Abstract
Education is expected to offer a solution to the society. Societies do evolve, and so does the problems these societies go through. Since the problems grow, it is only practical for education also to change. Traditional education methods have failed to address the evolving needs of the 21st Century because they are not structured to handle these problems. A better way of education is therefore advocated for. Competence-based pedagogy is widely seen as an appropriate replacement for traditional pedagogy. Competence-based pedagogy focuses on solving the problems of an evolving world.
The end goal of any education system is to produce learners that can handle the challenges presented by the society they live in, and this is not different for the education systems of the 21st Century. Organizations employ their staff from a labor market which comprises of learners that have gone through curricula that have been developed to respond to the needs of these employers and the society (Smith, 2018). The question in the mind of policy makers especially those in the curriculum development space has been, what kind of pedagogy is best suited to tackle the global challenges of the 21st Century. This essay asserts that competence-based pedagogy is the answer to that all-important question. This essay presents arguments in favor of competence-based pedagogy.
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Competency-based pedagogy is a departure from the traditional pedagogy. The challenges of the 21st Century require that be equipped with the skills and competencies needed to respond to these challenges (Tran, 2012). Traditional approaches to education, which were efficient in times past, are no longer as effective. In the conventional method, memorization of subject content was the emphasis. Sadly, with the passing of time and the turn of the century, learners are now expected to develop autonomy and critical thinking skills both of which cannot be established through traditional approaches. As a result, there is a need for a better approach that will address these needs. For learners to develop higher-order skills, they must be exposed to inquiry-based learning, which will impart them with real value and relevance needed that will be of benefit both to them as individuals and to the society. Darling-Hammond et al., (2008) argue that real-world experiences coupled with collaboration and sustained engagements afford learners opportunities to participate in detailed research, construct and organize knowledge, communicate effectively and engage in inquiry, writing, and analysis.
Teachers are tasked with the responsibilities of finding out the best learning approach that would yield the best outcome when applied to learners. Learnovation (2009) observes that people learn in different ways and as thus, it is therefore essential for teachers to find the learning approach and type of pedagogy that would have a positive impact on the learner. However, researchers in the field of education have found that some form of pedagogies consistently yields positive results (Gijsbers and van Schoonhoven, 2012; Learnovation, 2009; Redecker and Punie, 2013; Leadbeater & Wong 2010; Tran, 2012). These types, they argue, allow learners to develop a deeper understanding of 21st Century skills. Examples of these pedagogies include collaborative learning, informal learning, and personalized learning strategies. On the same note, Saavedra and Opfer (2012) argue that it is essential for learners to enhance their learning to be able to address the needs and the global challenges of the 21st Century. The authors believe that traditional pedagogy is not suited to address these challenges. Consequently, the authors are championing for a model that would afford learners opportunities to collaborate with their peers and develop skills that can be applied to address new challenges and contexts.
Education and training are widely seen as a critical factor that can potentially lead to progress in different areas of human activity. It is often asserted that education is a vital factor when it comes to economic development. This axiom is supported by many examples of countries that have emerged from utter ruin to become economic superpowers minus natural resources. An example of such a country is Japan, which suffered destruction during World War II but appeared later to become one of the economic superpowers of the world. Japan's success can be attributed to her decision to focus on developing the human resource in her country by focusing on education and training that was tailored to respond to the post-World War II challenges that it faced (Lockwood, 2016). The case in Japan is sure proof that when education and training are correctly handled and adequately appreciated by society, then progress is most likely going to be the end product. Further, it is essential for the State to take full responsibility for the role of determining the type and method of training that it needs to develop the human capacity needed to spur its economic development.
The Difference Between Traditional Pedagogy and Contemporary Pedagogy
A traditional education system can not address the needs of contemporary society. There is a need for conventional pedagogies to be revised to tackle and address the needs of the 21st Century ably. According to Kincheloe (2008), pedagogy is an important science that studies education by dealing with what is, what should be and what is typically done in the field of education. The demands of the 21st Century society have rendered traditional pedagogy inappropriate, necessitating its replacement with a more responsive modern pedagogy which uses innovative didactic strategies to deliver education and training content. Education has gone through a process of gradual evolution which started with the adoption of active pedagogy, followed by interactive pedagogy and experimental pedagogy. All these have since culminated to what we now call competence-based pedagogy. Competence-based pedagogy distinguishes itself from traditional pedagogy in that it identifies itself with and addresses the needs of the contemporary society. Table 1 below shows additional differences between the type types of pedagogy:
| Traditional Pedagogy | Modern Pedagogy |
| Teachers and trainers are the sole transmitters of knowledge, and they wield absolute power and authority which they exercise over the learners (Kelemen, 2010). | Teachers and trainers play the role of facilitators focusing on the educator-learner relationship that is premised on mutual support, cooperation and constructive dialogue (Kelemen, 2010). |
| The curricula used is structured in a mono-disciplinary fashion for all study disciplines. | The curricula are structured in such a way that it favors pluridisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches and connections. |
| The value and stress are placed on the information function of training in as far as formative education function is concerned (Kelemen, 2010). | The value and stress are placed on the development of cognitive processes which looks at how the learners use the information that they have acquired (Kelemen, 2010). |
| The teacher or trainer determines how, how much and why knowledge is transmitted to the learner thereby reducing both the initiative and autonomy of the learner (Kelemen, 2010). | The teacher or trainer cultivates a thriving educator-learner relationship which stresses the importance of the negotiating process, dialogue and consequently favors autonomous learning (Kelemen, 2010). |
| The educators plan the lessons in a succession of standardized moments following a predetermined mechanical perspective that is arrived at by comparing objectives to learning situations (Kelemen, 2010). | The educators ensure that the lessons are dynamic in that the structure is determined by the learner's particularity, preferences, needs, and endurance (Kelemen, 2010). Learners are highly encouraged to take part in constructing it. |
| Culture is both a study object and an obstacle to learning (Kelemen, 2010). Learners from minority groups must ready themselves to familiarise with the culture that is being promoted by the education institute. | Culture is respected because of its value, learners belonging to minority groups are encouraged to keep their unique values even as they push for acculturation (Kelemen, 2010). |
| The evaluation that learners are subjected to is standardized (Kelemen, 2010). The educator has the autonomy of determining on the what, how and when learners are evaluated. | Evaluation is based on negotiation that involves co-work between the learners and the educators (Kelemen, 2010). |
| The classroom is the primary place where teaching and learning take place, and the educator dominates and controls this learning environment (Kelemen, 2010). The educator also classifies learners in this environment. | Learning and teaching take place in different locations. The process of teaching entails the creation of synergy between information received from formal and informal sources (Kelemen, 2010). The learning experience is diverse, and it incorporates trips, visits, museum, watching movies and sight-seeing. The educator plays the role of a moderator and animator in this process. |
| The school readies the learners to master one or a few fields as they develop their self-esteem while at the same time helping them to discover who they are through objective intelligence tests (Kelemen, 2010). | Self-esteem is considered to be a precondition of learning, and as thus, the educators focus on helping learners to build their identities rather than merely discovering them (Kelemen, 2010). |
From the comparison table above, it can be seen that competence-based pedagogy is the perfect type of education that matches the needs of and can ably address the challenges of the 21st Century. Competence-based pedagogy is an interactive pedagogy that is based on cooperative strategies, expository-activating strategies, integrative strategies, and experimental strategies. It is worth noting that modern pedagogy is in a state of searching for optimal models which integrate theoretical practice with a sound practice that would address the challenges faced in everyday life.
Competence-Based Pedagogy as a Solution to Global Problems
Competence-based pedagogy, which is a type or form of contemporary pedagogy is structured in such a way that it can give solutions to the problems faced by modern societies of the 21st Century (Hoang et al., 2017. Institutions of learning, act as social pillars. They are entrusted with the formulation of answers that intensify competence-based education which integrates what has come to be known as "new educations" education for democracy and participation, education for peace and collaboration, demographic education, ecologic education, modern sanitary education, education for change and development, household and economic education, human rights education, education for leisure and intercultural education (Preston, 2017). The list is open-ended with more fields of contemporary education being added according to the changes in the global problem of the 21st Century. For learning to serve its purpose in this age and time, it must be viewed as being a process of cultural-humanistic design or nature.
In closing, competence-based pedagogy, which is a subtype of contemporary education is best suited to handle the needs of the 21st Century. It is structured in such a way as to respond to global problems in a timely fashion. The educators are not engaged in transmitting ready-made information. They build learning experiences by partnering or collaborating with the learners. The educators consider the classroom to be akin to the real world filled with inexhaustible scenes that offer to learn opportunities to their learners. The co-work and cooperation between the educators and the learners do not in any way lower the respect for the educators. It only pushes the parties concerned to open themselves up to learning. In this arrangement, learners and educators can both learn from each other. Further, since education is meant to solve problems of the society, competence-based pedagogy's structure and curricula are well structured to deliver on this expectation. Furthermore, learners are encouraged to participate in life-long learning which enables them to accumulate and upgrade their knowledge by embracing newer ways of doing things which can be applied to solve problems that emerged after they graduated from school.
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