The 21st Century's Changing Landscape: 1. Social

The 21st Century’s Changing Landscape
In Mrs. Rosalia Santos’ essay, the Philippines experienced many changes as it

approached the 21st century. These changes have encompassed all aspects of
life in the country - from political to economic, technology, society, and the
environment. Comparable changes have occurred in other Southeast Asian
countries. All these will definitely have a significant impact on you as a teacher
and your students as you face life in the 21st century. It is important that you
understand these changes so that you will be better equipped to adapt to them.
In turn, you will also be better at helping your students adapt to these changes
as well. Always remember that you cannot give what you do not have.
Did you notice that the changes and challenges described in Mrs. Santos’ essay
fall under five categories? These are social, technological, economic, ecological,
and political changes. Kyler (2003) developed a tool to describe these change
areas, aptly named STEEP. This tool has five elements, with each letter in the
tool’s name representing an element. These are:
S – Social,
T – Technological,
E – Economic,
E – Ecological/Environmental, and
P – Political.
Analyzing the STEEP changes and challenges will help you obtain a better picture
and understanding of how these will affect your life as a 21st century teacher,
and its impact on you, your students, and your school.
Read on and find out more about STEEP changes and challenges and how these
affect your life as a teacher and your students.
1. Social
This element describes society as a whole. Changes under this category
may include demographics, lifestyles, religion, education, and age
distribution of the population. When the social environment changes,
people’s lives are usually affected by these changes. For example, the
increasing migration within a country and from one country to another has
been observed in many countries in the region and in the world. This has
led to students becoming more diverse in terms of their cultural
background, making it more challenging for schools to adjust to their
individual needs.
Can you think of other impacts that increasing migration and other social
changes has on you, your students, and in the school system in general?
Remember that you, as a teacher, must be able to recognize and monitor

changes in society so that you will be better equipped in helping your
students adapt to these changes.
2. Technological
The new millennium was ushered in by a dramatic technological revolution
(21st Century Schools, 2008). You need only to look around to see that
ours is a world that is immersed in technology. Computers, mobile phones,
and other modern-day gadgets are seen not only in schools and in the
work place, but also in homes and in communities. Twenty-first century
schools are now becoming more infused with technology - computers and
the internet are being increasingly used in instruction at all levels and in
almost all subjects. It is your task as a 21st century teacher to monitor and

take note of the effects the changes within the technological environment
will have on your students and in the way teaching-learning is delivered.
How have technological changes affected you, your students, and your
school? Write your ideas on the lines below.
3. Economic
A key change in the Southeast Asian region is economic. In 1996,
Thailand’s General Prem Tinsulanonda said that “in merely five decades,
Asia has become the region with the highest rate of economic growth.”
Since then, a rapid growth in economy in most countries in the region has
been observed, resulting in other changes in Asian societies. The 20th
century saw the rise of China and India, but the 21st century may well see
Southeast Asia as having stronger economies (New Straits Times, 2010).
What impact do you think a stronger economy will have on you and your
students? What about the impact on your school? Write your ideas on the
lines below.
Did you mention that the increase in income might mean more access to
education in families? If so, you are correct. More parents will be able to
send their children to school. Schools will have more resources to
strengthen their instruction, including acquisition of technologies used for
teaching and learning.
Share your ideas with your co-learners and Flexible Learning Tutor.
4. Ecological/Environmental
The ecological element considers the present-day situation of the physical
and biological environments that you and your students, as well as your
school, can face. It is imperative for you as a teacher, to help guide your
students in becoming aware of the changes in the environment, such as
pollution, deforestation, and global warming, and how these affect their
lives and those around them. You will learn later on that knowledge about
the environment, or ecoliteracy, is one of the 21st century literacies that
students need to develop.
For example, teachers like you can encourage students to do “paperless”
assignments by asking them to submit their outputs through email. You
may also encourage them to use both sides of the paper for their school
work. This way, students learn the value of conservation of natural
resources.
What are some other ways that you, as a 21st century teacher, can help
your students become more aware of environmental issues and changes in
the 21st century and how to address them? Write your ideas on the space
below.
5. Political/Legal
This element consists of understanding the political and legal environments
of a country or region where your school operates. As a teacher, you have
to understand and adapt to the political and legal changes in your school’s
environment. For example, changes in locally-elected officials in your
community may affect the support that the local government gives to your
school. Some public officials are education champions, while others
relegate education as among their least priorities.
Remember that this task - of understanding the political landscape in your
school - is not the sole responsibility of your school head. Once you
understand the political environment in your school, you will be in a better
position to help your students cope with 21st century changes in this area.
Reflect on the most recent political changes in your country. How have
these political changes affected your daily life and your life as a teacher?
What about the lives of your students? Write your ideas on the space
below.
Now that you have learned about 21st century changes and challenges, do you
want to know how these would impact the field of education? If so, continue
reading and find out.

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The 21st Century’s Changing Landscape

In Mrs. Rosalia Santos’ essay, the Philippines experienced many changes as it

Remember that you, as a teacher, must be able to recognize and monitor

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