Encyclopedia Britannica

  • History & Society
  • Science & Tech
  • Biographies
  • Animals & Nature
  • Geography & Travel
  • Arts & Culture
  • Games & Quizzes
  • On This Day
  • One Good Fact
  • New Articles
  • Lifestyles & Social Issues
  • Philosophy & Religion
  • Politics, Law & Government
  • World History
  • Health & Medicine
  • Browse Biographies
  • Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
  • Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
  • Environment
  • Fossils & Geologic Time
  • Entertainment & Pop Culture
  • Sports & Recreation
  • Visual Arts
  • Demystified
  • Image Galleries
  • Infographics
  • Top Questions
  • Britannica Kids
  • Saving Earth
  • Space Next 50
  • Student Center
  • Introduction & Top Questions

Prehistoric and primitive cultures

  • Mesopotamia
  • North China
  • The Hindu tradition
  • The introduction of Buddhist influences
  • Classical India
  • Indian influences on Asia
  • Xi (Western) Zhou (1046–771 bce )
  • Dong (Eastern) Zhou (770–256 bce )
  • Qin autocracy (221–206 bce )
  • Scholarship under the Han (206 bce –220 ce )
  • Introduction of Buddhism
  • Ancient Hebrews
  • Education of youth
  • Higher education
  • The institutions
  • Physical education
  • The primary school
  • Secondary education
  • Early Roman education
  • Roman modifications
  • Education in the later Roman Empire
  • Ancient Persia
  • Elementary education
  • Professional education
  • Early Russian education: Kiev and Muscovy
  • Influences on Muslim education and culture
  • Aims and purposes of Muslim education
  • Organization of education
  • Major periods of Muslim education and learning
  • Influence of Islamic learning on the West
  • From the beginnings to the 4th century
  • From the 5th to the 8th century
  • The Irish and English revivals
  • The cultural revival under Charlemagne and his successors
  • Influences of the Carolingian renaissance abroad
  • Education of the laity in the 9th and 10th centuries
  • Monastic schools
  • Urban schools
  • New curricula and philosophies
  • Thomist philosophy
  • The Italian universities
  • The French universities
  • The English universities
  • Universities elsewhere in Europe
  • General characteristics of medieval universities
  • Lay education and the lower schools
  • The foundations of Muslim education
  • The Mughal period
  • The Tang dynasty (618–907 ce )
  • The Song (960–1279)
  • The Mongol period (1206–1368)
  • The Ming period (1368–1644)
  • The Manchu period (1644–1911/12)
  • The ancient period to the 12th century
  • Education of the warriors
  • Education in the Tokugawa era
  • Effect of early Western contacts
  • The Muslim influence
  • The secular influence
  • Early influences
  • Emergence of the new gymnasium
  • Nonscholastic traditions
  • Dutch humanism
  • Juan Luis Vives
  • The early English humanists
  • Luther and the German Reformation
  • The English Reformation
  • The French Reformation
  • The Calvinist Reformation
  • The Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation
  • The legacy of the Reformation
  • The new scientism and rationalism
  • The Protestant demand for universal elementary education
  • The pedagogy of Ratke
  • The pedagogy of Comenius
  • The schools of Gotha
  • Courtly education
  • The teaching congregations
  • Female education
  • The Puritan reformers
  • Royalist education
  • The academies
  • John Locke’s empiricism and education as conduct
  • Giambattista Vico, critic of Cartesianism
  • The condition of the schools and universities
  • August Hermann Francke
  • Johann Julius Hecker
  • The Sensationists
  • The Rousseauists
  • National education under enlightened rulers
  • Spanish and Portuguese America
  • French Québec
  • New England
  • The new academies
  • The middle colonies
  • The Southern colonies
  • Newfoundland and the Maritime Provinces.
  • The social and historical setting
  • The pedagogy of Pestalozzi
  • The influence of Pestalozzi
  • The pedagogy of Froebel
  • The kindergarten movement
  • The psychology and pedagogy of Herbart
  • The Herbartians
  • Other German theorists
  • French theorists
  • Spencer’s scientism
  • Humboldt’s reforms
  • Developments after 1815
  • Girls’ schools
  • The new German universities
  • Development of state education
  • Elementary Education Act
  • Secondary and higher education
  • The educational awakening
  • Education for females
  • New Zealand
  • Education under the East India Company
  • Indian universities
  • The Meiji Restoration and the assimilation of Western civilization
  • Establishment of a national system of education
  • The conservative reaction
  • Establishment of nationalistic education systems
  • Promotion of industrial education
  • Social and historical background
  • Influence of psychology and other fields on education
  • Traditional movements
  • Progressive education
  • Child-centred education
  • Scientific-realist education
  • Social-reconstructionist education
  • Major trends and problems
  • Early 19th to early 20th century
  • Education Act of 1944
  • The comprehensive movement
  • Further education
  • Imperial Germany
  • Weimar Republic
  • Nazi Germany
  • Changes after World War II
  • The Third Republic
  • The Netherlands
  • Switzerland
  • Expansion of American education
  • Curriculum reforms
  • Federal involvement in local education
  • Changes in higher education
  • Professional organizations
  • Canadian educational reforms
  • The administration of public education
  • Before 1917
  • The Stalinist years, 1931–53
  • The Khrushchev reforms
  • From Brezhnev to Gorbachev
  • Perestroika and education
  • The modernization movement
  • Education in the republic
  • Education under the Nationalist government
  • Education under communism
  • Post-Mao education
  • Communism and the intellectuals
  • Education at the beginning of the century
  • Education to 1940
  • Education changes during World War II
  • Education after World War II
  • Pre-independence period
  • The postindependence period in India
  • The postindependence period in Pakistan
  • The postindependence period in Bangladesh
  • The postindependence period in Sri Lanka
  • South Africa
  • General influences and policies of the colonial powers
  • Education in Portuguese colonies and former colonies
  • German educational policy in Africa
  • Education in British colonies and former colonies
  • Education in French colonies and former colonies
  • Education in Belgian colonies and former colonies
  • Problems and tasks of African education in the late 20th century
  • Colonialism and its consequences
  • The second half of the 20th century
  • The Islamic revival
  • Migration and the brain drain
  • The heritage of independence
  • Administration
  • Primary education and literacy
  • Reform trends
  • Malaysia and Singapore
  • Philippines
  • Education and social cohesion
  • Education and social conflict
  • Education and personal growth
  • Education and civil society
  • Education and economic development
  • Primary-level school enrollments
  • Secondary-level school enrollments
  • Tertiary-level school enrollments
  • Other developments in formal education
  • Literacy as a measure of success
  • Access to education
  • Implications for socioeconomic status
  • Social consequences of education in developing countries
  • The role of the state
  • Social and family interaction
  • Alternative forms of education

a classroom in Brazil

What was education like in ancient Athens?

How does social class affect education attainment, when did education become compulsory, what are alternative forms of education, do school vouchers offer students access to better education.

Father helping his son with his homework. Parent child student little boy

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

  • World History Encyclopedia - Education in the Elizabethan Era
  • Academia - Return on Education Using the Concept of Opportunity Cost
  • National Geographic - Geography
  • Table Of Contents

a classroom in Brazil

What does education mean?

Education refers to the discipline that is concerned with methods of teaching and learning in schools or school-like environments, as opposed to various nonformal and informal means of socialization .

Beginning approximately at the end of the 7th or during the 6th century, Athens became the first city-state in ancient Greece to renounce education that was oriented toward the future duties of soldiers. The evolution of Athenian education reflected that of the city itself, which was moving toward increasing democratization.

Research has found that education is the strongest determinant of individuals’ occupational status and chances of success in adult life. However, the correlation between family socioeconomic status and school success or failure appears to have increased worldwide. Long-term trends suggest that as societies industrialize and modernize, social class becomes increasingly important in determining educational outcomes and occupational attainment.

While education is not compulsory in practice everywhere in the world, the right of individuals to an educational program that respects their personality, talents, abilities, and cultural heritage has been upheld in various international agreements, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948; the Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1959; and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966.

Alternative forms of education have developed since the late 20th century, such as distance learning , homeschooling , and many parallel or supplementary systems of education often designated as “nonformal” and “popular.” Religious institutions also instruct the young and old alike in sacred knowledge as well as in the values and skills required for participation in local, national, and transnational societies.

School vouchers have been a hotly debated topic in the United States. Some parents of voucher recipients reported high levels of satisfaction, and studies have found increased voucher student graduation rates. Some studies have found, however, that students using vouchers to attend private schools instead of public ones did not show significantly higher levels of academic achievement. Learn more at ProCon.org.

Should corporal punishment be used in elementary education settings?

Whether corporal punishment should be used in elementary education settings is widely debated. Some say it is the appropriate discipline for certain children when used in moderation because it sets clear boundaries and motivates children to behave in school. Others say can inflict long-lasting physical and mental harm on students while creating an unsafe and violent school environment. For more on the corporal punishment debate, visit ProCon.org .

Should dress codes be implemented and enforced in education settings?

Whether dress codes should be implemented and enforced in education settings is hotly debated. Some argue dress codes enforce decorum and a serious, professional atmosphere conducive to success, as well as promote safety. Others argue dress codes reinforce racist standards of beauty and dress and are are seldom uniformly mandated, often discriminating against women and marginalized groups. For more on the dress code debate, visit ProCon.org .

Recent News

education , discipline that is concerned with methods of teaching and learning in schools or school-like environments as opposed to various nonformal and informal means of socialization (e.g., rural development projects and education through parent-child relationships).

(Read Arne Duncan’s Britannica essay on “Education: The Great Equalizer.”)

Education can be thought of as the transmission of the values and accumulated knowledge of a society. In this sense, it is equivalent to what social scientists term socialization or enculturation. Children—whether conceived among New Guinea tribespeople, the Renaissance Florentines, or the middle classes of Manhattan—are born without culture . Education is designed to guide them in learning a culture , molding their behaviour in the ways of adulthood , and directing them toward their eventual role in society. In the most primitive cultures , there is often little formal learning—little of what one would ordinarily call school or classes or teachers . Instead, the entire environment and all activities are frequently viewed as school and classes, and many or all adults act as teachers. As societies grow more complex, however, the quantity of knowledge to be passed on from one generation to the next becomes more than any one person can know, and, hence, there must evolve more selective and efficient means of cultural transmission. The outcome is formal education—the school and the specialist called the teacher.

As society becomes ever more complex and schools become ever more institutionalized, educational experience becomes less directly related to daily life, less a matter of showing and learning in the context of the workaday world, and more abstracted from practice, more a matter of distilling, telling, and learning things out of context. This concentration of learning in a formal atmosphere allows children to learn far more of their culture than they are able to do by merely observing and imitating. As society gradually attaches more and more importance to education, it also tries to formulate the overall objectives, content, organization, and strategies of education. Literature becomes laden with advice on the rearing of the younger generation. In short, there develop philosophies and theories of education.

This article discusses the history of education, tracing the evolution of the formal teaching of knowledge and skills from prehistoric and ancient times to the present, and considering the various philosophies that have inspired the resulting systems. Other aspects of education are treated in a number of articles. For a treatment of education as a discipline, including educational organization, teaching methods, and the functions and training of teachers, see teaching ; pedagogy ; and teacher education . For a description of education in various specialized fields, see historiography ; legal education ; medical education ; science, history of . For an analysis of educational philosophy , see education, philosophy of . For an examination of some of the more important aids in education and the dissemination of knowledge, see dictionary ; encyclopaedia ; library ; museum ; printing ; publishing, history of . Some restrictions on educational freedom are discussed in censorship . For an analysis of pupil attributes, see intelligence, human ; learning theory ; psychological testing .

Education in primitive and early civilized cultures

The term education can be applied to primitive cultures only in the sense of enculturation , which is the process of cultural transmission. A primitive person, whose culture is the totality of his universe, has a relatively fixed sense of cultural continuity and timelessness. The model of life is relatively static and absolute, and it is transmitted from one generation to another with little deviation. As for prehistoric education, it can only be inferred from educational practices in surviving primitive cultures.

The purpose of primitive education is thus to guide children to becoming good members of their tribe or band. There is a marked emphasis upon training for citizenship , because primitive people are highly concerned with the growth of individuals as tribal members and the thorough comprehension of their way of life during passage from prepuberty to postpuberty.

what is education topic in english

Because of the variety in the countless thousands of primitive cultures, it is difficult to describe any standard and uniform characteristics of prepuberty education. Nevertheless, certain things are practiced commonly within cultures. Children actually participate in the social processes of adult activities, and their participatory learning is based upon what the American anthropologist Margaret Mead called empathy , identification, and imitation . Primitive children, before reaching puberty, learn by doing and observing basic technical practices. Their teachers are not strangers but rather their immediate community .

In contrast to the spontaneous and rather unregulated imitations in prepuberty education, postpuberty education in some cultures is strictly standardized and regulated. The teaching personnel may consist of fully initiated men, often unknown to the initiate though they are his relatives in other clans. The initiation may begin with the initiate being abruptly separated from his familial group and sent to a secluded camp where he joins other initiates. The purpose of this separation is to deflect the initiate’s deep attachment away from his family and to establish his emotional and social anchorage in the wider web of his culture.

The initiation “curriculum” does not usually include practical subjects. Instead, it consists of a whole set of cultural values, tribal religion, myths , philosophy, history, rituals, and other knowledge. Primitive people in some cultures regard the body of knowledge constituting the initiation curriculum as most essential to their tribal membership. Within this essential curriculum, religious instruction takes the most prominent place.

infed.org

the encyclopaedia of pedagogy and informal education

what is education topic in english

What is education? A definition and discussion

Education is the wise, hopeful and respectful cultivation of learning and change undertaken in the belief that we all should have the chance to share in life., mark k smith explores the meaning of education and suggests it is a process of being with others and inviting truth and possibility., contents : introduction • education – cultivating hopeful environments and relationships for learning • education, respect and wisdom • education – acting so all may share in life • conclusion – what is education • further reading and references • acknowledgements • how to cite this piece.

picture: Education by Claude Gillot (1673–1722). creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Introduction

When talking about education people often confuse it with schooling. Many think of places like schools or colleges when seeing or hearing the word. They might also look to particular jobs like teacher or tutor. The problem with this is that while looking to help people learn, the way a lot of schools and teachers operate is not necessarily something we can properly call education. They have chosen or fallen or been pushed into ‘schooling’ – trying to drill learning into people according to some plan often drawn up by others. Paulo Freire (1973) famously called this banking – making deposits of knowledge. Such ‘schooling’ too easily descends into treating learners like objects, things to be acted upon rather than people to be related to.

Education, as we understand it here, is a process of inviting truth and possibility, of encouraging and giving time to discovery. It is, as John Dewey (1916) put it, a social process – ‘a process of living and not a preparation for future living’. In this view educators look to learning and being with others rather than acting upon them. Their task is to educe (related to the Greek notion of educere ), to bring out or develop potential both in themselves and others. Such education is:

  • Deliberate and hopeful. It is learning we set out to make happen in the belief that we all can ‘be more’;
  • Informed, respectful and wise. A process of inviting truth and possibility.
  • Grounded in a desire that at all may flourish and share in life . It is a cooperative and inclusive activity that looks to help us to live our lives as well as we can.

In what follows we will try to answer the question ‘what is education?’ by exploring these dimensions and the processes involved.

Education – cultivating hopeful environments and relationships for learning

It is often said that we are learning all the time and that we may not be conscious of it happening. Learning is both a process and an outcome. As a process, it is part of being and living in the world, part of the way our bodies work. As an outcome, it is a new understanding or appreciation of something.

In recent years, developments in neuroscience have shown us how learning takes place both in the body and as a social activity. We are social animals. As a result, educators need to focus on creating environments and relationships for learning rather than trying to drill knowledge into themselves and others.

Teachers are losing the education war because our adolescents are distracted by the social world. Naturally, the students don’t see it that way. It wasn’t their choice to get endless instruction on topics that don’t seem relevant to them. They desperately want to learn, but what they want to learn about is their social world—how it works and how they can secure a place in it that will maximize their social rewards and minimize the social pain they feel. Their brains are built to feel these strong social motivations and to use the mentalizing system to help them along. Evolutionarily, the social interest of adolescents is no distraction. Rather, it is the most important thing they can learn well. (Lieberman 2013: 282)

The cultivation of learning is a cognitive and emotional and social activity (Illeris 2002)

Alison Gopnik (2016) has provided a helpful way of understanding this orientation. It is that educators, pedagogues and practitioners need to be gardeners rather than carpenters. A key theme emerging from her research over the last 30 years or so that runs in parallel with Lieberman, is that children learn by actively engaging their social and physical environments – not by passively absorbing information. They learn from other people, not because they are being taught – but because people are doing and talking about interesting things. The emphasis in a lot of the literature about parenting (and teaching) presents the roles much like that of a carpenter.

You should pay some attention to the kind of material you are working with, and it may have some influence on what you try to do. But essentially your job is to shape that material into a final product that will fit the scheme you had in mind to begin with.

Instead, Gopnik argues, the evidence points to being a gardener.

When we garden, on the other hand, we create a protected and nurturing space for plants to flourish. It takes hard labor and the sweat of our brows, with a lot of exhausted digging and wallowing in manure. And as any gardener knows, our specific plans are always thwarted. The poppy comes up neon orange instead of pale pink, the rose that was supposed to climb the fence stubbornly remains a foot from the ground, black spot and rust and aphids can never be defeated.

Education is deliberate. We act with a purpose – to build understanding and judgement and enable action. We may do this for ourselves, for example, learning what different road signs mean so that we can get a license to drive; or watching wildlife programmes on television because we are interested in animal behaviour. This process is sometimes called self-education or teaching yourself. We join with the journey that the writer, presenter or expert is making, think about it and develop our understanding. Hopefully, we bring that process and understanding into play when we need to act. We also seek to encourage learning in others (while being open to learning ourselves). Examples here include parents and carers showing their children how to use a knife and fork or ride a bike; schoolteachers introducing students to a foreign language; and animators and pedagogues helping a group to work together.

Sometimes as educators, we have a clear idea of what we’d like to see achieved; at others, we do not and should not. In the case of the former, we might be working to a curriculum, have a session or lesson plan with clear objectives, and have a high degree of control over the learning environment. This is what we often mean by ‘formal education’. In the latter, for example, when working with a community group, the setting is theirs and, as educators, we are present as guests. This is an example of informal education and here two things are happening.

First, the group may well be clear on what it wants to achieve e.g. putting on an event, but unclear about what they need to learn to do it. They know learning is involved – it is something necessary to achieve what they want – but it is not the main focus. Such ‘incidental learning’ is not accidental. People know they need to learn something but cannot necessarily specify it in advance (Brookfield 1984).

Second, this learning activity works largely through conversation – and conversation takes unpredictable turns. It is a dialogical rather than curricula form of education.

In both forms, educators set out to create environments and relationships where people can explore their, and other’s, experiences of situations, ideas and feelings. This exploration lies, as John Dewey argued, at the heart of the ‘business of education’. Educators set out to emancipate and enlarge experience (1933: 340). How closely the subject matter is defined in advance, and by whom, differs from situation to situation. John Ellis (1990) has developed a useful continuum – arguing that most education involves a mix of the informal and formal, of conversation and curriculum (i.e. between points X and Y).

The informal-formal education continuum - John Ellis

Those that describe themselves as informal educators, social pedagogues or as animators of community learning and development tend to work towards the X; those working as subject teachers or lecturers tend to the Y. Educators when facilitating tutor groups might, overall, work somewhere in the middle.

Acting in hope

Underpinning intention is an attitude or virtue – hopefulness. As educators ‘we believe that learning is possible, that nothing can keep an open mind from seeking after knowledge and finding a way to know’ (hooks 2003: xiv) . In other words, we invite people to learn and act in the belief that change for the good is possible. This openness to possibility isn’t blind or over-optimistic. It looks to evidence and experience, and is born of an appreciation of the world’s limitations (Halpin 2003: 19-20).

We can quickly see how such hope is both a part of the fabric of education – and, for many, an aim of education. Mary Warnock (1986:182) puts it this way:

I think that of all the attributes that I would like to see in my children or in my pupils, the attribute of hope would come high, even top, of the list. To lose hope is to lose the capacity to want or desire anything; to lose, in fact, the wish to live. Hope is akin to energy, to curi­osity, to the belief that things are worth doing. An education which leaves a child without hope is an education that has failed.

But hope is not easy to define or describe. It is:

An emotion . Hope, John Macquarrie (1978 11) suggests, ‘consists in an outgoing and trusting mood toward the environment’. We do not know what will happen but take a gamble. ‘It’s to bet on the future, on your desires, on the possibility that an open heart and uncertainty is better than gloom and safety. To hope is dangerous, and yet it is the opposite of fear, for to live is to risk’ (Solnit 2016: 21).

A choice or intention to act . Hope ‘promotes affirmative courses of action’ (Macquarrie 1978: 11). Hope alone will not transform the world. Action ‘undertaken in that kind of naïveté’, wrote Paulo Freire (1994: 8), ‘is an excellent route to hopelessness, pessimism, and fatalism’. Hope and action are linked. Rebecca Solnit (2016: 22) put it this way, ‘Hope calls for action; action is impossible without hope… To hope is to give yourself to the future, and that commitment to the future makes the present inhabitable’.

An intellectual activity . Hope is not just feeling or striving, according to McQuarrie it has a cognitive or intellectual aspect. ‘[I]t carries in itself a definite way of understanding both ourselves – and the environing processes within which human life has its setting’ ( op. cit. ).

This provides us with a language to help make sense of things and to imagine change for the better – a ‘vocabulary of hope’. It helps us to critique the world as it is and our part in it, and not to just imagine change but also to plan it (Moltman 1967, 1971). It also allows us, and others, to ask questions of our hopes, to request evidence for our claims. (See, what is hope? ).

Education – being respectful, informed and wise

Education is wrapped up with who we are as learners and facilitators of learning – and how we are experienced by learners. In order to think about this, it is helpful to look back at a basic distinction made by Erich Fromm (1979), amongst others, between having and being. Fromm approaches these as fundamental modes of existence. He saw them as two different ways of understanding ourselves and the world in which we live.

Having is concerned with owning, possessing and controlling. In it we want to ‘make everybody and everything’, including ourselves, our property (Fromm 1979: 33). It looks to objects and material possessions.

Being is rooted in love according to Fromm. It is concerned with shared experience and productive activity. Rather than seeking to possess and control, in this mode, we engage with the world. We do not impose ourselves on others nor ‘interfere’ in their lives (see Smith and Smith 2008: 16-17).

These different orientations involve contrasting approaches to learning.

Students in the having mode must have but one aim; to hold onto what they have ‘learned’, either by entrusting it firmly to their memories or by carefully guarding their notes. They do not have to produce or create something new…. The process of learning has an entirely different quality for students in the being mode… Instead of being passive receptacles of words and ideas, they listen, they hear , and most important, they receive and they respond in an active, productive way. (Fromm 1979: 37-38)

In many ways, this difference mirrors that between education and schooling. Schooling entails transmitting knowledge in manageable lumps so it can be stored and then used so that students can pass tests and have qualifications. Education involves engaging with others and the world. It entails being with   others in a particular way. Here I want to explore three aspects – being respectful, informed and wise.

Being respectful

The process of education flows from a basic orientation of respect – respect for truth, others and themselves, and the world. It is an attitude or feeling which is carried through into concrete action, into the way we treat people, for example. Respect, as R. S. Dillon (2014) has reminded us, is derived from the Latin respicere , meaning ‘to look back at’ or ‘to look again’ at something. In other words, when we respect something we value it enough to make it our focus and to try to see it for what it is, rather than what we might want it to be. It is so important that it calls for our recognition and our regard – and we choose to respond.

We can see this at work in our everyday relationships. When we think highly of someone we may well talk about respecting them – and listen carefully to what they say or value the example they give. Here, though, we are also concerned with a more abstract idea – that of moral worth or value. Rather than looking at why we respect this person or that, the interest is in why we should respect people in general (or truth, or creation, or ourselves).

First, we expect educators to hold truth dearly . We expect that they will look beneath the surface, try to challenge misrepresentation and lies, and be open to alternatives. They should display the ‘two basic virtues of truth’: sincerity and accuracy (Williams 2002: 11). There are strong religious reasons for this. Bearing false witness, within Christian traditions, can be seen as challenging the foundations of God’s covenant. There are also strongly practical reasons for truthfulness. Without it, the development of knowledge would not be possible – we could not evaluate one claim against another. Nor could we conduct much of life. For example, as Paul Seabright (2010) has argued, truthfulness allows us to trust strangers. In the process, we can build complex societies, trade and cooperate.

Educators, as with other respecters of truth, should do their best to acquire ‘true beliefs’ and to ensure what they say actually reveals what they believe (Williams 2002: 11). Their authority, ‘must be rooted in their truthfulness in both these respects: they take care, and they do not lie’ op. cit.).

Second, educators should display fundamental respect for others (and themselves) . There is a straightforward theological argument for this. There is also a fundamental philosophical argument for ‘respect for persons’. Irrespective of what they have done, the people they are or their social position, it is argued, people are deserving of some essential level of regard. The philosopher most closely associated with this idea is Immanuel Kant – and his thinking has become a central pillar of humanism. Kant’s position was that people were deserving of respect because they are people – free, rational beings. They are ends in themselves with an absolute dignity

Alongside respect for others comes respect for self. Without it, it is difficult to see how we can flourish – and whether we can be educators. Self-respect is not to be confused with qualities like self-esteem or self-confidence; rather it is to do with our intrinsic worth as a person and a sense of ourselves as mattering. It involves a ‘secure conviction that [our] conception of the good, [our] plan of life, is worth carrying out’ (Rawls 1972: 440). For some, respect for ourselves is simply the other side of the coin from respect for others. It flows from respect for persons. For others, like John Rawls, it is vital for happiness and must be supported as a matter of justice.

Third, educators should respect the Earth . This is sometimes talked about as respect for nature, or respect for all things or care for creation. Again there is a strong theological argument here – in much religious thinking humans are understood as stewards of the earth. Our task is to cultivate and care for it (see, for example, Genesis 2:15). However, there is also a strong case grounded in human experience. For example, Miller (2000) argues that ‘each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the community, to the natural world, and to spiritual values such as compassion and peace’. Respect for the world is central to the thinking of those arguing for a more holistic vision of education and to the thinking of educationalists such as Montessori . Her vision of ‘cosmic education’ puts appreciating the wholeness of life at the core.

Since it has been seen to be necessary to give so much to the child, let us give him a vision of the whole universe. The universe is an imposing reality, and an answer to all questions. We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe, and are connected with each other to form one whole unity. This idea helps the mind of the child to become fixed, to stop wandering in an aimless quest for knowledge. He is satisfied, having found the universal centre of himself with all things’. (Montessori 2000)

Last, and certainly not least, there is a basic practical concern. We face an environmental crisis of catastrophic proportions. As Emmett (among many others) has pointed out, it is likely that we are looking at a global average rise of over four degrees Centigrade. This ‘will lead to runaway climate change, capable of tipping the planet into an entirely different state, rapidly. Earth would become a hell hole’ (2013: 143).

Being informed

To facilitate learning we must have some understanding of the subject matter being explored, and the impact study could have on those involved. In other words, facilitation is intelligent.

We expect, quite reasonably, that when people describe themselves as teachers or educators, they know something about the subjects they are talking about. In this respect, our ‘subject area’ as educators is wide. It can involve particular aspects of knowledge and activity such as those associated with maths or history. However, it is also concerned with happiness and relationships, the issues and problems of everyday life in communities, and questions around how people are best to live their lives. In some respects, it is wisdom that is required – not so much in the sense that we know a lot or are learned – but rather we are able to help people make good judgements about problems and situations.

We also assume that teachers and educators know how to help people learn. The forms of education we are exploring here are sophisticated. They can embrace the techniques of classroom management and of teaching to a curriculum that has been the mainstay of schooling. However, they move well beyond this into experiential learning, working with groups, and forms of working with individuals that draw upon insights from counselling and therapy.

In short, we look to teachers and educators as experts, We expect them to apply their expertise to help people learn. However, things don’t stop there. Many look for something more – wisdom.

Wisdom is not something that we can generally claim for ourselves – but a quality recognized by others. Sometimes when people are described as wise what is meant is that they are scholarly or learned. More often, I suspect, when others are described as ‘being wise’ it that people have experienced their questions or judgement helpful and sound when exploring a problem or difficult situation (see Smith and Smith 2008: 57-69). This entails:

  • appreciating what can make people flourish
  • being open to truth in its various guises and allowing subjects to speak to us
  • developing the capacity to reflect
  • being knowledgeable, especially about ourselves, around ‘what makes people tick’ and the systems of which we are a part
  • being discerning – able to evaluate and judge situations. ( op. cit. : 68)

This combination of qualities, when put alongside being respectful and informed, comes close to what Martin Buber talked about as the ‘real teacher’. The real teacher, he believed:

… teaches most successfully when he is not consciously trying to teach at all, but when he acts spontaneously out of his own life. Then he can gain the pupil’s confidence; he can convince the adolescent that there is human truth, that existence has a meaning. And when the pupil’s confidence has been won, ‘his resistance against being educated gives way to a singular happening: he accepts the educator as a person. He feels he may trust this man, that this man is taking part in his life, accepting him before desiring to influence him. And so he learns to ask…. (Hodes 1972: 136)

Picture: Dessiner le futur adulte by Alain Bachellier. Sourced from Flickr and reproduced under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) licence. http://www.flickr.com/photos/alainbachellier/537180464/

Education – acting so that all may share in life

Thus far in answering the question ‘what is education?’ we have seen how it can be thought of as the wise, hopeful and respectful cultivation of learning. Here we will explore the claim that education should be undertaken in the belief that all should have the chance to share in life. This commitment to the good of all and of each individual is central to the vision of education explored here, but it could be argued that it is possible to be involved in education without this. We could take out concern for others. We could just focus on process – the wise, hopeful and respectful cultivation of learning – and not state to whom this applies and the direction it takes.

Looking beyond process

First, we need to answer the question ‘if we act wisely, hopefully, and respectfully as educators do we need to have a further purpose?’ Our guide here will again be John Dewey. He approached the question a century ago by arguing that ‘the object and reward of learning is continued capacity for growth’ (Dewey 1916: 100). Education, for him, entailed the continuous ‘reconstruction or reorganization of experience which adds to the meaning of experience, and which increases the ability to direct the course of subsequent experience. (Dewey 1916: 76). His next step was to consider the social relationships in which this can take place and the degree of control that learners and educators have over the process. Just as Freire (1972) argued later, relationships for learning need to be mutual, and individual and social change possible.

In our search for aims in education, we are not concerned… with finding an end outside of the educative process to which education is subordinate. Our whole conception forbids. We are rather concerned with the contrast which exists when aims belong within the process in which they operate and when they are set up from without. And the latter state of affairs must obtain when social relationships are not equitably balanced. For in that case, some portions of the whole social group will find their aims determined by an external dictation; their aims will not arise from the free growth of their own experience, and their nominal aims will be means to more ulterior ends of others rather than truly their own. (Dewey 1916: 100-101)

In other words, where there are equitable relationships, control over the learning process, and the possibilities of fundamental change we needn’t look beyond the process. However, we have to work for much of the time in situations and societies where this level of democracy and social justice does not exist. Hence the need to make clear a wider purpose. Dewey (1916: 7) argued, thus, that our ‘chief business’ as educators is to enable people ‘to share in a common life’. I want to widen this and to argue that all should have a chance to share in life.

Having the chance to share in life

We will explore, briefly, three overlapping approaches to making the case – via religious belief, human rights and scientific exploration.

Religious belief. Historically it has been a religious rationale that has underpinned much thinking about this question. If we were to look at Catholic social teaching, for example, we find that at its heart lays a concern for human dignity . This starts from the position that, ‘human beings, created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27), have by their very existence an inherent value, worth, and distinction’ (Groody 2007). Each life is considered sacred and cannot be ignored or excluded. As we saw earlier, Kant argued something similar with regard to ‘respect for persons’. All are worthy of respect and the chance to flourish.

To human dignity a concern for solidarity is often added (especially within contemporary Catholic social teaching). Solidarity:

… is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say, to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all. On Social Concern ( Sollicitudo rei Socialis . . . ), #38

Another element, fundamental to the formation of the groups, networks and associations necessary for the ‘common life’ that Dewey describes, is subsidiarity . This principle, which first found its institutional voice in a papal encyclical in 1881, holds that human affairs are best handled at the ‘lowest’ possible level, closest to those affected (Kaylor 2015). It is a principle that can both strengthen civil society and the possibility of more mutual relationships for learning.

Together, these can provide a powerful and inclusive rationale for looking beyond particular individuals or groups when thinking about educational activity.

Human rights. Beside religious arguments lie others that are born of agreed principle or norm rather than faith. Perhaps the best known of these relate to what have become known as human rights. The first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights puts it this way:

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 26 further states:

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms….

These fundamental and inalienable rights are the entitlement of all human beings regardless of their nation, location, language, religion, ethnic origin or any other status (Article 2).

Scientific exploration. Lastly, I want to look at the results of scientific investigation into our nature as humans. More specifically we need to reflect on what it means when humans are described as social animals.

As we have already seen there is a significant amount of research showing just how dependent we are in everyday life on having trusting relationships in a society. Without them even the most basic exchanges cannot take place. We also know that in those societies where there is stronger concern for others and relatively narrow gaps between rich and poor people are generally happier (see, for example, Halpern 2010). On the basis of this material we could make a case for educators to look to the needs and experiences of all. Political, social and economic institutions depend on mass participation or at least benign consent – and the detail of this has to be learnt. However, with our growing appreciation of how our brains work and with the development of, for example, social cognitive neuroscience, we have a different avenue for exploration. We look to the needs and experience of others because we are hard-wired to do so. As Matthew D. Lieberman (2013) has put it:

Our basic urges include the need to belong, right along with the need for food and water. Our pain and pleasure systems do not merely respond to sensory inputs that can produce physical harm and reward. They are also exquisitely tuned to the sweet and bitter tastes delivered from the social world—a world of connection and threat to connection. (Lieberman 2013: 299)

Our survival as a species is dependent upon on looking to the needs and experiences of others. We dependent upon:

  Connecting: We have ‘evolved the capacity to feel social pains and pleasures, forever linking our well-being to our social connectedness. Infants embody this deep need to stay connected, but it is present through our entire lives’ ( op. cit. : 10) Mindreading: Primates have developed an unparalleled ability to understand the actions and thoughts of those around them, enhancing their ability to stay connected and interact strategically… This capacity allows humans to create groups that can implement nearly any idea and to anticipate the needs and wants of those around us, keeping our groups moving smoothly ( op. cit. : 10) Harmonizing: Although the self may appear to be a mechanism for distinguishing us from others and perhaps accentuating our selfishness, the self actually operates as a powerful force for social cohesiveness. Whereas   connection   is about our desire to be social, harmonizing   refers to the neural adaptations that allow group beliefs and values to influence our own. ( op. cit. : 11)

One of the key issues around these processes is the extent to which they can act to become exclusionary i.e. people can become closely attached to one particular group, community or nation and begin to treat others as somehow lesser or alien. In so doing relationships that are necessary to our survival – and that of the planet – become compromised. We need to develop relationships that are both bonding and bridging (see social capital ) – and this involves being and interacting with others who may not share our interests and concerns.

Education is more than fostering understanding and an appreciation of emotions and feelings. It is also concerned with change – ‘with how people can act with understanding and sensitivity to improve their lives and those of others’ (Smith and Smith 2008: 104). As Karl Marx (1977: 157-8) famously put it ‘all social life is practical…. philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; ‘the point is to change it’. Developing an understanding of an experience or a situation is one thing, working out what is good and wanting to do something about it is quite another. ‘For appropriate action to occur there needs to be commitment’ (Smith and Smith 2008: 105).

This combination of reflection; looking to what might be good and making it our own; and seeking to change ourselves and the world we live in is what Freire (1973) talked about as  praxis. It involves us, as educators, working with people to create and sustain environments and relationships where it is possible to:

  • Go back to experiences . Learning doesn’t take place in a vacuum. We have to look to the past as well as the present and the future. It is necessary to put things in their place by returning to, or recalling, events and happenings that seem relevant.
  • Attend and connect to feelings . Our ability to think and act is wrapped up with our feelings. Appreciating what might be going on for us (and for others) at a particular moment; thinking about the ways our emotions may be affecting things; and being open to what our instincts or intuitions are telling us are important elements of such reflection. (See Boud et. al. 1985).
  • Develop understandings . Alongside attending to feelings and experiences, we need to examine the theories and understandings we are using. We also need to build new interpretations where needed. We should be looking to integrating new knowledge into our conceptual framework.
  • Commit . Education is something ‘higher’ according to John Henry Newman. It is concerned not just with what we know and can do, but also with who we are, what we value, and our capacity to live life as well as we can . We need space to engage with these questions and help to appreciate the things we value. As we learn to frame our beliefs we can better appreciate how they breathe life into our relationships and encounters, become our own, and move us to act.
  • Act . Education is forward-looking and hopeful. It looks to change for the better. In the end our efforts at facilitating learning have to be judged by the extent to which they further the capacity to flourish and to share in life. For this reason we need also to attend to the concrete, the actual steps that can be taken to improve things.

As such education is a deeply practical activity – something that we can do for ourselves (what we could call self-education), and with others.

Conclusion – so what is education?

It is in this way that we end up with a definition of education as ‘the wise, hopeful and respectful cultivation of learning undertaken in the belief that all should have the chance to share in life’. What does education involve?

We can begin with what Aristotle discusses as hexis – a readiness to sense and know. This is a state – or what Joe Sachs (2001) talks about as an ‘active condition’. It allows us to take a step forward – both in terms of the processes discussed above, and in what we might seek to do when working with learners and participants. Such qualities can be seen as being at the core of the haltung and processes of pedagogues and educators (see below). There is a strong emphasis upon being in touch with feelings, attending to intuitions and seeking evidence to confirm or question what we might be sensing. A further element is also present – a concern not to take things for granted or at their face value (See, also, Pierre Bourdieu on education , Bourdieu 1972|1977: 214 n1).

Beyond that, we can see a guiding eidos or leading idea. This is the belief that all share in life and a picture of what might allow people to be happy and flourish. Alongside is a disposition or haltung   (a concern to act respectfully, knowledgeably and wisely) and interaction (joining with others to build relationships and environments for learning). Finally, there is praxis – informed, committed action (Carr and Kemmis 1986; Grundy 1987).

The process of education

The process of education

At first glance, this way of answering the question ‘what is education?’ – with its roots in the thinking of  Aristotle , Rousseau , Pestalozzi and Dewey (to name a few) – is part of the progressive tradition of educational practice. It seems very different from ‘formal tradition’ or ‘traditional education’.

If there is a core theme to the formal position it is that education is about passing on information; for formalists, culture and civilization represent a store of ideas and wisdom which have to be handed on to new generations. Teaching is at the heart of this transmission; and the process of transmission is education…
While progressive educators stress the child’s development from within, formalists put the emphasis, by contrast, on formation from without— formation that comes from immersion in the knowledge, ideas, beliefs, concepts, and visions of society, culture, civilization. There are, one might say, conservative and liberal interpretations of this world view— the conservative putting the emphasis on transmission itself, on telling, and the liberal putting the emphasis more on induction, on initiation by involvement with culture’s established ideas.(Thomas 2013: 25-26).

As both Thomas and Dewey (1938: 17-23) have argued, these distinctions are problematic. A lot of the debate is either really about education being turned, or slipping, into something else, or reflecting a lack of balance between the informal and formal.

In the ‘formal tradition’ problems often occur where people are treated as objects to be worked on or ‘moulded’ rather than as participants and creators i.e. where education slips into ‘schooling’.

In the ‘progressive tradition’ issues frequently arise where the nature of experience is neglected or handled incompetently. Some experiences are damaging and ‘mis-educative’. They can arrest or distort ‘the growth of further experience’ (Dewey 1938: 25). The problem often comes when education drifts or moves into entertainment or containment. Involvement in the immediate activity is the central concern and little attention is given to expanding horizons, nor to reflection, commitment and creating change.

The answer to the question ‘what is education?’ given here can apply to both those ‘informal’ forms that are driven and rooted in conversation – and to more formal approaches involving a curriculum. The choice is not between what is ‘good’ and what is ‘bad’ – but rather what is appropriate for people in this situation or that. There are times to use transmission and direct teaching as methods, and moments for exploration, experience and action. It is all about getting the mix right and framing it within the guiding eidos and disposition of education.

Further reading and references

Recommended introductions.

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. New York: Collier Books. (Collier edition first published 1963). In this book, Dewey seeks to move beyond dualities such as progressive/traditional – and to outline a philosophy of experience and its relation to education.

Thomas, G. (2013). Education: A very short introduction . Oxford: Oxford University Press. Simply the best contemporary introduction to thinking about schooling and education.

Boud, D., Keogh, R. and Walker, D. (eds.) (1985). Reflection. Turning experience into learning . London: Kogan Page.

Bourdieu, Pierre. (1972|1977). Outline of a Theory of Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. First published in French as Esquisse d’une théorie de la pratique, précédé de trois études d’ethnologie kabyle, (1972).

Brookfield, S. (1984). Adult learners, adult education and the community . Milton Keynes, PA: Open University Press.

Buber, Martin (1947). Between Man and Man. Transl. R. G. Smith. London: Kegan Paul .

Carr, W. and Kemmis, S. (1986). Becoming Critical. Education, knowledge and action research. Lewes: Falmer.

Dewey, J. (1916), Democracy and Education. An introduction to the philosophy of education (1966 edn.). New York: Free Press.

Dewey, J. (1933). How We Think. A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. (Revised edn.), Boston: D. C. Heath.

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. New York: Collier Books. (Collier edition first published 1963).

Dillon, R. S. (2014). Respect. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2014 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.). [ http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2014/entries/respect/ . Retrieved: February 10, 2015].

Ellis, J. W. (1990). Informal education – a Christian perspective.   Tony Jeffs and Mark Smith (eds.)   Using Informal Education. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Emmott, S. (2013). 10 Billion . London: Penguin. [Kindle edition].

Freire, P. (1972). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Freire, P. (1994) Pedagogy of Hope. Reliving Pedagogy of the Oppressed . With notes by Ana Maria Araujo Freire. Translated by Robert R. Barr. New York: Continuum.

Fromm, E. (1979). To Have or To Be . London: Abacus. (First published 1976).

Fromm, E. (1995). The Art of Loving . London: Thorsons. (First published 1957).

Gallagher, M. W. and Lopez, S. J. (eds.) (2018). The Oxford Handbook of Hope . New York: Oxford University Press.

Gopnik, A. (2016). The Gardener and the Carpenter. What the new science of child development tells us about the relationship between parents and children . London: Random House.

Groody, D. (2007). Globalization, Spirituality and Justice . New York: Orbis Books.

Grundy, S. (1987). Curriculum. Product or praxis . Lewes: Falmer.

Halpern, D. (2010). The hidden wealth of nations . Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

Halpin, D. (2003). Hope and Education. The role of the utopian imagination . London: RoutledgeFalmer.

hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to Transgress. Education as the practice of freedom , London: Routledge.

hooks, b. (2003). Teaching Community. A pedagogy of hope. New York: Routledge.

Hodes, A. (1972). Encounter with Martin Buber. London:   Allen Lane/Penguin.

Illeris, K. (2002). The Three Dimensions of Learning. Contemporary learning theory in the tension field between the cognitive, the emotional and the social. Frederiksberg: Roskilde University Press.

Kant, I. (1949). Fundamental principles of the metaphysic of morals (trans.  T. K. Abbott). New York: Liberal Arts Press.

Kaylor, C. (2015). Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching. CatholicCulture.org. [ http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=7538#PartV . Retrieved March 21, 2015].

Klein, N. (2014). This Changes Everything. Capitalism vs. the climate . London: Penguin. [Kindle edition].

Liston, D. P. (1980). Love and despair in teaching. Educational Theory . 50(1): 81-102.

MacQuarrie, J. (1978). Christian Hope . Oxford: Mowbray.

Marx, K. (1977). ‘These on Feurrbach’ in D. McLellan (ed.) Karl Marx. Selected writings . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Moltmann, J. (1967). Theology of hope: On the ground and the implications of a Christian eschatology . New York: Harper & Row. Available on-line: http://www.pubtheo.com/page.asp?PID=1036

Moltmann, J. (1971). Hope and planning . New York: Harper & Row.

Montessori, M. (2000). To educate the human potential . Oxford: Clio Press.

Rawls, J. (1972). A Theory of Justice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Rorty, R. (1999). Philosophy and Social Hope . London: Penguin.

Sciolli, A. and Biller, H. B. (2009). Hope in the Age of Anxiety. A guide to understanding and strengthening our most important virtue. New York: Oxford University Press.

Seabright, P. (2010). The Company of Strangers. A natural history of economic life. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Smith, H. and Smith, M. K. (2008). The Art of Helping Others . Being Around, Being There, Being Wise . London: Jessica Kingsley.

Smith, M. K. (2019). Haltung, pedagogy and informal education, The encyclopedia of pedagogy and informal education . [ https://infed.org/mobi/haltung-pedagogy-and-informal-education/ . Retrieved: August 28, 2019].

Smith, M. K. (2012, 2021). ‘What is pedagogy?’, The encyclopedia of pedagogy and informal education . [ https://infed.org/mobi/what-is-pedagogy/ . Retrieved February 16, 2021)

Thomas, G. (2013). Education: A very short introduction . Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Kindle Edition].

United Nations General Assembly (1948). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights . New York: United Nations. [ http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ . A ccessed March 14, 2015].

Warnock, M. (1986). The Education of the Emotions. In D. Cooper (ed.) Education, values and the mind. Essays for R. S. Peters . London: Routledge and Keegan Paul.

Williams, B. (2002). Truth & truthfulness: An essay in genealogy . Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press.

Acknowledgements : Picture: Dessiner le futur adulte by Alain Bachellier. Sourced from Flickr and reproduced under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) licence. http://www.flickr.com/photos/alainbachellier/537180464/

The informal-formal education curriculum diagram is reproduced with permission from Ellis, J. W. (1990). Informal education – a Christian perspective. Tony Jeffs and Mark Smith (eds.) Using Informal Education . Buckingham: Open University Press. You can read the full chapter in the informal education archives: http://infed.org/archives/usinginformaleducation/ellis.htm

The process of education diagram was developed by Mark K Smith and was inspired by Grundy 1987. It can be reproduced without asking for specific permission but should be credited using the information in ‘how to cite this piece’ below.

This piece uses some material from Smith (2019) Haltung, pedagogy and informal education and (2021) What is pedagogy? (see the references above).

How to cite this piece : Smith, M. K. (2015, 2021). What is education? A definition and discussion. The encyclopedia of pedagogy and informal education . [ https://infed.org/mobi/what-is-education-a-definition-and-discussion/ . Retrieved: insert date ].

© Mark K Smith 2015, 2021

  • Our Mission

What Is Education For?

Read an excerpt from a new book by Sir Ken Robinson and Kate Robinson, which calls for redesigning education for the future.

Student presentation

What is education for? As it happens, people differ sharply on this question. It is what is known as an “essentially contested concept.” Like “democracy” and “justice,” “education” means different things to different people. Various factors can contribute to a person’s understanding of the purpose of education, including their background and circumstances. It is also inflected by how they view related issues such as ethnicity, gender, and social class. Still, not having an agreed-upon definition of education doesn’t mean we can’t discuss it or do anything about it.

We just need to be clear on terms. There are a few terms that are often confused or used interchangeably—“learning,” “education,” “training,” and “school”—but there are important differences between them. Learning is the process of acquiring new skills and understanding. Education is an organized system of learning. Training is a type of education that is focused on learning specific skills. A school is a community of learners: a group that comes together to learn with and from each other. It is vital that we differentiate these terms: children love to learn, they do it naturally; many have a hard time with education, and some have big problems with school.

Cover of book 'Imagine If....'

There are many assumptions of compulsory education. One is that young people need to know, understand, and be able to do certain things that they most likely would not if they were left to their own devices. What these things are and how best to ensure students learn them are complicated and often controversial issues. Another assumption is that compulsory education is a preparation for what will come afterward, like getting a good job or going on to higher education.

So, what does it mean to be educated now? Well, I believe that education should expand our consciousness, capabilities, sensitivities, and cultural understanding. It should enlarge our worldview. As we all live in two worlds—the world within you that exists only because you do, and the world around you—the core purpose of education is to enable students to understand both worlds. In today’s climate, there is also a new and urgent challenge: to provide forms of education that engage young people with the global-economic issues of environmental well-being.

This core purpose of education can be broken down into four basic purposes.

Education should enable young people to engage with the world within them as well as the world around them. In Western cultures, there is a firm distinction between the two worlds, between thinking and feeling, objectivity and subjectivity. This distinction is misguided. There is a deep correlation between our experience of the world around us and how we feel. As we explored in the previous chapters, all individuals have unique strengths and weaknesses, outlooks and personalities. Students do not come in standard physical shapes, nor do their abilities and personalities. They all have their own aptitudes and dispositions and different ways of understanding things. Education is therefore deeply personal. It is about cultivating the minds and hearts of living people. Engaging them as individuals is at the heart of raising achievement.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights emphasizes that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” and that “Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.” Many of the deepest problems in current systems of education result from losing sight of this basic principle.

Schools should enable students to understand their own cultures and to respect the diversity of others. There are various definitions of culture, but in this context the most appropriate is “the values and forms of behavior that characterize different social groups.” To put it more bluntly, it is “the way we do things around here.” Education is one of the ways that communities pass on their values from one generation to the next. For some, education is a way of preserving a culture against outside influences. For others, it is a way of promoting cultural tolerance. As the world becomes more crowded and connected, it is becoming more complex culturally. Living respectfully with diversity is not just an ethical choice, it is a practical imperative.

There should be three cultural priorities for schools: to help students understand their own cultures, to understand other cultures, and to promote a sense of cultural tolerance and coexistence. The lives of all communities can be hugely enriched by celebrating their own cultures and the practices and traditions of other cultures.

Education should enable students to become economically responsible and independent. This is one of the reasons governments take such a keen interest in education: they know that an educated workforce is essential to creating economic prosperity. Leaders of the Industrial Revolution knew that education was critical to creating the types of workforce they required, too. But the world of work has changed so profoundly since then, and continues to do so at an ever-quickening pace. We know that many of the jobs of previous decades are disappearing and being rapidly replaced by contemporary counterparts. It is almost impossible to predict the direction of advancing technologies, and where they will take us.

How can schools prepare students to navigate this ever-changing economic landscape? They must connect students with their unique talents and interests, dissolve the division between academic and vocational programs, and foster practical partnerships between schools and the world of work, so that young people can experience working environments as part of their education, not simply when it is time for them to enter the labor market.

Education should enable young people to become active and compassionate citizens. We live in densely woven social systems. The benefits we derive from them depend on our working together to sustain them. The empowerment of individuals has to be balanced by practicing the values and responsibilities of collective life, and of democracy in particular. Our freedoms in democratic societies are not automatic. They come from centuries of struggle against tyranny and autocracy and those who foment sectarianism, hatred, and fear. Those struggles are far from over. As John Dewey observed, “Democracy has to be born anew every generation, and education is its midwife.”

For a democratic society to function, it depends upon the majority of its people to be active within the democratic process. In many democracies, this is increasingly not the case. Schools should engage students in becoming active, and proactive, democratic participants. An academic civics course will scratch the surface, but to nurture a deeply rooted respect for democracy, it is essential to give young people real-life democratic experiences long before they come of age to vote.

Eight Core Competencies

The conventional curriculum is based on a collection of separate subjects. These are prioritized according to beliefs around the limited understanding of intelligence we discussed in the previous chapter, as well as what is deemed to be important later in life. The idea of “subjects” suggests that each subject, whether mathematics, science, art, or language, stands completely separate from all the other subjects. This is problematic. Mathematics, for example, is not defined only by propositional knowledge; it is a combination of types of knowledge, including concepts, processes, and methods as well as propositional knowledge. This is also true of science, art, and languages, and of all other subjects. It is therefore much more useful to focus on the concept of disciplines rather than subjects.

Disciplines are fluid; they constantly merge and collaborate. In focusing on disciplines rather than subjects we can also explore the concept of interdisciplinary learning. This is a much more holistic approach that mirrors real life more closely—it is rare that activities outside of school are as clearly segregated as conventional curriculums suggest. A journalist writing an article, for example, must be able to call upon skills of conversation, deductive reasoning, literacy, and social sciences. A surgeon must understand the academic concept of the patient’s condition, as well as the practical application of the appropriate procedure. At least, we would certainly hope this is the case should we find ourselves being wheeled into surgery.

The concept of disciplines brings us to a better starting point when planning the curriculum, which is to ask what students should know and be able to do as a result of their education. The four purposes above suggest eight core competencies that, if properly integrated into education, will equip students who leave school to engage in the economic, cultural, social, and personal challenges they will inevitably face in their lives. These competencies are curiosity, creativity, criticism, communication, collaboration, compassion, composure, and citizenship. Rather than be triggered by age, they should be interwoven from the beginning of a student’s educational journey and nurtured throughout.

From Imagine If: Creating a Future for Us All by Sir Ken Robinson, Ph.D and Kate Robinson, published by Penguin Books, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2022 by the Estate of Sir Kenneth Robinson and Kate Robinson.

How do we reinvent education? These TED Talks explore the latest thinking — from teachers, parents, kids — on how to build a better school.

Video playlists about Education

what is education topic in english

The Butterfly Effect: Talks from the TEDinArabic Summit

what is education topic in english

A love letter to science

what is education topic in english

The pursuit of curiosity and understanding

what is education topic in english

The most popular TED Talks in Hindi

Talks about education.

what is education topic in english

What are warts — and how do you get rid of them?

what is education topic in english

The most dangerous elements on the periodic table

what is education topic in english

What the oil industry doesn’t want you to know

what is education topic in english

Why does hitting your funny bone feel so horrible?

what is education topic in english

Why are scientists shooting mushrooms into space?

what is education topic in english

The weirdest (and coolest) tongues in the animal kingdom

what is education topic in english

3 hard-won lessons from an educator during a crisis

what is education topic in english

The Greek myth of the serpent’s curse

what is education topic in english

Why fish are better at breathing than you are

what is education topic in english

What happens in your body during a miscarriage?

what is education topic in english

Could we build a miniature sun on Earth?

what is education topic in english

How do doctors determine what stage of cancer you have?

what is education topic in english

A street librarian's quest to bring books to everyone

what is education topic in english

The secret behind how Chinese characters work

what is education topic in english

What really happened to Oedipus?

what is education topic in english

“where you from?” An ode to the Bronx

Exclusive articles about education, even gritty people get discouraged, here’s one way to make solar energy more affordable and accessible: share it with your neighbors, how to raise emotionally intelligent kids.

Improve your English. Speak with confidence!

  • Free Mini Course

Conversation Questions about Education

  • Posted in in ESL Conversation Questions

60 ESL conversation questions about education, school, and university

' src=

  • Posted by by Cameron Smith

Get everyone talking with these ESL conversation questions about education, school, and university.

Almost everyone in the world has had direct experience with education in some way, shape, or form. So get your students talking and sharing their experiences on the education system they experienced in their home country, and their take on the way other countries educate their populations.

ESL conversation questions about school

  • Is the education system different in your country? How?
  • Do you think that education is important for everyone?
  • Should free education be a basic human right? Why or why not?
  • What attributes does someone need to be a great teacher?
  • Would you like to be a teacher? Why or why not?
  • Do you think that teachers are paid enough for the work that they do? Why or why not?
  • What improvements would you like to make to your country’s education system?
  • What are some of the things that your country’s education system does better than any other country?
  • Is education highly valued in your country? Why or why not?
  • Are teachers respected in your country?
  • Is it common for students to graduate from high school in your country?
  • Is it a legal requirement for children to attend school in your country?
  • Is education completely free in your country?
  • Does your country offer high quality education to all students? Why or why not?
  • What would the world look like without education?
  • Which country is doing the best job at educating its population?
  • Are there any disadvantages to attending university, versus getting real-world training?
  • Has education changed since you were young?
  • How do you think education will evolve in the years to come?
  • How will AI change education in the near and distant future?
  • Did you enjoy going to school?
  • Did you prefer primary school or high school? Why?
  • What were your favorite subjects in high school?
  • What were your least favorite subjects in high school?
  • Who was your favorite teacher in school? What made them such a great educator, in your opinion?
  • What is your favorite memory from school?
  • What is your least favorite memory from school?
  • When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? Did that goal change by the time you graduated from high school?
  • Do you prefer to study with books or a computer?
  • Did you enjoy doing your homework?
  • Do you think that homework is important for students? Why or why not?
  • What improvements could we make to the education system?
  • If you could go back to school and do it all over again, what would you do differently this time?
  • Did you ever go on any school trips? Describe them.
  • What sports did you excel at during your school years?
  • What extracurricular activities did you participate in during your school years?
  • Did you ever win any awards at school?
  • What is a typical school lunch in your country? Describe it.
  • At what age do children start to attend school in your country?
  • How old are students when they graduate from high school in your country?

ESL conversation questions about university

  • What are you studying / What will you study at university?
  • Is university free in your country?
  • Do you think that university is too expensive?
  • Do you think that secondary education should be provided free to all citizens? Why or why not?
  • Does your future career require a university degree?
  • If you have graduated, are you still using the knowledge that you learned at university?
  • How can students balance their university commitments with other life commitments (e.g. a job)?
  • What are some of the challenges that students deal with in secondary or tertiary education?
  • Do you think that every career should require a university degree?
  • Do you think that someone can learn more from practical on-the-job experience versus a university degree? Why or why not?
  • How has online learning impacted universities?
  • Do you think that in-person education is more effective than online or remote education?
  • Do you prefer studying alone or in a group?
  • Do you enjoy participating in clubs, organizations, or extracurrucular activities at your university?
  • Do you think that networking is important for students while they are at university? Why or why not?
  • What are some of the advantages of obtaining a university degree?
  • What are some of the downsides of obtaining a university degree?
  • What is your best advice for someone who is about to attend university?
  • Do you think that everyone should attend university? Why or why not?
  • What are some of the differences between secondary education (high school) and tertiary education (university)?

Subscribe to our newsletter for more free ESL learning resources!

' src=

Cameron Smith

Cameron Smith is an English Communication Coach based in Vancouver, Canada. He's the founder of Learn English Every Day, and he's on a mission to help millions of people speak English with confidence. If you want longer video content, please follow me on YouTube for fun English lessons and helpful learning resources!

Post navigation

Best Books to Learn English

  • Posted in in Reviews

The Best Books to Learn English in 2023

  • May 12, 2023

Best ESL Books for Teachers

The Best ESL Books for Teachers: 13 Must-Read Resources

  • May 15, 2023

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

The World Bank

The World Bank Group is the largest financier of education in the developing world, working in 94 countries and committed to helping them reach SDG4: access to inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030.

Education is a human right, a powerful driver of development, and one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, peace, and stability. It delivers large, consistent returns in terms of income, and is the most important factor to ensure equity and inclusion.

For individuals, education promotes employment, earnings, health, and poverty reduction. Globally, there is a  9% increase in hourly earnings for every extra year of schooling . For societies, it drives long-term economic growth, spurs innovation, strengthens institutions, and fosters social cohesion.  Education is further a powerful catalyst to climate action through widespread behavior change and skilling for green transitions.

Developing countries have made tremendous progress in getting children into the classroom and more children worldwide are now in school. But learning is not guaranteed, as the  2018 World Development Report  (WDR) stressed.

Making smart and effective investments in people’s education is critical for developing the human capital that will end extreme poverty. At the core of this strategy is the need to tackle the learning crisis, put an end to  Learning Poverty , and help youth acquire the advanced cognitive, socioemotional, technical and digital skills they need to succeed in today’s world. 

In low- and middle-income countries, the share of children living in  Learning Poverty  (that is, the proportion of 10-year-old children that are unable to read and understand a short age-appropriate text) increased from 57% before the pandemic to an estimated  70%  in 2022.

However, learning is in crisis. More than 70 million more people were pushed into poverty during the COVID pandemic, a billion children lost a year of school , and three years later the learning losses suffered have not been recouped .  If a child cannot read with comprehension by age 10, they are unlikely to become fluent readers. They will fail to thrive later in school and will be unable to power their careers and economies once they leave school.

The effects of the pandemic are expected to be long-lasting. Analysis has already revealed deep losses, with international reading scores declining from 2016 to 2021 by more than a year of schooling.  These losses may translate to a 0.68 percentage point in global GDP growth.  The staggering effects of school closures reach beyond learning. This generation of children could lose a combined total of  US$21 trillion in lifetime earnings  in present value or the equivalent of 17% of today’s global GDP – a sharp rise from the 2021 estimate of a US$17 trillion loss. 

Action is urgently needed now – business as usual will not suffice to heal the scars of the pandemic and will not accelerate progress enough to meet the ambitions of SDG 4. We are urging governments to implement ambitious and aggressive Learning Acceleration Programs to get children back to school, recover lost learning, and advance progress by building better, more equitable and resilient education systems.

Last Updated: Mar 25, 2024

The World Bank’s global education strategy is centered on ensuring learning happens – for everyone, everywhere. Our vision is to ensure that everyone can achieve her or his full potential with access to a quality education and lifelong learning. To reach this, we are helping countries build foundational skills like literacy, numeracy, and socioemotional skills – the building blocks for all other learning. From early childhood to tertiary education and beyond – we help children and youth acquire the skills they need to thrive in school, the labor market and throughout their lives.

Investing in the world’s most precious resource – people – is paramount to ending poverty on a livable planet.  Our experience across more than 100 countries bears out this robust connection between human capital, quality of life, and economic growth: when countries strategically invest in people and the systems designed to protect and build human capital at scale, they unlock the wealth of nations and the potential of everyone.

Building on this, the World Bank supports resilient, equitable, and inclusive education systems that ensure learning happens for everyone. We do this by generating and disseminating evidence, ensuring alignment with policymaking processes, and bridging the gap between research and practice.

The World Bank is the largest source of external financing for education in developing countries, with a portfolio of about $26 billion in 94 countries including IBRD, IDA and Recipient-Executed Trust Funds. IDA operations comprise 62% of the education portfolio.

The investment in FCV settings has increased dramatically and now accounts for 26% of our portfolio.

World Bank projects reach at least 425 million students -one-third of students in low- and middle-income countries.

The World Bank’s Approach to Education

Five interrelated pillars of a well-functioning education system underpin the World Bank’s education policy approach:

  • Learners are prepared and motivated to learn;
  • Teachers are prepared, skilled, and motivated to facilitate learning and skills acquisition;
  • Learning resources (including education technology) are available, relevant, and used to improve teaching and learning;
  • Schools are safe and inclusive; and
  • Education Systems are well-managed, with good implementation capacity and adequate financing.

The Bank is already helping governments design and implement cost-effective programs and tools to build these pillars.

Our Principles:

  • We pursue systemic reform supported by political commitment to learning for all children. 
  • We focus on equity and inclusion through a progressive path toward achieving universal access to quality education, including children and young adults in fragile or conflict affected areas , those in marginalized and rural communities,  girls and women , displaced populations,  students with disabilities , and other vulnerable groups.
  • We focus on results and use evidence to keep improving policy by using metrics to guide improvements.   
  • We want to ensure financial commitment commensurate with what is needed to provide basic services to all. 
  • We invest wisely in technology so that education systems embrace and learn to harness technology to support their learning objectives.   

Laying the groundwork for the future

Country challenges vary, but there is a menu of options to build forward better, more resilient, and equitable education systems.

Countries are facing an education crisis that requires a two-pronged approach: first, supporting actions to recover lost time through remedial and accelerated learning; and, second, building on these investments for a more equitable, resilient, and effective system.

Recovering from the learning crisis must be a political priority, backed with adequate financing and the resolve to implement needed reforms.  Domestic financing for education over the last two years has not kept pace with the need to recover and accelerate learning. Across low- and lower-middle-income countries, the  average share of education in government budgets fell during the pandemic , and in 2022 it remained below 2019 levels.

The best chance for a better future is to invest in education and make sure each dollar is put toward improving learning.  In a time of fiscal pressure, protecting spending that yields long-run gains – like spending on education – will maximize impact.  We still need more and better funding for education.  Closing the learning gap will require increasing the level, efficiency, and equity of education spending—spending smarter is an imperative.

  • Education technology  can be a powerful tool to implement these actions by supporting teachers, children, principals, and parents; expanding accessible digital learning platforms, including radio/ TV / Online learning resources; and using data to identify and help at-risk children, personalize learning, and improve service delivery.

Looking ahead

We must seize this opportunity  to reimagine education in bold ways. Together, we can build forward better more equitable, effective, and resilient education systems for the world’s children and youth.

Accelerating Improvements

Supporting countries in establishing time-bound learning targets and a focused education investment plan, outlining actions and investments geared to achieve these goals.

Launched in 2020, the  Accelerator Program  works with a set of countries to channel investments in education and to learn from each other. The program coordinates efforts across partners to ensure that the countries in the program show improvements in foundational skills at scale over the next three to five years. These investment plans build on the collective work of multiple partners, and leverage the latest evidence on what works, and how best to plan for implementation.  Countries such as Brazil (the state of Ceará) and Kenya have achieved dramatic reductions in learning poverty over the past decade at scale, providing useful lessons, even as they seek to build on their successes and address remaining and new challenges.  

Universalizing Foundational Literacy

Readying children for the future by supporting acquisition of foundational skills – which are the gateway to other skills and subjects.

The  Literacy Policy Package (LPP)   consists of interventions focused specifically on promoting acquisition of reading proficiency in primary school. These include assuring political and technical commitment to making all children literate; ensuring effective literacy instruction by supporting teachers; providing quality, age-appropriate books; teaching children first in the language they speak and understand best; and fostering children’s oral language abilities and love of books and reading.

Advancing skills through TVET and Tertiary

Ensuring that individuals have access to quality education and training opportunities and supporting links to employment.

Tertiary education and skills systems are a driver of major development agendas, including human capital, climate change, youth and women’s empowerment, and jobs and economic transformation. A comprehensive skill set to succeed in the 21st century labor market consists of foundational and higher order skills, socio-emotional skills, specialized skills, and digital skills. Yet most countries continue to struggle in delivering on the promise of skills development. 

The World Bank is supporting countries through efforts that address key challenges including improving access and completion, adaptability, quality, relevance, and efficiency of skills development programs. Our approach is via multiple channels including projects, global goods, as well as the Tertiary Education and Skills Program . Our recent reports including Building Better Formal TVET Systems and STEERing Tertiary Education provide a way forward for how to improve these critical systems.

Addressing Climate Change

Mainstreaming climate education and investing in green skills, research and innovation, and green infrastructure to spur climate action and foster better preparedness and resilience to climate shocks.

Our approach recognizes that education is critical for achieving effective, sustained climate action. At the same time, climate change is adversely impacting education outcomes. Investments in education can play a huge role in building climate resilience and advancing climate mitigation and adaptation. Climate change education gives young people greater awareness of climate risks and more access to tools and solutions for addressing these risks and managing related shocks. Technical and vocational education and training can also accelerate a green economic transformation by fostering green skills and innovation. Greening education infrastructure can help mitigate the impact of heat, pollution, and extreme weather on learning, while helping address climate change. 

Examples of this work are projects in Nigeria (life skills training for adolescent girls), Vietnam (fostering relevant scientific research) , and Bangladesh (constructing and retrofitting schools to serve as cyclone shelters).

Strengthening Measurement Systems

Enabling countries to gather and evaluate information on learning and its drivers more efficiently and effectively.

The World Bank supports initiatives to help countries effectively build and strengthen their measurement systems to facilitate evidence-based decision-making. Examples of this work include:

(1) The  Global Education Policy Dashboard (GEPD) : This tool offers a strong basis for identifying priorities for investment and policy reforms that are suited to each country context by focusing on the three dimensions of practices, policies, and politics.

  • Highlights gaps between what the evidence suggests is effective in promoting learning and what is happening in practice in each system; and
  • Allows governments to track progress as they act to close the gaps.

The GEPD has been implemented in 13 education systems already – Peru, Rwanda, Jordan, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sierra Leone, Niger, Gabon, Jordan and Chad – with more expected by the end of 2024.

(2)  Learning Assessment Platform (LeAP) : LeAP is a one-stop shop for knowledge, capacity-building tools, support for policy dialogue, and technical staff expertise to support student achievement measurement and national assessments for better learning.

Supporting Successful Teachers

Helping systems develop the right selection, incentives, and support to the professional development of teachers.

Currently, the World Bank Education Global Practice has over 160 active projects supporting over 18 million teachers worldwide, about a third of the teacher population in low- and middle-income countries. In 12 countries alone, these projects cover 16 million teachers, including all primary school teachers in Ethiopia and Turkey, and over 80% in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Vietnam.

A World Bank-developed classroom observation tool, Teach, was designed to capture the quality of teaching in low- and middle-income countries. It is now 3.6 million students.

While Teach helps identify patterns in teacher performance, Coach leverages these insights to support teachers to improve their teaching practice through hands-on in-service teacher professional development (TPD).

Our recent report on Making Teacher Policy Work proposes a practical framework to uncover the black box of effective teacher policy and discusses the factors that enable their scalability and sustainability.

 Supporting Education Finance Systems

Strengthening country financing systems to mobilize resources for education and make better use of their investments in education.

Our approach is to bring together multi-sectoral expertise to engage with ministries of education and finance and other stakeholders to develop and implement effective and efficient public financial management systems; build capacity to monitor and evaluate education spending, identify financing bottlenecks, and develop interventions to strengthen financing systems; build the evidence base on global spending patterns and the magnitude and causes of spending inefficiencies; and develop diagnostic tools as public goods to support country efforts.

Working in Fragile, Conflict, and Violent (FCV) Contexts

The massive and growing global challenge of having so many children living in conflict and violent situations requires a response at the same scale and scope. Our education engagement in the Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV) context, which stands at US$5.35 billion, has grown rapidly in recent years, reflecting the ever-increasing importance of the FCV agenda in education. Indeed, these projects now account for more than 25% of the World Bank education portfolio.

Education is crucial to minimizing the effects of fragility and displacement on the welfare of youth and children in the short-term and preventing the emergence of violent conflict in the long-term. 

Support to Countries Throughout the Education Cycle

Our support to countries covers the entire learning cycle, to help shape resilient, equitable, and inclusive education systems that ensure learning happens for everyone. 

The ongoing  Supporting  Egypt  Education Reform project , 2018-2025, supports transformational reforms of the Egyptian education system, by improving teaching and learning conditions in public schools. The World Bank has invested $500 million in the project focused on increasing access to quality kindergarten, enhancing the capacity of teachers and education leaders, developing a reliable student assessment system, and introducing the use of modern technology for teaching and learning. Specifically, the share of Egyptian 10-year-old students, who could read and comprehend at the global minimum proficiency level, increased to 45 percent in 2021.

In  Nigeria , the $75 million  Edo  Basic Education Sector and Skills Transformation (EdoBESST)  project, running from 2020-2024, is focused on improving teaching and learning in basic education. Under the project, which covers 97 percent of schools in the state, there is a strong focus on incorporating digital technologies for teachers. They were equipped with handheld tablets with structured lesson plans for their classes. Their coaches use classroom observation tools to provide individualized feedback. Teacher absence has reduced drastically because of the initiative. Over 16,000 teachers were trained through the project, and the introduction of technology has also benefited students.

Through the $235 million  School Sector Development Program  in  Nepal  (2017-2022), the number of children staying in school until Grade 12 nearly tripled, and the number of out-of-school children fell by almost seven percent. During the pandemic, innovative approaches were needed to continue education. Mobile phone penetration is high in the country. More than four in five households in Nepal have mobile phones. The project supported an educational service that made it possible for children with phones to connect to local radio that broadcast learning programs.

From 2017-2023, the $50 million  Strengthening of State Universities  in  Chile  project has made strides to improve quality and equity at state universities. The project helped reduce dropout: the third-year dropout rate fell by almost 10 percent from 2018-2022, keeping more students in school.

The World Bank’s first  Program-for-Results financing in education  was through a $202 million project in  Tanzania , that ran from 2013-2021. The project linked funding to results and aimed to improve education quality. It helped build capacity, and enhanced effectiveness and efficiency in the education sector. Through the project, learning outcomes significantly improved alongside an unprecedented expansion of access to education for children in Tanzania. From 2013-2019, an additional 1.8 million students enrolled in primary schools. In 2019, the average reading speed for Grade 2 students rose to 22.3 words per minute, up from 17.3 in 2017. The project laid the foundation for the ongoing $500 million  BOOST project , which supports over 12 million children to enroll early, develop strong foundational skills, and complete a quality education.

The $40 million  Cambodia  Secondary Education Improvement project , which ran from 2017-2022, focused on strengthening school-based management, upgrading teacher qualifications, and building classrooms in Cambodia, to improve learning outcomes, and reduce student dropout at the secondary school level. The project has directly benefited almost 70,000 students in 100 target schools, and approximately 2,000 teachers and 600 school administrators received training.

The World Bank is co-financing the $152.80 million  Yemen  Restoring Education and Learning Emergency project , running from 2020-2024, which is implemented through UNICEF, WFP, and Save the Children. It is helping to maintain access to basic education for many students, improve learning conditions in schools, and is working to strengthen overall education sector capacity. In the time of crisis, the project is supporting teacher payments and teacher training, school meals, school infrastructure development, and the distribution of learning materials and school supplies. To date, almost 600,000 students have benefited from these interventions.

The $87 million  Providing an Education of Quality in  Haiti  project supported approximately 380 schools in the Southern region of Haiti from 2016-2023. Despite a highly challenging context of political instability and recurrent natural disasters, the project successfully supported access to education for students. The project provided textbooks, fresh meals, and teacher training support to 70,000 students, 3,000 teachers, and 300 school directors. It gave tuition waivers to 35,000 students in 118 non-public schools. The project also repaired 19 national schools damaged by the 2021 earthquake, which gave 5,500 students safe access to their schools again.

In 2013, just 5% of the poorest households in  Uzbekistan  had children enrolled in preschools. Thanks to the  Improving Pre-Primary and General Secondary Education Project , by July 2019, around 100,000 children will have benefitted from the half-day program in 2,420 rural kindergartens, comprising around 49% of all preschool educational institutions, or over 90% of rural kindergartens in the country.

In addition to working closely with governments in our client countries, the World Bank also works at the global, regional, and local levels with a range of technical partners, including foundations, non-profit organizations, bilaterals, and other multilateral organizations. Some examples of our most recent global partnerships include:

UNICEF, UNESCO, FCDO, USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation:  Coalition for Foundational Learning

The World Bank is working closely with UNICEF, UNESCO, FCDO, USAID, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as the  Coalition for Foundational Learning  to advocate and provide technical support to ensure foundational learning.  The World Bank works with these partners to promote and endorse the  Commitment to Action on Foundational Learning , a global network of countries committed to halving the global share of children unable to read and understand a simple text by age 10 by 2030.

Australian Aid, Bernard van Leer Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Canada, Echida Giving, FCDO, German Cooperation, William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, Conrad Hilton Foundation, LEGO Foundation, Porticus, USAID: Early Learning Partnership

The Early Learning Partnership (ELP) is a multi-donor trust fund, housed at the World Bank.  ELP leverages World Bank strengths—a global presence, access to policymakers and strong technical analysis—to improve early learning opportunities and outcomes for young children around the world.

We help World Bank teams and countries get the information they need to make the case to invest in Early Childhood Development (ECD), design effective policies and deliver impactful programs. At the country level, ELP grants provide teams with resources for early seed investments that can generate large financial commitments through World Bank finance and government resources. At the global level, ELP research and special initiatives work to fill knowledge gaps, build capacity and generate public goods.

UNESCO, UNICEF:  Learning Data Compact

UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank have joined forces to close the learning data gaps that still exist and that preclude many countries from monitoring the quality of their education systems and assessing if their students are learning. The three organizations have agreed to a  Learning Data Compact , a commitment to ensure that all countries, especially low-income countries, have at least one quality measure of learning by 2025, supporting coordinated efforts to strengthen national assessment systems.

UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS):   Learning Poverty Indicator

Aimed at measuring and urging attention to foundational literacy as a prerequisite to achieve SDG4, this partnership was launched in 2019 to help countries strengthen their learning assessment systems, better monitor what students are learning in internationally comparable ways and improve the breadth and quality of global data on education.

FCDO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation:  EdTech Hub

Supported by the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the EdTech Hub is aimed at improving the quality of ed-tech investments. The Hub launched a rapid response Helpdesk service to provide just-in-time advisory support to 70 low- and middle-income countries planning education technology and remote learning initiatives.

MasterCard Foundation

Our Tertiary Education and Skills  global program, launched with support from the Mastercard Foundation, aims to prepare youth and adults for the future of work and society by improving access to relevant, quality, equitable reskilling and post-secondary education opportunities.  It is designed to reframe, reform, and rebuild tertiary education and skills systems for the digital and green transformation.

Image

Bridging the AI divide: Breaking down barriers to ensure women’s leadership and participation in the Fifth Industrial Revolution

Image

Common challenges and tailored solutions: How policymakers are strengthening early learning systems across the world

Image

Compulsory education boosts learning outcomes and climate action

Areas of focus.

Data & Measurement

Early Childhood Development

Financing Education

Foundational Learning

Fragile, Conflict & Violent Contexts

Girls’ Education

Inclusive Education

Skills Development

Technology (EdTech)  

Tertiary Education

Initiatives

  • Show More +
  • Invest in Childcare
  • Global Education Policy Dashboard
  • Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel
  • Show Less -

Collapse and Recovery: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Eroded Human Capital and What to Do About It

BROCHURES & FACT SHEETS

Flyer: Education Factsheet - May 2024

Publication: Realizing Education's Promise: A World Bank Retrospective – August 2023

Flyer: Education and Climate Change - November 2022

Brochure: Learning Losses - October 2022

STAY CONNECTED

Education

Human Development Topics

Around the bank group.

Find out what the Bank Group's branches are doing in education

Newsletter

Global Education Newsletter - June 2024

What's happening in the World Bank Education Global Practice? Read to learn more.

The World Bank

Learning Can't Wait: A commitment to education in Latin America and the ...

A new IDB-World Bank report describes challenges and priorities to address the educational crisis.

Image

Human Capital Project

The Human Capital Project is a global effort to accelerate more and better investments in people for greater equity and economic growth.

Image

Impact Evaluations

Research that measures the impact of education policies to improve education in low and middle income countries.

Education

Education Videos

Watch our latest videos featuring our projects across the world

Additional Resources

Skills & Workforce Development

Technology (EdTech)

This site uses cookies to optimize functionality and give you the best possible experience. If you continue to navigate this website beyond this page, cookies will be placed on your browser. To learn more about cookies, click here .

Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Our Best Education Articles of 2020

In February of 2020, we launched the new website Greater Good in Education , a collection of free, research-based and -informed strategies and practices for the social, emotional, and ethical development of students, for the well-being of the adults who work with them, and for cultivating positive school cultures. Little did we know how much more crucial these resources would become over the course of the year during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, as we head back to school in 2021, things are looking a lot different than in past years. Our most popular education articles of 2020 can help you manage difficult emotions and other challenges at school in the pandemic, all while supporting the social-emotional well-being of your students.

In addition to these articles, you can also find tips, tools, and recommended readings in two resource guides we created in 2020: Supporting Learning and Well-Being During the Coronavirus Crisis and Resources to Support Anti-Racist Learning , which helps educators take action to undo the racism within themselves, encourage their colleagues to do the same, and teach and support their students in forming anti-racist identities.

what is education topic in english

Here are the 10 best education articles of 2020, based on a composite ranking of pageviews and editors’ picks.

Can the Lockdown Push Schools in a Positive Direction? , by Patrick Cook-Deegan: Here are five ways that COVID-19 could change education for the better.

How Teachers Can Navigate Difficult Emotions During School Closures , by Amy L. Eva: Here are some tools for staying calm and centered amid the coronavirus crisis.

Six Online Activities to Help Students Cope With COVID-19 , by Lea Waters: These well-being practices can help students feel connected and resilient during the pandemic.

Help Students Process COVID-19 Emotions With This Lesson Plan , by Maurice Elias: Music and the arts can help students transition back to school this year.

How to Teach Online So All Students Feel Like They Belong , by Becki Cohn-Vargas and Kathe Gogolewski: Educators can foster belonging and inclusion for all students, even online.

How Teachers Can Help Students With Special Needs Navigate Distance Learning , by Rebecca Branstetter: Kids with disabilities are often shortchanged by pandemic classroom conditions. Here are three tips for educators to boost their engagement and connection.

How to Reduce the Stress of Homeschooling on Everyone , by Rebecca Branstetter: A school psychologist offers advice to parents on how to support their child during school closures.

Three Ways to Help Your Kids Succeed at Distance Learning , by Christine Carter: How can parents support their children at the start of an uncertain school year?

How Schools Are Meeting Social-Emotional Needs During the Pandemic , by Frances Messano, Jason Atwood, and Stacey Childress: A new report looks at how schools have been grappling with the challenges imposed by COVID-19.

Six Ways to Help Your Students Make Sense of a Divisive Election , by Julie Halterman: The election is over, but many young people will need help understanding what just happened.

Train Your Brain to Be Kinder (video), by Jane Park: Boost your kindness by sending kind thoughts to someone you love—and to someone you don’t get along with—with a little guidance from these students.

From Othering to Belonging (podcast): We speak with john a. powell, director of the Othering & Belonging Institute, about racial justice, well-being, and widening our circles of human connection and concern.

About the Author

Greater good editors.

GGSC Logo

The 10 Education Issues Everybody Should Be Talking About

what is education topic in english

  • Share article

What issues have the potential to define—or re define—education in the year ahead? Is there a next “big thing” that could shift the K-12 experience or conversation?

These were the questions Education Week set out to answer in this second annual “10 Big Ideas in Education” report.

You can read about last year’s ideas here . In 2019, though, things are different.

This year, we asked Education Week reporters to read the tea leaves and analyze what was happening in classrooms, school districts, and legislatures across the country. What insights could reporters offer practitioners for the year ahead?

Some of the ideas here are speculative. Some are warning shots, others more optimistic. But all 10 of them here have one thing in common: They share a sense of urgency.

Accompanied by compelling illustrations and outside perspectives from leading researchers, advocates, and practitioners, this year’s Big Ideas might make you uncomfortable, or seem improbable. The goal was to provoke and empower you as you consider them.

Let us know what you think, and what big ideas matter to your classroom, school, or district. Tweet your comments with #K12BigIdeas .

No. 1: Kids are right. School is boring.

Illustration of a student who is bored in class

Out-of-school learning is often more meaningful than anything that happens in a classroom, writes Kevin Bushweller, the Executive Editor of EdWeek Market Brief. His essay tackling the relevance gap is accompanied by a Q&A with advice on nurturing, rather than stifling students’ natural curiosity. Read more.

No. 2: Teachers have trust issues. And it’s no wonder why.

BRIC ARCHIVE

Many teachers may have lost faith in the system, says Andrew Ujifusa, but they haven’t lost hope. The Assistant Editor unpacks this year’s outbreak of teacher activism. And read an account from a disaffected educator on how he built a coalition of his own. Read more.

No. 3: Special education is broken.

Conceptual Illustration of a special education puzzle with missing pieces

Forty years since students with disabilities were legally guaranteed a public school education, many still don’t receive the education they deserve, writes Associate Editor Christina A. Samuels. Delve into her argument and hear from a disability civil rights pioneer on how to create an equitable path for students. Read more.

No. 4: Schools are embracing bilingualism, but only for some students.

BRIC ARCHIVE

Staff Writer Corey Mitchell explains the inclusion problem at the heart of bilingual education. His essay includes a perspective from a researcher on dismantling elite bilingualism. Read more.

No. 5: A world without annual testing may be closer than you think.

BRIC ARCHIVE

There’s agreement that we have a dysfunctional standardized-testing system in the United States, Associate Editor Stephen Sawchuk writes. But killing it would come with some serious tradeoffs. Sawchuk’s musing on the alternatives to annual tests is accompanied by an argument for more rigorous classroom assignments by a teacher-practice expert. Read more.

No. 6: There are lessons to be learned from the educational experiences of black students in military families.

BRIC ARCHIVE

Drawing on his personal experience growing up in an Air Force family, Staff Writer Daarel Burnette II highlights emerging research on military-connected students. Learn more about his findings and hear from two researchers on what a new ESSA mandate means for these students. Read more.

No. 7: School segregation is not an intractable American problem.

BRIC ARCHIVE

Racial and economic segregation remains deeply entrenched in American schools. Staff Writer Denisa R. Superville considers the six steps one district is taking to change that. Her analysis is accompanied by an essay from the president of the American Educational Research Association on what is perpetuating education inequality. Read more.

No. 8: Consent doesn’t just belong in sex ed. class. It needs to start a lot earlier.

BRIC ARCHIVE

Assistant Editor Sarah D. Sparks looked at the research on teaching consent and found schools and families do way too little, way too late. Her report is partnered with a researcher’s practical guide to developmentally appropriate consent education. Read more.

No. 9: Education has an innovation problem.

BRIC ARCHIVE

Are education leaders spending too much time chasing the latest tech trends to maintain what they have? Staff Writer Benjamin Herold explores the innovation trap. Two technologists offer three tips for putting maintenance front and center in school management. Read more.

No. 10: There are two powerful forces changing college admissions.

BRIC ARCHIVE

Some colleges are rewriting the admissions script for potential students. Senior Contributing Writer Catherine Gewertz surveys this changing college admissions landscape. Her insights are accompanied by one teacher’s advice for navigating underserved students through the college application process. Read more.

Wait, there’s more.

Want to know what educators really think about innovation? A new Education Week Research Center survey delves into what’s behind the common buzzword for teachers, principals, and district leaders. Take a look at the survey results.

A version of this article appeared in the January 09, 2019 edition of Education Week as What’s on the Horizon for 2019?

Sign Up for EdWeek Update

Edweek top school jobs, sign up & sign in.

module image 9

what is education topic in english

Research Topics & Ideas: Education

170+ Research Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

Topic Kickstarter: Research topics in education

If you’re just starting out exploring education-related topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research topic ideation process by providing a hearty list of research topics and ideas , including examples from actual dissertations and theses..

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . To develop a suitable education-related research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan of action to fill that gap.

If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, if you’d like hands-on help, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Overview: Education Research Topics

  • How to find a research topic (video)
  • List of 50+ education-related research topics/ideas
  • List of 120+ level-specific research topics 
  • Examples of actual dissertation topics in education
  • Tips to fast-track your topic ideation (video)
  • Free Webinar : Topic Ideation 101
  • Where to get extra help

Education-Related Research Topics & Ideas

Below you’ll find a list of education-related research topics and idea kickstarters. These are fairly broad and flexible to various contexts, so keep in mind that you will need to refine them a little. Nevertheless, they should inspire some ideas for your project.

  • The impact of school funding on student achievement
  • The effects of social and emotional learning on student well-being
  • The effects of parental involvement on student behaviour
  • The impact of teacher training on student learning
  • The impact of classroom design on student learning
  • The impact of poverty on education
  • The use of student data to inform instruction
  • The role of parental involvement in education
  • The effects of mindfulness practices in the classroom
  • The use of technology in the classroom
  • The role of critical thinking in education
  • The use of formative and summative assessments in the classroom
  • The use of differentiated instruction in the classroom
  • The use of gamification in education
  • The effects of teacher burnout on student learning
  • The impact of school leadership on student achievement
  • The effects of teacher diversity on student outcomes
  • The role of teacher collaboration in improving student outcomes
  • The implementation of blended and online learning
  • The effects of teacher accountability on student achievement
  • The effects of standardized testing on student learning
  • The effects of classroom management on student behaviour
  • The effects of school culture on student achievement
  • The use of student-centred learning in the classroom
  • The impact of teacher-student relationships on student outcomes
  • The achievement gap in minority and low-income students
  • The use of culturally responsive teaching in the classroom
  • The impact of teacher professional development on student learning
  • The use of project-based learning in the classroom
  • The effects of teacher expectations on student achievement
  • The use of adaptive learning technology in the classroom
  • The impact of teacher turnover on student learning
  • The effects of teacher recruitment and retention on student learning
  • The impact of early childhood education on later academic success
  • The impact of parental involvement on student engagement
  • The use of positive reinforcement in education
  • The impact of school climate on student engagement
  • The role of STEM education in preparing students for the workforce
  • The effects of school choice on student achievement
  • The use of technology in the form of online tutoring

Level-Specific Research Topics

Looking for research topics for a specific level of education? We’ve got you covered. Below you can find research topic ideas for primary, secondary and tertiary-level education contexts. Click the relevant level to view the respective list.

Research Topics: Pick An Education Level

Primary education.

  • Investigating the effects of peer tutoring on academic achievement in primary school
  • Exploring the benefits of mindfulness practices in primary school classrooms
  • Examining the effects of different teaching strategies on primary school students’ problem-solving skills
  • The use of storytelling as a teaching strategy in primary school literacy instruction
  • The role of cultural diversity in promoting tolerance and understanding in primary schools
  • The impact of character education programs on moral development in primary school students
  • Investigating the use of technology in enhancing primary school mathematics education
  • The impact of inclusive curriculum on promoting equity and diversity in primary schools
  • The impact of outdoor education programs on environmental awareness in primary school students
  • The influence of school climate on student motivation and engagement in primary schools
  • Investigating the effects of early literacy interventions on reading comprehension in primary school students
  • The impact of parental involvement in school decision-making processes on student achievement in primary schools
  • Exploring the benefits of inclusive education for students with special needs in primary schools
  • Investigating the effects of teacher-student feedback on academic motivation in primary schools
  • The role of technology in developing digital literacy skills in primary school students
  • Effective strategies for fostering a growth mindset in primary school students
  • Investigating the role of parental support in reducing academic stress in primary school children
  • The role of arts education in fostering creativity and self-expression in primary school students
  • Examining the effects of early childhood education programs on primary school readiness
  • Examining the effects of homework on primary school students’ academic performance
  • The role of formative assessment in improving learning outcomes in primary school classrooms
  • The impact of teacher-student relationships on academic outcomes in primary school
  • Investigating the effects of classroom environment on student behavior and learning outcomes in primary schools
  • Investigating the role of creativity and imagination in primary school curriculum
  • The impact of nutrition and healthy eating programs on academic performance in primary schools
  • The impact of social-emotional learning programs on primary school students’ well-being and academic performance
  • The role of parental involvement in academic achievement of primary school children
  • Examining the effects of classroom management strategies on student behavior in primary school
  • The role of school leadership in creating a positive school climate Exploring the benefits of bilingual education in primary schools
  • The effectiveness of project-based learning in developing critical thinking skills in primary school students
  • The role of inquiry-based learning in fostering curiosity and critical thinking in primary school students
  • The effects of class size on student engagement and achievement in primary schools
  • Investigating the effects of recess and physical activity breaks on attention and learning in primary school
  • Exploring the benefits of outdoor play in developing gross motor skills in primary school children
  • The effects of educational field trips on knowledge retention in primary school students
  • Examining the effects of inclusive classroom practices on students’ attitudes towards diversity in primary schools
  • The impact of parental involvement in homework on primary school students’ academic achievement
  • Investigating the effectiveness of different assessment methods in primary school classrooms
  • The influence of physical activity and exercise on cognitive development in primary school children
  • Exploring the benefits of cooperative learning in promoting social skills in primary school students

Secondary Education

  • Investigating the effects of school discipline policies on student behavior and academic success in secondary education
  • The role of social media in enhancing communication and collaboration among secondary school students
  • The impact of school leadership on teacher effectiveness and student outcomes in secondary schools
  • Investigating the effects of technology integration on teaching and learning in secondary education
  • Exploring the benefits of interdisciplinary instruction in promoting critical thinking skills in secondary schools
  • The impact of arts education on creativity and self-expression in secondary school students
  • The effectiveness of flipped classrooms in promoting student learning in secondary education
  • The role of career guidance programs in preparing secondary school students for future employment
  • Investigating the effects of student-centered learning approaches on student autonomy and academic success in secondary schools
  • The impact of socio-economic factors on educational attainment in secondary education
  • Investigating the impact of project-based learning on student engagement and academic achievement in secondary schools
  • Investigating the effects of multicultural education on cultural understanding and tolerance in secondary schools
  • The influence of standardized testing on teaching practices and student learning in secondary education
  • Investigating the effects of classroom management strategies on student behavior and academic engagement in secondary education
  • The influence of teacher professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes in secondary schools
  • The role of extracurricular activities in promoting holistic development and well-roundedness in secondary school students
  • Investigating the effects of blended learning models on student engagement and achievement in secondary education
  • The role of physical education in promoting physical health and well-being among secondary school students
  • Investigating the effects of gender on academic achievement and career aspirations in secondary education
  • Exploring the benefits of multicultural literature in promoting cultural awareness and empathy among secondary school students
  • The impact of school counseling services on student mental health and well-being in secondary schools
  • Exploring the benefits of vocational education and training in preparing secondary school students for the workforce
  • The role of digital literacy in preparing secondary school students for the digital age
  • The influence of parental involvement on academic success and well-being of secondary school students
  • The impact of social-emotional learning programs on secondary school students’ well-being and academic success
  • The role of character education in fostering ethical and responsible behavior in secondary school students
  • Examining the effects of digital citizenship education on responsible and ethical technology use among secondary school students
  • The impact of parental involvement in school decision-making processes on student outcomes in secondary schools
  • The role of educational technology in promoting personalized learning experiences in secondary schools
  • The impact of inclusive education on the social and academic outcomes of students with disabilities in secondary schools
  • The influence of parental support on academic motivation and achievement in secondary education
  • The role of school climate in promoting positive behavior and well-being among secondary school students
  • Examining the effects of peer mentoring programs on academic achievement and social-emotional development in secondary schools
  • Examining the effects of teacher-student relationships on student motivation and achievement in secondary schools
  • Exploring the benefits of service-learning programs in promoting civic engagement among secondary school students
  • The impact of educational policies on educational equity and access in secondary education
  • Examining the effects of homework on academic achievement and student well-being in secondary education
  • Investigating the effects of different assessment methods on student performance in secondary schools
  • Examining the effects of single-sex education on academic performance and gender stereotypes in secondary schools
  • The role of mentoring programs in supporting the transition from secondary to post-secondary education

Tertiary Education

  • The role of student support services in promoting academic success and well-being in higher education
  • The impact of internationalization initiatives on students’ intercultural competence and global perspectives in tertiary education
  • Investigating the effects of active learning classrooms and learning spaces on student engagement and learning outcomes in tertiary education
  • Exploring the benefits of service-learning experiences in fostering civic engagement and social responsibility in higher education
  • The influence of learning communities and collaborative learning environments on student academic and social integration in higher education
  • Exploring the benefits of undergraduate research experiences in fostering critical thinking and scientific inquiry skills
  • Investigating the effects of academic advising and mentoring on student retention and degree completion in higher education
  • The role of student engagement and involvement in co-curricular activities on holistic student development in higher education
  • The impact of multicultural education on fostering cultural competence and diversity appreciation in higher education
  • The role of internships and work-integrated learning experiences in enhancing students’ employability and career outcomes
  • Examining the effects of assessment and feedback practices on student learning and academic achievement in tertiary education
  • The influence of faculty professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes in tertiary education
  • The influence of faculty-student relationships on student success and well-being in tertiary education
  • The impact of college transition programs on students’ academic and social adjustment to higher education
  • The impact of online learning platforms on student learning outcomes in higher education
  • The impact of financial aid and scholarships on access and persistence in higher education
  • The influence of student leadership and involvement in extracurricular activities on personal development and campus engagement
  • Exploring the benefits of competency-based education in developing job-specific skills in tertiary students
  • Examining the effects of flipped classroom models on student learning and retention in higher education
  • Exploring the benefits of online collaboration and virtual team projects in developing teamwork skills in tertiary students
  • Investigating the effects of diversity and inclusion initiatives on campus climate and student experiences in tertiary education
  • The influence of study abroad programs on intercultural competence and global perspectives of college students
  • Investigating the effects of peer mentoring and tutoring programs on student retention and academic performance in tertiary education
  • Investigating the effectiveness of active learning strategies in promoting student engagement and achievement in tertiary education
  • Investigating the effects of blended learning models and hybrid courses on student learning and satisfaction in higher education
  • The role of digital literacy and information literacy skills in supporting student success in the digital age
  • Investigating the effects of experiential learning opportunities on career readiness and employability of college students
  • The impact of e-portfolios on student reflection, self-assessment, and showcasing of learning in higher education
  • The role of technology in enhancing collaborative learning experiences in tertiary classrooms
  • The impact of research opportunities on undergraduate student engagement and pursuit of advanced degrees
  • Examining the effects of competency-based assessment on measuring student learning and achievement in tertiary education
  • Examining the effects of interdisciplinary programs and courses on critical thinking and problem-solving skills in college students
  • The role of inclusive education and accessibility in promoting equitable learning experiences for diverse student populations
  • The role of career counseling and guidance in supporting students’ career decision-making in tertiary education
  • The influence of faculty diversity and representation on student success and inclusive learning environments in higher education

Research topic idea mega list

Education-Related Dissertations & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic in education, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses in the education space to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of education-related research projects to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

  • From Rural to Urban: Education Conditions of Migrant Children in China (Wang, 2019)
  • Energy Renovation While Learning English: A Guidebook for Elementary ESL Teachers (Yang, 2019)
  • A Reanalyses of Intercorrelational Matrices of Visual and Verbal Learners’ Abilities, Cognitive Styles, and Learning Preferences (Fox, 2020)
  • A study of the elementary math program utilized by a mid-Missouri school district (Barabas, 2020)
  • Instructor formative assessment practices in virtual learning environments : a posthumanist sociomaterial perspective (Burcks, 2019)
  • Higher education students services: a qualitative study of two mid-size universities’ direct exchange programs (Kinde, 2020)
  • Exploring editorial leadership : a qualitative study of scholastic journalism advisers teaching leadership in Missouri secondary schools (Lewis, 2020)
  • Selling the virtual university: a multimodal discourse analysis of marketing for online learning (Ludwig, 2020)
  • Advocacy and accountability in school counselling: assessing the use of data as related to professional self-efficacy (Matthews, 2020)
  • The use of an application screening assessment as a predictor of teaching retention at a midwestern, K-12, public school district (Scarbrough, 2020)
  • Core values driving sustained elite performance cultures (Beiner, 2020)
  • Educative features of upper elementary Eureka math curriculum (Dwiggins, 2020)
  • How female principals nurture adult learning opportunities in successful high schools with challenging student demographics (Woodward, 2020)
  • The disproportionality of Black Males in Special Education: A Case Study Analysis of Educator Perceptions in a Southeastern Urban High School (McCrae, 2021)

As you can see, these research topics are a lot more focused than the generic topic ideas we presented earlier. So, in order for you to develop a high-quality research topic, you’ll need to get specific and laser-focused on a specific context with specific variables of interest.  In the video below, we explore some other important things you’ll need to consider when crafting your research topic.

Get 1-On-1 Help

If you’re still unsure about how to find a quality research topic within education, check out our Research Topic Kickstarter service, which is the perfect starting point for developing a unique, well-justified research topic.

Research Topic Kickstarter - Need Help Finding A Research Topic?

68 Comments

Watson Kabwe

This is an helpful tool 🙏

Musarrat Parveen

Special education

Akbar khan

Really appreciated by this . It is the best platform for research related items

Trishna Roy

Research title related to school of students

Nasiru Yusuf

How are you

Oyebanji Khadijat Anike

I think this platform is actually good enough.

Angel taña

Research title related to students

My field is research measurement and evaluation. Need dissertation topics in the field

Saira Murtaza

Assalam o Alaikum I’m a student Bs educational Resarch and evaluation I’m confused to choose My thesis title please help me in choose the thesis title

Ngirumuvugizi Jaccques

Good idea I’m going to teach my colleagues

Anangnerisia@gmail.com

You can find our list of nursing-related research topic ideas here: https://gradcoach.com/research-topics-nursing/

FOSU DORIS

Write on action research topic, using guidance and counseling to address unwanted teenage pregnancy in school

Samson ochuodho

Thanks a lot

Johaima

I learned a lot from this site, thank you so much!

Rhod Tuyan

Thank you for the information.. I would like to request a topic based on school major in social studies

Mercedes Bunsie

parental involvement and students academic performance

Abshir Mustafe Cali

Science education topics?

alina

plz tell me if you got some good topics, im here for finding research topic for masters degree

Karen Joy Andrade

How about School management and supervision pls.?

JOHANNES SERAME MONYATSI

Hi i am an Deputy Principal in a primary school. My wish is to srudy foe Master’s degree in Education.Please advice me on which topic can be relevant for me. Thanks.

NKWAIN Chia Charles

Every topic proposed above on primary education is a starting point for me. I appreciate immensely the team that has sat down to make a detail of these selected topics just for beginners like us. Be blessed.

Nkwain Chia Charles

Kindly help me with the research questions on the topic” Effects of workplace conflict on the employees’ job performance”. The effects can be applicable in every institution,enterprise or organisation.

Kelvin Kells Grant

Greetings, I am a student majoring in Sociology and minoring in Public Administration. I’m considering any recommended research topic in the field of Sociology.

Sulemana Alhassan

I’m a student pursuing Mphil in Basic education and I’m considering any recommended research proposal topic in my field of study

Cristine

Research Defense for students in senior high

Kupoluyi Regina

Kindly help me with a research topic in educational psychology. Ph.D level. Thank you.

Project-based learning is a teaching/learning type,if well applied in a classroom setting will yield serious positive impact. What can a teacher do to implement this in a disadvantaged zone like “North West Region of Cameroon ( hinterland) where war has brought about prolonged and untold sufferings on the indegins?

Damaris Nzoka

I wish to get help on topics of research on educational administration

I wish to get help on topics of research on educational administration PhD level

Sadaf

I am also looking for such type of title

Afriyie Saviour

I am a student of undergraduate, doing research on how to use guidance and counseling to address unwanted teenage pregnancy in school

wysax

the topics are very good regarding research & education .

derrick

Am an undergraduate student carrying out a research on the impact of nutritional healthy eating programs on academic performance in primary schools

William AU Mill

Can i request your suggestion topic for my Thesis about Teachers as an OFW. thanx you

ChRISTINE

Would like to request for suggestions on a topic in Economics of education,PhD level

Aza Hans

Would like to request for suggestions on a topic in Economics of education

George

Hi 👋 I request that you help me with a written research proposal about education the format

Cynthia abuabire

Am offering degree in education senior high School Accounting. I want a topic for my project work

Sarah Moyambo

l would like to request suggestions on a topic in managing teaching and learning, PhD level (educational leadership and management)

request suggestions on a topic in managing teaching and learning, PhD level (educational leadership and management)

Ernest Gyabaah

I would to inquire on research topics on Educational psychology, Masters degree

Aron kirui

I am PhD student, I am searching my Research topic, It should be innovative,my area of interest is online education,use of technology in education

revathy a/p letchumanan

request suggestion on topic in masters in medical education .

D.Newlands PhD.

Look at British Library as they keep a copy of all PhDs in the UK Core.ac.uk to access Open University and 6 other university e-archives, pdf downloads mostly available, all free.

Monica

May I also ask for a topic based on mathematics education for college teaching, please?

Aman

Please I am a masters student of the department of Teacher Education, Faculty of Education Please I am in need of proposed project topics to help with my final year thesis

Ellyjoy

Am a PhD student in Educational Foundations would like a sociological topic. Thank

muhammad sani

please i need a proposed thesis project regardging computer science

also916

Greetings and Regards I am a doctoral student in the field of philosophy of education. I am looking for a new topic for my thesis. Because of my work in the elementary school, I am looking for a topic that is from the field of elementary education and is related to the philosophy of education.

shantel orox

Masters student in the field of curriculum, any ideas of a research topic on low achiever students

Rey

In the field of curriculum any ideas of a research topic on deconalization in contextualization of digital teaching and learning through in higher education

Omada Victoria Enyojo

Amazing guidelines

JAMES MALUKI MUTIA

I am a graduate with two masters. 1) Master of arts in religious studies and 2) Master in education in foundations of education. I intend to do a Ph.D. on my second master’s, however, I need to bring both masters together through my Ph.D. research. can I do something like, ” The contribution of Philosophy of education for a quality religion education in Kenya”? kindly, assist and be free to suggest a similar topic that will bring together the two masters. thanks in advance

betiel

Hi, I am an Early childhood trainer as well as a researcher, I need more support on this topic: The impact of early childhood education on later academic success.

TURIKUMWE JEAN BOSCO

I’m a student in upper level secondary school and I need your support in this research topics: “Impact of incorporating project -based learning in teaching English language skills in secondary schools”.

Fitsum Ayele

Although research activities and topics should stem from reflection on one’s practice, I found this site valuable as it effectively addressed many issues we have been experiencing as practitioners.

Lavern Stigers

Your style is unique in comparison to other folks I’ve read stuff from. Thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this site.

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

  • Print Friendly

Talk to our experts

1800-120-456-456

  • Education Essay

ffImage

Essay on Education

Nelson Mandela rightly said, “Education is the most important weapon to change the world.” Education plays an important role in the development of an individual and making him a knowledgeable citizen. It is the education that makes an individual self-reliant, helps to suppress the social evils and contribute towards the development of the society and nation as a whole.

Education helps in unravelling the mystery of nature. It enables us to understand and improve the working of our society. It creates conditions for a better life. Education brings out the capabilities to fight injustice happening in society. Every individual has the right to education.

Introduction

Education is a significant tool that provides knowledge, skill, technique, information and enables people to know their rights and duties towards their family, society and the nation. You can expand your vision and outlook to see the world around us. It changes our perception of life. Education builds up the ability to explore new things to enhance your creativity. Your creativity is a tool to develop the nation.

Importance of Education

People still don't realise what role education and being educated plays in our lives and society. So, before making people aware of education and working for their access, it is very important to understand the need and importance of education. Education includes traditional learning methods that include theories and modern methods that include practical implementation of the subjects.

In schools, education is categorised into four stages, and each stage is important for each student:

Primary 

Secondary 

Senior secondary

Education can be classified into Various Forms:

Formal education: teaches us the academic part of any course or class, skills, or theory.

Non Formal education: We learn from our community, culture, nation-based programs, and the society that we live in

Informal education: We learn from our life lessons, experiences, other people, their experiences, nature, surroundings, etc.

Education empowers everyone. It is an important aspect that shapes the modern and industrialised world. People need education to be able to cope up with the advancements in this competitive world. Following are some areas where education is needed:

Removing Poverty: Education helps in eradicating poverty from our society.  An educated person can secure a good job and take care of all the basic needs and requirements of his family.

Safety and Security against Crime: A well-educated person cannot be easily duped or become a victim of any crime. They can develop the ability to stand against injustice. 

Increases Productivity: Educated people are more productive. With the help of knowledge and skills, they can explore new ideas. 

Confidence: A good education doesn’t mean to go to schools and colleges only. Education helps to become self-dependent and build great confidence within them so that they are able to accomplish difficult tasks.

Improved Standard of Life: On getting an education, quality of life gets improved. Education helps you to secure good jobs by which you can fulfil your dreams of buying a house or car or other luxury things. 

Women Empowerment: Education helps in empowering women. Women can voice out themselves in the society against the injustice done to them. They can be self-reliant and need not be dependent on anyone. Women empowerment will bring a lot of development in society as well as in the nation.

Upliftment of the Economically Weaker Section: Education is the most significant ingredient to change the world. Illiterate people suffer the hardships of discrimination, untouchability and injustice prevailing in the society. With the advancement of education, the weaker section can improve their quality of life. 

Communication: Communication is related to education. Good education helps to communicate better with others. It also improves our skills such as speech, body language, etc. 

Development of a nation: The countries that focus on educating their citizens and have a higher education level are considered more developed nations in every aspect of their lives.

  Individual growth: An educated individual always stands out in a crowd of uneducated people. They will be able to make better life decisions because with education comes knowledge. When an individual knows something, they will be able to understand things in a better manner.

 Independent: Education acts as a catalyst for a human being to be independent. If an individual is educated enough, they can manage their own life without being dependent on anybody.

  Success: Education helps in framing our mindset in a positive direction, and with this mindset, people can make their lives better. With education comes a degree, and with a degree comes a lot of opportunities. You just have to make a better choice for yourself, and everything will fall in place.

Talking particularly about India, education is a constitutional right of every citizen irrespective of caste, creed, race, religion, gender, etc. That’s the status given to education in India because educated people are always treated well and are well respected everywhere in the world.

Role of Education in Society

Education is the social institution through which the society provides its members with knowledge, facts, job skills and values. One of the most important roles of education is that it improves personal lives and helps society to run smoothly. As mentioned above, poverty can be eradicated and every individual can contribute towards the development of the country.

Education Creates a Better Society: An educated person is more likely to develop better moral and ethical values as compared to an uneducated person. Education brings equal opportunity for everyone and educated people will be able to create a better society. 

Education is the Backbone of Society: Education is an integral part of human society. Lack of education gives birth to numerous social problems like poor health, conflicts, and poor living standards. Education helps people overcome all problems by finding better solutions. 

Education Encourages Innovation and Creativity: Education leads to innovation. Innovation and creativity can only occur when skilled people know how to advance with different technologies. Educated people always can solve problems with the help of better techniques. 

Education Creates a Better Human Being: Education is the most powerful weapon by which the entire perspective of the world can be changed. Through education, a person can develop good moral values. It helps us to become a better person in life. 

Understanding the Responsibilities: As a social being, it becomes the responsibility of every individual to give something back to society and make it a better place for our next generation. An educated person is aware of his personal and social responsibilities.

Education helps in shaping the values of an individual. It helps individuals develop their moral values, humbleness, sympathy and empathy towards society, etc.

Students or any individual learn to express their viewpoints by reading, writing, learning. And these qualities or skills are taught with the help of education and nothing else.

Steps Taken to promote Education:

After discussing the importance of education, awareness is the next big step. People, especially those living in remote areas, should be aware and should have access to a better education system. The government has taken several steps for this purpose. It has started various initiatives to make education accessible to all and improve the quality of education for the betterment of every student. 

Some of the Prominent Steps:

The formation of the Right to Education Act, 2009 made education a fundamental right for every child belonging to 6-14 years.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

Adult education and national development scheme

Beti bachao, beti padhao

Midday meal scheme and many more.

Various other initiatives that the government has taken are Udaan, Saksham, Pragati, etc., to make education accessible to every part of the county.

Conclusion:

Education is the pathway for a nation’s progress. Education is the backbone of society. The government should take all measures to provide education to every individual of the country. This will bring equality among people and when people improvise their way of living, they become more responsible towards society.

The literacy rate of more developed nations is also high, and the literacy of every nation depends upon its education system. The government undoubtedly has made laws and formulated schemes, but implementing those schemes is a major task. 

The government, along with co-operation with the citizens, should make the society and nation a better place to live in. The growth of every nation depends upon the kind of population it has. A well-educated population will make a well-developed nation.

arrow-right

FAQs on Education Essay

1) Why is education important?

Education is important for the development of an individual. It is the most powerful weapon by which a person can contribute towards the development of the society and nation as a whole.

2) How is education a pathway to success?

Education provides job opportunities and also helps to expand your vision and change your outlook to see the world around us.

3) How can education help the economically backward people?

Uneducated or illiterate people do not have the ability to overcome hardships like discrimination, untouchability, and injustice. When these people get basic education, then they can become self-reliant and stand for their rights. With the advancement of education, they can improve their standard of living and poverty can be eradicated from the face of the Earth.

4) How are women empowered through education?

Education helps in empowering women. Women can voice out themselves in the society against the injustice done to them. They can be self-dependent. Women empowerment will bring a lot of development in society as well as in the nation.

5) What are the roles that education plays?

Education is vital in shaping the world and society. An educated society forms an educated nation. It is essential in creating a positive mindset and positive skills in an individual.

World Bank Blogs Logo

Four of the biggest problems facing education—and four trends that could make a difference

Eduardo velez bustillo, harry a. patrinos.

Woman writing in a notebook

In 2022, we published, Lessons for the education sector from the COVID-19 pandemic , which was a follow up to,  Four Education Trends that Countries Everywhere Should Know About , which summarized views of education experts around the world on how to handle the most pressing issues facing the education sector then. We focused on neuroscience, the role of the private sector, education technology, inequality, and pedagogy.

Unfortunately, we think the four biggest problems facing education today in developing countries are the same ones we have identified in the last decades .

1. The learning crisis was made worse by COVID-19 school closures

Low quality instruction is a major constraint and prior to COVID-19, the learning poverty rate in low- and middle-income countries was 57% (6 out of 10 children could not read and understand basic texts by age 10). More dramatic is the case of Sub-Saharan Africa with a rate even higher at 86%. Several analyses show that the impact of the pandemic on student learning was significant, leaving students in low- and middle-income countries way behind in mathematics, reading and other subjects.  Some argue that learning poverty may be close to 70% after the pandemic , with a substantial long-term negative effect in future earnings. This generation could lose around $21 trillion in future salaries, with the vulnerable students affected the most.

2. Countries are not paying enough attention to early childhood care and education (ECCE)

At the pre-school level about two-thirds of countries do not have a proper legal framework to provide free and compulsory pre-primary education. According to UNESCO, only a minority of countries, mostly high-income, were making timely progress towards SDG4 benchmarks on early childhood indicators prior to the onset of COVID-19. And remember that ECCE is not only preparation for primary school. It can be the foundation for emotional wellbeing and learning throughout life; one of the best investments a country can make.

3. There is an inadequate supply of high-quality teachers

Low quality teaching is a huge problem and getting worse in many low- and middle-income countries.  In Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, the percentage of trained teachers fell from 84% in 2000 to 69% in 2019 . In addition, in many countries teachers are formally trained and as such qualified, but do not have the minimum pedagogical training. Globally, teachers for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects are the biggest shortfalls.

4. Decision-makers are not implementing evidence-based or pro-equity policies that guarantee solid foundations

It is difficult to understand the continued focus on non-evidence-based policies when there is so much that we know now about what works. Two factors contribute to this problem. One is the short tenure that top officials have when leading education systems. Examples of countries where ministers last less than one year on average are plentiful. The second and more worrisome deals with the fact that there is little attention given to empirical evidence when designing education policies.

To help improve on these four fronts, we see four supporting trends:

1. Neuroscience should be integrated into education policies

Policies considering neuroscience can help ensure that students get proper attention early to support brain development in the first 2-3 years of life. It can also help ensure that children learn to read at the proper age so that they will be able to acquire foundational skills to learn during the primary education cycle and from there on. Inputs like micronutrients, early child stimulation for gross and fine motor skills, speech and language and playing with other children before the age of three are cost-effective ways to get proper development. Early grade reading, using the pedagogical suggestion by the Early Grade Reading Assessment model, has improved learning outcomes in many low- and middle-income countries. We now have the tools to incorporate these advances into the teaching and learning system with AI , ChatGPT , MOOCs and online tutoring.

2. Reversing learning losses at home and at school

There is a real need to address the remaining and lingering losses due to school closures because of COVID-19.  Most students living in households with incomes under the poverty line in the developing world, roughly the bottom 80% in low-income countries and the bottom 50% in middle-income countries, do not have the minimum conditions to learn at home . These students do not have access to the internet, and, often, their parents or guardians do not have the necessary schooling level or the time to help them in their learning process. Connectivity for poor households is a priority. But learning continuity also requires the presence of an adult as a facilitator—a parent, guardian, instructor, or community worker assisting the student during the learning process while schools are closed or e-learning is used.

To recover from the negative impact of the pandemic, the school system will need to develop at the student level: (i) active and reflective learning; (ii) analytical and applied skills; (iii) strong self-esteem; (iv) attitudes supportive of cooperation and solidarity; and (v) a good knowledge of the curriculum areas. At the teacher (instructor, facilitator, parent) level, the system should aim to develop a new disposition toward the role of teacher as a guide and facilitator. And finally, the system also needs to increase parental involvement in the education of their children and be active part in the solution of the children’s problems. The Escuela Nueva Learning Circles or the Pratham Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) are models that can be used.

3. Use of evidence to improve teaching and learning

We now know more about what works at scale to address the learning crisis. To help countries improve teaching and learning and make teaching an attractive profession, based on available empirical world-wide evidence , we need to improve its status, compensation policies and career progression structures; ensure pre-service education includes a strong practicum component so teachers are well equipped to transition and perform effectively in the classroom; and provide high-quality in-service professional development to ensure they keep teaching in an effective way. We also have the tools to address learning issues cost-effectively. The returns to schooling are high and increasing post-pandemic. But we also have the cost-benefit tools to make good decisions, and these suggest that structured pedagogy, teaching according to learning levels (with and without technology use) are proven effective and cost-effective .

4. The role of the private sector

When properly regulated the private sector can be an effective education provider, and it can help address the specific needs of countries. Most of the pedagogical models that have received international recognition come from the private sector. For example, the recipients of the Yidan Prize on education development are from the non-state sector experiences (Escuela Nueva, BRAC, edX, Pratham, CAMFED and New Education Initiative). In the context of the Artificial Intelligence movement, most of the tools that will revolutionize teaching and learning come from the private sector (i.e., big data, machine learning, electronic pedagogies like OER-Open Educational Resources, MOOCs, etc.). Around the world education technology start-ups are developing AI tools that may have a good potential to help improve quality of education .

After decades asking the same questions on how to improve the education systems of countries, we, finally, are finding answers that are very promising.  Governments need to be aware of this fact.

To receive weekly articles,  sign-up here  

Get updates from Education for Global Development

Thank you for choosing to be part of the Education for Global Development community!

Your subscription is now active. The latest blog posts and blog-related announcements will be delivered directly to your email inbox. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Eduardo Velez Bustillo's picture

Consultant, Education Sector, World Bank

Harry A. Patrinos

Senior Adviser, Education

Join the Conversation

  • Share on mail
  • comments added

TeachingBanyan.com

10 Lines on Education

If I ask you what you need the most to live a happy and successful life, your answer will probably be ‘Education’. Yes, almost everyone will support that fact, and it is true too. Let’s have some important information about Education through the sets of 10 lines below.

Ten Lines on Education in English

Below are given 10 lines, 5 lines, 20 lines, few lines and sentences on Education for students of class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Also, people who want to know some facts on Education in short as well as in less time can read these lines. So, let’s start:

1) Education is the process which aids learning, acquiring knowledge and skills to one’s character.

2) Education upgrades the thinking of society and helps to uproot social evils.

3) It helps the uniform development of a country by fighting the inequalities of society.

4) We can have education by various methods, like teaching, training and research activities etc.

5) Storytelling is a method of education which helps to pass the knowledge from one generation to another.

6) Gurukul was the education system of ancient India when students used to learn by residing with the gurus.

7) Right to education act makes education the fundamental right of every child.

8) Education helps to earn a livelihood and fight for our basic rights.

9) Education helps to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.

10) Education also plays a vital role in economic development by increasing income and decreasing poverty.

10 Lines and Sentences on Education

1) Education is a way of imparting knowledge, skills and learning.

2) It helps us to learn new things and develop a sense of innovation and creativity.

3) Education is a tool which helps us to achieve success and earn respect in the society.

4) There are primarily four stages of education, namely, preschool, primary, secondary and higher education.

5) School, College and Gurukul are the media of imparting education.

6) The Right to Education Act, 2009 has made education free and compulsory for the children of age 6-14 years.

7) The mode of education has changed by the advent of new technologies.

8) The rise of affordable internet has made education easy and accessible to every corner of the world.

9) Interactive learning approach has made the availability of education at the comfort of your home.

10) Education is a guiding force which helps us in identifying our career goal and leading a civilized life.

5 Lines on Education

1) Education is the process of learning.

2) Education helps us to develop skills.

3) An educated person is respected everywhere.

4) Education helps to attain success in life.

5) Education is the right of every citizen.

10 Lines on Education

20 Lines on Education

1) Education helps to provide knowledge, develop a logical attitude and enhance the capability of an individual.

2) A country with educated citizens will always have people with logical thinking and views.

3) In democratic countries, education plays a crucial role in choosing the right government.

4) Education helps in the physical, social, mental and spiritual development of an individual.

5) It also enhances the social and moral values of a person and makes him more sensible, tolerant, helpful and empathic.

6) It modifies and enhances the behaviour of a person through rigorous learning and development.

7) Education helps in eradicating poverty and bringing equality in society.

8) It is a way of giving an intellectual channel to the decision-making capabilities of the citizens of a country.

9) The development in the fields of arts, science, technology etc. is only possible because of education.

10) Education prepares the children for the future so that they can contribute towards the development.

11) Education makes a person self-reliant and independent in social, financial and intellectual aspects.

12) In ancient India, education was for everyone, but it became available based on the caste and duties.

13) Nalanda and Taxila were the most famous educational institutions of ancient times.

14) No one can steal education, so it remains with us always and never goes waste.

15) In India, there are majorly three types of schools as Government Schools, Government Aided Private Schools and Private Schools.

16) Government of India has launched various initiatives in the field of education like Udaan, Saksham, Pragati etc.

17) These initiatives have majorly helped to improve the status and quality of education in India.

18) The development of science and technology has also changed the way of getting an education.

19) Nowadays, there are various techniques and methods to impart education like e-learning, video-based learning etc.

20) Education has always been a driving force for mankind.

We cannot avoid the importance and need for education in the modern world, where education is the deciding factor in all aspects of life. Education teaches us basic ethics and values, which help us to structure your complete personality. Education is for everyone, and we should provide it without any discrimination.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions on Education

Ans. O ne of the best educational systems in the world is in the United States. The QS World University Rankings 2023 says that 36 universities in the United States are among the top 150.

Ans. India’s educational system currently occupies the 33rd position on the global scale.

Ans. People call Dehradun the “school capital of India” because there are so many schools.

Ans. The United States is at the top of the list because it has so many excellent universities and a well-developed system for higher education.

Ans. South Korea, Singapore, Japan, are the few countries which have one of the hardest education systems around the world.

Related Posts

10 lines on mahatma gandhi, 10 lines on patriotism, 10 lines on nationalism, 10 lines on national flag of india, 10 lines on importance of national flag, 10 lines on importance of national festivals of india, 10 lines on national festivals of india, 10 lines on national festivals celebration, 10 lines on a.p.j. abdul kalam, leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

190+ Creative English Speaking Topics to Speak to Anyone

Clapingo Team

19 min read

share on facebook

Spoken English Fluency: The Key to Success

Benefits of practicing english speaking topics, 190+ english speaking topics for learners, 1. daily life and personal experiences, 2. hobbies and personal interests, 3. travel and adventure, 4. education and learning, 5. health and wellness, 6. culture and entertainment, 7. career and professional development, personalized coaching to save the day.

An image of English speaking topic book

English is widely accepted to be the language of business. Globally, approximately over 1.5 billion people speak English as their first or second language. It is therefore no wonder that English speaking proficiency is directly related to employability and other opportunities.

Let's face it, when it comes to learning and improving spoken English, practicing basic English speaking topics plays a pivotal role. It goes beyond mastering grammar and vocabulary; it empowers individuals to express themselves confidently, engage in meaningful conversations, and connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds.

In this blog, we will list a wide range of English speaking topics fluency. By diversifying your conversations and exploring various subjects, you can enhance your language skills, broaden your knowledge, and develop the ability to express your thoughts and opinions effectively.

So, whether you are a beginner looking to build a strong foundation or an advanced learner aiming to refine your fluency, this comprehensive list of will provide you with the necessary resources and inspiration to take your English-speaking abilities to new heights.

Practicing English speaking topics helps individuals avoid boredom and monotony, making the learning process more enjoyable.

It expands vocabulary and enhances language proficiency, allowing individuals to express themselves effectively on different English speaking topics .

Engaging with diverse English speaking topics fosters critical thinking skills and encourages individuals to share their opinions confidently.

We now list for you a range of English speaking practice topics to improve your spoken English. The category of topics covers a wide range of scenarios to prepare you well for any encounters in the personal or professional space that would need you to speak in English.

If you want to practice any of these topics with a 1-1 real human, click here. ​

Photo by: Ivan Shilov on Unsplash

English speaking topics on daily life and personal experiences are important because they allow you to effectively communicate your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in various social situations. It helps you connect with others, share your stories, and build stronger relationships in both personal and professional settings. The following table lists some English speaking practice topics to hone your spoken English on in your daily life and gives some example sentences.

1. My Morning Routine

Sentence 1: "Every morning, I start my day with a refreshing cup of coffee."

Sentence 2: "I like to go for a jog in the park as part of my morning routine."

2. A Memorable Family Vacation

Sentence 1: "During our family vacation to Nainital, we enjoyed looking at the mountains."

Sentence 2: "One of the most memorable family vacations was when we visited the Taj Mahal."

3. My Favorite Hobby or Pastime

Sentence 1: "In my free time, I enjoy playing the guitar and composing my own music."

Sentence 2: "One of my favorite hobbies is gardening, and I love growing flowers and vegetables in my backyard."

4. A Childhood Memory

Sentence 1: "One of my fondest childhood memories is building sandcastles at the beach with my siblings."

Sentence 2: "I still remember the excitement of my first day of school as a child."

5. Cooking Adventures and Favorite Recipes

Sentence 1: "Last weekend, I tried a new recipe for homemade pizza, and it turned out delicious."

Sentence 2: "I enjoy experimenting with different spices and creating unique dishes in the kitchen."

Click the button below to practice topics 1-1 with an expert speaker.

Practicing English to talk about your hobbies and interests helps you communicate your passions and connect with others who share similar interests, leading to meaningful conversations and new friendships. Feel free to choose any of these topics as a starting point for engaging English conversations about your hobbies and interests.

1. Photography

Statement 1: "I love capturing beautiful landscapes during sunset."

Statement 2: "Photography allows me to express my creativity through images."

2. Playing a Musical Instrument

Statement 1: "I have been practicing the guitar for five years now."

Statement 2: "Playing the piano helps me relax and unwind after a long day."

3. Painting and Artistic Expression

Statement 1: "I enjoy experimenting with different painting techniques."

Statement 2: "Art allows me to express my emotions and thoughts visually."

4. Gardening

Statement 1: "I have a small vegetable garden where I grow my own produce."

Statement 2: "Taking care of plants brings me a sense of joy and fulfillment."

5. Cooking and Culinary Adventures

Statement 1: "I love trying out new recipes from different cuisines."

Statement 2: "Cooking allows me to explore my creativity in the kitchen."

what is education topic in english

Talking in English about travel and adventure helps you share your exciting experiences, explore new places, and have conversations that ignite a sense of curiosity and cultural discovery.

1. Trekking in the Himalayas

Sentence 1: "I recently trekked to Everest Base Camp in the Himalayas. The views were amazing!"

Sentence 2: "I hiked in Himachal Pradesh and saw beautiful snow-capped mountains."

2. Wildlife Safari in Indian National Parks

Sentence 1: "I went to Ranthambore National Park and saw a Bengal tiger."

Sentence 2: "Jim Corbett National Park was thrilling with elephants and leopards."

3. Exploring the Backwaters of Kerala

Sentence 1: "I cruised through Kerala's backwaters on a houseboat, it was peaceful."

Sentence 2: "I loved the landscapes and meeting locals along the backwaters in Kerala."

4. Heritage Sites and Monuments in Rajasthan

Sentence 1: "The Amber Fort in Jaipur was impressive, and I enjoyed exploring Rajasthan's history."

Sentence 2: "Seeing the Taj Mahal in Agra was a dream come true, it's a beautiful monument."

5. Beach Destinations in Goa

Sentence 1: "I relaxed and tried water sports on the beaches of Goa like Calangute and Baga."

Sentence 2: "Goa has a lively nightlife with beach parties and live music."

Photo by: Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash

Practicing English for speaking about education and learning allows you to discuss various subjects, gain knowledge, and express your ideas. It helps improve intellectual growth and build effective communication skills. Here are 50 simple English speaking topics on learning and education for English learners to practice:

1. I enjoy reading books and learning new things.

2. My favorite subject in school is science because I love conducting experiments.

3. I like to solve puzzles and brain teasers to improve my critical thinking skills.

4. Learning English is important for communication with people from different countries.

5. I often watch educational videos online to expand my knowledge.

6. Math is challenging, but I find it interesting to solve problems.

7. I practice writing in English by keeping a journal and writing about my daily experiences.

8. I listen to English podcasts to improve my listening skills.

9. I ask questions in class to clarify my understanding of the topic.

10. Group discussions help me to express my ideas and opinions confidently.

11. I use flashcards to memorize vocabulary words and their meanings.

12. I enjoy learning about different cultures and traditions from around the world.

13. I participate in debates to enhance my persuasive speaking skills.

14. I watch English movies with subtitles to improve my language comprehension.

15. I use language learning apps to practice English grammar and vocabulary.

16. I practice pronunciation by listening to native English speakers and repeating after them.

17. I take notes during lectures to help me remember important information.

18. I read news articles in English to stay updated on current events.

19. I attend English conversation clubs to practice speaking with others.

20. I set achievable goals to track my progress in language learning.

21. I use online language exchange platforms to practice speaking with native English speakers.

22. I enjoy learning through hands-on activities and experiments.

23. I challenge myself to read books that are slightly above my current reading level.

24. I use mnemonic techniques to remember difficult words or concepts.

25. I practice English speaking with a language partner over video calls.

26. I use online resources to improve my English grammar and writing skills.

27. I participate in language competitions to showcase my language proficiency.

28. I watch TED Talks in English to learn about various topics and improve listening skills.

29. I write essays on different subjects to enhance my writing skills.

30. I create flashcards with pictures to associate them with English words.

31. I join English language clubs or communities to practice speaking in a supportive environment.

32. I use English-language news websites to read articles and improve reading comprehension.

33. I practice English pronunciation by recording my voice and listening for improvement.

34. I use language-learning apps that provide interactive exercises for grammar and vocabulary.

35. I participate in role-playing activities to practice real-life English conversations.

36. I watch English TV shows or movies with subtitles to improve listening and reading skills.

37. I challenge myself to learn at least five new English words every day.

38. I practice listening to English songs and try to understand the lyrics.

39. I read children's books in English to build vocabulary and improve reading fluency.

40. I use English language-learning websites to access resources and practice exercises.

41. I watch educational YouTube channels to learn new concepts and improve language skills.

42. I practice summarizing articles or stories in English to improve reading comprehension.

43. I join online forums or discussion boards to interact with other English learners.

44. I use English-language apps for daily vocabulary exercises and word games.

45. I listen to English podcasts or audiobooks while commuting or doing household chores.

46. I practice speaking English in front of a mirror to work on pronunciation and fluency.

47. I use language learning websites to connect with language exchange partners around the world.

48. I write short stories in English to practice creativity and storytelling skills.

49. I practice giving presentations in English to improve public speaking abilities.

50. I take English language lessons.

what is education topic in english

Engaging in English conversations about health and wellness enables you to explore topics related to well-being, share experiences, and learn about strategies to maintain a healthy lifestyle, promoting overall physical and mental wellness. Here are 50 English speaking topics related to health and wellness for English learners:

1. I try to eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

2. I go for a walk every day to stay active and improve my fitness.

3. Drinking enough water is important for staying hydrated and maintaining good health.

4. I like to practice yoga to relax my mind and stretch my body.

5. It's important to get enough sleep to rejuvenate our bodies and minds.

6. I enjoy going for a jog in the park to get some fresh air and exercise.

7. I try to limit my intake of sugary foods and drinks for better dental health.

8. Meditation helps me to reduce stress and improve my mental well-being.

9. Regular exercise is essential for maintaining a healthy weight and boosting energy levels.

10. I make sure to wash my hands thoroughly to prevent the spread of germs and infections.

11. I take breaks from sitting and stretch my body to prevent stiffness and improve circulation.

12. Eating a nutritious breakfast helps me start the day with energy and focus.

13. I enjoy spending time in nature as it promotes relaxation and reduces stress.

14. I practice deep breathing exercises to calm my mind and reduce anxiety.

15. Taking regular breaks from screens and technology is important for eye health.

16. I try to include a variety of colorful vegetables in my meals for a range of nutrients.

17. I practice mindfulness to stay present and appreciate the little joys in life.

18. Adequate rest and relaxation are crucial for overall health and well-being.

19. I try to avoid processed foods and opt for whole, natural foods instead.

20. Daily stretching helps to improve flexibility and prevent muscle tightness.

21. I make sure to wear sunscreen when I go outside to protect my skin from harmful UV rays.

22. Getting regular check-ups with the doctor helps me monitor my health and catch any issues early.

23. I enjoy listening to calming music to unwind and reduce stress.

24. I like to try new healthy recipes to keep my meals interesting and nutritious.

25. Spending time with loved ones and engaging in social activities positively impacts mental health.

26. I practice good posture to prevent back pain and maintain a healthy spine.

27. I try to incorporate at least 30 minutes of physical activity into my daily routine.

28. I limit my intake of sugary beverages and opt for water or herbal tea instead.

29. I prioritize self-care activities like taking a warm bath or practicing self-reflection.

30. I avoid smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke for better respiratory health.

31. I make time for hobbies and activities that bring me joy and reduce stress.

32. I aim to get at least 8 hours of quality sleep each night for optimal rest and recovery.

33. I practice positive affirmations to boost self-confidence and maintain a positive mindset.

34. I choose stairs over elevators whenever possible to incorporate more movement into my day.

35. I practice good oral hygiene by brushing my teeth twice a day and flossing regularly.

36. I try to limit my screen time before bed to promote better sleep quality.

37. I engage in regular cardiovascular exercises like cycling or swimming for a healthy heart.

38. I take breaks from work or studying to give my mind a chance to rest and recharge.

39. I enjoy practicing a hobby like painting or playing an instrument for creative expression.

40. I try to manage stress through techniques like journaling, deep breathing, or meditation.

41. I choose whole grains over refined grains for better nutrition and sustained energy.

42. I listen to my body's hunger and fullness cues to maintain a balanced approach to eating.

43. I practice gratitude by acknowledging and appreciating the positive aspects of my life.

. I make time for leisure activities that help me relax and unwind, like reading or gardening.

45. I try to include regular strength training exercises to build muscle and improve overall fitness.

46. I use natural remedies and essential oils for minor ailments and to support my well-being.

47. I limit my consumption of processed snacks and opt for healthier alternatives like nuts or fruits.

48. I engage in activities that challenge my mind, such as puzzles or learning a new language.

49. I try to maintain a positive support network of friends and family for emotional well-being.

50. I practice deep relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation, to reduce tension and promote calmness.

Let's now move on to the rather exciting English speaking topics for beginners in the field of culture and entertainment.

Talking in English about culture and entertainment allows you to discuss various aspects of art, music, movies, traditions, and customs. It helps you appreciate different cultures, share your interests, and learn about diverse forms of entertainment.

1. Traditional Festivals and Celebrations

Sentence 1: "During Diwali, people light lamps and celebrate with fireworks to symbolize the victory of light over darkness."

Sentence 2: "Holi is a colorful festival where people play with water and colored powders to celebrate the arrival of spring."

2. Music and Dance

Sentence 1: "Bollywood music is popular in India and many people enjoy dancing to its energetic beats."

Sentence 2: "Classical Indian dance forms, like Bharatanatyam and Kathak, are known for their graceful movements and expressions."

3. Indian Cuisine

Sentence 1: "Indian cuisine is known for its rich flavors and spices, such as curry, biryani, and masala chai."

Sentence 2: "Popular Indian dishes include samosas, butter chicken, and dosas, which are enjoyed by people around the world."

4. Traditional Clothing and Fashion

Sentence 1: "Saris are traditional Indian garments worn by women, while men often wear kurta-pajama for special occasions."

Sentence 2: "The vibrant colors and intricate designs of Indian textiles make them unique and admired globally."

5. Indian Cinema and Bollywood

Sentence 1: "Bollywood movies are popular in India and feature a mix of drama, romance, music, and dance."

Sentence 2: "Actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan have a huge fan following and are known for their iconic performances."

Now that we have covered culture and entertainment, let us shift our focus to learning some English speaking topics for beginners in career and professional development. Many of us face

what is education topic in english

You can discuss topics related to job skills, career growth, networking, and personal success. It helps you gain insights, learn from others' experiences, and explore opportunities for professional advancement. Here are 50 simple English speaking practice topics related to the field of career and professional development for English learners:

1. I am working on improving my communication skills to excel in my career.

2. I believe setting clear goals is important for professional success.

3. I enjoy attending workshops and seminars to enhance my knowledge and skills.

4. Networking is a valuable tool for expanding professional connections and opportunities.

5. I am developing my leadership abilities to advance in my career.

6. Continuous learning is essential for staying updated in today's competitive job market.

7. I am exploring different career paths to find the one that aligns with my passions.

8. Time management skills are crucial for maintaining productivity and meeting deadlines.

9. Building a strong professional network can open doors to new career opportunities.

10. I am working on improving my problem-solving skills to overcome challenges at work.

11. Professional development courses help me stay relevant and grow in my field.

12. I believe in the importance of seeking feedback to improve my performance.

13. I am honing my presentation skills to confidently deliver impactful presentations.

14. Developing a positive work ethic is key to achieving long-term career success.

15. I am learning to adapt to change and embrace new technologies in my industry.

16. I am researching different companies and industries to find the right career fit.

17. Effective teamwork is essential for accomplishing goals and fostering a positive work environment.

18. Developing strong negotiation skills can lead to successful outcomes in business.

19. I am working on enhancing my problem-solving abilities to tackle complex tasks.

20. I believe in the power of lifelong learning for personal and professional growth.

21. I am improving my resume and cover letter writing skills to stand out in job applications.

22. Developing strong time management skills helps me stay organized and meet deadlines.

23. I am seeking mentors in my field to guide and support my career growth.

24. Continuous self-improvement is important for advancing in my chosen profession.

25. I am gaining industry-specific knowledge through online courses and certifications.

26. I am attending career fairs to explore job opportunities and network with potential employers.

27. Effective communication skills are vital for building strong professional relationships.

28. I am developing my critical thinking skills to make informed decisions in my career.

29. I believe in the importance of maintaining a work-life balance for overall well-being.

30. I am enhancing my problem-solving skills by seeking innovative solutions to challenges.

31. Professional development workshops provide valuable insights and skills for career growth.

32. I am practicing active listening to better understand colleagues and clients.

33. I am improving my organizational skills to increase productivity and efficiency at work.

34. Effective time management allows me to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.

35. I believe in the power of continuous learning to stay ahead in my career.

36. I am developing my networking skills to connect with professionals in my industry.

37. I am researching potential employers to find companies that align with my career goals.

38. Building a strong personal brand can enhance my professional reputation.

39. I am seeking opportunities to take on leadership roles and develop my management skills.

40. I am working on improving my public speaking skills for effective presentations.

41. I am expanding my knowledge through reading industry-related books and articles.

42. I am developing my problem-solving abilities to overcome obstacles in my career.

43. I believe in the importance of adapting to change to thrive in today's dynamic work environment.

44. I am seeking feedback from supervisors and colleagues to grow and improve in my role.

45. I am exploring different career paths to find the one that aligns with my strengths and interests.

46. Continuous professional development helps me stay updated in my field and improve my skills.

47. I am enhancing my interpersonal skills to build strong relationships

with coworkers and clients.

48. I believe in the power of setting ambitious goals to drive my career growth.

49. I am improving my teamwork and collaboration skills to contribute effectively to group projects.

50. I am developing a growth mindset to embrace challenges and seek opportunities for learning.

Some of these English topics for speaking can help you prepare for interview or job-related situations. You can also read this blog for some additional guidance on presentations in the workplace. 

To conclude, personalized coaching and guidance are crucial for new English learners seeking to improve their speaking skills. By exploring various topics and joining a reputable spoken English tutoring program , individuals can enhance their language development significantly. At Clapingo , we offer 1:1 personalized attention and instruction in your native language, ensuring a comfortable and effective learning experience. Take the next step in your language journey and book a demo with Clapingo today. Our experienced tutors are ready to help you build confidence and fluency in your English conversations. Don't miss this opportunity to unlock your full potential - schedule your demo with Clapingo now!

Which topic is the best for speaking English?

The best English topic for speaking depends on your interests and knowledge. Choose a topic that encourages discussion and select topics with relevant vocabulary for your needs.

What can I talk about for 5 minutes?

For a 5-minute conversation, you can talk about various topics such as a quick personal introduction, sharing a memorable travel experience, discussing a favorite book or movie, describing a hobby or interest, or talking about a recent news article.

How can I practice English speaking daily?

You can practice English speaking daily by engaging in conversations with native speakers or language partners, joining English-speaking clubs or communities, watching movies, TV shows, or listening to podcasts in English, using language learning apps or websites, and practicing speaking aloud while doing everyday tasks.

How can I improve my English speaking conversation?

You can improve your English speaking conversation by focusing on pronunciation and intonation, building vocabulary through reading and word games, using idioms and expressions to sound more natural, practicing active listening and responding appropriately, and seeking feedback and learning from your mistakes.

You may also want to read.

​ How to Improve English Speaking Fluency ​

improve my english speaking

English fluently

english fluency

English speaking topics

Free Leadership Course Delivered to Your Email

Learn to speak English like leader. Get our Leadership course at NO COST.

Clapingo connects you with fluent and dynamic English Speakers from India with diverse backgrounds and professions. Practice English conversation over live video calls. Transform your English speaking skills by talking to excellent English speakers over 1-on-1 video calls.

You may also want to read

Crafting Engaging Sentences: Mastering the Structure of Present Continuous Tense

Crafting Engaging Sentences: Mastering the Structure of Present Continuous Tense

Past Continuous Exercises

Exploring the Wisdom of Tamil and English Proverbs

Exploring the Wisdom of Tamil and English Proverbs

proverbs examples in english

Mastering Singular and Plural Nouns: Your Ultimate Guide

Mastering Singular and Plural Nouns: Your Ultimate Guide

Singular vs Plural Examples

Previous Post

StatAnalytica

129 List Of Research Topics In English Language Teaching [updated]

List Of Research Topics In English Language Teaching

English Language Teaching (ELT) is a field dedicated to teaching English to non-native speakers. It’s important because English is a global language used for communication, business, and education worldwide. Research in ELT helps improve teaching methods, making it easier for students to learn English effectively. This blog will explore a list of research topics in English language teaching.

What Are The Areas Of Research In English Language Teaching?

Table of Contents

Research in English Language Teaching (ELT) encompasses a wide range of areas, including:

  • Language Learning: Understanding how people learn English well, like when they learn a new language and if there’s a best time to do it.
  • Teaching Ways: Looking into different ways teachers teach, like using conversations, tasks, or mixing language with other subjects.
  • Curriculum Design and Syllabus Development: Designing and evaluating language curricula and syllabi to meet the needs of diverse learners and contexts.
  • Assessment and Evaluation: Developing and validating assessment tools, exploring alternative assessment methods, and investigating the effectiveness of feedback and error correction strategies.
  • Technology in ELT: Exploring the integration of technology in language teaching and learning, including computer-assisted language learning (CALL), mobile-assisted language learning (MALL), and online learning platforms.
  • Teacher Education and Professional Development: Investigating pre-service and in-service teacher education programs, reflective practices, and challenges in teacher training.
  • Cultural and Sociolinguistic Aspects: Examining the role of culture in language teaching and learning, sociolinguistic competence, and addressing cultural diversity in the classroom.
  • Learner Diversity and Inclusive Practices: Researching teaching strategies for diverse learners, including young learners, learners with learning disabilities, and learners from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
  • Policy and Planning in ELT: Analyzing language policies at national and international levels, exploring the implementation of ELT programs, and examining the role of ELT in national development.
  • Research Methodologies in ELT: Investigating qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research approaches in ELT research, including action research conducted by teachers in their own classrooms.
  • Future Trends and Innovations: Exploring emerging trends and innovations in ELT, such as the impact of globalization, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in language learning, and innovative teaching strategies.

129 List Of Research Topics In English Language Teaching: Category Wise

Language acquisition and development.

  • Second Language Acquisition Theories: Explore different theories explaining how learners acquire a second language.
  • Critical Period Hypothesis: Investigate the idea of an optimal age range for language acquisition.
  • Multilingualism and Language Development: Study how knowing multiple languages affects language development.
  • Cognitive and Affective Factors in Language Learning: Examine the role of cognitive abilities and emotions in language learning.
  • Language Learning Strategies: Investigate the strategies learners use to acquire and develop language skills.
  • Input Hypothesis: Explore the role of comprehensible input in language acquisition.
  • Interaction Hypothesis: Examine the importance of interaction in language learning.
  • Fossilization in Second Language Learning: Study why some learners reach a plateau in their language development.

Teaching Methodologies and Approaches

  • Communicative Language Teaching (CLT): Analyze the effectiveness of CLT in promoting communication skills.
  • Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT): Explore the use of real-world tasks to teach language.
  • Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL): Investigate teaching subject content through English.
  • Blended Learning in ELT: Study the integration of traditional and online teaching methods.
  • Audio-Lingual Method: Assess the effectiveness of drills and repetition in language teaching.
  • Grammar-Translation Method: Compare traditional grammar-focused methods with communicative approaches.
  • Lexical Approach: Explore teaching vocabulary as a key component of language proficiency.
  • Suggestopedia: Investigate the use of relaxation techniques to enhance language learning.

Curriculum Design and Syllabus Development

  • Needs Analysis in ELT: Identify the language needs of learners and design appropriate curricula.
  • Integrating Language Skills in Curriculum: Examine strategies for integrating reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.
  • Syllabus Types: Compare different types of syllabi, such as structural and task-based.
  • Task-Based Syllabus Design: Design syllabi based on real-world tasks to promote language acquisition.
  • Content-Based Instruction (CBI): Integrate language learning with academic content in syllabus design.
  • Needs Analysis in Specific Contexts: Conduct needs analyses for learners in specific professional or academic contexts.
  • Cross-Cultural Communication in Curriculum Design: Incorporate intercultural communication skills into language curricula.

Assessment and Evaluation

  • Standardized Testing in ELT: Evaluate the reliability and validity of standardized English language tests.
  • Alternative Assessment Approaches: Explore non-traditional assessment methods like portfolios and self-assessment.
  • Feedback Strategies in Language Learning: Investigate effective feedback techniques for improving language proficiency.
  • Washback Effect of Testing: Study how assessment practices influence teaching and learning.
  • Authentic Assessment in ELT: Develop assessment tasks that mirror real-life language use situations.
  • Portfolio Assessment: Investigate the use of portfolios to track language learning progress over time.
  • Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT): Evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of adaptive testing methods in ELT.

Technology in ELT

  • Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL): Assess the impact of computer-based language learning programs.
  • Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL): Study the effectiveness of mobile devices in language learning.
  • Online Learning Platforms for ELT: Analyze the features and usability of online platforms for language education.
  • Virtual Reality (VR) in Language Learning: Explore immersive VR environments for language practice and instruction.
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tutoring Systems: Assess the effectiveness of AI-based tutors in providing personalized language instruction.
  • Social Media in Language Learning: Study the role of social media platforms in informal language learning contexts.
  • Gamification in ELT: Investigate the use of game elements to enhance engagement and motivation in language learning.

Teacher Education and Professional Development

  • Pre-service Teacher Education Programs: Evaluate the effectiveness of teacher training programs.
  • Reflective Practice in Teaching: Investigate how teachers reflect on their practice to improve teaching.
  • Challenges in Teacher Education: Identify challenges faced by educators in training and development.
  • Teacher Beliefs and Practices: Examine how teachers’ beliefs about language learning influence their instructional practices.
  • Peer Observation in Teacher Development: Explore the benefits of peer observation and feedback for teacher professional growth.
  • Mentoring Programs for New Teachers: Evaluate the effectiveness of mentoring programs in supporting novice teachers.
  • Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Models: Compare different models of CPD for language teachers and their impact on teaching quality.

Cultural and Sociolinguistic Aspects

  • Language and Culture Interrelationship: Explore the relationship between language and culture in ELT.
  • Sociolinguistic Competence and Pragmatics: Study how social context influences language use and understanding.
  • Gender and Identity in Language Learning: Investigate how gender identity affects language learning experiences.
  • Intercultural Competence in Language Teaching: Develop strategies for promoting intercultural communicative competence in language learners.
  • Language Policy and Minority Language Education: Analyze the impact of language policies on the education of minority language speakers.
  • Gender and Language Learning Strategies: Investigate gender differences in language learning strategies and their implications for instruction.
  • Code-Switching in Multilingual Classrooms: Study the role of code-switching in language learning and classroom interaction.

Learner Diversity and Inclusive Practices

  • Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL): Examine effective teaching strategies for children learning English.
  • Addressing Learning Disabilities in ELT: Investigate methods for supporting learners with disabilities in language learning.
  • ELT for Specific Purposes (ESP): Explore specialized English language instruction for specific fields.
  • Differentiated Instruction in Language Teaching: Develop strategies for addressing diverse learner needs in the language classroom.
  • Inclusive Pedagogies for Learners with Special Educational Needs: Design instructional approaches that accommodate learners with disabilities in language learning.
  • Language Learning Strategies of Autistic Learners: Investigate effective language learning strategies for individuals on the autism spectrum.
  • Language Identity and Learner Motivation: Explore the relationship between language identity and motivation in language learning.

Policy and Planning in ELT

  • National and International Language Policies: Analyze policies governing English language education at different levels.
  • ELT Program Implementation Challenges: Identify challenges in implementing ELT programs in diverse contexts.
  • Role of ELT in National Development: Examine the contribution of English language education to national development goals.
  • English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) Policies: Analyze the impact of EMI policies on educational equity and access.
  • Language Teacher Recruitment and Deployment Policies: Evaluate policies related to the recruitment and deployment of language teachers in diverse contexts.
  • Language Assessment Policy Reform: Propose reforms to language assessment policies to promote fairness and validity.
  • Biliteracy Development Policies: Study policies aimed at promoting biliteracy development among bilingual learners.

Research Methodologies in ELT

  • Qualitative Research Methods in ELT: Explore qualitative approaches like interviews and case studies in ELT research.
  • Quantitative Research Methods in ELT: Investigate quantitative methods such as surveys and experiments in language education research.
  • Mixed-Methods Approaches in ELT Research: Combine qualitative and quantitative methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of research questions.
  • Ethnographic Approaches to ELT Research: Conduct ethnographic studies to explore language learning and teaching in naturalistic settings.
  • Case Study Research in Language Education: Investigate specific language learning contexts or programs through in-depth case studies.
  • Corpus Linguistics in ELT Research: Analyze language use patterns and learner language production using corpus linguistic methods.
  • Longitudinal Studies of Language Learning: Follow language learners over an extended period to examine developmental trajectories and factors influencing language acquisition.

Future Trends and Innovations

  • Emerging Technologies in ELT: Study the integration of technologies like AI and VR in language teaching.
  • Innovations in Teaching Strategies: Explore new approaches to teaching language, such as flipped classrooms and gamification.
  • Future Directions in ELT Research: Investigate potential areas for future research in English language teaching.
  • Wearable Technology in Language Learning: Explore the potential of wearable devices for delivering personalized language instruction.
  • Data Analytics for Adaptive Learning: Develop data-driven approaches to adaptive learning in language education.
  • Augmented Reality (AR) Applications in ELT: Design AR-enhanced language learning experiences for immersive language practice.
  • Global Citizenship Education and Language Learning: Investigate the role of language education in fostering global citizenship skills.
  • Eco-Linguistics and Language Education: Explore the intersection of language education and environmental sustainability.
  • Metacognition and Language Learning: Explore how learners’ awareness of their own learning processes affects language acquisition.
  • Peer Interaction in Language Learning: Investigate the role of peer collaboration and discussion in promoting language development.
  • Heritage Language Education: Study strategies for maintaining and revitalizing heritage languages among immigrant and minority communities.
  • Language Learning Motivation in Adolescents: Examine factors influencing motivation and engagement in adolescent language learners.
  • Phonological Awareness in Language Learning: Investigate the role of phonological awareness in literacy development for language learners.
  • Pragmatic Development in Language Learners: Explore how learners acquire pragmatic competence and understanding of language use in context.
  • Digital Literacies and Language Learning: Examine how digital literacy skills contribute to language proficiency and communication in the digital age.
  • Critical Language Awareness: Investigate approaches to developing learners’ critical awareness of language use and power dynamics.
  • Language Teacher Identity: Study how language teachers’ identities shape their beliefs, practices, and interactions in the classroom.
  • Collaborative Learning in Language Education: Explore the benefits and challenges of collaborative learning environments for language learners.
  • Motivational Strategies in Language Teaching: Develop and evaluate motivational techniques to enhance student engagement and persistence in language learning.
  • Heritage Language Maintenance: Investigate factors influencing the maintenance and transmission of heritage languages across generations.
  • Phonics Instruction in Language Learning: Examine the effectiveness of phonics-based approaches for teaching reading and pronunciation.
  • Language Policy Implementation: Analyze the challenges and successes of implementing language policies at the institutional, regional, and national levels.
  • Language Teacher Cognition: Explore language teachers’ beliefs, knowledge, and decision-making processes in the classroom.
  • Intercultural Communicative Competence: Develop strategies for fostering learners’ ability to communicate effectively across cultures.
  • Critical Pedagogy in Language Education: Explore approaches to teaching language that promote critical thinking, social justice, and equity.
  • Language Learning Strategies for Autodidacts: Investigate effective self-directed learning strategies for language learners outside formal educational settings.
  • Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in Higher Education: Examine the implementation and outcomes of CLIL programs in tertiary education.
  • Sociocultural Theory and Language Learning: Explore how social and cultural factors influence language acquisition and development.
  • Language Socialization: Investigate how individuals learn language within social and cultural contexts, including family, peer groups, and communities.
  • Speech Perception and Language Learning: Examine the relationship between speech perception abilities and language proficiency in second language learners.
  • Genre-Based Approaches to Language Teaching: Explore the use of genre analysis and genre-based pedagogy to teach language skills in context.
  • Learner Autonomy in Language Learning: Investigate strategies for promoting learner autonomy and independence in language education.
  • Multimodal Literacy in Language Learning: Examine the integration of multiple modes of communication, such as text, image, and sound, in language instruction.
  • Community-Based Language Learning: Study language learning initiatives that engage learners with their local communities and resources.
  • English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) Communication: Explore the use of English as a global means of communication among speakers from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

Research in English Language Teaching covers a wide range of topics, from language acquisition theories to the impact of technology on learning. By exploring these topics (from a list of research topics in english language teaching), we can improve how English is taught and learned, making it more effective and accessible for everyone.

Continuous research and collaboration among educators, researchers, and policymakers are essential for the ongoing development of ELT.

Related Posts

best way to finance car

Step by Step Guide on The Best Way to Finance Car

how to get fund for business

The Best Way on How to Get Fund For Business to Grow it Efficiently

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Alternatives

140 Best English Topics For Discussion That Everyone Love

Astrid Tran • 06 October, 2023 • 13 min read

What are English Topics for Discussion that you commonly talk over with your friends or co-workers? 

English is one of the dominant languages in international communication, and there is no better way to master your English than by practicing group discussion. But, starting a discussion is not easy, it should be an exciting or appealing topic that can help get the conversation started and motivate everyone to join. 

If you are looking for more awesome group discussion topics for spoken English activities, here are 140 Best English Topics For Discussion that won't disappoint you. 

English topics for discussion

Table of Contents

English topics for discussion - free talk topics, fun english topics for discussion for kids in class.

  • English Topics For Discussion - Free conversation topics for adults

Simple English Topics For Discussion

Intermediate english topics for discussion, advanced english topics for discussion, english topics for discussion at work.

  • Frequently Asked Questions

Key Takeaways

Tips for better engagement.

  • Topics to Argue About
  • Controversial Opinions

Alternative Text

Start in seconds.

Get free student debates templates. Sign up for free and take what you want from the template library!

One effective way to overcome the challenge of English speaking is through free talk sessions, where you can discuss a variety of topics in a relaxed and supportive environment. Easy, serious, and funny subjects to discuss in English. Here are 20 top free talk ideas of English Topics For Discussion.

1. What are your favorite hobbies and why?

2. Do you believe in the concept of "love at first sight"?

3. What are your thoughts on climate change and how can we address it?

4. Have you ever traveled to another country? Share your experience.

5. How has social media impacted your life?

6. What is your favorite type of music and why?

7. What qualities do you value most in a friend?

8. What is your favorite book and why?

9. Do you prefer to live in the city or the countryside? Why?

10. What are your thoughts on the education system?

11. What are your favorite foods and why?

12. Do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life?

13. When is the best time to sleep?

14. How important is family to you?

15. What is your favorite way to relax and unwind?

16. When is the best occasion to say thank you?

17. What are your favorite places to visit in your hometown or country?

18. What is your dream job and why?

19. What are your thoughts on artificial intelligence and its impact on society?

20. What are your favorite childhood memories?

Brainwriting

When it comes to spoken English classes for kids, it's important to make the topics both engaging and fun. Children can get bored quickly, so having interesting topics for group discussion is crucial. If you are out of ideas, Check out these 20 amazing ideas for Fun English Topics For Discussion in primary school.

21. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

22. What is your favorite color and why?

23. How long do you think it would take you to become an expert at your favorite hobby or skill?

24. Do you prefer reading books or watching movies? Why?

25. Have you ever played a video game that you really enjoyed?

26. What is your favorite food and why?

27. If you could visit any country in the world, where would you go and why?

28. What is your favorite sport or activity to do and why?

29. Have you ever been on a family vacation that you really liked?

30. Who is your favorite fictional character and why?

31. Why do you hate history?

32. Do you have a favorite animal?

33. What is your favorite thing to do on a rainy day and why?

34. What does it mean by everyday heroes?

35. What is the point of museums?

36. When is your favorite time of year, and why?

37. Why do you want to have a pet?

38. Are Halloween costumes too scary?

39. When was the last time you went on a fun adventure, and what did you do?

40. Why is Super Mario so popular?

Related: 15 Best Educational Games for Kids in 2023

English Topics For Discussion - Free Conversation Topics for Adults

What do young adults like to discuss? There are thousands of discussion topics for adults learning English that range from small talk, sports, leisure, personal issues, social issues, jobs, and everything that matters. You can refer to this ultimate list of the 20 best free conversation topics as follows:

41. What can we do to reduce our impact on the environment?

42. How can we better support those struggling with mental health issues?

43. Why do we choose to text instead of talk?

44. How can we better support and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights?

45. How can we break down the stigma surrounding mental health and encourage more open conversation?

46. Man vs beast: Who is more efficient?

47. Island life: Is it paradise?

48. What are the potential benefits and risks of AI and how can we manage them?

49. How can we promote body positivity and self-acceptance for women of all shapes, sizes, and appearances?

50. What are some effective skincare routines for different skin types?

51. What are some tips for maintaining healthy nails and achieving a great manicure?

52. How can we achieve a natural makeup look that enhances our features without being too heavy?

53. What are some of the challenges and rewards of motherhood, and how can we support each other through this journey?

54. How to talk to a climate denier?

55. Do you care if you're poor when you're old?

56. How can we better support and care for the aging population in our society?

57. What are your favourite sports to watch or play, and Who are your favourite athletes or teams? What do you think about the latest games or matches?

58. What are the best restaurants for couples, and can you share some of your top recommendations?

59. What is your fitness routine like, and are there any tips to keep fit and attractive?

60. Do you have any recommendations for must-have tech gear?

Related: 140 Conversation Topics That Work In Every Situation (+ Tips)

what is education topic in english

Choosing suitable English topics for discussion for beginners is important as it can greatly impact their language learning experience. If you want to practice your speaking skills and build confidence, some basic conversation questions in English about food, travel, and pop culture can be a good start. Let's see some simple topics in English below:

61. What is your favorite cuisine and why? Have you tried any new dishes recently?

62. Why do we forget the things we learn?

63. Can music mend a broken heart?

64. Is this the era of distrust?

65. Do our pets care about us?

66. Do you have any dietary restrictions or preferences, and how do you manage them when eating out?

67. Have you ever experienced culture shock while traveling? How did you deal with it?

68. What are your thoughts on social media influencers and their impact on popular culture?

69. Do you have any family recipes that have been passed down through generations? What's the story behind them?

70. Have you ever tried cooking a new recipe that you found online? How did it turn out?

71. Do trees have memories?

72. What do you like to do in your free time? Do you have any hobbies or interests?

73. Is talking on the phone embarrassing?

74. Are opinion polls accurate?

75. Can VR treat fears and phobias?

76. When is the best time to have an apple?

77. Do you like to go shopping? What's your favorite store to shop at and why?

78. Does punctuation matter?

79. Doomscrolling: Why do we do it?

80. Do we read to show off?

  • 60+ English Slang Words in 2023
  • 300++ Random English Words – Updated in 2023

Now, it is the time to level up your discussion topics, try to find more serious topic questions that can help you to improve your English. Pushing yourself to tackle difficult topics will not only expand your vocabulary and language skills but also help you develop a deeper understanding of the world around you. If you need English discussion topics for the intermediate level, here are 20 interesting topics to discuss in classes that might give you a surprise. 

81. What do you think are the benefits of studying abroad?

82. What can we do to reduce our impact on the environment?

83. Should healthcare be free for everyone?

84. What are the most pressing social issues in your country, and what can be done to address them?

85. To what extent, has globalization impacted your country's culture and traditions?

86. What are the most important political issues facing your country today?

87. Are we likely to reduce income inequality in society in the next decade?

88. Social media has negative and positive impacts on humans, to what extent do you agree?

89. Are bucket lists always a good thing?

90. Is it possible for your eyes to predict your personality?

91. How do couples overcome challenges in their long-term relationships?

92. Are you at risk from online fraud?

93. What are the most important events or figures in your country's history, and why are they significant?

94. Could you give up booze for a month?

95. Is it possible to address gender inequality and promote gender equity in our society?

96. Is it rising popularity of the comfy shoe?

97. Rhetoric: How persuasive are you?

98. Where are you in the next ten years?

99. Is it a good idea to have a tattoo?

100. How does art contribute to our understanding of the world around us?

Related: 95++ Fun Questions to Ask Students of All Ages

BONUS : What's more? If you find English too hard to learn, and having a discussion in English isn't your best choice, try other types of games and quizzes. Set up brainstorming activities via AhaSlides to practice with your family, friends, tutors, and colleagues, and of course, have crazy fun at the same time.

Related: 12 Exciting ESL Classroom Games with Almost Zero Prep (for All Ages!)

what is education topic in english

Congratulations to all the English learners who have reached this level where you can talk about your likes and dislikes and topics that interest your friends. Now that you have a solid foundation in the language, why not challenge yourself with more advanced English speaking topics? You might find the following B1 conversation topics inspiring.

101. Perfume: what does your smell say about you?

102. How can individuals and organizations protect themselves from cyber threats, and what is the role of governments in this regard?

103. Could you be flexitarian?

104. Where are refugees coming from, and how can we address the root causes of displacement?

105. Why has political polarization increased in recent years, and what can we do to bridge the divide?

106. Who has access to healthcare, and what can be done to ensure that everyone has access to quality healthcare?

107. Hangry: are you angry when you're hungry?

108. How can we improve access to education, particularly in developing countries?

109. Why do cities make us rude?

110. What are the ethical implications of AI, and how can we ensure that it is developed and used responsibly?

111. What are the pros and cons of globalization, and how can we mitigate its negative effects?

112. Do you think you're invisible?

113. How can we balance the need for border security with the humanitarian imperative to help those seeking refuge?

114. How has social media changed our communication and social interactions, and what are the consequences of this shift?

115. What are the root causes of systemic racism, and what steps can we take to dismantle it?

116. Are smartphones killing cameras?

117. How can we achieve economic growth without compromising the environment, and what is the role of international cooperation in this regard?

118. What can't computers do?

119. Football songs: Why are crowds so quiet these days?

120. How can we address the challenges an aging population poses, particularly in developed countries?

English Topics For Discussion at Work

What are your interesting topics for discussion in English at work? Here are 20 business English conversation questions that you and your co-workers can bring to your discussion.

121. Who is responsible for maximizing productivity, and how can it be measured and improved? Why is diversity important in the workplace, and what steps can be taken to promote inclusivity?

122. When is the best time to hold team meetings?

123. What are your thoughts on a recent news story or event?

124. Who is responsible for supply chain management, and what strategies can be used to optimize the supply chain?

125. What are some effective ways to engage and motivate employees, and how can their performance be measured?

126. When should performance evaluations be conducted?

127. When should deadlines be set for projects?

128. Who is responsible for resolving conflicts in the workplace, and what strategies can be used to address them?

129. How long does it take for new employees to get up to speed and become fully productive?

130. How long does it take to implement new policies or procedures, and what are the steps involved in the process?

131. How can teams be built and strengthened to promote collaboration and productivity?

132. Why is ethical behavior important in business, and how can we ensure that our practices are ethical?

133. Is it appropriate to use humor in the workplace?

134. Do you believe that working remotely is as productive as working in the office?

135. Should employees be allowed to bring their pets to work?

136. When is the most appropriate time to give feedback to colleagues?

137. When is the best time to schedule training or professional development sessions?

138. What are the qualities of an effective leader, and how can these be developed?

139. Pedestrianization - is it good for cities and towns?

140. Should employees be allowed to bring their pets to work?

Frequently Asked Questions:

How can i talk like clever people.

1. Keep your spine straight, even when sitting or standing. 2. Concentrate on your listeners. 3. Keep your chin up. 4. Use figures for your points to be more convincing. 5. Speak clearly and loudly enough. 6. Don’t forget body language.

How can I think and talk fast?

Before participating in a discussion, prepare a brief story that you can hold onto and express your thoughts logically and smoothly. Plus, you can also repeat questions to have more time to consider and relieve pressure.

How can I make the conversation more interesting?

An exciting conversation means you focus on others, keep finding common perspectives, pose unique questions that surprise others, and try to deal with controversial topics skillfully.

What are some common examples of English topics for discussion in class or at the workplace? Don't be shy to speak out your opinions or thoughts even if you are not too familiar with English. Learning a new language is a journey, and making mistakes along the way is okay.

Ref: BBC Learning English

Astrid Tran

Astrid Tran

I've got my rhythm with words

Tips to Engage with Polls & Trivia

newsletter star

More from AhaSlides

349+ Random English Words | 2024 Reveal

ESL Topics For Kids

ESL Topics For Kids | 30 English Topics For Kids And Beginner Students

Whether you are teaching English online, or teaching English in South Korea, one of the big challenges when creating lessons is figuring out what ESL topics to teach. 

There are many topics that are typically found in young learner curricula.

You can also click on ESL lesson topic titles below to check out some of our free lesson materials that you can use in your English lessons.

30 ESL Topics For Kids

what is education topic in english

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

what is education topic in english

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

what is education topic in english

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

what is education topic in english

English Speech Topics for Students

what is education topic in english

  • Updated on  
  • Apr 2, 2024

english speech topics for students

Writing an exciting and thoughtful speech requires selecting a good topic, researching it thoroughly, and forming individual opinions to express the same. School students are usually asked to speak on a contemporary topic to help them become good public speakers as well as learn the art of expressing oneself in front of an audience. While many speech competitions often allot topics beforehand, you might also have heard of extempore where topics are given on the spot for speech. This blog brings you a list of common English speech topics as well as some helpful tips and tricks that can assist you in effectively expressing your thoughts and opinions in front of an audience. Before starting, we would like to give you one piece of advice: you can also Humanize AI to humanize these topics for better readability and human touch, if required. Let’s begin!

Checkout our 200+ Essay Topics for Students in English

This Blog Includes:

List of best english speech topics for students, 1-minute speech topics, 2-minute speech topics, 3-minute speech topics, easy topics for speech in english, english speech topics on environment, english speech topics on technology, english speech topics on independence day, english speech topics on diwali, english speech topics on corruption, english speech topics on feminism, english speech topics on mother’s day, english speaking topics on capitalism, engish speech topics on gandhi jayanti, english speech topics on reading, english speech topics on communism, english speech topics on deforestation, english speech topics on social issues, english speech topics on important days & events, english speech topics on greatest leaders in india & around the world, english speech topics on indian culture, english speech topics on proverbs, english speech topics on human rights, english speech topics on education, english speech topics on the importance of water, miscellaneous speech topics, types of persuasive speech topics, tips for writing and speaking a speech.

Speeches are all about one’s thoughts. It should not be copied from somewhere. It is all about what the speaker thinks of any given topic. However, take a look at the following list of English Speech topics on different contemporary issues as well as concepts.

  • The Best Day of My Life
  • Social Media: Bane or Boon?
  • Pros and Cons of Online Learning
  • Benefits of Yoga
  • If I had a Superpower
  • I wish I were ______
  • Human Rights
  • Environment Conservation
  • Women Should Rule the World!
  • The Best Lesson I Have Learned
  • Paperbacks vs E-books
  • How to Tackle a Bad Habit
  • My Favorite Pastime/Hobby
  • Why should every citizen vote?
  • Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): Is it real or not?
  • Importance of Reading
  • Importance of Books in Our Life
  • My Favorite Fictional Character
  • Introverts vs Extroverts
  • Lessons to Learn from Sports
  • Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Quick Read: English Speaking Books

Quick Read: Essay on Peer Pressure

Quick Read: Essay on Health and Fitness for Students

  • Importance of Kindness
  • Is there Value in Homework?
  • Things I learned in Lockdown
  • How can food be recycled?
  • Should Art be a part of the school curriculum?
  • Should schools teach sign language?
  • Women make better presidents/prime ministers
  • Why books are better than movies?
  • Life was better when technology was simple
  • Impact of technology on our health
  • Should children’s reality shows be banned?
  • Learning in the Wake of COVID-19
  • Hard Work vs Smart Work
  • What Makes Learning Fun?
  • The Coolest Inventions You’ve Seen
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Importance of AI in Education
  • Importance of Extracurricular Activities
  • Should exams be banned?
  • How to Tackle Bullying in Schools?

  • Speech about dreams
  • Speech about life
  • Speech on time
  • Speech on discipline
  • Speech on happiness
  • Speech on kindness
  • Speech on value of time
  • Speech on health and fitness
  • Speech on Doctor
  • Speech on Nurse
  • Graduation Day Speech
  • World Health Day Speech
  • Sex Education Speech
  • Importance of Education
  • Is it beneficial to learn a Second Language?
  • Music has healing power
  • Success in life
  • Self Confidence
  • 18th birthday
  • Love is more powerful than hate
  • Social Impact of Covid-19
  • How can Online Learning be Fun?
  • Make Public Transport Free
  • Should violent video games be banned?
  • Speech on Learning

Exploring English Speech Topics? You must also take a look at Extempore Topics !

  • Climate Change
  • Ozone Layer Depletion
  • Reducing Water Levels
  • Deforestation
  • Global Warming
  • Waste Management
  • Water-Saving Techniques
  • Reducing the Green Cover of Earth
  • Endangered species need protection
  • Importance of fishing regulations
  • Importance of investing in alternative fuels
  • Impact of ocean acidification on marine organisms
  • The misuse of the term “sustainable development” by environmentalists
  • Microbial benefits
  • E-Waste Management
  • Natural Disasters and their impact on economic growth
  • Energy alternatives – Only solution to the environmental damage
  • Extinction of rare species
  • World Environment Day
  • Disaster Management
  • Over and Improper Use of Natural Resources
  • Air, Water and Soil Pollution
  • Efficiency of Recycling

Also Read: How to Write Dialogue: Format, Tips and Examples

  • Technology and Mental Health
  • Privacy in the Digital Age: Navigating the Challenges of Data Collection and Surveillance
  • The Impact of Technology on Society
  • Artificial Intelligence: The New Normal
  • The Role of Social Media in Communication and Social Interactions
  • Sustainable Technology: Innovations for a Greener Future
  • The Rise of E-commerce
  • Gaming Technology: Entertainment, ESports and Interactive Experiences
  • The Digital Divide: Bridging the Gap for Equal Access to Technology
  • The Ethical Dilemmas of Emerging Technologies

Also Read: English Vocabulary: Meaning, Types, Tips to Improve

  • The Journey of Independence Day
  • The Significance of Independence Day
  • Indian Independence Day
  • Remembering the Founding Fathers
  • The Spirit of Independence
  • Independence Day and Volunteering
  • Independence Day Speeches
  • India’s Road to Freedom
  • Independence Day and National Identity
  • Independence Day in the Digital Age
  • Independence Day and Women’s Empowerment
  • Diwali: The Festival of Lights and Its Significance in Hindu Culture
  • Diwali and the Victory of Good Over Evil
  • Diwali and the Art of Giving
  • Diwali and the Spirit of Forgiveness
  • Diwali and Cultural Exchanges
  • Diwali and the Essence of Joy
  • Diwali and Social Responsibility
  • Diwali and Artistic Expressions
  • The Rituals and Traditions of Diwali
  • Diwali and the Symbolism of Light
  • The Economic Consequence of Corruption
  • Corruption and International Aid
  • Media and Corruption
  • Fighting Corruption
  • Corruption in Politics
  • The Role of Transparency and Accountability in Curbing Corruption
  • The Role of Technology in Combating Corruption
  • Whistleblowing and Protecting Mechanism
  • Corruption in Business and Corporate Practices
  • Understanding Feminism
  • The Future of Feminism
  • Feminism and Parenting
  • Feminism and Online Activism
  • Feminism and Environmental Activism
  • Feminism and Reproductive Rights
  • The Gender Pay Gap: Examining Inequalities in the Workplace
  • Feminism and its Evolution
  • Feminism and Body Positivity
  • Feminism and Media Representation: Encouraging Authentic and Diverse Portrayals of Women
  • Expressing Gratitude and Love to Mothers
  • The Influence of Mothers in Shaping Our Values and Beliefs
  • Motherhood and Education
  • Mother’s Day and Volunteerism
  • Mother-Daughter Relationship
  • The Role of Mothers in Shaping Society
  • Mother’s Day Crafts and DIY Gifts
  • Learned Lessons from Mothers
  • Mother’s Day Around the World: Cultural Traditions and Celebrations
  • Capitalism: An Introduction to the Economic System and its Principles
  • The Future of Capitalism
  • Pros and Cons of Capitalism
  • Capitalism and Globalisation
  • Capitalism and Consumerism
  • Capitalism and Financial Crisis: Undertaking the Risk and Mitigation Measures
  • Capitalism and Environmental Sustainability
  • Capitalism and the Role of Government
  • Corporate Social Responsibility in Capitalism
  • Capitalism and the Digital Economy
  • Mahatma Gandhi: The Father of the Nation and His Ideals
  • Remembering Gandhi: Reflecting On His Life and Legacy
  • Gandhi’s Influence on the Indian Independence Movement
  • Satyagraha: The Power of Truth and Nonviolent Resistance
  • Gandhi’s Philosophy of Swaraj
  • The Role of Women in Gandhi’s Freedom Struggle
  • Gandhi’s Teaching on Education and Moral Values
  • Gandhi’s Lasting Legacy
  • Gandhi’s Vision for a Just and Inclusive Society
  • The Relevance of Gandhi’s Principles in Today’s World
  • The Influence of Reading on Emotional Intelligence and Empathy
  • Reading and Mental Health
  • Benefits of Reading
  • Reading and Empowerment
  • The Role of Reading in Academic Success and Lifelong Learning
  • Promoting a Reading Culture: Encouraging Reading Habits in Society
  • Reading Biographies and Memoirs
  • Reading and Social Connections
  • The Joy of Reading: Escaping Into the Different Worlds and Characters
  • Reading and Personal Identity
  • The Current State of Communism
  • Communism: An Introduction to the Ideology and Its Historical Context
  • The Evolution of Communist Movements
  • The Role of the State in a Communist Society
  • The Fall of Communist Regimes
  • Communism and Religious Freedom
  • Communism and Gender Equality
  • Communism and Workers’ Rights
  • The Criticisms of Communism
  • Deforestation: Causes, Consequences and Global Impact
  • Deforestation and Climate Change
  • Deforestation and Carbon Sequestration
  • Deforestation and Individual Actions
  • Deforestation and Wildlife Trafficking
  • Deforestation and Sustainable Development
  • Deforestation and Indigenous Communities
  • Deforestation and Biodiversity Loss
  • Deforestation and Forest Fires
  • The Importance of Forests

Quick Read: Speech on Nuclear Energy

  • Women Empowerment
  • Education of Girl Child
  • Unemployment
  • Casteism 
  • Reservation
  • Importance of Maintaining Hygiene
  • Child Labour
  • Social Distancing
  • Organ Donation
  • Importance of the Right to Education
  • Child Trafficking
  • Cultural Diversity
  • Struggles of Immigrants
  • Impact of Globalisation
  • Adult education
  • Independence Day
  • Mother’s Day
  • World Cancer Day
  • World Population Day
  • World Health Day
  • Ambedkar Jayanti
  • Gandhi Jayanti
  • Human Rights Day
  • Zero Discrimination Day
  • Women’s Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Anti-Terrorism Day
  • Hindi Diwas 

Check out this list of all the important national and international days in 202 4 !

  • Mahatma Gandhi
  • Jawaharlal Nehru
  • Raja Rammohan Roy
  • George Washington
  • Albert Einstein
  • APJ Abdul Kalam
  • Nelson Mandela
  • Kailash Satyarthi
  • Diversity in India
  • Speech on Holi
  • The Role of Yoga and Meditation in Indian Culture and Its Global Impact
  • The Importance of Traditional Indian Clothing
  • Indian Folklore
  • Indian Festivals
  • The Art of Indian Dance
  • Traditional Indian Medicine (Ayurveda)
  • Indian Epics and Mythology
  • Social Customs and Etiquettes in Indian Society
  • Indian Sports and Games

Also Read: Speech on Indian Culture

  • Honesty is the best policy
  • When there’s a will, there is a way
  • Actions speak louder than words
  • Knowledge is Power
  • Ignorance is Bliss
  • Don’t judge a book by its cover
  • Hard work is the key to success

Explore these proverbs & their meanings through this blog on Difficult Phrases !

  • The Role of International Organisations in Promoting and Protecting Human Rights
  • The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: A Milestone in Human History
  • Gender Equality: Breaking Barriers and Empowering Women
  • Ensuring a Safe and Sustainable Environment for the Next Generation
  • The Right to Education: Empowering Minds
  • Bridging the Gap Between the Rich and Poor
  • Human Rights and Armed Conflicts
  • Global Fight to Combat Human Trafficking
  • Human Rights and Climate Change
  • Religious Freedom: Tolerance and Coexistence in a Diverse Society

To know what to mention in such speech topics, explore the Great Personalities in the World !

  • Importance of teacher in your life
  • SAT scores for college application
  • Student bullies should be expelled
  • Consequences of cheating in exams
  • Homeschooling is better than normal schooling
  • Importance of value education
  • Importance of sports and physical exercises
  • Schools vs colleges
  • What is the difference between a school, college and university in the USA?

Check Out: Synonyms List

  • The Water-Energy Nexus
  • The Essence of Water: Exploring the Live-giving Properties of H2O
  • Water as a Driver of Economic Growth and Prosperity
  • Water Security: Ensuring Equal Access and Quality for All
  • Water and Agriculture
  • The Role of Water in Ecosystems
  • Water and Blue Economy
  • Water Diplomacy: Promoting Collaboration for Transboundary Water Management
  • Water and Cultural Significance: Exploring Symbolisms and Rituals
  • Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH): Foundational for Human Health and Dignity
  • Article 370
  • Women rights
  • The Constitution of India
  • Youth of India
  • Culture of India
  • Importance of Unity
  • Generation Gap
  • Importance of Value Education
  • Old Age Homes
  • Family Values
  • Leadership skills
  • Rise of Smart Classes
  • Grading System
  • Importance of Practical Education
  • Benefits of Co-Education
  • Importance of Co-Curricular Activities
  • The uselessness of Power-Point Presentations
  • Rise of Technology
  • Excessive usage of the Internet
  • Speech on Fear
  • Speech on Dependence on Technology
  • Importance of Social Media
  • Speech on India of My Dreams
  • Indian Education System
  • Speech on My India

While exploring persuasive English speech topics, you must make sure that they are stimulating, engaging, concise and clear. There are three main types of Persuasive Speech topics which are:

1. Factual Persuasive Speech : These topics include facts, figures and statistics to thoroughly analyse the given topic and assess whether it’s true or false.

2. Policy Persuasive Speech : Discussing policies, laws and reforms, these speech topics critically examine the advantages and disadvantages of the given policy or law and suggest the improvements that can be made.

3. Value Persuasive Speech : Mainly focusing on social or political issues, these speech topics present the critique and argument of whether certain actions are morally right or not.

While speaking on a particular topic, there are certain things that you must keep in mind to make your speech expressive and effective. Let’s take a look at some useful topics that help you in acing any topic you are speaking on.

tips for writing and speaking

  • Always research the topic. If you are participating in an extempore, then make sure to go through the common and popular topics as well as the unconventional ones that you might get. Preparation is the key to delivering an impressive speech. For inspiration, look up various speech examples to see how effective speakers engage their audience
  • Whether you are given a topic on the spot or you are prepared for the speech, it is always pivotal that you seem interested in speaking about it. Relate the given issues to your own life and this will help you in giving it your twist.
  • Pay extra attention to your body language and enunciation. While a gesticulative approach will make you seem outward, having timid body language can cause a wrong impression.
  • Ponder upon the different viewpoints on a topic . Try to present a holistic view of the given topic but don’t forget to present your opinion on it as well. Along with this, don’t try to take sides unless the topic demands you to.
  • Involve your audience, if possible. This way, you will be able to interact with the people and it will also be useful in fighting the fear of public speaking.
  • Don’t mug up a speech. It becomes evident when someone just speaks on a topic continuously and the audience might realise that you have memorized it or you might forget a certain part which will let the whole speech fade away from your brain.
  • Instead, make notes about the topic in your mind, remember certain keywords and try to maintain a particular flow in your speech.
  • Incorporate humour in your speech in a way that you do not offend anyone or overdo it but get a positive reaction from the audience. Humour is a great way of lightening the mood as well as ensuring the whole speech is interactive and engaging.
  • When you need more specialized assistance, a  US essay writing service  can be a valuable resource for crafting your speech.

While preparing for English Speech topics, you must also check out IELTS Speaking Topics !

Juvenile delinquency is acceptable. Prostitution should be legal. Underage driving should be punishable by law. Beauty pageants for children should be banned. Prisoner’s right to vote. Voting rights should not be universal. Guns should be banned from college campuses.

A three-minute speech is undoubtedly a wonderful starting point for public speaking. This is because you need to communicate with your audience more effectively when you just have a short amount of time. In addition, the speech ought to be concise, pertinent, and clear.

Life is the gift of God in the form of trust that we will make it meaningful in whatever we can. We are all unique individuals. No one is born like you and no one will ever be, so cherish your individuality. Many times, I come across people accusing God of things that they don’t have. They always cursing their lives.

 2-minute speeches are  short and crisp speeches of about 260-350 words .

Related Reads

Thus, we hope that this list helps you in preparing for different English speech topics. Gearing up for IELTS ? Sign up for an online demo session with our experts at Leverage Edu and we will assist you in preparing for its different sections as well as improving your reading, listening, speaking and writing skills to ensure that you ace the exam with flying colours!

' src=

Team Leverage Edu

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

14 comments

I take english speaking classes, please provide me sone more material to help student’s.

Here are some articles on books and study material that will help your students- https://leverageedu.com/blog/english-speaking-books/ https://leverageedu.com/blog/books-by-charles-dickens/ https://leverageedu.com/blog/best-books-by-george-orwell/

I want topic on students and online classes

It is helpful for my school homework thanks 😸

Glad we could help!

Nice advise 👍

Thank you, Pragya!

Not good topics 🤔🤔

Thanks for the suggestion. We will update the blog!

Helpful for students . So I like it

Thanks for reading! Also, read: Daily Used English Words Speech on Importance of English Reach us at 1800 57 2000 for study-abroad related matters!

You people are giving great contribution in internet learning and it is for all….

Hi, thank you for your valuable feedback.

Awesome! Its really awesome article, I have got much clear idea concerning from this post.

browse success stories

Leaving already?

8 Universities with higher ROI than IITs and IIMs

Grab this one-time opportunity to download this ebook

Connect With Us

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..

what is education topic in english

Resend OTP in

what is education topic in english

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

September 2024

January 2025

What is your budget to study abroad?

what is education topic in english

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

  • Resource Collection
  • State Resources

Community, Courses, and Resources for Adult Education

  • Topic Areas
  • About the Collection
  • Review Process
  • Reviewer Biographies
  • Federal Initiatives
  • COVID-19 Support
  • ADVANCE Integrated Education and Training (IET)
  • IET Train-the Trainer Resources
  • IET Resource Repository
  • Program Design
  • Collaboration and Industry Engagement
  • Curriculum and Instruction
  • Policy and Funding
  • Program Management - Staffing -Organization Support
  • Student Experience and Progress
  • Adult Numeracy Instruction 2.0
  • Advancing Innovation in Adult Education
  • Bridge Practices
  • Holistic Approach to Adult Ed
  • Integrated Education and Training (IET) Practices
  • Secondary Credentialing Practices
  • Business-Adult Education Partnerships Toolkit
  • Partnerships: Business Leaders
  • Partnerships: Adult Education Providers
  • Success Stories
  • Digital Literacy Initiatives
  • Digital Resilience in the American Workforce
  • Landscape Scan
  • Publications and Resources
  • DRAW Professional Development Resources
  • Employability Skills Framework
  • Enhancing Access for Refugees and New Americans
  • English Language Acquisition
  • Internationally-Trained Professionals
  • Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship and Civic Participation
  • Workforce Preparation Activities
  • Workforce Training
  • Integrated Education and Training in Corrections
  • LINCS ESL PRO
  • Integrating Digital Literacy into English Language Instruction
  • Meeting the Language Needs of Today's English Language Learner
  • Open Educational Resources (OER) for English Language Instruction
  • Preparing English Learners for Work and Career Pathways
  • Recommendations for Applying These Resources Successfully
  • Moving Pathways Forward
  • Career Pathways Exchange
  • Power in Numbers
  • Adult Learner Stories
  • Meet Our Experts
  • Newsletters
  • Reentry Education Tool Kit
  • Education Services
  • Strategic Partnerships
  • Sustainability
  • Transition Processes
  • Program Infrastructure
  • SIA Resources and Professional Development
  • Fulfilling the Instructional Shifts
  • Observing in Classrooms
  • SIA ELA/Literacy Videos
  • SIA Math Videos
  • SIA ELA Videos
  • Conducting Curriculum Reviews
  • Boosting English Learner Instruction
  • Student Achievement in Reading
  • TEAL Just Write! Guide
  • Introduction
  • Fact Sheet: Research-Based Writing Instruction
  • Increase the Amount of Student Writing
  • Fact Sheet: Adult Learning Theories
  • Fact Sheet: Student-Centered Learning
  • Set and Monitor Goals
  • Fact Sheet: Self-Regulated Learning
  • Fact Sheet: Metacognitive Processes
  • Combine Sentences
  • Teach Self-Regulated Strategy Development
  • Fact Sheet: Self-Regulated Strategy Development
  • Teach Summarization
  • Make Use of Frames
  • Provide Constructive Feedback
  • Apply Universal Design for Learning
  • Fact Sheet: Universal Design for Learning
  • Check for Understanding
  • Fact Sheet: Formative Assessment
  • Differentiated Instruction
  • Fact Sheet: Differentiated Instruction
  • Gradual Release of Responsibility
  • Join a Professional Learning Community
  • Look at Student Work Regularly
  • Fact Sheet: Effective Lesson Planning
  • Use Technology Effectively
  • Fact Sheet: Technology-Supported Writing Instruction
  • Project Resources
  • Summer Institute
  • Teacher Effectiveness in Adult Education
  • Adult Education Teacher Induction Toolkit
  • Adult Education Teacher Competencies
  • Teacher Effectiveness Online Courses
  • Teaching Skills that Matter
  • Teaching Skills that Matter Toolkit Overview
  • Teaching Skills that Matter Civics Education
  • Teaching Skills that Matter Digital Literacy
  • Teaching Skills that Matter Financial Literacy
  • Teaching Skills that Matter Health Literacy
  • Teaching Skills that Matter Workforce Preparation
  • Teaching Skills that Matter Other Tools and Resources
  • Technology-Based Coaching in Adult Education
  • Technical Assistance and Professional Development
  • About LINCS
  • History of LINCS
  • LINCS Guide
  • Style Guide

Designing an Integrated Education and Training Program for English Language Learners at a Community-Based Literacy Organization

This thesis provides descriptions of legislation and policy around Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Integrated Education and Training (IET), and Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education, and goes on to detail creating an IET program for English Language Learners at a community-based organization.

Since the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in 2014, adult education programs across the country began to plan and implement integrated education and training (IET) programs. IET programs combine adult basic education or ESL instruction with workforce preparation activities and training to not only help participants improve their basic skills or English language proficiency, but also help them advance in their educational or career paths. This model has been particularly challenging for community-based literacy organizations (CBLOs) to adopt, as IETs require additional funding streams, collaborative partnerships, and significant support services. In addition, literature regarding how to implement these programs in CBLOs is scarce. This materials development independent professional project aims to design a customer service IET program that not only meets state and federal guidelines, but also aligns with best practices in ESL for a CBLO in Virginia.

This thesis includes clear reviews of legislation and policy related to IET, a summary of IET creation that includes contextualized lessons, and an emphasis on English language learners at a community-based organization. It could be educational for program designers, partners, administrators, and instructors at community-based organizations (CBOs) and also any IET program.

This site includes links to information created by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user’s convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this non-ED information. The inclusion of these links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse views expressed, or products or services offered, on these non-ED sites.

Please note that privacy policies on non-ED sites may differ from ED’s privacy policy. When you visit lincs.ed.gov, no personal information is collected unless you choose to provide that information to us. We do not give, share, sell, or transfer any personal information to a third party. We recommend that you read the privacy policy of non-ED websites that you visit. We invite you to read our privacy policy.

Thesis cover

Related Topics

Featured Topics

Featured series.

A series of random questions answered by Harvard experts.

Explore the Gazette

Read the latest.

Jason Rezaian and his wife Yeganeh Salehi after their release.

‘I hope they take their time in their recovery’

American flag flies in foreground of aerial view of Trump rally site days after attempted assassination.

Worried about violence, threats as election nears? Just say no.

Joe Biden speaking.

Alone in the spotlight but not alone

Shawn Ginwright

Shawn Ginwright, Jerome T. Murphy Professor of the Practice, at the Graduate School of Education.

Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer

How to help urban young people progress? Nurture hope.

Harvard Staff Writer

Youth development specialist promotes holistic approach to healing, growth of individuals, communities amid poverty, drugs, trauma

A series focused on the personal side of Harvard research and teaching.

During his sophomore year at San Diego State University,  Shawn Ginwright  worked at a middle school. He befriended and mentored a student there named Michael, and on the day when the two were to visit Ginwright’s college, Michael didn’t show up. He had been killed in the driveway of his apartment building. He was 15 years old.

The young man’s death stunned all those around him, including Ginwright, who began to see how much trauma and hopelessness Black youth face amid the poverty and crime that plague many urban neighborhoods. He felt that he’d found his calling.

“What happened to Michael shaped how I thought about my career and how I wanted to spend my life,” said Ginwright, Jerome T. Murphy Professor of the Practice at  Harvard Graduate School of Education . “I realized that it wasn’t just the issues of poverty and the influx of drugs, but that young people were losing hope.” 

Ginwright went on to pursue a doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley, and become a scholar of youth development and social and emotional learning. With his wife, Nedra, he launched a summer camp in San Diego in 1989 for Black youth to offer resources for healing and growth, and later, he founded a  nonprofit  in Oakland, California, to empower marginalized youth. 

“I realized that it wasn’t only Michael, that there were thousands and thousands of Black young people who were losing hope, had no vision of their lives for the future, and no avenue or pathway to achieve it, except for drugs and so forth.” Shawn Ginwright

“I realized that it wasn’t only Michael, that there were thousands and thousands of Black young people who were losing hope, had no vision of their lives for the future, and no avenue or pathway to achieve it, except for drugs and so forth,” said Ginwright. “My work has tried to understand both the conditions and secondly, the solutions for young people to have pathways out of misery and hopelessness.”

Ginwright has written four books on Black youth development, youth activism, and urban education. He is known for his theories of radical healing and healing-centered pedagogy, which embrace a holistic approach to addressing the challenges faced by American youth. His ideas also serve as a rebuttal to programs that focus on prevention through discipline and fear.

“Radical healing was a response to the dearth of programmatic ways of thinking about Black youth and to the belief that Black and marginalized youth are problems rather than possibilities,” said Ginwright. “It also came from the idea that you must understand what’s going on in young people’s lives and how they experience trauma. Some youths are not just thinking about suspensions or dropping out of school; they’re worried about being shot or killed.”

Ginwright’s approach seeks to overcome the limitations of a trauma-informed focus in youth development programs. His thinking sprang from a conversation he had with a young man who was participating in an initiative he was running in Oakland in the early 2000s. 

“This young man said to me, ‘I don’t like to always talk about the worst thing that ever happened to me; I want to talk about my dreams and hopes,’” said Ginwright. “That made me think about the gaps in trauma-informed approaches because naming somebody a trauma victim does not acknowledge their assets. You can be wounded but still have assets, dreams and hopes. Healing-centered engagement involves a more holistic way to support young people who experience trauma.”

“You can be wounded but still have assets, dreams and hopes. Healing-centered engagement involves a more holistic way to support young people who experience trauma.” Shawn Ginwright

Around that time, Ginwright also experienced something of a personal crisis as he was dealing with the pressures of pursuing a doctorate, raising money for youth programs, and caring for his young family. 

“I was so stressed, and one night I just woke up crying, uncontrollably sobbing,” he said. “I shared that with the young people one Saturday morning, and it allowed them to see me as a human being. Part of our journey working with young people is how we must be human with one another.” 

Through his work, rooted in more than 30 years of experience, Ginwright hopes to both broaden the concept of behavioral and mental health and shift the approach that considers trauma episodic and only experienced by individuals. Trauma can be also environmental, said Ginwright, and healing needs to happen at the individual, interpersonal, and institutional levels.

“Behavioral and mental health is also the fact that young people may have shame because their mother uses drugs, or they’re not sure where they’ll be living next week,” said Ginwright. “It’s racism and discrimination. The fact that young Black people walk into a store and are followed around also affects their mental health.” 

He noted that “part of what I’m trying to get people to understand is that we have to widen our understanding of what creates trauma to come up with responses that are holistic because while we need to treat individuals, the entire neighborhood, the entire ZIP code is experiencing trauma.”

Christina Villarreal is a lecturer at the Ed School who specializes in ethnic studies in education, teacher education, and trauma and healing. She says that Ginwright, who was her master’s thesis adviser at San Francisco State University and a member of her doctoral dissertation committee at Columbia, has helped bring about change in the field. 

“He is somebody who has pushed against pathology, which happens a lot in our field — a tendency to focus on the problem rather than solutions,” said Villarreal. 

“I’d say that at least over 10 years that I’ve known him, because of his work and research I’ve seen so many people move toward thinking differently about how we approach trauma, especially in schools, specifically that young people are more than the trauma that they experience.” Christina Villarreal

“I’d say that at least over 10 years that I’ve known him, because of his work and research I’ve seen so many people move toward thinking differently about how we approach trauma, especially in schools, specifically that young people are more than the trauma that they experience.” 

Working with young people to help them heal from trauma requires imagination, said Ginwright, who would like to see behavioral and mental health conversations taking place in basketball courts, beauty salons, or barber shops.

“Young people experience all kinds of trauma, and they have no way to talk about it,” said Ginwright. “When we created our first camp in San Diego, we were overwhelmed by the amount of sorrow, hopelessness, joy, and beauty that these young people brought in.” 

He also noted that transforming the lives of individual young people pays an additional dividend: It helps change entire communities. 

“I changed listening to their stories year after year after year, and [it] gave me a sense of compassion, empathy and joy,” said Ginwright. “Because when you see young people who have experienced trauma and still desire joy and want to be embraced and be hugged, that shifts you. What I’ve learned is that it’s not just what we do for young people, but it’s also what they do for us. There’s a relationship between our own healing and the healing of young people.”

Share this article

You might like.

Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, held for 544 by Iran, offers advice to three Americans just released by Russia

American flag flies in foreground of aerial view of Trump rally site days after attempted assassination.

Key is for leaders, voters to stand in solidarity against it, political scientists say 

Joe Biden speaking.

Cognitive neurologist sees lessons in age-focused conversations around Biden’s exit, but also a lack of nuance 

Garber to serve as president through 2026-27 academic year

Search for successor will launch in 2026

Finding right mix on campus speech policies

Legal, political scholars discuss balancing personal safety, constitutional rights, academic freedom amid roiling protests, cultural shifts

Good genes are nice, but joy is better

Harvard study, almost 80 years old, has proved that embracing community helps us live longer, and be happier

Essay on Importance of Education for Students

500 words essay on importance of education.

To say Education is important is an understatement. Education is a weapon to improve one’s life. It is probably the most important tool to change one’s life. Education for a child begins at home. It is a lifelong process that ends with death. Education certainly determines the quality of an individual’s life. Education improves one’s knowledge, skills and develops the personality and attitude. Most noteworthy, Education affects the chances of employment for people. A highly educated individual is probably very likely to get a good job. In this essay on importance of education, we will tell you about the value of education in life and society.

essay on importance of education

Importance of Education in Life

First of all, Education teaches the ability to read and write. Reading and writing is the first step in Education. Most information is done by writing. Hence, the lack of writing skill means missing out on a lot of information. Consequently, Education makes people literate.

Above all, Education is extremely important for employment. It certainly is a great opportunity to make a decent living. This is due to the skills of a high paying job that Education provides. Uneducated people are probably at a huge disadvantage when it comes to jobs. It seems like many poor people improve their lives with the help of Education.

what is education topic in english

Better Communication is yet another role in Education. Education improves and refines the speech of a person. Furthermore, individuals also improve other means of communication with Education.

Education makes an individual a better user of technology. Education certainly provides the technical skills necessary for using technology . Hence, without Education, it would probably be difficult to handle modern machines.

People become more mature with the help of Education. Sophistication enters the life of educated people. Above all, Education teaches the value of discipline to individuals. Educated people also realize the value of time much more. To educated people, time is equal to money.

Finally, Educations enables individuals to express their views efficiently. Educated individuals can explain their opinions in a clear manner. Hence, educated people are quite likely to convince people to their point of view.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Importance of Education in Society

First of all, Education helps in spreading knowledge in society. This is perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of Education. There is a quick propagation of knowledge in an educated society. Furthermore, there is a transfer of knowledge from generation to another by Education.

Education helps in the development and innovation of technology. Most noteworthy, the more the education, the more technology will spread. Important developments in war equipment, medicine , computers, take place due to Education.

Education is a ray of light in the darkness. It certainly is a hope for a good life. Education is a basic right of every Human on this Planet. To deny this right is evil. Uneducated youth is the worst thing for Humanity. Above all, the governments of all countries must ensure to spread Education.

FAQs on Essay on Importance of Education

Q.1 How Education helps in Employment?

A.1 Education helps in Employment by providing necessary skills. These skills are important for doing a high paying job.

Q.2 Mention one way in Education helps a society?

A.2 Education helps society by spreading knowledge. This certainly is one excellent contribution to Education.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

tutor

  • Travelling Essay
  • Picnic Essay
  • Our Country Essay
  • My Parents Essay
  • Essay on Favourite Personality
  • Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
  • Essay on Knowledge is Power
  • Essay on Gurpurab
  • Essay on My Favourite Season
  • Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

Google Play

Advertisement

Where Tim Walz Stands on the Issues

As governor of Minnesota, he has enacted policies to secure abortion protections, provide free meals for schoolchildren, allow recreational marijuana and set renewable energy goals.

  • Share full article

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, center, during a news conference after meeting with President Biden at the White House in July.

By Maggie Astor

  • Aug. 6, 2024

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, the newly announced running mate to Vice President Kamala Harris, has worked with his state’s Democratic-controlled Legislature to enact an ambitious agenda of liberal policies: free college tuition for low-income students, free meals for schoolchildren, legal recreational marijuana and protections for transgender people.

“You don’t win elections to bank political capital,” Mr. Walz wrote last year about his approach to governing. “You win elections to burn political capital and improve lives.”

Republicans have slammed these policies as big-government liberalism and accused Mr. Walz of taking a hard left turn since he represented a politically divided district in Congress years ago.

Here is an overview of where Mr. Walz stands on some key issues.

Mr. Walz signed a bill last year that guaranteed Minnesotans a “fundamental right to make autonomous decisions” about reproductive health care on issues such as abortion, contraception and fertility treatments.

Abortion was already protected by a Minnesota Supreme Court decision, but the new law guarded against a future court reversing that precedent as the U.S. Supreme Court did with Roe v. Wade, and Mr. Walz said this year that he was also open to an amendment to the state’s Constitution that would codify abortion rights.

Another bill he signed legally shields patients, and their medical providers, if they receive an abortion in Minnesota after traveling from a state where abortion is banned.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

what is education topic in english

Election filings: What changes could be in store for Cumberland County Board of Education?

One Cumberland County Board of Education member has not refiled for election, and all other incumbent candidates have drawn challengers that include a former Hope Mills mayor, according to state filings .

Three at-large seats held by board members Jacquelyn Brown, Judy Musgrave and Greg West are not on the ballot.

Candidate filings for the seats ended last Friday, with board hopefuls set to appear on the ballot in the Nov. 5 general election.

Longtime board member Carrie Sutton did not refile for her District 3 seat, and former Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner is one of two challenging incumbent Donna Vann for her District 4 seat.

On Monday, Sutton, who’s served 16 years on the board, thanked the residents of District 3 for allowing her to serve.

“I feel like it’s time, almost like what President Joe Biden did,” Sutton said. “I wanted to move forward, and it’s time to pass the torch. It’s been a privilege and an honor to serve in District 3. The children have always been my passion.”

Sutton said she’s proud of the changes she’s seen in District 3 and the Westover schools area.

“One of the reasons why I ran 16 years ago was because I felt attention had been taken from this area and schools,” she said. “I feel good about passing the torch to whoever takes over now in District 3. My prayer is they take the torch and go even further and higher in making sure this district can be everything it can be. It’s a wonderful area. I don’t want this district or area to go back for our students.”

Sutton, who is president of the NC Caucus of Black School Board Members , said she has listened to concerns from parents and employees and still intends to remain active in education.

“I’m still part of the community and will still advocate for education in another capacity,” she said. “I encourage all people and parents to be more concerned and more involved and look at who’s representing your child and educating your child.”

Here’s a look at who's filed for Sutton's seat and all other filings:

In District 1, which includes the E.E. Smith High School area, incumbent Alicia Chisolm of Fayetteville will face Kathi Gibson and Mary Hales, both of Fayetteville.

Chisolm was first elected to the board in 2008 and has served as its chair.

Chilsom is a military spouse who previously worked on post as a civilian employee in the personnel department, according to an August 2015 Fayetteville Observer article .

According to her LinkedIN profile , Gibson is a retired school superintendent who’s worked in schools in North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama, Los Angeles and the Philippines.

She is currently a retirement specialist for ValuTeachers Inc., an educational consultant at KKonsult International and part-time college professor at Gardner-Webb University.

According to a campaign site for Hales, she retired as a principal from Cumberland County Schools, where she spent 30 years, and has also served on the Cumberland County Council of the North Carolina Parent-Teacher Association and as president of the Cumberland County Association of Principals and Assistant Principals.

In District 2, which includes the Seventy-First and Westover high school area, incumbent Deanna Jones of Fayetteville will face John Lee of Fayetteville.

Jones, who currently serves as the board’s chair, was first appointed to her seat in 2020 af ter the death of board member Porcha McMillan.

She is an Army veteran with 27 years of service and has served as president of the Cumberland County District PTA and vice president of the Seventy-First High School PTA, according to a May 2020 Fayetteville Observer article .

Information about Lee was not readily available as of press time.

Fayetteville residents Delores Bell, Tom Hatch Jr. and Michael “Bryan” Moore will face off for Sutton's District 3 seat, which includes Terry Sanford and Westover high schools.

Hatch is a Cumberland County native and retired school administrator who’s been a principal at Reid Ross Classical and Terry Sanford high schools, according to a campaign post shared on his Twitter page .

Moore is a local real estate agent, according to an ERA Real Estate page .

According to his Facebook page , he is a parent of two public school students and is running to increase school funding, improve education and “restore respect” in schools.

A LinkedIn profile for Bell shows that she’s been an instructional assistant for Cumberland County Schools.

In District 4, which includes Douglas Byrd and Seventy-First high school areas, incumbent Donna Blackmon Vann of Fayetteville will face former Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner and Rebecca Pedigo of Fayetteville.

Vann is a retired educator who spent more than 30 years in Cumberland County Schools and is a former principal at Glendale Acres Elementary School, according to an October 2014 candidate profile .

She was first appointed to the District 4 seat in 2014, ran unopposed in 2016 and won the 2020 general election and has been vice chair and chair of the Board of Education.

Warner was first elected as a Home Mills town commissioner in 2007 and served as mayor from 2011 to 2023, until she was defeated by current Mayor Jessie Bellflowers .

She’s also worked in the Cumberland County Schools for 40 years as a teacher, coach and principal and is a small business owner of a baby boutique and furniture store, according to a 2023 candidate profile .

Pedigo is a youth development coordinator for Cumberland County Schools.

According to her LinkedIn page , she has more than 10 years of experience teaching children and supporting adults with mental illness and developmental disabilities.

In District 5, which includes the Pine Forest and Cape Fear high school areas, incumbent Susan Williams of Fayetteville will face Tracy Pelt of Fayetteville.

Williams has served on the Board of Education since December 2012 and ran unopposed in 2016 and 2020.

She is retired as a teacher after spending more than 30 years in Cumberland County Schools, according to her LinkedIn page , and is currently executive director of the Miss North Carolina Organization .

Pelt is the founder of Above Reproach Ministries and author of “Prophets: Ordained by God,” according to her LinkedIn page.

Her campaign page states she has a vision to be involved in “making education about sound, basic instruction for all children and ensuring that parents have the right to choose the way their children receive that education."

In District 6, which includes the South View, Gray's Creek and Jack Britt high school areas, incumbent Nathan Warfel of Fayetteville will face Terra B. Jordan of Parkton.

Warfel was first elected 2020 and is currently the Board’s vice chair.

He is an assistant public defender, according to a June 2021 Fayetteville Observer article .

A LinkedIn page for Jordan shows she’s been a teacher for the Department of Defense Education Activity.

Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at [email protected] or 910-486-3528.

Blog The Education Hub

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/07/29/teacher-pay-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2024-pay-award/

Teacher pay: everything you need to know about the 2024 pay award

Teacher pay award 2024

The Education Secretary has accepted the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) and confirmed the teacher pay award for 2024-25, setting out what school teachers in England can expect to be paid next academic year.

The STRB is an independent group that makes recommendations on the pay of teachers in maintained schools in England and reports to the Secretary of State for Education and the Prime Minister.

Each year the STRB recommends a pay award based on different factors including the economy, school workforce data and evidence from organisations including the DfE, and the teaching unions.

The government then considers the recommendations in depth and makes a decision on what pay award teachers receive for the coming year.

Here’s everything you need to know about teacher pay.

Are teachers getting a pay rise this year?

The STRB recommended a pay award of 5.5% and this has been accepted in full by the Education Secretary, reflecting the vital contribution teachers make to children’s life chances.

The 5.5% award would see pay packets increase by over £2,500 for the average classroom teacher, which would take the median salary for 2024/25 to over £49,000 a year.

Will teachers at all schools receive the pay award?

The pay award applies to maintained schools, with academies continuing to have freedom over their pay and conditions.

However, in practice most academies follow the recommendations of the STRB.

Is the pay award fully funded?

Yes. Schools will receive £1.1 billion in additional funding to cover their overall costs in financial year 2024-25, including fully funding the pay award for teachers at a national level.

This matches what we have calculated is needed to fully fund the teacher pay award and the support staff pay offer, at the national level, on top of the available headroom in schools’ existing budgets.

We are also providing an additional £97 million for schools delivering post-16 education (£63 million) and early years (£34 million) provision.

Taken together, this is an increase of almost £1.2 billion.

The pay award impacts both financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26. This additional funding only covers the financial year 2024-25 portion of the award. We will take into account the impact of the full year's costs of the teacher pay award on schools when considering 2025-26 budgets, which are yet to be agreed.

When will teachers receive their pay rise?

Teachers will start receiving their new salary in the autumn, after a new pay order is laid in Parliament and comes into force.

Pay will be backdated to 1 September 2024.

Will school support staff get a pay rise?

The teacher pay award only applies to school teachers, but the additional funding schools will receive also ensures schools are, at a national level, covered for the current 2024-25 pay offer for support staff, which is currently under negotiation.

Unlike teachers, most school support staff are currently employed on the pay and conditions of the National Joint Council (NJC) for Local Government Services. The NJC is a negotiating body made up of representatives from trade unions and local government employers.

We are committed to reinstating the School Support Staff Negotiating Body to give support staff like teaching assistants, caretakers and cleaners a stronger voice in government. The body will be tasked with establishing a national terms and conditions handbook, training, career progression routes, and fair pay rates for support staff.

What else are you doing to ensure teaching is an attractive profession?

Alongside the pay award, we have also announced that from September, schools will no longer be required to use the Performance Related Pay (PRP) system, which can lead to schools and teachers going through an overly bureaucratic process to agree individual teachers’ pay rises. This will help improve teacher workload.

We will also clarify that teachers can carry out their planning time at home, improving flexible working for staff.

You may also be interested in:

  • What is the national curriculum and why is it being reviewed?
  • The King’s Speech 2024: What does it mean for education?
  • Letter to the education workforce from Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson

Tags: Chancellor , pay award , school teachers salary , schools , STRB , teacher pay , teacher pay award 2024 , teacher salary

Sharing and comments

Share this page, related content and links, about the education hub.

The Education Hub is a site for parents, pupils, education professionals and the media that captures all you need to know about the education system. You’ll find accessible, straightforward information on popular topics, Q&As, interviews, case studies, and more.

Please note that for media enquiries, journalists should call our central Newsdesk on 020 7783 8300. This media-only line operates from Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm. Outside of these hours the number will divert to the duty media officer.

Members of the public should call our general enquiries line on 0370 000 2288.

Sign up and manage updates

Follow us on social media, search by date.

July 2024
M T W T F S S
1234567
91011121314
151617 2021
22232425 2728
3031  

Comments and moderation policy

IMAGES

  1. 10 Lines on Importance of Education for Students and Children in

    what is education topic in english

  2. Essay on Education for all Class in 100 to 500 Words in English

    what is education topic in english

  3. Education Essay Topics In English For Class 10

    what is education topic in english

  4. Get to know about the best education research topics for students

    what is education topic in english

  5. Importance of education essay in english || Essay on education

    what is education topic in english

  6. 193 Education Research Topics & Titles for an Education Essay

    what is education topic in english

COMMENTS

  1. Education

    education, discipline that is concerned with methods of teaching and learning in schools or school-like environments as opposed to various nonformal and informal means of socialization (e.g., rural development projects and education through parent-child relationships). (Read Arne Duncan's Britannica essay on "Education: The Great Equalizer.")

  2. Essay on Education for School Students and Children

    500+ Words Essay on Education. Education is an important tool which is very useful in everybody's life. Education is what differentiates us from other living beings on earth. It makes man the smartest creature on earth. It empowers humans and gets them ready to face challenges of life efficiently. With that being said, education still remains ...

  3. Education

    Education is a wide phenomenon that applies to all age groups and covers formal education (top row) as well as non-formal and informal education (bottom row). Education is the transmission of knowledge, skills, and character traits and manifests in various forms. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as ...

  4. What is education? A definition and discussion

    Education is the wise, hopeful and respectful cultivation of learning and change undertaken in the belief that we all should have the chance to share in life. Mark K Smith explores the meaning of education and suggests it is a process of being with others and inviting truth and possibility. contents: introduction • education - cultivating ...

  5. Education

    Education is about learning skills and knowledge. It also means helping people to learn how to do things and support them to think about what they learn. It is also important for educators to teach ways to find and use information. Education needs research to find out how to make it better. [1] [2]

  6. 4 Core Purposes of Education, According to Sir Ken Robinson

    Personal. Education should enable young people to engage with the world within them as well as the world around them. In Western cultures, there is a firm distinction between the two worlds, between thinking and feeling, objectivity and subjectivity. This distinction is misguided.

  7. Ideas about Education

    Video playlists about Education. 17 talks. The Butterfly Effect: Talks from the TEDinArabic Summit. In March 2023, 17 speakers from across the world gathered in Doha for the inaugural TEDinArabic Summit. From climate change and politics to sports and fashion, enjoy this sweeping selection of talks. 15 talks.

  8. 60 ESL conversation questions about education, school, and university

    Education, school, and university are great ESL discussion topics! Get everyone talking with these ESL conversation questions about education, school, and university. Almost everyone in the world has had direct experience with education in some way, shape, or form. So get your students talking and sharing their experiences on the education ...

  9. Education Overview: Development news, research, data

    Education is a human right, a powerful driver of development, and one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, peace, and stability. It delivers large, consistent returns in terms of income, and is the most important factor to ensure equity and inclusion. For individuals, education promotes ...

  10. Our Best Education Articles of 2020

    Our most popular education articles of 2020 can help you manage difficult emotions and other challenges at school in the pandemic, all while supporting the social-emotional well-being of your students. In addition to these articles, you can also find tips, tools, and recommended readings in two resource guides we created in 2020: Supporting ...

  11. The 10 Education Issues Everybody Should Be Talking About

    No. 1: Kids are right. School is boring. Daryn Ray for Education Week. Out-of-school learning is often more meaningful than anything that happens in a classroom, writes Kevin Bushweller, the ...

  12. 170+ Research Topics In Education (+ Free Webinar)

    The impact of poverty on education. The use of student data to inform instruction. The role of parental involvement in education. The effects of mindfulness practices in the classroom. The use of technology in the classroom. The role of critical thinking in education.

  13. Education Essay for Students in English

    Education plays an important role in the development of an individual and making him a knowledgeable citizen. It is the education that makes an individual self-reliant, helps to suppress the social evils and contribute towards the development of the society and nation as a whole. Education helps in unravelling the mystery of nature.

  14. Four of the biggest problems facing education—and four trends that

    We focused on neuroscience, the role of the private sector, education technology, inequality, and pedagogy. Unfortunately, we think the four biggest problems facing education today in developing countries are the same ones we have identified in the last decades. 1. The learning crisis was made worse by COVID-19 school closures.

  15. 10 Lines on Education

    1) Education is the process which aids learning, acquiring knowledge and skills to one's character. 2) Education upgrades the thinking of society and helps to uproot social evils. 3) It helps the uniform development of a country by fighting the inequalities of society. 4) We can have education by various methods, like teaching, training and ...

  16. 190+ Creative English Speaking Topics: Engage Conversations

    English speaking topics on Daily Life and Personal Experiences. Example Sentences. 1. My Morning Routine. Sentence 1: "Every morning, I start my day with a refreshing cup of coffee." Sentence 2: "I like to go for a jog in the park as part of my morning routine." 2. A Memorable Family Vacation.

  17. 129 List Of Research Topics In English Language ...

    English Language Teaching (ELT) is a field dedicated to teaching English to non-native speakers. It's important because English is a global language used for communication, business, and education worldwide. Research in ELT helps improve teaching methods, making it easier for students to learn English effectively.

  18. 140 Best English Topics For Discussion That Everyone Love

    There are thousands of discussion topics for adults learning English that range from small talk, sports, leisure, personal issues, social issues, jobs, and everything that matters. You can refer to this ultimate list of the 20 best free conversation topics as follows: 41.

  19. 30 English Topics For Kids And Beginner Students

    Whether you are teaching English online, or teaching English in South Korea, one of the big challenges when creating lessons is figuring out what ESL topics to teach. This is especially challenging if you must create your own curriculum for ESL beginners. There are many topics that are typically found in young learner curricula.

  20. 250+ Best & Easy English Speech Topics for Students

    This Blog Includes: List of Best English Speech Topics for Students. 1-minute Speech Topics. 2-Minute Speech Topics. 3-Minute Speech Topics. Easy Topics for Speech in English. English Speech Topics on Environment. English Speech Topics on Technology. English Speech Topics on Independence Day.

  21. Designing an Integrated Education and Training Program for English

    Since the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in 2014, adult education programs across the country began to plan and implement integrated education and training (IET) programs. IET programs combine adult basic education or ESL instruction with workforce preparation activities and training to not only help participants improve their basic skills or English language ...

  22. Gwen Walz, Tim's wife, advocates for college education in prison

    Add Topic. Tim Walz's wife Gwen, a former teacher, is a 'champion' of college behind bars ... "She was a devoted Midwestern public school teacher who approached education without prejudice or ...

  23. How to help urban young people progress? Nurture hope

    Christina Villarreal is a lecturer at the Ed School who specializes in ethnic studies in education, teacher education, and trauma and healing. She says that Ginwright, who was her master's thesis adviser at San Francisco State University and a member of her doctoral dissertation committee at Columbia, has helped bring about change in the field.

  24. What Should You Do With Your 401(k) When You Retire?

    A financial adviser has some suggestions on how the couple can get to where they want to go.

  25. Essay on Importance of Education in Life and Society (500+ Words)

    Education is a weapon to improve one's life. It is probably the most important tool to change one's life. Education for a child begins at home. It is a lifelong process that ends with death. Education certainly determines the quality of an individual's life. Education improves one's knowledge, skills and develops the personality and ...

  26. What's Behind the Violent U.K. Riots

    The English are rioting again. Three girls—ages 6, 7 and 9—were killed and 10 other people wounded in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed event for children at Southport, near Liverpool ...

  27. Where Tim Walz Stands on the Issues

    As governor of Minnesota, he has enacted policies to secure abortion protections, provide free meals for schoolchildren, allow recreational marijuana and set renewable energy goals.

  28. Why Arizona is turning to Instagram creators to boost FAFSA completion

    "It's not a matter of that I wasn't capable of attaining it," she said. "It's just that I didn't know. I didn't know I was able to go after these things."

  29. Who is running for Cumberland County school board?

    According to his Facebook page, he is a parent of two public school students and is running to increase school funding, improve education and "restore respect" in schools.

  30. Teacher pay: everything you need to know about the 2024 pay award

    The Education Secretary has accepted the recommendations of the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) and confirmed the teacher pay award for 2024-25, setting out what school teachers in England can expect to be paid next academic year.. The STRB is an independent group that makes recommendations on the pay of teachers in maintained schools in England and reports to the Secretary of State for ...