Adapting school to the twenty-first century: educators’ perspectives

Much empirical work on schools’ pedagogical adaptation to the twenty-first century focuses on use of information-commination technology (ICT) or its perceived usefulness. However, in this study the focus was broader, on educators’ perspectives regarding twenty-first-century schooling–challenges, pedagogy, the role of ICT and impediments to change. The research methods involved a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 16 Israeli educators whose school visions emphasise twenty-first-century skills. The findings revealed that educators’ aims revolve around nurturing twenty-first-century skills and students’ well-being. ICT plays a complex role in educators’ pedagogy. Its actual use is sporadic, involving both traditional and twenty-first-century skill-oriented activities. However, ICT’s perceived lasting cognitive, behavioural and social negative effects on students shape educators’ pedagogical aims and the tendency to employ personalised approaches. Educators perceived the Ministry of Education as a barrier to change, due to its content-heavy curricula and emphasis on achievements.