Students' perceptions of futures broadened and pluralised, and deterministic thought patterns were questioned¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · qualitative r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2022 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? The most prevalent theme (76%) was a generally broadening or pluralising perception of the future, recalling the Futures Cone and plurality of futures. → Tapio Rasa 2022 q2 i? A related theme (29%) was students questioning deterministic thought patterns, e.g. that there is no use thinking about the future. → Tapio Rasa 2022 (2)

Evidence¶

Tapio Rasa 2022¶

Tapio Rasa, Elina Palmgren, Antti Laherto. (2022). Futurising science education: students' experiences from a course on futures thinking and quantum computing. Instructional Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-021-09572-3

q2 · i? · qualitative · r2

Interview excerpt (Henry) coded under the theme of generally broadening or pluralising perception of the future, identified in 76% of the 21 interviews; many students recalled the course's Futures Cone visualisation.

"Well, I can remember really well that image with one present and many futures and then there's the plausible and preferable. And especially the whole idea of there actually being an infinite number of futures."

Tapio Rasa 2022 (2)¶

Tapio Rasa, Elina Palmgren, Antti Laherto. (2022). Futurising science education: students' experiences from a course on futures thinking and quantum computing. Instructional Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-021-09572-3

q2 · i? · qualitative · r?

Interview excerpt (Aaron) illustrating the theme 'Deterministic thought patterns questioned', identified in 29% of interviews; students also noted that even the most probable future is not bound to happen.

"maybe previously I thought that there's no use thinking about the future because it will come eventually and there's nothing you can do about it. But maybe I now think like it might be useful [and] interesting to think about different scenarios."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• After the futures-and-quantum-computing course, upper-secondary students reported a more optimistic or hopeful outlook on the future — related
• Students perceived the future as more unpredictable after the course, often finding the openness liberating rather than distressing — related
• Students reported acquiring new futures thinking skills (scenario building, backcasting) that systematised their thinking — related
• Students adopted nondeterministic (SCOT-like) views in which humans influence technological change, supporting agency — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Teachers perceived AI-supported futures as increasingly imaginable and linked to present actions — related
• Teachers' visions most often broadened through wider action strategies, futures thinking, and methodological variety — related
• Starting the FTW process in the far future (Box 4) frees participants from present technological limitations — related
• Imagining preferable futures, especially via backcasting, was seen by students as creating possibilities for agency — related