Sandbox Research Compendium 2020
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Date
2021
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Publisher
National Education Collaboration Trust, South Africa
Abstract
The world we live in is in constant flux and has often been described as “VUCA”: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. In light of this, there is growing recognition that education systems need to evolve to better equip young people with a range of social, emotional, and cognitive competencies to enable them to succeed in an uncertain future. With this imperative in mind, the NECT’s EdHub was formed to assist the basic education sector in responding to the demands of the fast-changing world through research and advocacy. This work happens primarily through the Sandbox Schools Project, a multi-year research project that prototypes, trials, researches, and iterates interventions in 11 quintile 1-3 schools to learn about their potential for developing a range of competencies in learners and teachers. The Sandbox Project seeks to explore how we can deliberately, systematically, and demonstrably embed these “competencies for a changing world” (also called “21st Century competencies”) into teaching and learning so that all South African learners are equipped for life in the 21st Century and beyond. As the Sandbox commenced its first year of research in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the volatility and unpredictability of the fast-changing world and foregrounded the urgent need for education systems to better prepare learners and teachers for this reality. The events of 2020 also highlighted the importance of all components of the education ecosystem – including curriculum, the broader learning environment, the home environment, initial teacher education, and in-service professional development – coming together in support of a shared vision. The Sandbox Schools Project was designed with these imperatives in mind and, despite disruptions experienced
in 2020, the team implemented and conducted initial research on several interventions in the Sandbox Schools. Key insights from the research are presented below, with more detailed articles accompanying this summary.
Description
After a year of trialing interventions at the Sandbox Schools, the NECT EdHub shares initial learnings from to explore what the future of education could look like in South African public schools.
Keywords
Primary schools, Public schools, South Africa, Learning skills, Competencies, Foundation phase, Sandbox Project, Literacy, Teacher education