Higher Education
The skills sets needed to navigate change
In a recent International Education Group at Cambridge University Press & Assessment Report on preparing learners to thrive in a changing world, which captured the views of thousands of teachers and students around the world, selfmanagement skills emerged as a priority for education. These are the skills that enable students to recognise and manage their thoughts, feelings and actions – skills such as the ability to focus, adaptability, emotional control, and organisational skills. Developing these proficiencies, the report found, would help young people navigate change and complexity more effectively.
However, at the same time, 23 % of educators surveyed in the report also cited self-management skills as the hardest skills to teach. In part, the difficulty stems from the open-ended nature of these skills, which makes progress hard to quantify or assess. Additionally, as holistic skills that cut across subjects rather than fit neatly into one subject, they tend to be underrepresented in lesson plans and teaching materials.
Managing distractions
Here’ s the thing, though: strengthening self-management skills could help solve a challenge that teachers are reporting globally: DISTRACTION. Technology supports learning, but increased distraction and decreased attention spans are a continuing trend. The research also found that 88 % of teachers believe their students’ attention spans are getting shorter, while nearly one in five teachers said that digital distractions and reduced attention span is the greatest challenge technology poses in preparing students for the future.
According to the report, students themselves are aware of the need to manage their use of technology effectively. Getting distracted easily( 66 %), excessive screen time( 59 %) and an overreliance on technology( 58 %) emerged as students’ most common worries about how their use of technology might affect their future. Self-discipline and motivation, it was found, are key hurdles.
And in a world where many professions still demand human engagement with complex information, helping young people maintain focus is not just beneficial, it is essential.
Making self-management skills visible
Students view self-management skills as a challenge, the research found, with 19 % of students considering them the most difficult to learn. Fortunately, there are ways in which educators can help students acquire these attributes as well as realise that they are developing them, which does wonders for their confidence. First – by making these skills visible and explicit in the classroom. Individual project work is an example of self-management skills in practice as it requires discipline, motivation and strategic planning. By creating more opportunities for students to practise and strengthen these skills, particularly focus and emotional control, we will set them up for success in the long-term.
As for the effective use of technology, collaboration between schools and parents is critical for establishing good habits. While schools can set boundaries for device use and develop the necessary toolset to filter and prioritise information effectively, it is essential that parents and carers come on board to ensure consistent behaviours across both home and school environments.
At a time of significant global change, great schools, great teachers and a clear, purposeful curriculum remain the foundations of a highquality education. Cultivating resilience and adaptability through selfmanagement skills is key to empowering students to face our changing world with confidence – and helping them shape the future they want to create. www. futuresa. co. za 69