New Paradigm for Education Reforms: Globalization, Localization, and Individualization

Abstract

The challenges of the new millennium such as the rapid globalization, the tremendous impacts of information technology, the international transformation towards a knowledge-driven economy, the strong demands for societal developments, and the international and regional competitions have driven numerous education changes in different parts of the world (Cheng& Townsend, 2000). Policy-makers and educators in each country have to think about how to reform education for preparing their young leaders to more effectively cope with the challenges in the new era (Armstrong, Thompson, & Brown, 1997; EURYDICE European Unit, 2000; Hirsch & Weber, 1999; Kogan & Hanney, 2000; Lick, 1999; Mauch & Sabloff, 1995; Mingle, 2000). In facing the fast changing environment, many policy-makers and educators get confused with uncertainties and ambiguities and lose their direction in the rapid globalization. There is an urgent need of a comprehensive framework for understanding the impacts of rapid developments and advancing implications for reforms and innovations in education. In response to this need, my previous work Cheng (2000) has pointed out the necessity of paradigm shift in education and its reform to meet the challenges in the new millennium. Adapted from the key theories in this work, this chapter aims to illustrate how education can be transformed from a traditional site-bounded paradigm towards a new triplization paradigm. In the new paradigm of education, the development of contextualized multiple intelligence (CMI) of students and the processes of globalization, localization, and individualization in education will be the core activities to create unlimited opportunities for teaching and learning and to develop a new generation of CMI leaders and citizens in both local society and global village. The aims, theory, content and practice of education are completely different from the traditional thinking. The proposed paradigm shift in education will provide innovative ideas and possibilities for reforming education in different parts of the world to meet the challenges for the future.