How Curiosity-Driven Learning Can Make Education Both Practical and Powerful

Is it possible for something to serve as both a means to an end and an end in itself? I would argue that this is the exact duality that our education system should reflect: both a means to pursue a fulfilling, purpose-driven career; and an end that develops a lifelong love of learning that is not tied to achievement, money, or other factors, but is simply a pure joy of learning as an end in itself.

So often, whether in education or other debates, we position things as either/or: either equity or excellence; either necessary or extraneous; either right or wrong. But if we embrace a both/and approach, starting with how we view the purpose of our education system (from Pre-K through postsecondary) as both practical and powerful, then we can truly honor what our young people have been yearning for-learning that is both useful and transformative, both immediately relevant to their lives and that helps them envision and explore the unique contributions to humanity they wish to make. This is possible through an approach I call curiosity-driven learning.

But before I describe that, let me give a few examples to illustrate the problem of how we as a society seem to shortchange the true power of education, to focus too narrowly on it as often just a means to an end of economic prosperity.

In a nationwide survey of over 20,000 U.S. high school students conducted in 2019, Yale researchers found that students’ most common responses about how they felt in school were “tired,” “stressed,” and “bored.” I would guess that this is largely based on the fact that we have retained the industrial model of education that was designed primarily to prepare students as workers without great concern about their level of engagement in learning. This outdated model is efficient for the system but at the expense of the learner’s experience-one in which we funnel students through school by grade and seat time; do not give them much choice in what, where, when, and how they will learn; and do not make learning as relevant or engaging as it could be. Now, as we reckon with students’ learning loss incurred because of COVID-19’s impact on many levels, we must resist the temptation to narrow the curriculum to subjects seen as the most practical for the workforce at a time when we are having trouble, for various reasons, getting students to attend school consistently.

This focus on education as often just a means to an end has carried over to higher education. In a recent New York Times op-ed, Dr. Bret C. Devereaux, an ancient historian, cites a “steady disinvestment” in the liberal arts across all kinds of colleges, and says this “risks turning America’s universities into vocational schools narrowly focused on professional training. Increasingly, they have robust programs in subjects like business, nursing and computer science but less and less funding for and focus on departments of history, literature, philosophy, mathematics and theology.” A Harvard undergraduate student shared similar observations about his experience at Harvard, where students increasingly “began to view their degrees as financial investments, attempting to maximize return while limiting downside risk,” leading to 58 percent of working seniors going into profitable jobs in either consulting, finance, or the technology sector, versus under four percent going into the nonprofit or public service sector as of 2022. The financial implications between a lucrative job in finance and one in public service are real, and college tuition has certainly increased; but it’s sad to think that many students may be choosing majors and jobs post-graduation based on the known return on investment of their degree versus on their genuine passion and interest in that field.

So, how do we reclaim the dual purpose of education as both practical and powerful for students through curiosity-driven learning?

First, let’s commit as entire communities to help educate our young people in the broadest sense of the term, and not just leave it mostly to our school system. This means partnering with our schools as individual volunteers and community partners to bring real-life learning into the classroom, supporting teachers to bring learning to life. Last week my son’s elementary school hosted a multicultural night where families got to share- through food, posters, and dancing- about their cultures, and kids and adults alike learned a lot and had a lot of fun. It also means bringing students out of the school and into the community, nature, workplaces, museums, theatre, and trips to experience ideas, challenges, and potential careers first-hand, and getting to apply their learning in these real-world contexts through afterschool and summer programs and internships. Indiana’s Department of Education has recognized that career exploration really begins in PreK, not last-minute in high school, and has designed a $57-million competitive grant program using ESSER federal relief funds around this concept. This grant supports schools to partner with community organizations and higher education to move students through the career pathway from the phases of exploring, engaging, and experiencing, from PreK through high school. We also must ensure every young person has access to a mentor-whether that is an adult in their school, their family, or the broader community-who is there for them when they need someone to listen and can share valuable guidance and insight and serve as a role model for them.

Second, let’s help students understand how they can apply their learning to help tackle big challenges we face in our world and through that, to discover and pursue what most interests them, whether it’s environmental policy, transforming our justice system, ensuring educational equity, or other big and worthy challenges. Students want to know why what they are learning matters, not just for their own well-being (e.g. to attain a good job/career), but also to see themselves as part of something bigger-to tackle issues of inequality, injustice, and other complex challenges that motivate them. In this spirit, in 2017 a group of educators and advocates started an ambassador program for teachers to educate their students about the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals- global goals like no poverty, zero hunger, and gender equality-to target through 2030. These teacher ambassadors commit to not only educating students about these goals, but helping them learn how they can make an impact toward those goals both today as young people and as a potential career they’re excited to pursue. Suddenly, a high school Economics class becomes more than just a selling point for college admissions-it is the knowledge and skills to help them work toward tackling climate change or whatever cause the student feels most passionate about.

Third, let’s get curious ourselves as adults to learn about the interests of our students, and select readings, projects, field trips, afterschool programs, internships, and other learning experiences that match and stretch their interests to complement essential curriculum. This centers the principle of student voice and choice, within and beyond the classroom to also ensure students have a voice in decisions that shape school policies and culture. I hosted an afterschool program last year for middle school students and introduced them to improv, which they loved and were really good at (read: they had me laughing a lot). They also wanted to start a podcast and do other things to express themselves-schools should be places where they get to try these things out with no pressure but just for the pure curiosity, joy, and yes, learning, that comes with it.

I believe one of the most important markers of success for our education system is for a high school graduate to say, “I love learning and I feel prepared and excited to continue to discover and pursue my interests.” The specific college, job, or career that follows is less important-what matters is we will have graduated a curious lifelong learner who knows and applies their interests both for their own well-being and for something bigger than themselves.