotsky did. He perceived children
as "little scientists" actively exploring and making sense of the world around them.

Piaget’s impact on education has shaped the notion of developmentally appropriate curriculum
with emphasis on environments, materials and instruction that are suitable for students to
enhance their logical and conceptual growth. His theories have shifted contemporary
education’s focus onto the process of children’s thinking and recognition of children’s self-
initiated , active involvement in learning activities. This recognition has informed discovery
learning, which provides opportunities for learners to explore and form their own cognitive
understandings. Progressive assessment strategies have integrated Piagetian ideas, which
emphasize individualized educational progress rather than based on normative standards. Other
Piagetian influences are seen in the use of concrete props and visual aids, using familiar
examples to explain complex ideas, opportunities to classify & group information and using
outlines & hierarchies to facilitate assimilation of new information with previously learned
knowledge.

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Personal Impact
Constructivism is at the heart of my teaching philosophy and vision of a democratic society. It
underpins the IB curriculum I am expected to deliver as an educator. Some explicit
constructivist elements of the IB curriculum include building upon learners’ prior knowledge
and providing provocation through new experiences so they construct meaning from the world
around them. I believe it is critical for educators to understand how socio-cultural contexts
impact on cognitive development. Vygotsky’s theory of social learning is even more important
today where education continues to be institutionalized with a disregard for the power of
relationships in constructing new knowledge and skills with others. I believe schooling are sites
for powerful change. Constructivism has influenced my pedagogical approaches such as
providing Socratic discussions and dialogues in my classroom. International education can be
both interesting and complex; I remind myself frequently to be aware and respectful of the
culture, language and experiences each learner brings into the learning environment. I am
appreciative of how social differences and diversity should be capitalized upon as invaluable
sources of sharing stories, worldviews and values.

Module 7: Moral Educators - Lawrence Kohlberg, Carol Gilligan & Felicity Haynes

Key Understandings
Lawrence Kohlberg
Lawrence Kohlberg was an American psychologist and professor, best known for his research
into moral psychology and theory of stages of moral development, which elaborated on
Piaget’s earlier findings. Kohlberg was interested in children's reactions to moral dilemmas. He
is credited for creating “moral development”, a new field within psychology. He theorized that
moral reasoning, which is the basis for ethical behavior, has six identifiable developmental
constructive stages, each more adequate at responding to moral dilemmas than the last. Like
Piaget, Kohlberg believed logic and morality develop through stages. In his notorious 1958
Heinz study, Kohlberg explored moral reasoning by presenting subjects with moral dilemmas.
He then categorized and classified the reasoning used in the responses into one of six distinct
stages, grouped into three levels: pre-conventional, conventional and post-conventional. His
model aimed to demonstrate how the individual’s morality develops through these stages,
which are: the obedience and punishment orientation stage, the individualism and exchange,
the good interpersonal relationships stage, the maintenance of the social order stage, the social
contract and individual rights stage and the universal principles stage. Kohlberg asserted that

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people can only pass through these levels in the order listed and not everyone achieves all the
stages. Kohlberg suggested there are common patterns of social life, observed in universally
occurring social institutions. He proposed a form of "Socratic" moral education and reaffirmed
John Dewey's idea that development should be the aim of education

The three major contributions Kohlberg made to moral education were the use of Moral
Exemplars, Dilemma Discussions, and Just Community Schools. Kohlberg’s moral
development theory has had a positive effect on education, especially relevant to young adults
and their sense of intellectual and moral development. Kohlberg’s aim was to enable
individuals to understand advanced stages of moral thought, the principles of universal liberty
and justice and that the development of moral thought would help individuals to develop a
greater understanding of the norms of society. His model of evolution of morality is based upon
the principle that human beings make decisions on the basis of universal, abstract principles of
justice, duty, and impartial reasoning, and logic. The themes and practical implications of
Kohlberg’s theoretical ideas were centred on building a sense of community in schools in order
to promote democratic values and increase moral reasoning. Kohlberg’s theory has received
considerable criticism. Among these are his poor research design and lack of ecological validity
(due to the use of artificial dilemmas) and the use of a culturally biased sample.

Carol Gilligan
Carol Gilligan is an American professor, feminist, ethicist, and psychologist , known for her
work with and criticisms of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. One of the first women
to challenge male-centered psychological research, Gilligan argued her professor’s model was
male-centric, gender-biased and sexist. Acting upon her criticisms of Kohlberg’s model,
Gilligan proposed an alternative model- a relational theory of stages of female moral
development, based on her idea of moral voices that was inclusive of female experience.
Gilligan saw her work more as an expansion of, rather than antagonistic to, Kohlberg’s. In
contrast to his ethics (of Justice), Gilligan formulated a feminine Ethic of Care, where she
argued that women had a different sense of ethics as they were more community and
relationship-orientated than most men. The controversy between Gilligan and Kohlberg
illustrates the gender debate which is alive and well in both psychology and education today.
Gilligan made important criticisms on Kohlberg’s research methodology and challenged the
validity of his data. Her stages of female moral development is still valuable as a model to
illustrate the important ways men and women differ in how they handle ethical issues.

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Personal Impact
This module raised several key points for me. As an educator inspired by critical pedagogy, I
appreciate Gilligan’s feminist stand against Kohlberg. Her criticisms, in my opinion, were valid
and much needed. My personal experiences and observations have led me to assert that morals
and values continue to be complex and uncomfortable areas for many educators today. Moral
education is overlooked and ignored in most schools I have been a part of. I was indeed
surprised to learn that in the Australian curriculum, ‘Ethical Understanding’ refers to moral
education and is a central theme teachers must address professionally, yet I can fairly comment
that most of my teaching colleagues are unclear on the importance given to this area, let alone it
being given equal value and significance as other areas of the curriculum. I am positing this is
due to the prevalent attitudes of educators; morality is perceived as ‘personal’ and should
perhaps be ‘left to the parents’, or religious figureheads. The role of modern day educators has
changed; many educators lack confidence and knowledge in this area or are anxious about
imposing our morals and values in spaces where ‘political correctness’ is priority. Kohlberg’s
dilemma discussions approach intrigued me as I believe story-telling and problem- posing can
be powerful strategies to create transformative, democratic spaces and invite critical thinking

Module 8: Critical Theorists in Education

Key Understandings
Michael Apple
Michael Apple is a prominent educational theorist who is highly regarded as an important
voice in contemporary progressive and critical education. Dr Apple’s work focuses on
education and power, cultural politics, curriculum theory and research, critical teaching, and
the development of democratic schools. Apple scrutinizes, assesses and deconstructs
educational systems throughout the world. He continues to guide educators, unions,
administrators and governments in their efforts to democratize educational policy and
practice. His early-life affinity with minorities and their education led to his involvement in
teacher politics while he was a political activist fighting for social justice within a Marxist
paradigm. He viewed education as an ethical and political act. As a critical theorist, Apple
compels us to think of knowledge as a form of capital; cultural institutions such as
universities play a fundamental role in the accumulation of cultural capital. Apple argued it is

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necessary to visit the "contradictory roles schools play" to understand the distribution and
filtering of knowledge. He asserts that the school and its connections to other powerful social
agencies generated the dominant rules and practices of educators' lives, thereby maintaining
exploitation in the social order through hegemony. He laments that educational institutions do
not drive the engines of democracy and equality as idealized. Apple expressed concern over
the hidden curriculum of schooling and in the corporatization of educational curriculum in
schools today. Apple contends that critical theory is process of transformation and can aid in
the exploration of society and educational reform.

Apple’s work has impacted on current reform initiatives aimed at improving students'
educational outcomes through a solid and rigorous curriculum. He analyzes through critical
lens issues that are not being discussed, are unknown or explained in education today which
address critical concerns relevant to the lives of educators and students affected by
pedagogical and curriculum decisions. His deconstruction of school pedagogy and
curriculum to democratise learning, reconceptualizes teaching and education as a form of
citizenship, helps us as educators to recapture a democratic and progressive vision of what the
future can be, as he relates new theories to critical policy and practice in today’s unsettling
times.

Paolo Freire
Paolo Freire was a Brazilian educator and philosopher, known as the Grandfather of Critical
Pedagogy(CP) and for his influential work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, considered one of
the foundational texts of the CP movement. Freire’s work was influenced by anarchism,
feminism, Marxism, postcolonialism and the discourse theories of Michael Foucault, among
others. Freire was born to a middle-class family in Brazil. His experiences with poverty
during The Great Depression would shape his educational philosophy and decision to dedicate
his life to improving the lives of the poor. Paolo’s work would span over many countries and
in distinguished academic capacities, despite a brief exile. ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’
outlined the foundation of his principals and was an important exploration of education as
cultural action, dialogue and the possibilities for liberatory practice. He criticizes the failings
of traditional education and developed the notion of banking education (views shared by
Rousseau and Dewey) and concepts of conscientization, problem-posing education, learning
circles, praxis and critical consciousness to justify his position. Freire believed man's
onotological vocation is to be a subject who acts upon and transforms his world, thereby

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generating possibilities of a richer life individually and collectively. His philosophy of
education was an organic political consciousness, anti-authoritarian, anticapitalist and anti-
imperialist, focused on liberating the oppressed through emancipatory education which
involves a dismantling of colonial structures and ideologies. He perceived education as a
political activity and literacy’ purpose is to achieve freedom. Freire gave much attention in
his life to the importance of education for oppressed people, adults and indigenous people.

Freire’s impact on education are multi-faceted and wide. He brings to attention the political
position of education as a potential space of dialogical problem-posing education and reminds
us that the way students are taught and what they are taught serves a political agenda. His
philosophy informs peace education pedagogy and practice. His revolutionary pedagogical
theory and philosophy influences academic disciplines including sociology, anthropology,
applied linguistics and cultural studies. Freire’s pedagogical concepts are related to and have
impacted greatly on anti-oppressive education, multicultural education, humanitarian
education and educational equality, to cite a few areas. His work continues today through the
voices of others who carry the message and are committed to the struggle against oppression.

Personal Impact
CP has been a turning point in my journey as an educator. My background in various schools
with very different social structures and approaches, both as a student and teacher, has
exposed me to how specific groups of people have access to knowledge and skills. I became
aware and concerned about how this created a vicious cycle in which power and resources
continue to be controlled by the already rich and powerful and contribute to an unjust society.
I have always been personally interested and invested in issues surrounding marginalized
people and was intrigued by the ideas and vision of Apple and Freire. Their work revives my
hope that education can be transformative for oppressed groups in society and that classrooms
can be powerful sites for change and democracy. In today’s education system increasingly
commodified and driven by global neoliberal capitalism, I believe CP has increased in
relevance and urgency, in its goals to humanize and empower learners through critical
thinking and consciousness.

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Module 9: Two educators of the late 20th Century - J. Mezirow & Elliot W. Eisner

Key Understandings
Jack Mezirow
Jack Mezirow was an American sociologist and Professor of Adult and Continuing Education
Work, who was deeply influenced by Paulo Freire, Jürgen Habermas and Thomas Kuhn. He is
known as the Father of Transformational Learning, defined as learning that induces deep
change and produces a significant paradigm shift, thereby affecting the learner's subsequent
experiences.

Mezirow categorized transformative learning as the division of knowledge into three

dimensions: instrumental (the simple attainment of skills and knowledge), communicative
(which depends on students understanding the meaning of what is being communicated) and
emancipatory, based on the idea that everyone has the potential to break free from the
limitations of their own situation to transform their own life but requires an awareness of one's
current life conditions. Mezirow developed the concept of “meaning perspectives”, which
operate as perceptual filters; they determine how individuals will organize and interpret the
meaning of experiences. Mezirow theorized “meaning schemes”, smaller components which
contain specific knowledge, values and beliefs about one's experiences. Meaning schemes work
together to generate one's meaning perspective. Four common themes characterized Mezirow's
theory of the mechanism of transformational learning in the classroom- experience, critical
reflection, rational discourse and action. Mezirow, like Freire, asserted that students' life
experiences should provide a starting point for transformational learning. He identified ten
phases of transformational learning which progress from disorienting dilemma to perspective
transformation. Through a combination of reflection and discourse, the student makes shifts in
his/her world-viewwhich produces a more inclusive world-view. For Mezirow, one of the
benefits of transformational learning was the development of greater autonomy as a person, a
defining condition of adulthood.

Mezirow’s transformative learning theory has remained popular and relevant since its inception
in the early 80s. Apart from its value as a critical constructivist framework for action research,
Mezirow’s theory is valuable in the field of adult learning to help explain what their coping
strategies and needs are, and how they can achieve perspective transformation. The application
of his theory necessitates a shift in how teachers perceive their professional practice, students,

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course content, learning environment and instructional activities which contribute to, and
influence, transformational learning. The teacher must establish an environment characterized
by trust and care and facilitate sensitive relationships among the participants. Mezirow
suggested activities to stimulate transformational learning (eg. journal writing, metaphors, role
play and using literature to stimulate critical consciousness), critical reflection and rational
discourse, which are key components of the transformative process in his model.

Elliot Wayne Eisner

Elliot Eisner was an American professor of Art and a pre-eminent scholar of education, whose
contributions were felt in several fields including arts education, curriculum studies and school
reform, and qualitative research. His advocacy for the Arts in the educational development of
the young aimed to infuse education with art, making the latter central to the mission of
schools. Influenced by Dewey, Eisner argued that education involves the exercise of artistry
and the development of connoisseurship and criticism. Eisner wanted to highlight the
importance of art and artistry in education. His efforts led to art education becoming a content-
oriented discipline. He argued for alternative approaches to viewing the way that professionals
‘think in action’ and for a shift in the emphasis and direction of schooling. He asserted the key
to developing knowledge within educational settings is to create a varied and stimulating
environment in which people become ‘immersed’. He believed educators needed to encourage
learners to try make meaning; people need access to the experience of different forms of
representation or symbol systems, to make sense of these, to draw upon them to nurture the
imagination and creativity in their responses to the situations in which they find themselves.
The Arts inform as well as stimulate; they challenge as well as satisfy.

Eisner’s impact on school reform is reflected in his advocacy for for ‘expressive outcomes’.
Eisner argued for a curriculum that fosters multiple ‘literacies’ in students and a deepening of
the ‘artistry’ of teachers. His ideas continue to shape contemporary education and has helped
re-instate the place of Arts in the curriculum and how teachers teach, with professional
expertise, the disciplines of music, dance, theater, and the visual arts to learners. Especially
important in today’s context and its narrow preoccupations with instrumental outcomes,
Eisner’s advocacy that standardization of learning should not be the goal of education,
continues to be a highly contentious and relevant issue in the arena of education and curriculum
reform today.

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Personal impact
I was extremely intrigued by the educational thinkers from this module . Over the past two
years, after an introduction to Freire in a previous unit, I have become extremely fascinated and
inspired by critical pedagogy and literacy. It was with much enthusiasm and encouragement
that I discovered yet more educators whose priorities and work were centred around themes
aligning with my educational philosophy. The concept of using students’ lives as a starting
point, shared by both Eisner and Freire, was of interest and concern to me as I am keen on
researching students/community as curricular and the curriculum of life. I am a believer of both
critical pedagogy and of the Arts as powerful tools for teaching, learning and transformation,
especially for the marginalized and disempowered learners.

Module 10: Late 20th Century and early 21st Century - Four radical thinkers: Illich,
Postman, Robinson & Gardner

Key Understandings
Ken Robinson
Sir Ken Robinson is a British Professor of Arts Education, best-selling author, speaker and an
internationally recognized leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human
resources. With a background as a drama teacher in the UK, Robinson is now known as a
creativity expert and a visionary cultural leader. He is an advisor on education in the Arts to
government and non-profit organizations, international agencies and some of the world’s
leading cultural organizations. Robinson has been challenging the current education system,
criticizing it as an outmoded paradigm preoccupied with producing good workers and inducing
conformity and compliance. He argues that standardization and the culture of standardized
testing are destructive of children’s natural interests, creativity and entrepreneurial talents,
which are essential 21st century skills to cope with the unpredictability of the future. Robinson
champions for a radical rethink of education to incorporate multiple types of intelligences and
recognize the importance of the Arts. He asserts that engaging and successful education must
be perceived as organic instead of mechanical and educators must foster diversity by offering a
broad yet personalized curriculum.

Robinson’s contributions to creative and cultural education has led to numerous awards,
honours and a knighthood for services to art. Named as one of the ‘Principal Voices’ in popular
media, Robinson’s work influences politics, business and education. Despite criticisms of his
ideas as destructive and worthless to education, he continues to be highly visible and well

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received by the public. He has raised several pertinent considerations for educators– the need
for high quality teacher training, professional development and preparation, the pedagogical
and social skills required to cope effectively with increasing diversity and engage learners.

Howard Gardner

Howard Gardner is an American developmental psychologist, professor, author and researcher.

His famous multiple intelligences (MI) theory has inspired many educators and impacted on
pedagogy worldwide. Gardner was influenced by numerous thinkers, including Erik Erikson,
Jean Piaget and Jerome Bruner. His MI theory challenged the dominant belief of intelligence as
a single entity that can be measured through IQ tests. He proposed students learn in ways that
are identifiably distinctive and learning could be assessed through a variety of means. He
identified a range of intelligences (visual-spatial, linguistic-verbal, mathematical, kinesthetic,
musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic], elaborating that people have a unique
blend of intelligences, which can be put to constructive or destructive use. The MI theory has
received criticism for lacking empirical research and by academics determined to define
intelligence in its traditional sense. The notion of musical and bodily-kinesthetic as
‘intelligences’ has been questioned and recommended as talents instead.

Gardner’s MI theory continues to impact significantly on contemporary education. It has been

embraced by a range of educational theorists, teachers and policymakers in a number of schools
around the world. Research has demonstrated that integrating MI theory improves performance
in a range of domains. The theory’s appeal lies in its inclusive principles, which synthesize
intelligence and morality while respecting differences and diversity. It provides educators with
a framework for curriculum, assessment and pedagogical practices to attend to all intelligences
across all ages, academic disciplines and levels of education, including special needs.
Incorporating Gardner’s ideas challenge educators to reconsider resources and materials based
on the learner’s interests to enable him/her to use his/her intelligences for optimal learning. It
necessitates an acceptance of multiple ways of teaching, demonstrations of learning and a
variety of assessment strategies.
Personal Impact
I discovered that many of the ideas expressed by Robinson and Gardner resonated with
my own teaching philosophy. Robinson’s criticisms of the current education system are
extremely relevant for any educator who values diversity, the place of the Arts in the
curriculum and individualized education. I am moved by his calls for rethinking how we

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view intelligence and education, particularly the attention he gives ‘restless students’ who
become marginalized as a consequence of an education system which neither respects
nor engages disaffected learners. Both thinkers make recommendations on improving
education to reflect inclusivity, increase student engagement and cope with increasing
diversity, which are important to me as an educator. I believe Gardner’s MI theory
complements Robinson’s ideas ; they share similar concerns about problematic areas
which need to be addressed in the current educational system. My first engagement with
Gardner’s MI theory was through an Educational Psychology unit a decade ago. Initially, I
was impressed but uncertain how practical his ideas were in classrooms. During my first
practicum experience, I found myself in a Year 5 classroom where the teacher was
conducting a unit on natural disasters, using the MI approach. I observed a variety of
demonstrations of learning (eg. dioramas, posters, dramatic re-enactments, etc) and
assessment strategies. The learning space was dynamic and vibrant. Most impressively,
the students were thoroughly engaged and motivated.

Module 11: New Trends- From STEM to STEAM.

Key Understandings
STEM and STEAM Education
STEM and STEAM Education are recent 21st century developments, which innovate upon the
ideas of past educational thinkers by synthesizing them with new educational theories. Both
approaches aim to improve educational outcomes and respond to demands for 21st-century
knowledge and skills -critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and communication- necessary
to prepare learners for a globalized, technology-driven culture, through project based learning
(PBL) which addresses real world problems in meaningful, authentic contexts.

The term STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education was initially coined by
Judith Ramaley of the National Science Foundation in 2001, although the STEM movement
began in the 1990s. STEM education moved away from the the traditional teacher-centered
learning towards problem-solving and discovery. It is an interdisciplinary approach focused on
the development of competencies and skills across the four disciplines in real-world contexts
through problem-based learning (PBL) to make authentic connections between school,
community and the global enterprise. PBL integrates elements of ‘learning by doing’, of which
Confucius and Aristotle were early proponents of, Socrates’ inquiry and critical thinking and

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Dewey’s student-centred learning grounded in experience.

STEAM education was developed in 2006 by teacher and researcher, Professor Georgette
Yakman, who describes it as “science and technology interpreted through engineering and
the arts, all based in mathematical elements”. Yakman and her team developed STEAM
as a framework for teaching across the disciplines and an integrative, holistic approach
and created a pyramid representation of this framework. In her article (2008), Yakman
cites the thinkers who have informed and influenced STEAM education; Comenius’ holistic
approach, Dewey’s conceptualized learning and Froebel’s contextualized learning. STEAM
attempts to address the shortcomings of STEM education- a lack of student engagement and
motivation, and failure to provide successful experiences for those not technically gifted and
proficient at STEM subjects. Creativity and the Arts offer more diverse opportunities for
learning, communication and expression for all types of learners, which has enabled STEAM
education to be more inclusive and individualized. STEAM has gained popularity recently as
more educators recognise the value of incorporating the Arts for well-rounded classrooms.
Research has demonstrated students who study the Arts perform better academically than those
who do not. Its capacity to foster intercultural understanding is highly relevant for our
increasingly multicultural world. Thinkers like Eisner and Robinson have similarly campaigned
for inclusion of the Arts in education.

Despite growing debates between STEM and STEAM, they share numerous similarities in their
educational approaches. Both are focused on the development of ‘liquid skills’, essential for
success in the future global economy. Their underpinning principles are holistic, inquiry-based
and constructivist, which integrate the ideas of Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner.
Proponents of STEM and STEAM education believe separating the disciplines sets up artificial
divides while integration presents the disciplines in a more authentic and realistic manner.
These beliefs were directly informed by Dewey. The merits of integrated learning have been
extolled by several thinkers, including Pestalozzi and Montessori.

The development of these approaches to meet the new demands of the 21st century have
impacted on today’s educational priorities and approaches to meet the educational goals of the
future, demonstrated in the Australian national curriculum documents and stated in the goals
for many schools. Contemporary educators are now redirecting their focus on education for
sustainability, functional and entrepreneurial literacy; learning and innovation skills, critical

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thinking and problem solving, information, media and technology skills, life and career skills,
and intercultural and cross-cultural skills. The demand for specialized skills and knowledge in
the STEM/STEAM areas has resulted in an urgent need for quality teachers in these disciplines
and highlights the need for professional learning and development for educators to remain
relevant and responsive to these changes.

Personal Impact
Prior to this module, I had little knowledge of these newer approaches. I was particularly
impressed Yakman who drew upon such extensive and eclectic sources and integrated these
with recent research and educational theories to design a future-oriented yet student-centred
curriculum. She updated elements of existing ‘best practice’ to transform education into an
experience which remains relevant and engaging for learners. Her inclusion of the Arts to
provide for all learners, especially disengaged learners, resonates with my philosophy and
values. The increasing demand for teachers who can deliver quality instruction in these subjects
made me anxious about my future and viability as an educator, one lacking in many
technological skills and knowledge. The rapid rise of the digital age can be overwhelming at
times for educators. I believe more energy and resources need to be invested into professional
development for teachers in the STEM and STEAM areas.

Reference
Yakman, G. (2008). STEAM Education: an overview of creating a model of integrative education.
Retrieved from
https://www.academia.edu/8113795/STEAM_Education_an_overview_of_creating_a_model_o
f_integrative_education

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