Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Introduction

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Postformal Education

Part of the book series: Critical Studies of Education ((CSOE,volume 3))

Abstract

The book I offer you is about radical change. It explains why the current education model, which was developed in the 19th century to meet the needs of industrial expansion, is obsolete. It points to the need for a new approach to education designed to prepare young people for global uncertainty, accelerating change and unprecedented complexity. Readers will become aware of the limitations of formal reasoning in addressing complex, systemic challenges. They will begin to appreciate the more complex, nuanced and paradoxical features of postformal reasoning and how such reasoning will help us to meet future planetary challenges with courage, imagination, wisdom, rather than relying on techno-fixes. A key question: “If higher order, more complex forms of cognition do exist then how can we better educate children and young people so that more mature forms of reasoning appear at the appropriate life stage?”

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Echoing Einstein’s words of a century ago: “The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them.”

References

  • Aurobindo, S. (1914/2000). The life divine. 2nd American edition (Originally published in the monthly review Arya 1914–1920). Twin Lakes: Lotus Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benedikter, R. (2005). Postmodern spirituality: A dialogue in five parts. http://www.integralworld.net/index.html?benedikter1.html. Accessed 28 June 2006.

  • Deleuze, G. (1968/1994). Difference and repetition (First published in French 1968). New York: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deleuze, G., & Guattari, F. (1987). A thousand plateaus (B. Massumi, Trans.). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1994). Ethics: Subjectivity and choice (The essential works of Michel Foucault 1954–1984). London: Allen Lane, The Penguin Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (2005). The hermeneutics of the subject: Lectures at the Collège de France 1981–1982. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Gebser, J. (1949/1985). The ever-present origin. Athens: Ohio University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (1998). Prospective youth visions through imaginative education. Futures: The Journal of Policy, Planning and Futures Studies, 30(5), 395–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (2002a). Global youth culture: A transdisciplinary perspective. In J. Gidley & S. Inayatullah (Eds.), Youth futures: Comparative research and transformative visions (pp. 3–18). Westport: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (2002b). Holistic education and visions of rehumanized futures. In J. Gidley & S. Inayatullah (Eds.), Youth futures: Comparative research and transformative visions (pp. 155–168). Westport: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (2004). The metaphors of globalisation: A multi-layered analysis of global youth culture. In S. Inayatullah (Ed.), The causal layered analysis (CLA) reader: Theory and case studies of an integrative and transformative methodology. Taipei: Tamkang University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (2006). Spiritual epistemologies and integral cosmologies: Transforming thinking and culture. In S. Awbrey, D. Dana, V. Miller, P. Robinson, M. M. Ryan, & D. K. Scott (Eds.), Integrative learning and action: A call to wholeness (Studies in education and spirituality, Vol. 3, pp. 29–55). New York: Peter Lang Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (2007a). Educational imperatives of the evolution of consciousness: The integral visions of Rudolf Steiner and Ken Wilber. International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 12(2), 117–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (2007b). The evolution of consciousness as a planetary imperative: An integration of integral views. Integral Review: A Transdisciplinary and Transcultural Journal for New Thought, Research and Praxis, 5, 4–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (2008). Evolving education: A postformal-integral-planetary Gaze at the evolution of consciousness and the educational imperatives. PhD dissertation Southern Cross University, Lismore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (2009). Educating for evolving consciousness: Voicing the emergency for love, life and wisdom. In The international handbook of education for spirituality, care and wellbeing (Springer international handbooks of religion and education series). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (2010a). Evolving higher education integrally: Delicate mandalic theorising. In S. Esbjörn-Hargens, O. Gunnlaugson, & J. Reams (Eds.), Integral education: New directions for higher learning (pp. 345–361). New York: State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (2010b). Globally scanning for megatrends of the mind: Potential futures of “Futures Thinking”. Futures: The Journal of Policy, Planning and Futures Studies, 42(10), 1040–1048.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (2010c). Postformal priorities for postnormal times: A rejoinder to Ziauddin Sardar. Futures: The Journal of Policy, Planning and Futures Studies, 42(6), 625–632.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (2011). From crisis to confidence: The development of social and emotional education in Australia. In B. Hey (Ed.), Social and emotional education: International analysis II (pp. 69–101). Santander: Fundacione Marcelino Botin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (2012a). Evolution of education: From weak signals to rich imaginaries of educational futures. Futures: The Journal of Policy, Planning and Futures Studies, 44(1), 46–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (2012b). Re-imagining the role and function of higher education for alternative futures through embracing global knowledge futures. In P. Scott, A. Curaj, L. Vlăsceanu, & L. Wilson (Eds.), European higher education at the crossroads: Between the Bologna process and national reforms. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J. (2013). Global knowledge futures: Articulating the emergence of a new meta-level field. Integral Review: A Transdisciplinary and Transcultural Journal for New Thought, Research and Praxis, 9(2), 145–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J., Bateman, D., & Smith, C. (2004). Futures in education: Principles, practice and potential (AFI Monograph Series 2004: No 5). Melbourne: Australian Foresight Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gidley, J., & Inayatullah, S. (2002). Youth futures: Comparative research and transformative visions. Westport: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giroux, H. A. (1992). Border crossing: Cultural workers and the politics of education. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kegan, R. (1994). In over our heads: The mental demands of modern life. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, R. (2000). Education and the evolution of the cosmos [Electronic version]. Caring for new life: Essays on holistic education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Montuori, A. (2004). Edgar Morin: A partial introduction. World Futures: The Journal General Evolution, 60(5), 349–355.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morin, E. (2001). Seven complex lessons in education for the future. Paris: UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roy, B. (2006). The map, the gap and the territory. Integral Review: A Transdisciplinary and Transcultural Journal for New Thought, Research and Praxis, 3, 25–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiner, R. (1894/1964). The philosophy of freedom: The basis for a modern world conception (GA 4) (M. Wilson, Trans., Rev. Ed.) (Original work published 1894). Spring Valley: The Anthroposophic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiner, R. (1909/1965). The education of the child in the light of anthroposophy (GA 34) (2nd ed., G. & M. Adams, Trans.) (Original work published 1909). London: Rudolf Steiner Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiner, R. (1967). The younger generation: Education and spiritual impulses in the 20th century (GA 217) (R. M. Querido, Trans.) [13 Lectures Stuttgart, October 3 to 15, 1922]. New York: Anthroposophic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiner, R. (1971). Human values in education, lectures, 1924. London: Rudolf Steiner Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiner, R. (1981). The renewal of education through the science of the spirit: Lectures, 1920. Sussex: Kolisko Archive.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steiner, R. (1982). The kingdom of childhood: Lectures, 1924. New York: Anthroposophic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahavi, D. (Ed.). (2004). Hidden resources: Classical perspectives on subjectivity. Exeter: Imprint Academic.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia

    Jennifer M. Gidley PhD

Authors
  1. Jennifer M. Gidley PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Gidley, J.M. (2016). Introduction. In: Postformal Education. Critical Studies of Education, vol 3. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29069-0_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29069-0_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-29068-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-29069-0

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation