By Philippe Longchamps
Teacher
Bilingual Montessori School of Lund, Sweden
@PhilLongchamps
The teaching staff of the 7th to 9th-grade classes (1st to 3rd year of secondary school) at the Bilingual Montessori School of Lund (BMSL) employs effective methods and strategies to design diverse learning environments that foster creativity, problem-solving, and the development of critical thinking skills. Meta-analyses and extensive research have already elucidated and exemplified the success of this pedagogy’s multimodal approach in facilitating the sustainable acquisition of knowledge and skills. Let’s take a closer look!
As a teacher who emigrated from Québec to Sweden over 20 years ago, it would have been difficult for me to imagine being named the country’s best teacher by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce 18 years later, being a finalist for the Global Teacher
Prize in 2021, and winning the title of Sweden’s best history teacher in 2022. As the first immigrant to receive these national awards, it has garnered attention from both domestic and international media. However, the true significance of these awards lies in the opportunity to share innovative teaching methods and transdisciplinary pedagogical approaches employed daily by our teaching team with the rest of the world.
That is why, right after receiving the first award, the collaborative work on a comprehensive book on pedagogy, titled Transformative Education, began in collaboration with school principal Charlotte Graham. In addition to meta-analyses and in-depth research on pedagogy used to explain and illustrate the effectiveness of our multimodal teaching approach, the book provides a plethora of ideas stemming from the BMSL.
Hybrid pedagogical approaches bridge the gap between innovative teaching methods, such as the use of virtual or augmented reality, gamification, experiential and hands-on learning, and more traditional yet effective teaching methods.
It is a holistic approach to learning, carefully planning and seeking synergies between different subjects. This approach allows teachers to cover topics that go beyond the usual core content and contributes to the development of sustainable skills and knowledge.
Developing Critical Thinking Skills Through Inclusion
Teachers in Sweden have the responsibility to cultivate critical thinking in students, but very few manage to do so effectively. There is a subtle difference between fostering “critical thinkers” rather than “cynical thinkers.” That is why teacher training in this aspect of education is extremely important and should be emphasized worldwide. Indeed, the urgency to promote healthy skepticism in schools stems from recent statistics from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which reveal that only 9% of 15-year-old students in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries have the ability to distinguish facts from opinions.
Multimodality:
Use of different presentation of information to help students acquire and integrate knowledge (e.g. gamification, hands-on activities, crafts).
Transdisciplinarity:
Pedagogical mobilization that goes beyond disciplines, particularly within the framework of a project, in order to bring together all forms of knowledge and know-how.
Developing Critical Thinking Skills Through Inclusion
Teachers in Sweden have the responsibility to cultivate critical thinking in students, but very few manage to do so effectively. There is a subtle difference between fostering “critical thinkers” rather than “cynical thinkers.” That is why teacher training in this aspect of education is extremely important and should be emphasized worldwide. Indeed, the urgency to promote healthy skepticism in schools stems from recent statistics from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which reveal that only 9% of 15-year-old students in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries have the ability to distinguish facts from opinions.
The methods employed by BMSL have proven to be effective, as evidenced by the students’ victories in multiple local, regional, national, and international competitions, as well as their consistently high scores in national tests year after year. So, what is the secret behind their success?
Over the past decade, the school has successfully implemented inclusive education. Indeed, the teaching staff relies on solid scientific foundations to develop students’ critical thinking skills and help them distinguish between science and pseudoscience. Thus, teamwork, solidarity, and empathy among students are emphasized, creating a collaborative synergy based on the concept of sports psychology, where a team can never be stronger than its weakest “player.” This encourages high-achieving students to assist those who are struggling.
In other words, gifted students, who require additional stimulation and seek challenges, assist students who face challenges in achieving their learning objectives.
An effective pedagogical approach can also draw inspiration from marketing strategies to create a demand for knowledge among students. By emphasizing the value of learning and the relevance of different knowledge in students’ lives, teachers accomplish the most challenging part of their work. They employ various teaching methods to reach each individual student, including discussion panels, field trips, theatrical interludes, diverse materials, new technologies, workshops, and other hands-on and active learning activities.
Transdisciplinary pedagogical approaches, even in subjects other than science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), contribute to sustainable problem-solving learning. By integrating educational materials such as 4DFrame, LuxBlox, and Lego Spike Prime into their classrooms, while incorporating robotic elements such as Mechatronics, teachers foster a richer multimodal learning experience.
In recent months, the work team has had the opportunity to enhance their skills through workshops aimed at better understanding the ongoing redefinition of education due to the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The utilization of increasingly flexible and personalized AI learning tools, combined with students’ self-assessments, holds the potential to individualize the learning process according to each student’s specific strengths and weaknesses. This personalized approach offers a more efficient and tailored learning experience.
Collaborative Teaching and Learning Progression
The work team of BMSL follows a chronological and progressive approach to better organize the core content. Using the Swedish digital platform, Loops, teachers have systematized the entire three-year curriculum into a flexible chronological timeline that incorporates all 16 subjects of the program.
This enables students to assimilate knowledge within an evolving framework that provides a common thread, establishing meaningful connections between acquired knowledge and skills. Collaborative projects and interdisciplinary connections across subjects are encouraged, allowing teachers to create environments that benefit students at all levels.
The expert teachers at this Swedish school not only excel in their knowledge of the curriculum subjects or teaching strategies, but also in their ability to create cohesion among students by organizing content in a comprehensible manner through their team’s cooperation. They also employ embodied cognition approaches in active learning environments, where translanguaging and immersion in languages other than Swedish also contribute to the development of global skills.
This integration of curriculum content enables them to introduce new subjects while connecting them to students’ prior knowledge and relating them to other subjects. Each team member can use the shared digital timeline, Loops, as a collective mind map at any given time, to personalize their lessons while incorporating content covered by their colleagues and adapting it based on students’ needs and their own teaching goals. This approach requires moving away from the traditional structure of textbooks and creating appropriate educational resources collaboratively and flexibly.
In conclusion, collaborative, active, and transdisciplinary teaching offer numerous advantages for both teachers and students. By emphasizing multimodality, thorough planning, and finding synergies between subjects, the teachers at this Swedish school can provide a much more sustainable learning experience.
Education is undeniably a significant investment for the collective future of humankind. The aim is to inspire curiosity, creativity, and independence in students, enabling them to work autonomously and continue learning beyond the classroom.
Pedagogical Resources
- 4DFrame en.4dframe.com
- LuxBlox luxblox.com
- Lego Spike Prime education.lego.com
- Mechatronic mechatronicseducation.org