The Unfinished Revolution

Drawing on evidence from the past, this important book shows how shifting attitudes in society and politics have shaped Western education systems into those we are familiar with today. Authors John Abbott and Terry Ryan argue that instead of continuing to tinker with outdated conventions rooted in an industrial heritage, what is now needed is a fresh approach tailored to evidence of how children actually learn. Research into the developing brain suggests that children get off to the best start by being taught in small groups at an early age, boosting their collaborative skills, while older children benefit from gradually being weaned off intensive teacher-led tuition and encouraged to be the kind of autonomous and inventive thinkers and learners that employers in the 21st Century are crying out for. This is essential reading not only for those involved in education and policy making, but also anyone who has looked at the difficulties schools – and the communities around them – face in the modern world and thought, There must be a better way.”

Preface to the first edition

Introduction

Chapter 1 - The biological model of leaning

Chapter 2 - Learning in the 21st century

Chapter 3 - The economy and the learning needs of children

Chapter 4 - How mass education eclipsed apprenticeship

Chapter 5 - Scientific schooling for an industrial age

Chapter 6 - The struggle of ideas

Chapter 7 - Bid is better

Chapter 8 - The case for working smarter, not just harder

Chapter 9 - England: a case study of a one-size-fits-all education system

Chapter 10 - Making the leap from instruction and schools to learning and community

Endnotes

Appendices

Index