Challenges of Education for the 21st Century

Gil Rita

(Boa Água School, Lusófona University Lisbon, Portugal)

Abstract: In public schools, all around the world, we are exposed to the emergence of projects that aim to promote students’ success, valuing their interests, motivations and potentialities, regardless of their physical, intellectual, cultural or other condition. This study analyzed the project “Edulabs”, implemented in Portugal in 2014, by the Ministry of Education. “Edulabs”, as defined by the Ministry of Education, are classrooms with integrated technological systems of hardware, software and educational platforms, intended to be the core of the schooling ecosystem, focusing on mainly on teaching and learning. Using it is easy, attractive and mobilizing. The objectives of this project are to improve the pedagogical work and the use of technology, which in turn will have an impact on the quality of teaching and learning. We analyzed a group of the fifth-year students, as subjects of this project, to understand how they use technology and the teaching and learning methodologies available to them, and what results come from such use. 

Key words: competences for the 21st century, school for all, pedagogical innovation, “Edulabs” project