Paradigmatic Shifts in Education: Causes, Effects, and Risks

Overview & Synopsis

The main purpose of this work is to substantiate the essential and semantic, structural and content, and functional understanding and explanation of the paradigm and the paradigm shift in education; also, to identify the deterministic foundations of the paradigmatic shift, the parameters of its manifestation, and the potential of riskiness in modern education. An approach to bringing the practice of paradigmalization of education to a common denominator has been substantiated. Based on the understanding of education as an area of functioning of a pedagogical science and the sphere of educational practice, two types of paradigms are determined. They are pedagogical and educational, as well as the corresponding types of paradigmatic shifts in education. It is shown that the basis of paradigmatic shifts in education is radically changing the conditions of personal life and aggravated contradictions in society in the process of its cultural, scientific, informational, political, and economic development. The paradigmatic niches in education as an area of practice (its cognitive, value-worldview, and technological professional-pedagogical bases) are identified, concerning which, first of all, shifts are recorded. It is substantiated that at different stages of the development of society, individual paradigmatic niches can act as the dominant basis that subordinates the entire educational process and the institution of education as a whole. Based on empirical data (analysis of changes in value judgments about education and knowledge, education, teacher, family, and school), it is shown that in modern education, the dominant paradigmatic niche that configures the shift is the value and worldview base of teachers, students, and their parents. Possible risks for the institution of education are revealed due to the effects of a paradigmatic shift in the absence or lack of their scientific reflection, and also without taking their consequences into account. [For the complete volume, "Digital Education in Russia and Central Asia. Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects. Volume 65," see ED675848.]