PIGEONHOLES AND FALSE DICHOTOMIES: MODERN EDUCATION SHOULD FOCUS ON OPENING NEW DOORS FOR STUDENTS, BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF CLOSING OTHERS

The key theme that can be consistently felt as one explores the findings of educational research through the decades, is that there is no ‘silver bullet’— no single best way to educate children. In some areas, this has led to exciting developments in pedagogical approach. All too often, though, the human need to structure and compartmentalise ourselves and our ideas has led to the creation of false dichotomies that we must work to dispel.

by Rob Earl, Senior Vice Principal, North London Collegiate School (Singapore)

There was a time in the not too distant past when lesson plans in schools all over the world contained the letters ‘VAK’. These stood for ‘visual’, ‘auditory’ and ‘kinaesthetic’ and were used to identify strategies used in class to cater for each of these types of learner. Teachers would create video, image or diagram-based resources for their visual learners, consider their language and soundscape for their auditory learners and meticulously craft practical activities for their kinaesthetic learners. What most did not realise at the time, and many still don’t, is that tailoring the method of instruction to an individual’s preferred ‘learning style’ does not improve learning. In fact, it often limits it.

However organised and structured each of us may feel we are, in truth our brains are messy. They are unimaginably complex networks of interlinked thoughts, ideas and snippets of information collected through all five senses, often simultaneously. Consider, for example, a time when you smelled a particular scent, and it immediately conjured a picture in your mind’s eye of an event or person. Or the fact you can almost hear a song playing in your head if you read the lyrics or see a photograph of the band. These things happen because your brain’s ability to retain information is magnified when more than one of your senses is stimulated and more neural connections can be made as a result. Focusing on one particular ‘learning style’ for an individual can actually make it harder for them to commit things to their long-term memory, not easier.

In many modern schools there is an increasing focus on evidence-based teaching, where the strategies used in the classroom are informed by educational research. Rather than tailoring their resources to the preferred learning style of the student, teachers in these schools tailor them to the content and the context of the lesson and employ ‘dual coding’. This seeks to ensure that multiple senses are stimulated at the same time, for example by combining words with an image or a diagram to help the brain to form the necessary connections for long-term retention.

Sadly, though, the neuroscientific ‘myth’ of learning styles persists. Surveys have shown that the vast majority of those within and outside of the education profes - sion still believe that they and/or their students will learn better if information is presented in their preferred method, despite what cognitive scientists have known for decades.

It is not just ways of learning that are needlessly classified within the educational paradigm – many do the same with the very things we wish our students to learn. Case in point: the separation of ‘knowledge’ and ‘skills’. Over the years, this has taken a number of forms. In the earliest days of formal education, it happened in the extreme: some (generally the wealthiest in society) received academic schooling whilst their poorer peers took on practical jobs. Some of these would be menial and require little to no training, whilst others were vocational and involved an apprenticeship. Either way, those going into the ‘trades’ generally lacked basic literacy or numeracy, let alone knowledge of philosophy or science.

As societal norms changed and more nations moved towards universal education, the gap between the ‘academic’ and the ‘vocational’ shrank in most parts of the world. An understanding began to emerge that all would benefit from at least primary education in language, mathematics, humanities, science and the arts, regardless of their background or intended career. As we have entered the information era, the emphasis has shifted once again. Phrases such as ‘21st century skills’ and ‘STEM’ have begun to dominate discourse, and it is essential that this new focus not come at the expense of a broad and balanced education that allows students to discover their own passions and forge their own paths.

It is, of course, essential for education to evolve as society and the world of work change. But ultimately, skills and knowledge are inextricably linked, and many would even argue that the former are a subset of the latter. We must understand that, whether we are talking about critical thinking, problem solving, communication or any of the other ‘skills’ we wish to engender in our children, context is king. Teaching these things in isolation, for example through explicit skills programmes, is at best artificial, and arguably impossible to do well. Over 2,000 years ago, Alexander the Great asserted that “Without knowledge, skill cannot be focused. Without skill, strength cannot be brought to bear and without strength, knowledge may not be applied.” We would do well to heed this now.

Similarly, a focus on particular disciplines in response to changes in the needs of employers is nothing new but must be approached with caution. The trend towards STEM subjects in the last decade or two has injected some much-needed rigour into preparing the increasing number of students who wish to go into related fields but has left others feeling devalued. Nowhere is this more true than in the arts, funding for which has dwindled to the point that some schools have removed options altogether and the numbers of students continuing their study at higher levels has dropped sharply. The implications for our cultural capital are clear, and some have gone so far as to say we are facing a ‘creativity crisis’.

In these and other spheres, too often educators and society more broadly are falling foul of our innate need to pigeonhole and categorise ourselves, or to embrace the latest (often untested) doctrine. The race to open doors in the name of progress has left many others closed, and some left barely ajar. We need to break free of these limiting definitions and false dichotomies and allow each of our children to run their own race.

About The Company

North London Collegiate School (Singapore) is part of the prestigious North London Collegiate family of schools with over 170 years of experience educating children. The school is academically selective, offering a curriculum aligned with NLCS UK and the inquiry-based IB programme for up to 16 years, followed by the IB Diploma Programme in Grades 11-12.

The hallmark of an NLCS education is the recognition that excellence is attainable and the school’s role is to provide “floors, not ceilings.” This philosophy empowers teachers to nurture individual talents and bolster confidence and self-worth, enabling students to “run their own race”. To learn more, please visit https://nlcssingapore.sg