A Re-View of Human Variation: Educational Psychology Within a Dynamic Globalized Context

• In Event: A 360 "Re-View" of Learning: Educational Psychologists Grapple With the Current Higher Education Landscape

Abstract

Reflecting on the future of educational psychology, Alexander (2017) suggested that “educational psychologists will need to ponder questions of the reality of essence of constructs and entities that have been taken for granted” (p. 9). The purpose of this presentation is to explore how the contemporary globalized pandemic context sets the stage for educational psychologists to question and reframe the essence of our view of human variation in learning. Framed by the work of Neal and Neal (2013) and using data from a study focused on marginalized immigrant/refugee families, this presentation explores how addressing learning using an ecological networked lens provides a positive shift in our taken-for-granted view of human variation in learning within marginalized people.

Significance

Today the world’s interconnectivity is clear as we encounter the largest number of displaced people in recent history (UNHCR, 2020) while being seized by a global pandemic (WHO, 2020). Despite our best efforts in education, the fundamental shifts in the teaching and learning process during this historic time have exposed deep biases and further marginalized already vulnerable learners (Condon, 2020; Freeman, 2020). Displaced and transitioning families have disproportionately been impacted by the pandemic as they encounter unemployment, limited access to healthcare, and limited connection to the local community (Chishti & Pierce, 2020). Further, vulnerable learners have been disconnected from vital educational services (Cornish, 2020). Although such reports appear dismal, in this presentation I propose that as educational psychologists we can offer a positive view. This presentation proposes that the educational psychological view of the human variation of learning can shift from strategies to engage marginalized families in local schools, to equipping families to leverage their borderless social networks to engage with their communities.

An Ecological Networked View of Human Variation

Educational psychologists have long embraced Bronfenbrenner’s ecological view of a learner’s development. Bronfenbrenner (1977) understood an individual’s development as situated within a context of five interacting nested systems including those closest to the learner as well as the beliefs and values of the cultural context. Addressing Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems, Neal and Neal (2013) posited that in today’s globalized world, the focus of one’s development shifts from a neatly nested systems context to dynamic networks across settings. Taking this networked approach expands the learner’s interactions beyond the walls of a classroom (Neal & Neal, 2014). As educational psychologists, such an understanding of learners’ development proposes we explicitly identify and engage learners to leverage their networks within their learning process.

In sum, considering the changing educational landscape, Alexander (2017) suggested that educational psychology needs to attend more to individual variations of learning, challenging the status-quo. The present globalized pandemic-gripped context requires heightened awareness and responses to the human variation of learning while opening the door to re-view the landscape. In this presentation, referring to findings from immigrant family interviews, I will engage in an exploration of how an ecological networked lens may effectively address marginalized families’ learning within the shifting context of today’s borderless pandemic-gripped world, proposing new questions for a new time.

Author

• Martha J. Strickland, The Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg