The perception of heutagogy among members of an educational community: a case study of an Arab authority in Israel

Résumé fourni par la source

Background Education systems around the world face a profound challenge—preparing learners to cope with rapidly changing economic, technological, and cultural realities, while at the same time correcting gaps that limit access to meaningful education . Globalization, digitization, and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed long-term structural gaps in education and increased calls for innovative pedagogies that promote lifelong learning. Accordingly, independent learner skills have become more essential, and recognition of the need for change in the perception of education, learning, and teaching has expanded. Heutagogy or “self-directed learning” offers a response to these challenges by placing the learner at the center of the process. Heutagogy, coined by Hayes and Kenyon, is described as a practice and theory of learning that is directed and guided by the learner himself. The current study seeks to examine perceptions of Heutagogy among members of an educational community in an Arab local authority in Israel as an alternative approach to traditional elementary school teaching. It is interested in the possible tension between the principles of Heutagogy, and in particular the transfer of agency, responsibility, and power to learners, and cultural norms that emphasize hierarchy, authority, and respect for adults. The study aims to provide important insights into the acceptance and perception of Heutagogy in a traditional society, and also into the integration of the Heutagogical approach in the junior division of an elementary school. Methodology The study was conducted using a case study approach, as part of a project to establish a school based on innovative teaching and learning. The project focused on developing a pedagogical program for an elementary school, according to the Heutagogical approach and took place in cooperation with an Arab authority in the north of the country. During a process of training and exposing the Heutagogical concept among the education community, 11 meetings were held with the education communities and interested parties. The meetings included structured lectures and in-depth discussions about the principles of the approach and its implementation in a school. This process made it possible to examine perceptions of Heutagogy within the complex socio-cultural context in which it existed, and led to a deep understanding of the conditions, limitations, and opportunities involved in implementing Heutagogy in the Arab society. The study was based on the qualitative approach, drawing on thirteen semi-structured interviews that dealt with participants’ attitudes toward Heutagogy. Findings The findings indicate a complex picture of the perception of Heutagogy among members of an educational community in an Arab authority in Israel. On the one hand, there has been clear enthusiasm for the possibility of designing an innovative school that places the child at the center, expands spaces of choice, fosters self-management, and develops awareness and responsibility. On the other hand, enthusiasm was accompanied by significant caution. Heutagogy was not seen as a model that could be immediately and directly transferred from theory to the field, but rather as a process that required conditions: Students are gradually mature or accompanied, recognition of differences between students, a home infrastructure of independence and decision-making, teachers who are able to move from authoritarian teaching to flexible guidance, and parents who share in understanding and trusting the path. In addition, concerns and objections were raised relating to both the cultural context and the practical aspects of implementation. The interviewees asked whether broad student freedom is appropriate for local culture, how social and cultural values can be maintained within a modern model, will parents accept a change that does not focus on grades, and will the system be able to provide the necessary conditions?. Therefore, the overall interpretation of the findings is that Heutagogy is perceived by the interviewees as an important educational opportunity, but one that is conditioned by sensitive and local translation. Its success depends on the ability to combine innovation with cultural context, freedom with framework, student responsibility with adult guidance, and pedagogical vision with actual implementation conditions. In this sense, it is not just a new structure or use of technology, but an attempt to rebuild relationships between students, teachers, parents, and the community around the idea of independent, conscious, and responsible learning. Discussion The research findings highlight the tension between the principles of Heutagogy and the unique social and cultural contexts of the Arab education system in Israel. The variety of positions that have emerged in research on Heutagogy, as offering an innovative but also challenging model for application in conservative contexts that rely on educational hierarchies. A finding that is consistent with the results of the study by Harduf and others, who found that the attitude towards the idea of Heutagogy among lecturer communities was multifaceted and complex. On the one hand, there were voices criticizing the traditional approach and sympathetic to the Heutagogical idea, and on the other hand, there were also concerns and criticism. The findings add to and point to recommendations needed to promote Heutagogy, including the importance of developing partnerships with all interested parties, focusing teacher training, and building supportive systemic conditions. These recommendations are particularly important in a context where tradition shapes the boundaries of pedagogical innovation.

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