Self-directed flourishing: a conceptual meta-framework for dealing with the challenges of 21st-century learning and education

Purpose – This paper aims to address the concern that humans are experiencing unprecedented, rapidly changing conditions, in part exacerbated by a recent pandemic, digitization and ongoing wartime. Design/methodology/approach – A paper that seeks to address what the authors are calling the “Educatio...

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Main Authors: Eri Mountbatten-O’Malley, Thomas Howard Morris
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Emerald Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:Quality Education for All
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/QEA-03-2024-0029/full/pdf
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author Eri Mountbatten-O’Malley
Thomas Howard Morris
author_facet Eri Mountbatten-O’Malley
Thomas Howard Morris
author_sort Eri Mountbatten-O’Malley
collection DOAJ
description Purpose – This paper aims to address the concern that humans are experiencing unprecedented, rapidly changing conditions, in part exacerbated by a recent pandemic, digitization and ongoing wartime. Design/methodology/approach – A paper that seeks to address what the authors are calling the “Educational Malaise”. The authors achieve this through a conceptual and theoretical exploration of the social nature of human beings and learning in the context of readings of human nature, and moral and rational powers. Findings – It is proposed that education should be designed to empower learners to meet the demands of rapidly changing conditions. The ability to adapt is of primary importance for meeting the demands of the changing world, and the “Self-Directed Flourishing” meta-framework can help educators to meet this challenge. Originality/value – Using conceptual and theoretical lenses, in this paper, the authors identify some core problems with traditional pedagogies in formal education and advance a person-centred, humanistic approach to pedagogy. The authors advocate for a new meta-framework for educators: “Self-Directed Flourishing”. The authors propose placing co-creation, courage and conceptual insight at the heart of educational policies and practices, which the authors suggest will nurture a dynamic, adaptable and ethical microculture for human flourishing in 21st-century education and beyond.
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spelling doaj-art-fb2884973cc348bd89e567c7a691be2d2025-02-03T14:29:25ZengEmerald PublishingQuality Education for All2976-93102025-01-012117118910.1108/QEA-03-2024-0029Self-directed flourishing: a conceptual meta-framework for dealing with the challenges of 21st-century learning and educationEri Mountbatten-O’Malley0Thomas Howard Morris1School of Education, Bath Spa University, Bath, UKSchool of Education, Bath Spa University, Bath, UKPurpose – This paper aims to address the concern that humans are experiencing unprecedented, rapidly changing conditions, in part exacerbated by a recent pandemic, digitization and ongoing wartime. Design/methodology/approach – A paper that seeks to address what the authors are calling the “Educational Malaise”. The authors achieve this through a conceptual and theoretical exploration of the social nature of human beings and learning in the context of readings of human nature, and moral and rational powers. Findings – It is proposed that education should be designed to empower learners to meet the demands of rapidly changing conditions. The ability to adapt is of primary importance for meeting the demands of the changing world, and the “Self-Directed Flourishing” meta-framework can help educators to meet this challenge. Originality/value – Using conceptual and theoretical lenses, in this paper, the authors identify some core problems with traditional pedagogies in formal education and advance a person-centred, humanistic approach to pedagogy. The authors advocate for a new meta-framework for educators: “Self-Directed Flourishing”. The authors propose placing co-creation, courage and conceptual insight at the heart of educational policies and practices, which the authors suggest will nurture a dynamic, adaptable and ethical microculture for human flourishing in 21st-century education and beyond.https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/QEA-03-2024-0029/full/pdfQuality educationConceptual analysisConstructivismSelf-directed learningHuman flourishingFuture skills
spellingShingle Eri Mountbatten-O’Malley
Thomas Howard Morris
Self-directed flourishing: a conceptual meta-framework for dealing with the challenges of 21st-century learning and education
Quality Education for All
Quality education
Conceptual analysis
Constructivism
Self-directed learning
Human flourishing
Future skills
title Self-directed flourishing: a conceptual meta-framework for dealing with the challenges of 21st-century learning and education
title_full Self-directed flourishing: a conceptual meta-framework for dealing with the challenges of 21st-century learning and education
title_fullStr Self-directed flourishing: a conceptual meta-framework for dealing with the challenges of 21st-century learning and education
title_full_unstemmed Self-directed flourishing: a conceptual meta-framework for dealing with the challenges of 21st-century learning and education
title_short Self-directed flourishing: a conceptual meta-framework for dealing with the challenges of 21st-century learning and education
title_sort self directed flourishing a conceptual meta framework for dealing with the challenges of 21st century learning and education
topic Quality education
Conceptual analysis
Constructivism
Self-directed learning
Human flourishing
Future skills
url https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/QEA-03-2024-0029/full/pdf
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