Functional and Relevant Body of Knowledge

Importance of a Functional and Relevant Body of Knowledge:

A functional and relevant body of knowledge means knowledge relevant to the society and culture in which the student lives and works. It also means knowledge connected with the student's own personal experiences, and that it is ready to be put to use by the student.  Inevitably, the scope of a functional and relevant body is knowledge will differ from culture to culture. 

The information age and globalized world make it more important than ever for students to develop a high level of competency in the basic subjects. 

A Report of the New Commission of the Skills of the American Workforce, for example, states that “a very high level of preparation in reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, science, literature, history, and the arts will be an indispensable foundation… for most members of the workforce.”

Today's global society requires students to be able to apply their learning and put it to good use. 

The costs to society of failing to develop a functional and relevant body of knowledge are high. 

For example, high school drop-outs are more likely than their peers to be unemployed, live in poverty, receive public assistance, commit crime, be unhealthy, divorced, or single parents with children who drop out of high school themselves.

Deficiency in Functional and Relevant Body of Knowledge Among School Graduates: 

Education systems all over the world are facing challenges in students developing a functional and relevant body of knowledge. 

While many students are engaged in school, it is common for students to be bored and disengaged with their studies. Many students do come out of school with mastery of a relevant body of knowledge, but many do not. 

In the US, for example, one-third of all high school students fail to graduate. 

School assessments and examinations encourage students to learn by rote and memorize rather than deeply understand the subject matter. Memorization in itself is a useful skill to develop, but understanding the subject matter is also important. 

For example, a study by the Harvard Science Education Department found from a survey of Harvard graduates on their graduation day that most of them could not correctly answer why it is warmer in the summer than in winter.

In another example, graduates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) were asked the question, “If you were given a piece of wire, a battery, and a flashlight bulb, could you light the bulb?” Most answered “yes” but when actually given these items, very few could actually light the bulb.

The scope of many syllabi/curricula means that students need to cover portions quickly without going into sufficient detail to cover the material to be examined. In many cases, what the students actually understand is different to what the teachers believe they have taught.

Realizing a Functional and Relevant Body of Knowledge as Educational Outcomes:

A functional and relevant body of knowledge can easily be built into a learning environment organized around how children learn and develop. This makes teaching easier and more effective, as the following examples illustrate: 

1.     Relationship is the foundation for development - A supportive teacher-student relationship, one where the teacher acknolwedges students as individuals, develops a supportive relationship and listens to their views motivates students, and helps to make school an interesting and engaging place. This improves overall performance, increases school enrollment, and reduces school drop-out rates.  

2.     The child learns in an integrated way - A teacher who understands that children learn in integrated ways also understands that we cannot really learn a functional and relevant body of knowledge without developing as a person, and that subjects can be learnt better from a base of personal security and confidence. When we learn in an integrated way, the learning remains fresh, accessible and can guide our condcut in daily life and readily be put to use. 

3.     Children are natural learners - A teacher who understands that children are natural learners can encourage a love of learning, and provide rich opportunites for the child to develop a functional and relevant body of knowledge.  

4.     Each child learns in his her own way - Teaching that takes into account how the student learns and develops increases engagement, improves performance and helps the studentdevelop a deeper understanding of the subject matter. 

The benefits of an education that works - of a learning environment based on how children learn and develop - for realizing a functional and relevant body of knowledge as educational outomes are obvious and far-reaching.