Visioning the Future: Evaluating Learning Outcomes and Impacts of Futures-Oriented Education

Abstract

In a world of continuous change, fostering futures thinking in the education system has been recognized as a preferred and effective outcome to transform the current factory learning orientation into a culture of foresight. A lack of quantitative research on the measurable outcomes of futures learning seems to discouraging its development in the community of higher education. To fill the gap, this research conducted an empirical examination to evaluate the outcomes and impacts of Tamkang University’s future-oriented education; with a quantitative survey of 578 valid samples collected. This study applies the technique of factor analysis with five dimensions of futures thinking were identified: change agent, transdisciplinary system, long-term thinking, concern for others and openness to alternatives. The results indicate that students who have taken futures courses demonstrate statistically significant higher performance in two dimensions of futures thinking, namely transdisciplinary system and openness to alternatives. Additionally, they are more optimistic toward the year 2030. Male students exhibited significantly higher levels of change-agent futures thinking than that of female students. Freshmen, students of the business college and those less active in club activities exhibited lower performance in three dimensions of futures thinking. The initial results should bring guidance for other similar educational institutes that may consider following the path of futures-oriented pedagogical design.