What if compulsory schooling was a 21st century invention? Weak signals from a systematic review of the literature

Counterfactual thinking and foresight strategy are utilised to identify “weak signals” for future practice. We conducted systematic reviews of empirical studies comparing traditional and alternative approaches to instruction or assessment to examine the potential for compulsory schooling to be redesigned. This thorough scan of the scholarly horizon provides an opportunity to take the pulse from the literature published over the first one-eighth of the 21st century. Sixteen “weak signals” were identified from the literature that are discussed in the paper. This review might inform further research into current and future school designs and models, particularly in light of trends to personalise learning that are taking hold around the world.