Reimagining education beyond old myths

February 4, 2025

SEOUL – At any point in history, a prevailing current — or paradigm — tends to set the tone for how people think and behave. Often, this paradigm’s influence remains surprisingly enduring, so much so that even when a new paradigm arises, the old mindset continues to linger, stubbornly resisting change. Consider, for instance, the long-standing belief that expectant mothers should only entertain pure thoughts and immerse themselves in classical music, or that top university grads are expected to be people of high character. These kinds of outdated notions are what we typically call “myths.”

Bryan Goodwin of McRel International, a nonprofit group for educational research, calls, in his article “Zombie Ideas in Education,” such persistent, unfounded beliefs “zombie” ideas. One such persistent notion began with Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. Gardner’s theory highlights that people may excel in different areas. However, this idea has often been twisted into the claim that individual students must be taught according to a single dominant learning style — whether visual, auditory or kinesthetic — for optimal learning. In truth, research provides little support for such an approach. Instead, multiple studies indicate that well-rounded methods incorporating diverse contexts and strategies, as opposed to a single preferred mode of learning, are more effective.

There’s a similar misconception that facts don’t matter in today’s classroom, since students can instantly look up almost any information online. While critical thinking, often championed by progressive education scholars, is important, it cannot exist in isolation; it is inextricably tied to knowing the context and having background