Inadequate financing of the current education system is a significant problem. This lack of funding leads to overcrowded classrooms, obsolete technological systems and texts, and insufficient teachers. This, in turn, means that many pupils are poorly educated because of their unsuccessful education experience. Moreover, equality remains a challenge facing the present education. The majority of minority students and those from low-income families attend poorly funded schools where they are tutored by incompetent instructors (Braun and Clarke 332). Such inequality translates into poor academic performances as compared to their affluent peers. Lastly, the existing education system needs to be equipped with the needs of today’s labor’s twenty-first-century demands. If all students are to compete successfully in the globalized economy, they must be able to think critically, solve problems, and work as a team. Nevertheless, typical lesson plans promote rigid tests and mechanical learning that do not train scholars for job market conditions. The philosophy that underpins the education system examined here is the so-called ‘one size fits all’ concept of the present-day system (Braun and Clarke 330). This technique needs to educate children on how to confront the problems of our 21st century. The students must possess critical thinking, solving problems, and communicative skills for them to be able to survive in the global economy. However, as much as the system emphasizes rote memory and uniform testing, it must adequately sensitize kids on the important ones.
Problem Justification
An increasing amount of research is pointing to the efficacy of individualized learning. For instance, Chen et al. (70) research discovered that kids who had individualized teaching fared 3 to 5 percentile points better on standardized tests on average than their peers. Personalized learning also engages students as they get motivated toward learning. It is a better approach for students’ success if they learn at a pace that suits them about things that interest them.
Children are taught using the same subject in similar ways arranged by age, and often using a one-size-fits-all philosophy. This method disregards each student’s unique demands and preferred method of learning. Furthermore, the curriculum frequently reflects the needs of the twenty-first-century workforce but needs to be updated. Numerous alternatives have been put out to address the issues with the current educational system. While some have suggested modifying the curriculum or how instructors are assessed, others have suggested increasing school financing.
The Solution to Generalized Educational System
Personalized learning is one practical way to address issues with the current educational system. The personalized learning program is an example of a student-centered or personalized approach in education that modifies the curriculum based on each student’s requirements and preferences. In a personalized learning setting, students have more control over their learning (Tetzlaff et al. 866). Students choose their courses, the pace they would prefer to learn, and the types of resources they feel comfortable using. Teachers act as facilitators, whereby they help students develop their lesson plans and provide assistance as necessary.
The current educational system frequently treats students similarly, ignoring the fundamental fact that every student is different. This method harms children, teachers, and society at large in addition to being ineffectual. Every student’s needs and potential should be considered while designing an educational program for maximum effectiveness. This entails abandoning the conventional, top-down methodology and switching to a more individualized and learner-centered education model.
An increasing amount of research is in favor of personalized learning. For instance, Tetzlaff et al. (867)study discovered that individualized learning can considerably increase student achievement. Individualized instruction can benefit children’s lives. Pupils who have the flexibility to learn in the style that suits them best are more likely to be involved in their studies and succeed academically. Additionally, personalized learning is a workable fix for the issues with the current school system. It may be used in schools of all sizes and budgets and is an affordable method of raising student achievement.
Counter Arguments for a Personalized Education
Individuals against personalized education claim that schools frequently make serious mistakes before and during personalized learning initiatives, such mistakes include not defining the concept and the rationale behind it, thinking it is as simple as handing students digital devices, and failing to acknowledge that significant changes in teacher practice are necessary for successful personalized learning strategies. The fact that schools frequently undervalue the significance of impact measurement is particularly troubling, as it will only lead to future disappointment and annoyance. Some may disagree with the individualized learning approach because pupils must study the exact subject in unison. They could also think that not all schools can implement individualized learning.
Some people might need clarification about the efficacy of customized education. They can bring up the dearth of studies on the subject or that individualized education is still uncommon.
The researchers identified several obstacles to personalized learning initiatives, such as inadequate data system integration, conflicts between grade-level standards and competency-based practices, and the duration required to create customized lessons (Tetzlaff et al. 868)
Instructors said that putting individualized learning initiatives into practice was challenging. In order to make sure that pupils had all they needed, they needed help with time management and conflicting priorities. When it comes to individualized learning and ensuring children get the most outstanding education possible for their requirements, there is still plenty to learn. In order to develop policies and procedures that are appropriate for students and the mission, keep up the collaboration with the teachers and other administrators.
Reasons for Personalized Education
Despite these obstacles, educational institutions nationwide are gaining valuable insights by experimenting with innovative methods. For instance, a middle school in Minnesota developed its “Flex Scheduler” program to enable more flexible class schedules and allow students to work through courses at their leisure. The program began modestly and is now growing (Alamri et al. 328). Positive findings have been obtained from the expanding body of research on individualized learning. Moreover, small, medium, and large school institutions can also benefit from individualized learning. There is no secret to personalized learning at all. Nevertheless, it provides a more flexible and student-orientated learning style than what has been in operation. The system requires work and time to execute well. The advantages of customized learning, however, outweigh the costs.
Many educators stress that more than technology is needed for effective individualized learning. New, non-technological techniques for individualized learning are also being developed. A growing number of educators are using the concept of genius hours to allow pupils to work on projects inspired by their interests. Additionally, multi-age grouping is upending the conventional practice of classifying kids according to age rather than aptitude or talent. In order to provide what some are referring to as “whole child” tailored learning methodologies, some schools are also incorporating social, emotional, and physical learning demands.
With pace-driven customization, students can proceed through the course material at their speed. This is usually accomplished through an online curriculum that changes based on the student’s progress and needs. This tackles the issue of individual differences in learning despite most schools assigning students according to age. Students have more say over what they want to learn depending on their objectives and interests regarding student-driven customization. In other words, the curriculum is customized, not only the speed at which a student completes it (Alamri et al. 340). Pupils work in groups and individually, frequently on projects that correspond with the topics and ideas they want to study.
Students at schools that adopted personalized learning programs performed marginally better academically. Although the benefits were only statistically significant in mathematics, the study found that students experienced favorable accomplishment effects in reading and mathematics. Educators also mentioned allocating additional time for individualized student instruction.
In conclusion, personalized learning is the most significant way to address the issues with the present educational system. It is an educational strategy focused on the individual student’s requirements and interests, allowing for customization of the learning process. Personalized learning tackles the one-size-fits-all approach that is the core source of the issues with the existing system. It also teaches pupils how to learn on their own and solve issues creatively, preparing them for the needs of the twenty-first-century workforce.
Work Cited
Alamri, Hamdan, et al. “Using Personalized Learning as an Instructional Approach to Motivate Learners in Online Higher Education: Learner Self-determination and Intrinsic Motivation.” Journal of Research on Technology in Education, vol. 52, no. 3, Taylor and Francis, June 2020, pp. 322–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2020.1728449.
Braun, Virginia, and Victoria Clarke. “One Size Fits All? What Counts as Quality Practice in (Reflexive) Thematic Analysis?” Qualitative Research in Psychology, vol. 18, no. 3, Taylor and Francis, Aug. 2020, pp. 328–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238.
Chen, Xudong, et al. “A REVIEW OF DEEP LEARNING APPROACHES FOR INVERSE SCATTERING PROBLEMS (INVITED REVIEW).” Electromagnetic Waves, vol. 167, Jan. 2020, pp. 67–81. https://doi.org/10.2528/pier20030705.
Tetzlaff, Leonard, et al. “Developing Personalized Education: A Dynamic Framework.” Educational Psychology Review, vol. 33, no. 3, Springer Science+Business Media, Oct. 2020, pp. 863–82. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09570-w.
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