Education Pendelum

Running head: THE EDUCATIONAL PENDULUM 1

The Educational Pendulum

Student Name

Grand Canyon University EDL-822

Date

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The Educational Pendulum

The education pendulum has been in motion since the inception of the first educational

policies and has made headway in progressing education in many areas. Now twenty years into

the 21st century, there is strong evidence and data that suggest educational paradigms have not

made headway in improving student achievement. As the educational pendulum continues to do

its best to progress schools, students are still falling behind. Compared to educational systems in

foreign countries, U.S. students are not mastering skills essential for the 21st century (Zhao,

2018). The educational paradigms are impacted by federal reforms, which in some instances

shook the foundation of education. Furthermore, pedagogy, assessments, accountability,

equality, diversity, and technology add to the many concepts that expand educational paradigms.

This discussion will analyze the educational paradigms, their importance, and how they influence

leadership, educators, and students. The external forces that shape the educational paradigm in

current times consist of the educational system being under the watch of federal reforms and

state policies. Further adding to the complexity of educational paradigms is the integration of

technology which has transformed education in the classrooms. While educational paradigms can

have great potential, and affect how students are taught, assessed, and prepared for the future, it

is not without difficulties. Faced with the presence of federal reforms, changes in curriculum and

teaching to include the advancements in society, it is apparent that the educational pendulum will

leave an impression on schools in the 21st century.

Educational Paradigms

Educational paradigms are theoretical and conceptual frameworks of educational

organizations. Within the paradigm, there are leaders, teachers, and staff, students, and

communities that have a common purpose. According to the extant literature by Huhn (1962),

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paradigms exist because a community of people has a similar belief or way of thinking. Research

suggests that the educational paradigm has operated under old ways of thinking (Zhao, 2018).

The No Child Left Behind Act 2001 (NCLB), The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Brown

vs. Brown, and the Coleman report, have all affected how educators and leaders think about

improving student learning and improving school communities. Reforms made visible students

are not prepared to enter the global workforce with global competence thus, giving the education

system something to think about seriously. Furthermore, equal opportunities for education was

part of the reform agenda, yet schools continue to be underfunded. Federal reforms have shaped

the current educational paradigms, which contribute to the social, political, and economic aspects

of school districts (Dyson, 2016). However, reforms have not resolved the academic

performance gaps which puts an added burden on educators faced with accountability, changing

curriculum, and the implementation of technology.

Technology affects many systems within the institutional structure and further impacts

classroom instruction and resources. Technology and the great education pendulum include a

network which stores and receives records, data, attendance, student, and staff information.

Ensuring the privacy and safety of the school community is an essential consideration for

leaders. In the classroom, technology changes the type of resources teachers use. However, a

paper by Koehler (2016) suggests when it comes to instruction, technology is a “mere vehicle”

and does not directly influence learning. The extant research supports this way of thinking, and

the developing research is revealing similar findings. The educational pendulum will undergo

many cycles and continue to change how schools and educators think about those forces that

influence the educational paradigms.

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Influences of the Educational Pendulum

The educational pendulum has influenced education by giving states control of Common

Core Standards and the authority of standardized testing. Leadership is required to develop

effective strategic plans to meet the expectations of federal and state policies. What did begin to

develop is collaborative partnerships that have been shown to have a critical role in shifting the

educational paradigms. By sharing leadership responsibilities and engaging, sustainable

partnerships, leader’s roles have changed with successful outcomes when there are healthy

relationships that effectively collaborate towards the mission and vision. Teachers are

significantly influenced by the shifts occurring. They must instruct their diverse classrooms

while making provisions for individual sub-groups. They must instruct with the pressures from

federal reforms, which essentially pushed curriculum and instruction in a different direction. The

education pendulum would also influence students in what they learn, and this may not always

lead to the highest competencies. Students’ academic success is measured by a standardized test,

which became part of the school culture with very high stakes.

For students, this is not conducive to a quality education because high stakes testing also

resulted in teaching to the test. The most invasive influence of the educational pendulum under

the direction of reform has been accountability. Schools, leaders, teachers, and students are under

extreme pressures to prove student success through testing and meet specific guidelines to obtain

funding. Not only has the effects of reforms influenced how students will be taught and learn,

technology created a paradigm shift in many domains of education. Technology has created a

definite shift in not only education but also teacher pedagogy and student learning (Sugandi &

Kurniawan, 2018). The novelty of technology is beginning to see its end as the world evolves

around technology. Technology had a reputation when first introduced, of potentially playing a

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pivotal role in student learning. The education pendulum has brought forth a new way in which

the educational paradigms must effectively function. Leadership must be able to communicate

and engage teachers and communities to bring awareness of the expectations, needs, and

challenges educational organizations to face. The challenges that teachers must overcome have

become a contributing factor to a decline in teacher attrition. Minority groups remain

underserved and still do not receive equal funding, resources, teachers, and opportunities. There

is a continual focus on quality teachers and experienced teachers producing better results in

addition to re-thinking the theoretical framework and pedagogy that develops, supports and

encourages teaching the whole child is a dialogue occurring that may support a positive shift in

education (Berman, 2018; Lane, 2018)

The Importance of the Educational Paradigms

It is unlikely the education pendulum will stop, and therefore, educational paradigms will

continue to be necessary to educational organizations. Paradigms in education are those

structures that make every attempt to improve schools and student performance. Educational

paradigms are vital because they are the foundations of how schools are structured and operate.

They foster a sense of comfort and provide an initial foundation in which new ideas can be built

(Cuban, 2017). They facilitate instruction, curriculum, and pedagogy. However, the skill sets and

academic proficiency of students graduating in the 20th century significantly differ from those

students in foreign countries. Kivunja (2015) recommends the paradigms begin to

lean towards four domains, which include traditional core subjects, learning and innovation

skills, career and life skills and digital literacy skills to best prepare students for the global world.

It may be unreasonable to assume the educational paradigms in history would remain active in

the 21st century, yet some principles such as morals, character, beliefs and core values that

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enhance educational outcomes may still prevail. Educational paradigms will shift because trends

and generations change and evolve. They instill growth and a new awareness of essential issues

in schools, students, and teachers (Cuban, 2017). Society has expanded into a global economy,

and so must educational organizations.

Society has evolved in the new ways we communicate and connect; this connectivity in

schools is crucial as it affects identity development. Kivunja (2015) recommends the paradigms

consider four domains to improve learning, which include traditional core subjects, learning and

innovation skills, career and life skills, and digital literacies. Throughout the discussion,

progression has been a dominating opinion of the analysis. Society is evolving. Thus, education

is evolving, and educators must keep up with the changes occurring and develop new priorities

(Dyson, 2016). Educational paradigms also support new ways of teaching and learning.

However, sometimes, the new strategies and initiatives such as federal reform are not well

received and shift the paradigm to uncomfortable levels. Unfortunately, leaders and educators are

left filling the achievement gaps despite the reforms. Educational paradigms are the blueprint,

architecture, and framework of how schools can best educate the nation’s students. Without

them, education would not progress with society and the new ways of thinking.

Conclusion

The educational pendulum is an important visual concept in which educational

organizations conduct business to educate students. There have been many periods in history

where the pendulum progressed the educational system. As decades swing by educational

paradigms undergo their progression and changes. The educational paradigms are greatly

influenced by the expectations and accountability measures imposed by reforms. Technology has

changed, added to, and challenged the way educators implement it within their organization and

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classrooms. According to the literature, technology is one of the most important educational

paradigm shifts, second to reform. Hence, the paradigm shifts take on many shapes with

heightened demands such a diversity, equitable education, collaboration, and quality teaching.

All of which, speak to the framework of educational paradigms. Leaders, teachers, and students

play a vital role in the educational paradigm but are also impacted by the forces which change

the way people think and respond to educating students (Zhao, 2018). Educational paradigms

remain essential because it provides a foundation and structure for the organizations to progress

toward achieving essential goals towards successful student performance and improving school

communities. Therefore, the educational pendulum will continue to swing in the 21st century and

in future generations to come if schools aspire towards academic excellence.

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References

Berman, S. (2018). The practice base for how we learn: Supporting students' social, emotional,

and academic Development. Consensus Statements of Practice from the Council of

Distinguished Educators. Aspen Institute.

Cuban, L. (2017). Change and stability in classrooms, schools, and districts (part 2). Retrieved

August 19, 2019, from //larrycuban.wordpress.com/2017/05/30/change-and-stability-in-

classrooms-schools-and-districts-part-2/

Dyson, D. D. (2016). Pendulum swings in educational policymaking: A quantitative analysis of

the effects of federal and state policymaking on poorer school districts in Michigan.

International Journal of Educational Reform, 25(4), 400-425.

Koehler, B. (2016). Richard Clark’s “mere vehicles” debate. Distance Learning, (3), 35.

Lane, J. (2018). Swinging the pendulum towards social emotional support (a position paper). The

Advocate, 23(5), 5.

Sugandi, L., & Kurniawan, Y. (2018). The influence of information technology on the

information and service quality for the teaching and learning. International Journal of

Emerging Technologies in Learning, 13(12), 230–237. https://doi-

org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.3991/ijet.v13i12.8665

Zhao, Y. (2018). The changing context of teaching and implications for teacher education.

Peabody Journal of Education, 93(3), 295-308.