Parents' views on education. The voice of the collective imagination. Should the school curriculum be modified?

Abstract

On the assumption that a different formative ideal (emerging curricular code) is emerging in the social imaginary for the new generations, we ask ourselves whether the curricula should be modified Our purpose is to search for the imaginary about the formation of the new generations. We conducted qualitative research through case studies and grounded theory interpretation. We have selected, university students, workers in various trades and teachers, all of them parents, as our target population. In this text we present the second survey which we have carried out only with parents; in subsequent surveys we will collect data with the other population groups. This survey is based on the theoretical categorization previously elaborated and the first approach through in-depth interviews. On this occasion, a questionnaire with closed answers was applied to 28 people and a one single open-ended question; it was organized into four sections (1st mail, 2nd general data, 3rd training traits, 4th taking care of oneself, others and living together).  The last section was identified in the first survey as the most important formative trait for the informants interviewed. In this survey, it is again shown as the essential formative trait for the parents surveyed. The results show that school curricula, including university curricula, need to be reformulated to provide a comprehensive education which, although it is offered at the preschool level, is gradually fading in favor of a more disciplinary education and, without this type of education ceasing to be offered, the fundamental educational feature should be education for life, self-care and learning to live and coexist. There is also an interest in useful contents in everyday life that school does not offer.