Ecosystem approach to the development of young educators’ “future skills”

Abstract

The development of skills most in demand in the professional sphere and for achieving personal well-being in the near future is one of the urgent tasks of innovative education. This task can be solved with a framework ecosystem approach in education, relevant to the uncertainty of the future. The aim of the study: to justify an ecosystem approach in education for the development of “future skills”. Materials and research methods: Expert reports from the World Economic Forum (2020, 2023), stakeholder approach, philosophical (conceptual) analysis, framework, critical analysis. Research results: The skills most in demand for employees in the field of education were systematised according to the following clusters. Cognitive skills, Self-efficacy, Working with others, Technology skills, Engagement skills, Management skills; the essential characteristics of the framework approach in education relevant to the uncertainty of the future were revealed; the main principles of the ecosystem approach in education (holism, coeducation, flexibility, pragmatism) were formulated; the general conditions for their implementation were established as framework, well-being of actors, multi-stakeholderism of actors, network model of interaction, and networking. The ecosystem approach in education realises the anti-hierarchical interaction of multi-stakeholders, which can ensure the satisfaction of students’ demands with the synergy of education and professional development, contributing to the development of “future skills” of young teachers. Limitations of the study were identified.