Education in an Era of Risk – the Role of Educational Research for the Future

Our globalised, rapidly changing world is increasingly perceived as risky and unstable. Old certainties are questioned, leading to uncertainty and ambiguity regarding, for example, social cohesion, political stability and lasting peace. Such developments are of utmost relevance to education systems worldwide as they are responsible for providing learners with the skills and capacities to live and act under given social conditions. Given that these future conditions can hardly be predicted in the current era of risk, educational processes, developments, and capacity building become uncertain. What do we know about the unfolding of such educational processes in present times and what are the skills and capacities that are needed in this complex situation? How can educational systems – also operating under conditions of uncertainty – provide a basis for the development of those skills and capacities? Which ‘promises’ can educational systems and institutions make to the future generations, and which can they actually keep? What is the role of education itself and educational research in dealing with the aforementioned problems? Can regional experiences and insights be ‘internationalised’, or must we work from context to context? ECER 2019 in Hamburg will be a platform for educational research that seeks to respond to the questions outlined here. 

Further information: www.eera-ecer.de/ecer-2019-hamburg/