Educational trends and student performance in U.S. and European systems

¶ … Educational Trends in U.S. And Europe: Critical Factors for Student Success

This study will attempt to examine the educational trends currently occurring within the U.S. And Europe in order to identify what the top three trends are in education that might impact students of the future, and to identify what critical factors must be adopted by educators to improve the performance of students who will be matriculating to a global workplace in the future. The researcher will adopt qualitative methods for purposes of this study, particularly use of an in-depth questionnaire to discern what trends teachers within the U.S. And abroad currently influence students and educators the most. A comprehensive literature review will be carried out. The information gathered from the field and the literature review will be compared so that the researcher can develop a theory with regard to educational outcomes that is grounded in research.

Introduction

The purpose of this research study will be an examination of trends in today's education. More specifically the researcher intends to compare the U.S. educational system with the European educational system in order to identify (1) what the three major trends are in education today and (2) what critical factors related to education and teaching are most likely to improve student performance in the global economy of the future.

Current studies related to education indicate that time and time again European students score better than American students on critical subjects including mathematics and the sciences (Assenova, 2003). The extent to which this discrepancy is important or relevant has been debated by numerous researchers; there are some researchers that have claimed that a liberal arts education, such as that more frequently encouraged and offered in the United States, is more important that a strictly science-based education (Boys, Kosciolek, Spicuzza & Ysseldyke, 2003).

Significance of Study

In today's global economy it is more important than ever that students are trained with the skills they will need to succeed in the workforce. This training begins within the educational system. It is vital that educational organizations recognize the trends that are occurring in education, and work to correct any that may not be contributing to the overall welfare of the student population.

At present the curriculum in the United States varies greatly from that in Europe; the extent to which both adequately prepare students to enter the workforce has not adequately been studied (Assenova, 2003). This study will attempt to fill the gap that currently exists in the research related to education. The researcher intends to identify what trends are currently evolving in education, and what practices educators must adopt globally in order to improve student outcomes in the future.

Literature Review

The intent of the literature review will be to compare the educational system in the U.S. with the educational system in Europe in order to identify current trends, as well as similarities and differences between the two. As part of the literature review the researcher will attempt to also explore whether one educational system is better than the other.

European vs. U.S. Education

Is the European educational system more effective than the American one? Assenova (2003) points out those European students generally score higher than their American peers on Scholastic Assessment Tests (SAT), which are generally considered very difficult if English isn't your first language. Western Europeans have an advantage however over Eastern Europeans, however even among East European countries students are outperforming American students in mathematics and science courses (Assenova, 2003).

Curriculum Differences

Part of the reason may be European instruction is more vigorous; there are many curriculum differences that should be examined. Students in the United States generally have the option to take classes that are considered rigorous, such as calculus, chemistry and physics to complete high school, whereas European schools generally require at minimum three years of native language, math, foreign language, physics, chemistry and biology (Assenova, 2003).

The U.S. system is based on the notion that education should be more flexible, allowing for personal choice and directions, whereas the European system is considered more focused on academic rigor, which is "a consequence of the educational traditions of the Old Continent" (Assenova, 2003: 62).

Boys, Kosciolek, Spicuzza & Ysseldyke (2003) points out that during the third International Mathematics and Science Study students in the United States scored below "the international average in mathematics," with 20 countries scoring significantly higher than U.S. subjects (p. 163). They suggest that principles of learning can be adopted and utilized in the United States to improve student outcomes. The study does not compare U.S. liberal arts education with European education.

Methods

For purposes of this research study the researcher proposes a qualitative study, which will provide information based on analysis of documentary data, systematic observation of behavior and in depth interviews of people in small groups (Darlington & Scott, 2002). The instrument to be utilized for purposes of this study will be a questionnaire consisting of approximately 20 questions related to trends in education.

Studies in educational trends are well suited toward qualitative studies, because the research methods employed including in depth interviewing typically allow the researcher to relate experiences and human behavior (Darlington & Scott, 2002).

Population

The researcher intends to interview 20 professors from select universities and 10 teachers from local high schools in order to ascertain what trends individuals working in the field have identified as critical for improving education today. Each of the instructors will have to have a minimum of 5 years experience working in their current field.

Data Collection

Data will be collected via electronic surveys sent anonymously to educators identified for purposes of this study. The information gathered from the surveys will be compared with information gathered from the literature review and similarities noted.

Results

The results of the study will allow the researcher to develop a theory grounded in the research that helps define what trends in education are currently occurring that are critical to the success of students working in a global workplace.