Abstract

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 threw the world into an unexpected turmoil; schools were closed, exams cancelled, and educational systems were forced to react to deep and unexpected changes. In educational policy, however, the idea that we should prepare for an unknown, uncontrollable and risky future has been widely accepted long before the outbreak. Building on insights from complexity theory and the study of dynamic systems, the article critically examines how the standard educational response to future unpredictability, which focuses on enhancing adaptability, fares in a time of crisis. It is argued that the emphasis on adaptability in response to a world that is increasingly becoming volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous is often uncritically embraced in educational policy. We suggest that furthering adaptability through education could be suited for tackling everyday uncertainty, yet is an ill-suited response to crisis situations because it hinders transformative change. The article also points to some additional difficulties with striving to further adaptability. Instead, it is argued that developing a vision might prove to be instrumental in guiding an adequate educational response. It is acknowledged that relying on a vision might raise some difficulties, but it is maintained that these can be, at least partially, avoided.

摘要

2020 年 COVID-19 大流行的爆发使世界陷入了意想不到的动荡；学校关闭，考试取消，教育系统被迫对深刻和意想不到的变化做出反应。然而，在教育政策上，我们应该为未知、不可控和有风险的未来做好准备的想法早在疫情爆发之前就已被广泛接受。基于复杂性理论和动态系统研究的见解，本文批判性地研究了标准教育如何应对未来的不可预测性，重点是提高适应性，在危机时期发挥作用。有人认为，在应对日益动荡、不确定、复杂和模棱两可的世界时，强调适应性往往在教育政策中不加批判地接受。我们认为，通过教育提高适应性可能适合应对日常不确定性，但不适合应对危机情况，因为它阻碍了变革性变革。这篇文章还指出了努力进一步适应的一些额外困难。相反，有人认为，发展愿景可能有助于指导适当的教育反应。人们承认，依靠愿景可能会带来一些困难，但坚持认为，至少可以部分避免这些困难。有人认为，发展愿景可能有助于指导适当的教育对策。人们承认，依靠愿景可能会带来一些困难，但坚持认为，至少可以部分避免这些困难。有人认为，发展愿景可能有助于指导适当的教育对策。人们承认，依靠愿景可能会带来一些困难，但坚持认为，至少可以部分避免这些困难。