Teaching in the Knowledge Society: Education in the Age of Insecurity

by Andy Hargreaves

We live in a creative, dynamic knowledge society. How do we teach young people to work in it and prosper from it? How do we protect them against its frantic pace and runaway effects? In this title, Andy Hargreaves examines what is meant by the knowledge society, why it's important and what it means for teachers today. Knowledge societies need schools to become creative and caring learning communities, and this book shows inspiring examples of such schools. Yet the quest to create true knowledge society schools has been stalled by years of standardization. The benefits of creative learning communities are most often offered to teachers of the affluent. Prescribed programs of teaching and learning are inflicted on the rest. This book shows how to break through this impasse and create the knowledge society schools for all that we really need. Hargreaves' commentary on the state of teaching today is theoretically original and strategically powerful. Rich in teachers' voices and rigorous research, it is useful reading for teachers and teacher educators, policy makers, leaders and researchers alike.

Genres: Education

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Andy Hargreaves is Research Professor at Boston College, Visiting Professor at the University of Ottawa, Distinguished Visiting Professor at Hong Kong University, Professor II at the University of Stavanger, and Honorary Professor at Swansea University. He is Past President of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Adviser in Education to the First Minister of Scotland and from 2016-2018 to the Premier of Ontario. Andy is founder of the Atlantic Rim Collaboratory (ARC): a group of 9 nations committed to broadly defined excellence, equity, wellbeing, inclusion, democracy and human rights.
Andy has consulted with the OECD, the World Bank, governments, universities and professional associations worldwide. He has given keynote addresses in 50 countries, 47 US states and all Australian states and Canadian provinces. Andy’s more than 30 books have attracted multiple Outstanding Writing Awards. Andy is ranked in the top 20 scholars with most influence on US education policy debate. In 2015, Boston College gave him its Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award. He holds Honorary Doctorates from the Education University of Hong Kong and the University of Uppsala in Sweden.

Reviews

[Gediminas]

There’s this old story about three bricklayers working alongside each other. When asked what they are doing, one answers “I’m laying bricks”, another answers “I’m building a wall”, and the third answers “I’m building a cathedral”.

In one of Richard Hamming’s lectures he suggested that if you asked a similar question, a significant number of university lecturers would likely answer “I’m teaching ”. I would likely have answered in a similar way myself, without giving it a second thought.

But this question stayed with me, and I became curious about the goal/purpose of education (esp. higher education), so that I could tailor the course I teach accordingly.

The topic of this book seemed to be at least somewhat related, so I gave it a try.

In the end, it did not exactly answer my question, but it gave some useful ideas and a better feel for the context.