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IELTS Writing Task 2 – Topic: EDUCATION

ielts writing topics 2019

1.  As computers are being used more and more in education, there will be soon no role for teachers in the classroom.

Sample Answer 1

There have been immense advances in technology in most aspects of people’s lives, especially  in the field of education. Nowadays, an increasing number of students rely on computers to  research for information and to produce a perfect paper for school purposes. Others have  decided to leave the original way of learning to get knowledge through online schools. These  changes in the learning process have brought a special concern regarding the possible  decrease of importance of teachers in the classroom.

Some people believe the role of teachers started to fade because computers have been helping  some students to progress in their studies quicker than when compared with an original  classroom. For example, in the same classroom, students have different intellectual capacities,  thus some would be tied to a slow advance in their studies because of others‟ incapacity of  understanding. In this way, pupils could progress in their acquisition of knowledge at their own  pace using computers instead of learning from teachers.

However, the presence of a teacher is essential for students because the human contact  influences them in positive ways. Firstly, students realize that they are not dealing with a  machine but with a human being who deserves attention and respect. They also learn the  importance of studying in group and respect other students, which helps them to improve their  social skills.

Moreover, teachers are required in the learning process because they acknowledge some  student’s deficiencies and help them to solve their problems by repeating the same explanation,  giving extra exercises or even suggesting a private tutor. Hence, students can have a bigger  chance not to fail in a subject.

In conclusion, the role for teachers in the learning process is still very important and it will  continue to be in the future because no machine can replace the human interaction and its  consequences.

 (303 words)

Sample Answer 2

Nobody can argue that the acquisition of knowledge is more fun and easier with  computers. The mere activity of touching and exploring this device constitutes an  enjoyable task for a kid. This, accompanied with the relaxing attitude and software  interactivity, usually conduce to a better grasping of new knowledge. At a higher  educational level; the availability of digital books, simulator and other academic  materials, provide the student with an ever accessible source of information, that  otherwise would not be at hand.

But, besides the increasing complexity and behavior of intelligent software, which is  usually embedded in the academic digital material, the need of human interaction in the  learning process will always be present, at least in the foreseeable future. There is the  necessity for a human being to be able to determine what the specifics needs of each  individual are. The expertise of a teacher in how to explain and adapt complex concepts  to different individuals can hardly be mimicked by a computer, no matter how  sophisticated its software is.

As computers are becoming a common tool for teaching, teachers should be more  aware of their role as guides in the acquisition of knowledge rather than transmitters of  facts. They have to be open minded to the changes that are taking places, keep  updated and serve as a problem solvers in the learning process, thus allowing students  to discover the fact for themselves.

To summarize, in my personal view, teachers play and will() play an important role in  the classroom, especially at the primary level. No matter how complex computers  become, there will be no replacement for the human interaction, but in the way haw this  interaction takes place.

 (279 words)

2. In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decide to do this.

Sample Answer

It is quite common these days for young people in many countries to have a break from  studying after graduating from high school. This trend is not restricted to rich students  who have the money to travel, but is also evident among poorer students who choose to  work and become economically independent for a period of time.

The reasons for this trend may involve the recognition that a young adult who passes  directly from school to university is rather restricted in terms of general knowledge and  experience of the world. By contrast, those who have spent some time earning a living  or traveling to other places have a broader view of life and better personal resources to  draw on. They tend to be more independent, which is a very important factor in  academic study and research, as well as giving them an advantage in terms of coping  with the challenges of student life.

However, there are certainly dangers in taking time off at that important age. Young  adults may end up never returning to their studies or finding it difficult to readapt to an  academic environment. They may think that it is better to continue in a particular job, or  to do something completely different from a university course. But overall, I think this is  less likely today, when academic qualifications are essential for getting a reasonable  career.

My view is that young people should be encouraged to broaden their horizons. That is  the best way for them to get a clear perspective of what they are hoping to do with their  lives and why. Students with such a perspective are usually the most effective and  motivated ones and taking a year off may be the best way to gain this.

 (291 words)

3. Some people believe that a college or university education should be available to all students. Others believe that higher education should be available only to good students. Discuss these views. Which view do you agree with? Explain why.

People learn through their entire lives. They constantly improve their knowledge and  develop. I think that a college or university education should be available to all students  because every person has the right to choose the way to self-perfection. Bellow I will  give some of my reasons to support my position.

First of all, every person should have the chance to get a higher degree, gain new  knowledge and experience. However, some people believe that higher education should  be available only to good students. I think it is silly. It is like to make unavailable  traveling for one who does not have IQ high enough.

Second of all, some young people do not do well at school but they have great  personality and ability to learn. They are self-confident, persistent and patient. With  these qualities they can get higher grades then their classmates who are talented but  lazy. Imagine for example situation when a teenager gets high grades because his or  her parents constantly make him or her study and help to do most of the homework. In  this case a child does very well at school but I think a college can show the opposite  results.

Finally, it is a discrimination against students to make available higher education only  for good ones.  So, if a student does poor and gets low grades he/she should be sent down. But if a  person was never given a chance to try himself/herself at college, what to do in this  case?

To sum up, I think that all young people should have the chance to get a higher  education. To take or not this chance must be up to them.

 (277 words)

4. Some people believe that the best way of learning about life is by listening to the advice of family and friends. Other people believe that the best way of learning about life is through personal experience. Compare the advantages of these two different ways of learning about life. Which do you think is preferable? Use specific examples to support your preference.

From my everyday experience and observation I can stand that the best way of learning  about life is through personal experience. However, some people think that it is wiser to  learn about life through listening to the advice of family and friends. It does not mean I  totally disagree with this way of learning. Moreover, I think that it is wise for a person to take an intermediate position because each of these ways has its own advantages.  Bellow I will give my reasons to support my point of view.

From the one side, learning through one’s personal experience brings many benefits.  First of all, scientists say that personal experience has greater impact on a person. I  have to agree with this. Take for example children. They will not believe their parents  that something can hurt them until they try it and make sure in it. Furthermore, most  likely they will remember this experience longer. Second of all, people learn how to  analyze their mistakes, make conclusions and next time try to avoid them. So, I think it  is a great experience that makes people stronger, more self-confident and persistent.  They gain more knowledge and experience that will be very helpful and valuable in the future.

From the other side, listening to the advice of family and friends brings many benefits  too. Parents with great patience pass down their knowledge and experience to their  children. They teach them all they know and they want their children do not make the  same mistakes. In addition to those practical benefits, learning from someone’s advice  is painless. For example, parents nowadays very often talk to their children about drugs.  I think it is a great example when one should not try drugs in order to gain new  experience. I think it is a case when children must trust their parents.

To sum up, I think it is wise to combine both of these ways to learn and try to analyze  personal mistakes as well as not personal. I think together they can greatly simplify  one’s life and make the way to success shorter.

 (350 words)

5. With the pressures on today’s young people to succeed academically, some people believe that non-academic subjects at school (eg: physical education and cookery) should be removed from the syllabus so that children can concentrate wholly on academic subjects. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

What young people should study at school has long been the subject of intense debate  and this is a question that certainly does not have one correct answer.

We need to provide young people the best possible chance of doing well at school. In  traditional curriculum there is a wide variety of subjects with a mix of academic and nonacademic subjects. In this way a young person is formed with a rounded education.  Non-academic subjects would include sports, cooking, woodwork and metalwork. I  believe this is the best form of education. A young person should learn things other than  academic subjects. Sport is particularly important. Young people have to learn to love  sport so that they can be fit and healthy later in life. If not we will be raising an obese  and unfit generation.

I totally understand the point of view that education is so important that students must  be pushed as hard as possible to achieve their best. It sounds a good idea to only  expose the students to academic subjects as then they can spend all of their school  hours on studying areas that will get them into university and good jobs later in life. I just  feel a more rounded education would produce a better individual. We must remember  too that a lot of people, maybe even most people, aren‛t academically minded and  would benefit more from a more vocationally based education. Forcing academic  studies onto them would lead to failure and the student leaving school too early.

Therefore I agree that although a wholly academic curriculum would suit and benefit  some young people, I believe that for most students non-academic subjects are  important inclusions still in today‛s syllabuses.

 (283 words)

6. In many countries, sports and exercise classes are replaced with the academic subjects. Discuss the effects of this trend.

Over the past few decades, academic subjects have become increasingly important in  this fast-changing information-based society. Nowadays, there has been a growing  debate as to whether it would be more effective to replace physical education classes  with academic subjects. Despite the importance of sports, I highly believe that it is  inevitable and more efficient to focus more on academic subjects for several reasons.

Those who argue that sports and exercise classes are needed in school base their case  on the following arguments. First of all, sports are a good way to build character and  develop personality. That is, there are necessary for learning about competition,  cooperation, and good sportsmanship. In addition, as a majority of children these days  are addicted to the Internet, they find it hard to leave their computer. Consequently, a  growing number of children are becoming overweight or obese due to a lack of  exercise. So, if schools foster an environment that deprives students of getting a proper  physical education, it will have a long-term negative effect on children both mentally and  physically.

Nevertheless, people should not ignore the fact that devoting more time and energy to  academic subjects will benefit students more in the long run. The time devoted to  physical education now would be better spent teaching students English. This is  because speaking fluent English will give young people an advantage over other college  applicants and job seekers in the near future. Besides, science will undoubtedly benefit  youth more than physical education as well. The principles learned in science will  provide the necessary foundation for solving and difficult problems that are sure to arise  in students’ futures.

In summary, there are high hopes that educators and parents exercise wisdom in  teaching young generations.

 (288 words)

7. Some people think high school graduates should travel or work for a period of time instead of going directly to study at university. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

High school students face many decisions as they prepare to graduate, including what  they are going to do after graduation. Some high school students go directly to college  or university after graduation. Others prefer to travel or work for some time before going  to university.

For those who choose to go college or university after graduation, there are advantages  and disadvantages. One of the big advantages of going directly from high school to  college is that you are still in the habit of studying. By going to college after graduation,  you do not lose the study skills that you developed during high school. The big  disadvantages, however, is that you may not be ready for college. You may not know  exactly what you want to study, or you may be more interested in freedom and parties  than in your courses. At that age, it is often difficult for students to take on the  responsibilities of college.

There are also advantages and disadvantages to working or traveling before starting  college. Working or traveling allows you a better idea of what you want to do with your  life. You gain practical experience that helps you define what you want to study. You  also are well prepared for the responsibilities of college or university studies. On the  other hand, by the time you start college, you will probably have obligations, like a job or  spouse, which keep you from focusing on studies. In addition, travelling or working  before college may cause you to spend enough time out of school that you forget how  to study.

The desicion of what to do after high school graduation can be a difficult one. Deciding  whether to go straight into college or university or take time to work or travel is  something that faces every high school student. After thinking about the advantages  and disadvantages of both options, the decision should be based on what is best for  you.

 (322 words)

8. The student who study from the school to university get benefit less and contribute less too, than those of student who go to travel or job and get skills and experience before going high. Do you agree or disagree?

Nowadays, in our competitive world, to succeed, knowledge from school and university  is not enough. Therefore, the student who study from the school to university get benefit  less and contribute less too, than those of student who go to travel or job and get  experience and skills before going high. There are two following reasons to prove for my  opinion. I call the group of people who study from school to university is group A and the other group is group B.

Firstly, at school and university, what group A gain is almost theory, theory and theory.  Of course, theory is very necessary, however, you can’t do everything with theory. You  must have practicable experience. This is what group A lack very much. Although in the  third of fourth year at university, group A can be apprentices in some companies, to help  them approach their future jobs, they aren’t trained well because of short time. And the  real job is still very strange with them. After graduating, without experience, group A  can’t accomplish their work perfectly. On the other hand, it take them time and money to  keep up with other experienced ones and may be scorned. Therefore, group A can  contribute less than group B who have the most two important things: skills and  experience.

Secondly, as group A is contribute less, they surely get less benefit. Moreover, many  companies which employ people in group A have to train them from the back-ground.  These companies take this cost from group A‟s salary to get rid of the fact that their  employees may leave after being trained to other companies. So, less benefit is  unavoidable and certain, Whereas group B are more loyal and effective workers. They  also have useful experience and skills. Besides, their education is the same as or even  higher than group A. As the result, group B get more benefit absolutely.

In conclusion, I think student should go to travel or job before going high. Therefore,  they can’t only have basic knowledge but also skills and experience which are useful for  them to get a good job and a brilliant future.

 (355 words)

9. Disruptive school students have a negative influence on others. Students who are noisy and disobedient should be grouped together and taught separately. Do you agree or disagree?

There is no doubt that some students in schools behave badly and their behaviour  causes difficulty for others either because it has a negative effect on the group or  because ordinary students find it difficult to study with them.

One solution is to take these students away and teach them on their own. However, if  we simply have them removed after one or two warnings, we are limiting their  educational opportunities because it seems to me that a school which caters for difficult  students is a sort of “prison” whatever name you give it and the people who go there may never recover from the experience. This can then cause problems for the wider  society.

Perhaps we need to look at why the disruptive students behave badly before we  separate them. Disruptive students may be very intelligent and find the classes boring  because the work is too easy. Perhaps these students need extra lessons rather than  separate lessons. Or perhaps the teachers are uninspiring and this results in  behavioural problems so we need better teachers. On the other hand, most studentsput  up with this situation rather than cause trouble, and some people argue that we have to  learn to suffer bad teachers and boring situations and that students who can’t learn this  lesson need to be taught separately.

So before we condemn the students to a special school, we should look at factors such  as the teaching, because once the children have been separated, it is very unlikely that  they will be brought back.

 (254 words)

10. Some people think that universities should not provide so much theoretical knowledge but give more practical training throughout their courses. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

In the past, a majority of academics have held the opinion that universities should only  offer a theoretically-based approach to teaching throughout their courses, as opposed  to the more recent trend towards empirical acquisition of knowledge involving more  “hands on” experience. Is this the most effective way for students to learn vital  academic information while undertaking their degrees? Undoubtedly, advantages and  disadvantages of both academic learning styles have to be evaluated.

Firstly, on the one hand, despite being the more traditional educational approach,  learning from theory in relevant academic discourses to identify established knowledge  allows us to gain a professional insight. For example, students can easily identify facts  and opinions from past discourses. In addition, students acquire knowledge more easily  when given relative theoretical examples to build upon. For instance, in subjects such  as history or sociology, studying textbook examples allows students to unravel complex  academic theories which they could expand on. Alternatively, there are some  disadvantages for students.

On the other hand, there is no doubt that students could find themselves reading  tedious and monotonous academic papers. For instance, university degrees involving  the evaluation of numerous „long-winded‟ academic discourses provide little inspiration  for students, discouraging enthusiasm. Obviously, interest can be stimulated through  empirical research in class. By this I mean that „the human brain learns best by doing‟.  Although time-consuming, there is no substitute for learning from making mistakes.

In conclusion, while both approaches have benefits and drawbacks in our ever- changing academic world, I honestly believe that a more practical approach promotes a  stronger acquisition of academic knowledge. In spite of the comprehensive nature which  theoretical teaching can possibly provide, practical learning equals more positive  learning for future generations.

 (281 words)

11. People attend college or university for many defferent reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university?

People attend college for a lot of different reasons. I believe that the three most common  reasons are to prepare for a career, to have new experiences, and to increase their knowledge  of themselves and of the world around them.

Career preparation is probably the primary reason that people attend college. These days, the  job market is very competitive. Careers such as information technology will need many new  workers in the near future. At college, students can learn new skills for these careers and  increase their opportunities for the future.

Students also go to college to have new experiences. For many, it is their first time away from  home. At college, they can meet new people from many different places. They can see what life  is like in a different city. They can learn to live on their own and take care of themselves without  having their family always nearby.

At college, students have the opportunity to increase their knowledge. As they decide what they  want to study, pursue their studies, and interact with their classmates, they learn a lot about  themselves. They also, of course, have the opportunity to learn about many subjects in their  classes. In addition to the skills and knowledge related to their career, college students also  have the chance to take classes in other areas. For many, this will be their last chance to study  different subjects.

Colleges offer much more than career preparation. They offer the opportunity to have new  experiences and to learn many kinds of things. I think all of these are reasons why people  attend college.

 (265 words)

People attend colleges or universities for a lot of different reasons. I believe that the  three most common reasons are to prepare for a career, to have new experiences, and  to increase their knowledge of themselves and the world around them.

Career preparation is becoming more and more important to young people. For many, this is the primary reason to go to college. They know that the job market is competitive.  At college, they can learn new skill for careers with a lot of opportunities. This means  careers, such as information technology, that are expected to need a large workforce in  the coming years.

Also, students go to colleges and universities to have new experiences. This often  means having the opportunity to meet people different from those in their hometowns.  For most students, going to college is the first time they’ve been away from home by  themselves. In additions, this is the first time they’ve had to make decisions on their  own. Making these decisions increases their knowledge of themselves.

Besides looking for self-knowledge, people also attend a university or college to expand  their knowledge in subjects they find interesting. For many, this will be their last chance  for a long time to learn about something that doesn’t relate to their career.

I would recommend that people not be so focused on a career. They should go to  college to have new experiences and learn about themselves and the world they live in.

 (243 words)

12. Nowadays, education overseas has become more accessible and growing numbers of people send their offspring to study in other countries. However, this trend has its detractors. I strongly believe that the pros far outweigh the cons, and will examine both below.

One of the greatest advantages is that the children learn to be independent. Having to cook,  clean, and pay bills instills this in them. Often they have to work part-time to make ends meet,  and this impresses upon them the importance of work and money management.

Another important factor is that these children will be exposed to different cultures and ways of  thinking. They will become more open-minded and tolerant and are likely to become more  adaptable individuals.

One of the main motives for sending young people abroad to study is that it enhances their  employment prospects. In my experience of living in foreign countries and speaking to various  youths, it seems that a foreign education is regarded as something desirable and helpful in  getting a decent job. A degree from Britain, for example, is seen as being of a higher standard  than one from a developing country. Furthermore, living in a foreign country may lead to fluency  in a second language, which is another selling point for prospective employers. In addition,  many companies are keen to recruit people with a global outlook.

There are a few drawbacks however. For instance, without parental supervision, the new found freedom children experience may lead to harmful practices such as drug-taking and drinking.  Reluctance or inability to reintegrate into their mother country is another. To sum up, it can be  seen that the advantages of studying abroad for children are more numerous than the  disadvantages. Of course a lot depends on the age of the child, but I believe that for most  teenagers it would be a positive experience.

 (266 words)

13. It has been said, “Not everything that is learned is contained in books.” Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?

“Experience is the best teacher” is an old cliché, but I agree with it. We can learn a lot of  important things from books, but the most important lessons in life come from our own  experiences. Throughout the different stages of life, from primary school to university to  adulthood, experience teaches us many skills we need for life.

As children in primary school, we learn facts and information from books, but that is not all we  learn in school. On the playground we learn how to make friends. In our class work, we learn  how it feels to succeed and what we do when we fail. We start to learn about the things we like  to do and the things we don’t. We don’t learn these things from books, but from our experiences  with our friends and classmates.

In our university classes, we learn a lot of information and skills we will need for our future  careers, but we also learn a lot that is not in our textbooks. In our daily lives both in class and  out of class, we learn to make decisions for ourselves. We learn to take on responsibilities. We  learn to get along with our classmates, our roommates, and our workmates. Our successes and  failures help us develop skills we will need in our adult lives. They are skills that no book can  teach us.

Throughout our adulthood, experience remains a constant teacher. We may continue to read or  take classes for professional development. However, our experiences at work, at home, and  with our friends teach us more. The triumphs and disasters of our lives teach us how to improve  our careers and also how to improve our relationships and how to be the person each one of us  wants to be.

Books teach us a lot, but there is a limit to what they teach. They can give us information or  show us another person’s experiences. These are valuable things, but the lessons we learn  from our own experiences, from childhood through adulthood, are the most important ones we  learn.

 (346 words)

People are learning and practicing through their entire life. I believe that life  experience and practice are the basic reasons of the humankind’s evolution. However,  in my opinion, knowledge gained from books plays a very important role in the modern  life.

The most obviously important advantage of books is that they hold all knowledge gained  by previous generations. People write books about their discoveries and inventions,  which are gained through practice and experience. This knowledge is accumulated in  books that are passed from generation to generation. So, basically, people get all  knowledge about the previous achievements from books, analyze it and than, according  to their experience and new data, write new books. In this case, books are the holders  of humankind’s experience.

For example, at old times people thought that the Earth was flat. It was concluded from  observations and studying. However, the next generations, using the experience of  their ancestors, proved that the Earth was round.

Personally, I think that books are very important because they are able to give people  the basic and fundamental knowledge. Books store history, the important events and  discoveries. Without them it is difficult and sometimes impossible to move forward,  make new discoveries and inventions.

To summarize, I think a person should take basic knowledge from books because it will  help him to make his own inventions, conclusions and discoveries. Only using both  books and one’s experience one can move forward.

 (237 words)

14. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should read only those books that are about real events, real people, and established facts. Use specific reasons and details to support your opinion .

Some people think that fiction books have no use at all. They claim that people should  read about real events that took place, real people, and established facts. I have to  totally disagree with this statement. From my everyday experience and observation I  can stand that fiction, miracles and fairy tails are required in our life. For several  reasons, which I will mention below, I believe that fiction books play an essential role in  our life.

First of all, it is kind of difficult to imagine a six year old child reading about politics or  history with the real facts that are not always pleasant. I think that children need  miracles and Santa Claus because the real world is too complicated for them. They are  too innocent and inexperienced to know the real facts and understand what a real life is  about. In addition, I am sure that making a child read only non-fiction books can result in  shock.

Second of all, following this statement about refusing from reading books about fiction  events we also should refuse from festivals, parades, and celebration such holidays as Halloween because most of the characters there are fictional. Moreover, comic books  will disappear as well as animated films and fiction movies. The disadvantage of nonfiction lies in the facts that nothing happens to excite the mind and spirit. From the other side, fiction provides a great slope for a mind to think creatively.

In conclusion, I think that people need miracles. We can not be satisfied with only naked  truth. Human kind must believe in something and this belief helps people break limits and make new inventions.

 (273 words)

15. Going overseas for university study is an exciting prospect for many people. But while it may offer some advantages, it is probably better to stay home because of the difficulties a student inevitably encounters living and studying in a different culture. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

There is no doubt that going to study in a foreign country, with its different language and culture,  can be a frustrating and sometimes painful experience. But while overseas study has its  drawbacks, the difficulties are far outweighed by the advantages. Indeed, people who go abroad  for study open themselves up to experiences that those who stay at home will never have.

The most obvious advantage to overseas university study is real-life use of a different language.  While a person can study a foreign language in his or her own country, it cannot compare with  constant use of the language in academic and everyday life. There is no better opportunity to  improve second-language skills than living in the country in which it is spoken. Moreover, having  used the language during one’s studies offers a distinct advantage when one is applying for jobs  back home that require the language.

On a university campus, the foreign student is not alone in having come from far away. He or  she will likely encounter many others from overseas and it is possible to make friends from all  around the world. This is not only exciting on a social level, but could lead to important overseas  contacts in later professional life.

Finally, living and studying abroad offers one a new and different perspective of the world and,  perhaps most important, of one’s own country. Once beyond the initial shock of being in a new  culture, the student slowly begins to get a meaningful understanding of the host society. On  returning home, one inevitably sees one’s own country in a new, often more appreciative, light.

In conclusion, while any anxiety about going overseas for university study is certainly  understandable, it is important to remember that the benefits offered by the experience make it  well worthwhile.

 (299 words)

16. Many students do not finish school. Why is this, and how can the problem be solved? School Drop-Outs: Problems and Solutions

Today, although most students in the UAE complete school, a large number still drop  out because of family, social and work pressures. This problem requires serious action  from both individuals and the government.

Most students who do not complete school do so because of family problems. Girls,  especially, want to get married and start a family. Some parents are not interested in  education and do not support their children in studying. Social problems are also a  contributing factor. Education is compulsory but, despite this, some people do not take it  seriously. Furthermore, jobs are available even if students do not have a good  education. The third reason is work pressure. Some families are poor and need their  children to work in order to increase the income. All these problems will create young  people who do not have any skills and who will not be able to improve their lives for the  family and the country.

There are several things that can be done about these problems. Parents should be  encouraged to send their children to school. Schools with baby-minding facilities should  be opened specially for married students. The government needs to stress the  importance of education and even offer financial support to students to continue. This  will encourage students to stay at school rather than start working.

In conclusion, there are several things that the government can do to allow more people  to finish school. However, a number of society attitudes also have to change if the  country’s young people are to achieve their full potential.

 (256 words)

17. Does a university education lead to success in life?

It is very difficult to answer the claim that a person needs a university education to be  successful in life because success in life means different things to different people. This  essay starts by defining three different ideas of success. Following this, it looks at which  types of success are dependent on a university education.

Success in life can be achieved in different ways. Many magazines and television  programmes tell us that success means having a lot of money, having a fulfilling career,  and being powerful. In contrast, most religious and spiritual organizations claim that  success means finding spiritual happiness and being at peace with God and with yourself. Another idea of success focuses on relationships – being surrounded by  people who love you and care about you, spending time with family and friends.

A university education can help you achieve some types of success, but it makes little  or no difference to whether or not you are successful in other areas of life. Undoubtedly,  a university education is essential if you want to have a career in a profession such as  law, engineering, teaching, or medicine. However, you do not need a university degree  to become a wealthy and powerful movie star, sports star or business person. In fact, a  university education does not generally enable you to achieve spiritual happiness, or to  have successful relationships with family and friends.

In conclusion, there are many different types of success. A university education may  help you to achieve professional success in some careers. However, it will not help you  to achieve success in other areas of your life such as your spiritual life or your  relationships.

 (275 words)

18. Education: Losing its Value

Today, it seems to be universally accepted that increased education is a good thing.  Thousands of colleges and millions of students spend vast amounts of time and money  chasing pieces of paper. But what is the value of these qualifications? This essay will  discuss whether education has been devalued.

Supporters of education (usually teachers or educators, or those who have an interest  in stopping people thinking for themselves) say that increased levels of education will  open doors for students. Certificates, diplomas, and degrees are held up as a status  symbol, a passport to a private club of money and power.

However, the truly powerful are not those who have taken degrees, but people who  have stood back and looked at what is really important in life. They have seen  opportunity and followed dreams. These people are found in every part of society. Like  many brilliant people, Einstein was a weak student at math. Like many successful  businessmen, Bill Gates never completed college. Like many inventive and creative  people, Edison never went to school. The greatest religious teachers do not have letters  after their name, but have looked into their hearts for meaning. Similarly, the world’s  political leaders do not have master’s degrees or doctorates. These are the people who  shaped our century, and they are too busy with real life to spend time in the paper  chase.

Students in college are being sold an illusion. They are made to believe that self-understanding and society approval will come with the acquisition of a piece of paper.  Instead of thinking for themselves, and finding their own personality and strengths, they  are fitted like square pegs into round holes.

The role of education is to prepare masses of people to operate at low levels of ability in  a very limited and restricted range of activities. Some of these activities are more  challenging than perhaps the assembly lines of the past, but still the ultimate purpose is  equally uninteresting. More worryingly, despite the increased level of education, people  are still not genuinely expected to think for themselves. In fact, the longer years of  schooling make the job of brainwashing even easier.

There is still a role for study, research, and education. However, we need to examine  our emphasis on education for the sake of a piece of paper, and to learn the real  meaning and revolutionary challenge of knowledge.

 (395 words)

19. Education: Still Invaluable!

In the past, degrees were very unusual in my family. I remember the day my uncle  graduated. We had a huge party, and for many years my mother called him “the genius”  and listened to his opinion. Today, in comparison five of my brothers and sisters have  degrees, and two are studying for their masters’. However, some people think that this  increased access to education is devaluing degrees. In this essay, I will look at some of  the arguments for and against the increased emphasis on degrees in our society.

People have several arguments against the need for degrees. They say that having so  many graduates devalues a degree. People lose respect for the degree holder. It is also  claimed that education has become a rat race. Graduates have to compete for jobs  even after years of studying. Another point is that studying for such a long time leads to  learners becoming inflexible. They know a lot about one narrow subject, but are unable  to apply their skills. Employers prefer more flexible and adaptable workers.

However, I feel strongly that this move to having more qualifications is a positive  development. In the past education was only for the rich and powerful. Now it is  available to everyone, and this will have many advantages for the country and the  individual. First of all, it is impossible to be overeducated. The more people are  educated, the better the world will be, because people will be able to discuss and  exchange ideas. A further point is that people with degrees have many more  opportunities. They can take a wider variety of jobs and do what they enjoy doing,  instead of being forced to take a job they dislike. Finally, a highly educated workforce is  good for the economy of the country. It attracts foreign investment.

In conclusion, although there are undoubtedly some problems with increased levels of  education, I feel strongly that the country can only progress if all its people are educated  to the maximum of their ability.

 (336 words)

20. It is often said that the subjects taught in schools are too academic in orientation and that it would be more useful for children to learn about practical matters such as home management, work and interpersonal skills. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

A criticism often heard these days is that the subjects taught in schools tend to be too  academic, and contribute little to preparing a young person for the real-life tasks he or she will  have to perform after graduation. They say that academic subjects are rooted in the past, and  are not useful for solving modern problems. I disagree with this point of view for three reasons.

My first reason is that it is the duty of parents, not teachers, to prepare their children to deal with  the practical affairs of life. The home, not the classroom, is the ideal place to learn about home  management and interpersonal skills. As for work abilities and attitudes, they are best learned  “on the job” and under the supervision of an experienced older worker.

My second reason is that academic subjects have withstood the test of time. They represent the  accumulated wisdom of our ancestors down through the ages, and, far from being impractical,  they equip us with the knowledge and confidence to make sound judgements about any  problems which may crop up. In addition, academic subjects are good for training us in mental  discipline, while practical subjects are weak in this regard.

My third reason is based on the saying “Man does not live by bread alone.” Schooldays devoted  solely to instruction in down-to-earth practical matters would be dull indeed! Lessons in the best  literature of the world, and the epoch-making scientific and geographical discoveries of the past  enrich our lives and make us feel that we are part of the great family of mankind.

All in all, the teaching of academic subjects in schools is entirely appropriate. It is my firmly held  view that practical subjects have no place in the classroom. On the contrary, the curriculum  should be more academic!

 (300 words)

21. It has been said, “Not every thing that is learned is contained in books.” Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?

“Experience is the best teacher” is an old cliché, but I agree with it. The most important,  and sometimes the hardest, lessons we learn in life come from our participation in  situations. You can‟ learn everything from a book.

Of course, learning from books in a formal educational setting is also valuable. It’s in  schools that we learn the information we need to function in our society. We learn how  to speak and write and understand mathematical equations. This is all information that  we need to live in our communities and earn a living.

Nevertheless, I think that the most important lessons can’t be taught; they have to be  experienced. No one can teach us how to get along with others or how to have self-respect. As we grow from children into teenagers, no one can teach us how to deal with peer pressure. As we leave adolescence behind and enter adult life, no one can teach us how to fall in love and get married.

This shouldn’t stop us from looking for guidelines along the way. Teachers and parents  are valuable sources of advice when we’re young. As we enter into new stages in our  lives, the advice we receive from them is very helpful because they have already bad  similar experiences. But experiencing our own triumphs and disasters is really the only  way to learn how to deal with life.

 (232 words)

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• University Education Essay

IELTS Writing Example: The Aims of University

This IELTS writing example is on the topic of  university education . Take a look at the question:

Some people believe the aim of university education is to help graduates get better jobs. Others believe there are much wider benefits of university education for both individuals and society.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

In this essay, two  opposing opinions  need to be discussed.

This is the first opinion:

The aim of university education is to help graduates get better jobs.

This is the second opinion:

There are much wider benefits of university education for both individuals and society.

IELTS Writing Example

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Discuss both views andgive your opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

Write at least 250 words.

IELTS Writing Example - Model Answer

These days, more and more people are making the choice to go to university. While some people are of the opinion that the only purpose of a university education is to improve job prospects, others think that society and the individual benefit in much broader ways.

It is certainly true that one of the main aims of university is to secure a better job. The majority of people want to improve their future career prospects and attending university is one of the best ways to do this as it increases a person's marketable skills and attractiveness to potential employers. In addition, further education is very expensive for many people, so most would not consider it if it would not provide them with a more secure future and a higher standard of living. Thus job prospects are very important.

However, there are other benefits for individuals and society. Firstly, the independence of living away from home is a benefit because it helps the students develop better social skills and improve as a person. A case in point is that many students will have to leave their families, live in halls of residence and meet new friends. As a result, their maturity and confidence will grow enabling them to live more fulfilling lives. Secondly, society will gain from the contribution that the graduates can make to the economy. We are living in a very competitive world, so countries need educated people in order to compete and prosper.

Therefore, I believe that although a main aim of university education is to get the best job, there are clearly further benefits. If we continue to promote and encourage university attendance, it will lead to a better future for individuals and society.

(279 words)

The writer in this IELTS writing example has a clear thesis in the second sentence of the introduction, establishing that two sides of this issue will be discussed:

• While some people are of the opinion...others think that...

Looking at the structure , the topic sentences make it clear when the first opinion is being discussed:

• It is certainly true that one of the main aims of university is to secure a better job.

And when the writer is moving onto the next opinion

• However, there are other benefits for individuals and society.

Connectors ( To begin... Also... Firstly... Secondly ) are used well to introduce each new supporting idea. Further connectors ( For example...A case in point is that...As a result... ) are used to expand on these ideas.

Finally, the writer has demonstrated that they are able to use complex sentence structures ( While...that...in order to...as... ), and has discussed both views and combined this with his/her opinion, thus ensuring the question has been answered.

Learn more education vocabulary

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Ielts essay 244 - university education to help graduates get better jobs, ielts writing task 2/ ielts essay:, some people believe the aim of university education is to help graduates get better jobs. others believe there are much wider benefits of university education for both individuals and society..

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Over 170 Prompts to Inspire Writing and Discussion

Here are all of our Student Opinion questions from the 2020-21 school year. Each question is based on a different New York Times article, interactive feature or video.

By The Learning Network

Each school day we publish a new Student Opinion question, and students use these writing prompts to reflect on their experiences and identities and respond to current events unfolding around them. To introduce each question, we provide an excerpt from a related New York Times article or Opinion piece as well as a free link to the original article.

During the 2020-21 school year, we asked 176 questions, and you can find them all below or here as a PDF . The questions are divided into two categories — those that provide opportunities for debate and persuasive writing, and those that lend themselves to creative, personal or reflective writing.

Teachers can use these prompts to help students practice narrative and persuasive writing, start classroom debates and even spark conversation between students around the world via our comments section. For more ideas on how to use our Student Opinion questions, we offer a short tutorial along with a nine-minute video on how one high school English teacher and her students use this feature .

Questions for Debate and Persuasive Writing

1. Should Athletes Speak Out On Social and Political Issues? 2. Should All Young People Learn How to Invest in the Stock Market? 3. What Are the Greatest Songs of All Time? 4. Should There Be More Gender Options on Identification Documents? 5. Should We End the Practice of Tipping? 6. Should There Be Separate Social Media Apps for Children? 7. Do Marriage Proposals Still Have a Place in Today’s Society? 8. How Do You Feel About Cancel Culture? 9. Should the United States Decriminalize the Possession of Drugs? 10. Does Reality TV Deserve Its Bad Rap? 11. Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished? 12. How Should Parents Support a Student Who Has Fallen Behind in School? 13. When Is It OK to Be a Snitch? 14. Should People Be Required to Show Proof of Vaccination? 15. How Much Have You and Your Community Changed Since George Floyd’s Death? 16. Can Empathy Be Taught? Should Schools Try to Help Us Feel One Another’s Pain? 17. Should Schools or Employers Be Allowed to Tell People How They Should Wear Their Hair? 18. Is Your Generation Doing Its Part to Strengthen Our Democracy? 19. Should Corporations Take Political Stands? 20. Should We Rename Schools Named for Historical Figures With Ties to Racism, Sexism or Slavery? 21. How Should Schools Hold Students Accountable for Hurting Others? 22. What Ideas Do You Have to Improve Your Favorite Sport? 23. Are Presidential Debates Helpful to Voters? Or Should They Be Scrapped? 24. Is the Electoral College a Problem? Does It Need to Be Fixed? 25. Do You Care Who Sits on the Supreme Court? Should We Care? 26. Should Museums Return Looted Artifacts to Their Countries of Origin? 27. Should Schools Provide Free Pads and Tampons? 28. Should Teachers Be Allowed to Wear Political Symbols? 29. Do You Think People Have Gotten Too Relaxed About Covid? 30. Who Do You Think Should Be Person of the Year for 2020? 31. How Should Racial Slurs in Literature Be Handled in the Classroom? 32. Should There Still Be Snow Days? 33. What Are Your Reactions to the Storming of the Capitol by a Pro-Trump Mob? 34. What Do You Think of the Decision by Tech Companies to Block President Trump? 35. If You Were a Member of Congress, Would You Vote to Impeach President Trump? 36. What Would You Do First if You Were the New President? 37. Who Do You Hope Will Win the 2020 Presidential Election? 38. Should Media Literacy Be a Required Course in School? 39. What Are Your Reactions to the Results of Election 2020? Where Do We Go From Here? 40. How Should We Remember the Problematic Actions of the Nation’s Founders? 41. As Coronavirus Cases Surge, How Should Leaders Decide What Stays Open and What Closes? 42. What Is Your Reaction to the Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris? 43. How Worried Should We Be About Screen Time During the Pandemic? 44. Should Schools Be Able to Discipline Students for What They Say on Social Media? 45. What Works of Art, Culture and Technology Flopped in 2020? 46. How Do You Feel About Censored Music? 47. Why Do You Think ‘Drivers License’ Became Such a Smash Hit? 48. Justice Ginsburg Fought for Gender Equality. How Close Are We to Achieving That Goal? 49. How Well Do You Think Our Leaders Have Responded to the Coronavirus Crisis? 50. To What Extent Is the Legacy of Slavery and Racism Still Present in America in 2020? 51. How Should We Reimagine Our Schools So That All Students Receive a Quality Education? 52. How Concerned Do You Think We Should Be About the Integrity of the 2020 Election? 53. What Issues in This Election Season Matter Most to You? 54. Is Summer School a Smart Way to Make Up for Learning Lost This School Year? 55. What Is Your Reaction to the Senate’s Acquittal of Former President Trump? 56. What Is the Worst Toy Ever? 57. How Should We Balance Safety and Urgency in Developing a Covid-19 Vaccine? 58. What Are Your Reactions to Oprah’s Interview With Harry and Meghan? 59. Should the Government Provide a Guaranteed Income for Families With Children? 60. Should There Be More Public Restrooms? 61. Should High School-Age Basketball Players Be Able to Get Paid? 62. Should Team Sports Happen This Year? 63. Who Are the Best Musical Artists of the Past Year? What Are the Best Songs? 64. Should We Cancel Student Debt? 65. How Closely Should Actors’ Identities Reflect the Roles They Play? 66. Should White Writers Translate a Black Author’s Work? 67. Would You Buy an NFT? 68. Should Kids Still Learn to Tell Time? 69. Should All Schools Teach Financial Literacy? 70. What Is Your Reaction to the Verdict in the Derek Chauvin Trial? 71. What Is the Best Way to Stop Abusive Language Online? 72. What Are the Underlying Systems That Hold a Society Together? 73. What Grade Would You Give President Biden on His First 100 Days? 74. Should High Schools Post Their Annual College Lists? 75. Are C.E.O.s Paid Too Much? 76. Should We Rethink Thanksgiving? 77. What Is the Best Way to Get Teenagers Vaccinated? 78. Do You Want Your Parents and Grandparents to Get the New Coronavirus Vaccine? 79. What Is Your Reaction to New Guidelines That Loosen Mask Requirements? 80. Who Should We Honor on Our Money? 81. Is Your School’s Dress Code Outdated? 82. Does Everyone Have a Responsibility to Vote? 83. How Is Your Generation Changing Politics?

Questions for Creative and Personal Writing

84. What Does Your Unique Style Say About You? 85. How Do You Spend Your Downtime? 86. Would You Want to Live to 200? 87. How Do You Connect to Your Heritage? 88. What Do You Think Are the Secrets to Happiness? 89. Are You a Sneakerhead? 90. What Role Have Mentors Played in Your Life? 91. If You Could Make Your Own Podcast, What Would It Be About? 92. Have You Ever Felt Pressure to ‘Sell Your Pain’? 93. Do You Think You Make Good Climate Choices? 94. What Does TikTok Mean to You? 95. Do Your Parents Overpraise You? 96. Do You Want to Travel in Space? 97. Do You Feel You’re Friends With Celebrities or Influencers You Follow Online? 98. Would You Eat Food Grown in a Lab? 99. What Makes You Cringe? 100. What Volunteer Work Would You Most Like to Do? 101. How Do You Respond When People Ask, ‘Where Are You From?’ 102. Has a School Assignment or Activity Ever Made You Uncomfortable? 103. How Does Your Identity Inform Your Political Beliefs and Values? 104. Are You an Orchid, a Tulip or a Dandelion? 105. Are You Having a Tough Time Maintaining Friendships These Days? 106. How Is Your Mental Health These Days? 107. Do You Love Writing or Receiving Letters? 108. What Has Television Taught You About Social Class? 109. Are You Easily Distracted? 110. What Objects Bring You Comfort? 111. What Is Your Favorite Memory of PBS? 112. Have You Ever Felt Embarrassed by Your Parents? 113. What Are You Doing to Combat Pandemic Fatigue? 114. Have You Ever Worried About Making a Good First Impression? 115. What Do You Want Your Parents to Know About What It’s Like to Be a Teenager During the Pandemic? 116. How Have You Collaborated From a Distance During the Pandemic? 117. How Important Is It to You to Have Similar Political Beliefs to Your Family and Friends? 118. How Are You Feeling About Winter This Year? 119. Which Celebrity Performer Would You Like to Challenge to a Friendly Battle? 120. How Mentally Tough Are You? 121. What Smells Trigger Powerful Memories for You? 122. What Are You Thankful for This Year? 123. Do You Miss Hugs? 124. Are You a Good Conversationalist? 125. What Habits Have You Started or Left Behind in 2020? 126. What Was the Best Art and Culture You Experienced in 2020? 127. What’s Your Relationship With Masks? 128. What Role Does Religion Play in Your Life? 129. How Will You Be Celebrating the Holidays This Year? 130. What Is Something Good That Happened in 2020? 131. What New Flavor Ideas Do You Have for Your Favorite Foods? 132. What Are Your Hopes and Concerns for the New School Year? 133. How Has 2020 Challenged or Changed You? 134. What Do You Hope for Most in 2021? 135. How Do You View Death? 136. What Is Your Favorite Fact You Learned in 2020? 137. What Are the Places in the World That You Love Most? 138. Have You Ever Experienced ‘Impostor Syndrome’? 139. How Well Do You Get Along With Your Siblings? 140. Do You Talk to Your Family About the Cost of College? 141. Do You Have a Healthy Diet? 142. How Do You Feel About Mask-Slipping? 143. Do You Believe in Manifesting? 144. How Do You Express Yourself Creatively? 145. What Are Your Family’s House Rules During the Covid Crisis? 146. What Online Communities Do You Participate In? 147. Have You Experienced Any Embarrassing Zoom Mishaps? 148. What Does Your Country’s National Anthem Mean to You? 149. Are Sports Just Not the Same Without Spectators in the Stands? 150. Would You Volunteer for a Covid-19 Vaccine Trial? 151. What ‘Old’ Technology Do You Think Is Cool? 152. Have You Ever Tried to Grow Something? 153. How Has the Pandemic Changed Your Relationship to Your Body? 154. How Do You Find New Books, Music, Movies or Television Shows? 155. Are You Nervous About Returning to Normal Life? 156. How Do You Celebrate Spring? 157. How Do You Talk With People Who Don’t Share Your Views? 158. Would You Want to Be a Teacher Someday? 159. What Would You Recommend That Is ‘Overlooked and Underappreciated’? 160. What Children’s Books Have Had the Biggest Impact on You? 161. What Is Your Gender Identity? 162. Have You Hit a Wall? 163. What Is the Code You Live By? 164. Do You Think You Have Experienced ‘Learning Loss’ During the Pandemic? 165. What Are the Most Memorable Things You’ve Seen or Experienced in Nature? 166. Do You Want to Have Children Someday? 167. What Have You Learned About Friendship This Year? 168. What Seemingly Mundane Feats Have You Accomplished? 169. Has a Celebrity Ever Convinced You to Do Something? 170. How Have You Commemorated Milestones During the Pandemic? 171. How Often Do You Read, Watch or Listen to Things Outside of Your Comfort Zone? 172. Do You Think You Live in a Political Bubble? 173. What Is Your Relationship With the Weight-Loss Industry? 174. What Have You Made This Year? 175. How Are You Right Now? 176. What Are You Grateful For?

Want more writing prompts?

You can find even more Student Opinion questions in our 300 Questions and Images to Inspire Argument Writing , 550 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing and 130 New Prompts for Argumentative Writing . We also publish daily Picture Prompts , which are image-centered posts that provide space for many different kinds of writing. You can find all of our writing prompts, added as they publish, here .

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Traditionally in the U.S. secondary education refers to school studies (grades 9 to 12) and culminates in a High School Diploma.

A typical next academic milestone is what is called higher education . Higher education is studies beyond high school.

Example : Higher education in the Western world is usually voluntary.

As a result of your studies you will hopefully receive an official recognition in the form of some qualification. General types of qualifications are:

Certificate – for short academic programs Diploma – university level programs shorter than a degree Degree – relatively long academic programs covering specific areas in great depth

Traditionally the first degree you acquire is the Bachelor’s . You can then apply for Master’s and PhD (doctorate).

Example : PhD courses may be a mix of theory and practice in your chosen subject.

To start your studies in a recognized university you normally have to meet specific requirements. Let’s talk about them using specific vocabulary.

Entry Admissions are requirements for prospective students and could be expressed as your minimum grade level during your previous studies, minimum score in specific standardized tests (like IELTS, TOEFL, ACT, GMAT, etc.). Another way to say it is entrance requirements.

While choosing your future institution you consider a number of aspects such as university rankings and curricula . Let’s stop here! Curriculum is another superpopular term. It means the content taught in a specific academic program. By curriculum we often mean courses offered by a school.

Example : Curriculum is one of the foundational elements of effective teaching.

Let’s continue. Another important thing you usually have to carefully consider is tuition and cost of attendance . Basically it’s money you have to invest in your studies. Tuition fees are what you pay directly to the university and the cost of attendance includes food, housing, transportation, books, and supplies. Top-tier institutions (another very useful expression which means leading or prestigious institutions) often charge thousands of dollars yearly. To ease the burden on their budget many students apply for financial aid. It could come in the form of a scholarship (scholarship is money for your education awarded based on various criteria defined by a sponsor).

Example : There are a number of scholarship schemes run by governments, charities, and other organizations.

There are other forms of financial aid which include bursaries, grants, fellowship, and scholarship.

• Scholarships are awarded for scholastic achievement.
• Bursaries are awarded on the basis of financial need, so it is a certain type of social financial help.
• Grants are funds provided by a certain party, often a government department, corporation, or foundation to an individual or institution.
• Fellowships usually refer to grants in support of post baccalaureate projects, or to pre baccalaureate projects pursued outside the standard curriculum.

All scholarships and fellowships are grants and need not to be repaid.

Example: Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called for cutting student debt.

Now let’s talk about learning modes. The typical decision for most students is to study full-time , but for those who work part-time studying can be a more realistic solution. You can also choose to study distantly or via some trendy online program (e-learning) . Or you might prefer a combination of on campus and distance studying which is called the blended mode .

Talking about online programs I will mention some other hot terms and concepts.

MOOC is a recent development in distance education rapidly gaining popularity. It stands for Massive Open Online Course. It is an online course that has open access and interactive participation published on the web.

Example : Coursera, which emerged thanks to Stanford University professors in 2012, has by far the largest number of offered courses.

Educational verbs

• to revise – to make changes especially to correct or improve (something); to study (something) again;
• to enroll (in a degree course) – to enter (someone) as a member of or participant in something;
• to take (someone) as a member or participant; to become a member or participant
• to review – to look at or examine (something) carefully especially before making a decision or judgment; to study or look at (something) again; to describe or show (a series of things or events from the past)
• to research – to study (something) carefully; to collect information about or for (something)
• to attend (classes) – to go to or be present at some event
• to major in a subject – to pursue an academic major
• to deliver a lecture – to carry out/conduct a lecture
• to graduate (from a university) – to earn a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university
• to keep up with (your studies) – to go or make progress at the same rate as others
• to demonstrate academic gains – to show academic progress/education achievement
• to broaden horizons – to enlarge / expand someone’s scope
• to fall behind (with studies) – lag behind
• to evaluate – to determine or fix the value of something; to determine the significance, worth, or condition of usually by careful appraisal and study to procrastinate – to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done
• And there is also a short list of great words that don’t fit into any category. You might already know some of them, others might appear to be new to you. Try to remember them or write them into your notepad and think of some examples with them! Practice makes perfect.
• Campus – the area and buildings around a university, college, school, etc.
• Essay – a short piece of writing that tells a person’s thoughts or opinions about a subject
• Debate – a discussion between people in which they express different opinions about something
• Attendance – the number of people present at an event, meeting, etc. the act of being present at a place; a record of how often a person goes to classes, meetings, etc.
• Compulsory – required by a law or rule; having the power of forcing someone to do something
• Inquisitive – tending to ask questions; having a desire to know or learn more asking too many questions about other people’s lives
• Dissertation – a long piece of writing about a particular subject that is done to earn an advanced degree at a university
• Discipline – a field of study Faculty – a branch of teaching or learning in an educational institution
• Peer – a person who belongs to the same age group or social group as someone else Literacy – the ability to read and write; knowledge that relates to a specified subject
• Alumnus (pl.-i-) – someone who was a student at a particular school, college, or university
• Assignment – a specified task or amount of work assigned or undertaken as if assigned by authority
• Thesis – a long piece of writing on a particular subject that is done to earn a degree at a university

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50 Argumentative Essay Topics for Students

4-minute read

• 11th June 2022

The goal of an argumentative essay is to persuade the reader to understand and support your position on an issue by presenting your reasoning along with supporting evidence. It’s important to find the right balance between giving your opinions and presenting established research.

These essays discuss issues around a range of topics, including science, technology, politics, and healthcare. Whether you’re a teacher looking for essay topics for your students or a student tasked with developing an idea of your own, we’ve compiled a list of 50 argumentative essay topics to help you get started!

●  Does texting hinder interpersonal communication skills?

●  Should there be laws against using devices while driving?

●  Do violent video games teach or encourage people to behave violently?

●  Should social media sites be allowed to collect users’ data?

●  Should parents limit how long their children spend in front of screens?

●  Is AI helping or hurting society?

●  Should cyber-bullying carry legal consequences?

●  Should Supreme Court justices be elected?

●  Is war always a political decision?

●  Should people join a political party?

●  Is capitalism ethical?

●  Is the electoral college an effective system?

●  Should prisoners be allowed to vote?

●  Should the death penalty be legal?

●  Are governments around the world doing enough to combat global warming?

●  Is healthcare a fundamental human right?

●  Should vaccinations be mandated for children?

●  Are there any circumstances under which physician-assisted suicides should be legal?

●  Should parents be able to choose specific genetic modifications of their future children?

●  Should abortion be legal?

●  Is it ethical to perform medical experiments on animals?

●  Should patients who lead unhealthy lifestyles be denied organ transplants?

●  Should doctors be able to provide medical care to children against their parents’ wishes?

Mental Healthcare

●  What causes the stigma around mental health?

●  Discuss the link between insufficient access to mental health services and the high suicide rates among veterans.

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●  Should cannabis be used as a treatment for patients with mental disorders?

●  Is there a link between social media use and mental disorders?

●  Discuss the effect of physical activity on mental health.

●  Should sports be segregated by gender?

●  Should male and female athletes be given the same pay and opportunities?

●  Are professional athletes overpaid?

●  Should college athletes be paid?

●  Should sports betting be legal?

●  Should online access to art such as music be free?

●  Should graffiti be considered art or vandalism?

●  Are there any circumstances under which books should be banned?

●  Should schools be required to offer art courses?

●  Is art necessary to society?

●  Should schools require uniforms?

●  Should reciting the Pledge of Allegiance be required in schools?

●  Do standardized tests effectively measure intelligence?

●  Should high school students take a gap year before pursuing higher education?

●  Should higher education be free?

●  Is there too much pressure on high school students to attend college?

●  Are children better off in two-parent households?

●  Should LGBTQ+ partners be allowed to adopt?

●  Should single people be able to adopt children as easily as couples?

●  Is it okay for parents to physically discipline their children?

●  Does helicopter parenting help or hurt children?

●  Should parents monitor their children’s Internet use?

Proofreading & Editing

An argument could also be made for the importance of proofreading your essay ! The reader can focus more on your message when your writing is clear, concise, and error-free, and they won’t question whether you’re knowledgeable on the issues you’re presenting. Once you have a draft ready, you can submit a free trial document to start working with our expert editors!

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Using Topic Sentences

What is a topic sentence.

A topic sentence states the main point of a paragraph: it serves as a mini-thesis for the paragraph. You might think of it as a signpost for your readers -- or a headline -- something that alerts them to the most important, interpretive points in your essay. When read in sequence, your essay's topic sentences will provide a sketch of the essay's argument.

Thus, topics sentences help protect your readers from confusion by guiding them through the argument. But topic sentences can also help you to improve your essay by making it easier for you to recognize gaps or weaknesses in your argument.

Where do topic sentences go?

Topic sentences usually appear at the very beginning of paragraphs. In the following example from Anatomy of Criticism , Northrop Frye establishes the figure of the tragic hero as someone more than human, but less than divine. He backs up his claim with examples of characters from literature, religion and mythology whose tragic stature is a function of their ability to mediate between their fellow human beings and a power that transcends the merely human:

The tragic hero is typically on top of the wheel of fortune, half-way between human society on the ground and the something greater in the sky. Prometheus, Adam, and Christ hang between heaven and earth, between a world of paradisal freedom and a world of bondage. Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of the power about them, great trees more likely to be struck by lightning than a clump of grass. Conductors may of course be instruments as well as victims of the divine lightning: Milton's Samson destroys the Philistine temple with himself, and Hamlet nearly exterminates the Danish court in his own fall.

The structure of Frye's paragraph is simple yet powerful: the topic sentence makes an abstract point, and the rest of the paragraph elaborates on that point using concrete examples as evidence.

Does a topic sentence have to be at the beginning of a paragraph?

No, though this is usually the most logical place for it. Sometimes a transitional sentence or two will come before a topic sentence:

We found in comedy that the term bomolochos or buffoon need not be restricted to farce, but could be extended to cover comic characters who are primarily entertainers, with the function of increasing or focusing the comic mood. The corresponding contrasting type is the suppliant, the character, often female, who presents a picture of unmitigated helplessness and destitution. Such a figure is pathetic, and pathos, though it seems a gentler and more relaxed mood than tragedy, is even more terrifying. Its basis is the exclusion of an individual from the group; hence it attacks the deepest fear in ourselves that we possess—a fear much deeper than the relatively cosy and sociable bogey of hell. In the suppliant pity and terror are brought to the highest possible pitch of intensity, and the awful consequences of rejecting the suppliant for all concerned is a central theme of Greek tragedy.

The context for this passage is an extended discussion of the characteristics of tragedy. In this paragraph, Frye begins by drawing a parallel between the figure of the buffoon in comedy and that of the suppliant in tragedy. His discussion of the buffoon occurred in an earlier section of the chapter, a section devoted to comedy.

The first sentence of the current paragraph is transitional: it prepares the way for the topic sentence. The delayed topic sentence contributes to the coherence of Frye's discussion by drawing an explicit connection between key ideas in the book. In essays, the connection is usually between the previous paragraph and the current one.

Sometimes writers save a topic sentence for the end of a paragraph. You may, for example, occasionally find that giving away your point at the beginning of a paragraph does not allow you to build your argument toward an effective climax.

How do I come up with a topic sentence? And what makes a good one?

Ask yourself what's going on in your paragraph. Why have you chosen to include the information you have? Why is the paragraph important in the context of your argument? What point are you trying to make?

Relating your topic sentences to your thesis can help strengthen the coherence of your essay. If you include a thesis statement in your introduction, then think of incorporating a keyword from that statement into the topic sentence. But you need not be overly explicit when you echo the thesis statement. Better to be subtle rather than heavy-handed.

Do not forget that your topic sentence should do more than just establish a connection between your paragraph and your thesis. Use a topic sentence to show how your paragraph contributes to the development of your argument by moving it that one extra step forward.

If your topic sentence merely restates your thesis, then either your paragraph is redundant or your topic sentence needs to be reformulated. If several of your topic sentences restate your thesis, even if they do so in different words, then your essay is probably repetitive.

Does every paragraph need one?

No, but most do. Sometimes, a paragraph helps to develop the same point as in the previous paragraph, and so a new topic sentence would be redundant. And, sometimes, the evidence in your paragraph makes your point so effectively that your topic sentence can remain implicit. But if you are in doubt, it's best to use one.

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OASIS: Writing Center

Undergraduate writing: top 10 writing tips for undergraduates, top 10 writing tips for undergraduates.

Most undergraduate students at Walden have been out of high school or college for several years, so academic writing can feel unfamiliar. Just like anything else, though, writing is a skill you will learn to develop with practice. Below are the Writing Center’s top undergraduate writing tips to help you get started.

1. Plan Your Time

Walden courses are fast-paced, often with a paper assignment due every Sunday night. No matter how hard you try, you cannot write a perfect, polished essay at the very last minute. Schedule studying and writing times throughout the week, taking into account your work and family responsibilities. You might find that writing a little bit each day, in chunks, helps manage your assignment load. For more planning tips and tools, see the Academic Skills Center’s page on Managing Time/Stress and the Writing Center’s Assignment Planner .

2. Know the Academic Writing Expectations (AWE)

The School of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Studies created the AWE to help you build your writing skills with each course level. In early courses, you practice writing compelling sentences and paragraphs and integrating evidence. Later on, you learn more about citations and references in APA style, as well as essay-level skills. Consult the AWE for your current course level. Do your abilities match the expectations listed? Use the AWE to create goals for yourself.

3. Use the Assignment Instructions and Rubric

Within your courses, there are several powerful tools to help focus and develop your writing. First, the assignment instructions give you important information about the length of the assignment and the topics you should cover. Use these instructions as an outline as you are writing. Second, the rubric tells you how your work will be assessed. If a certain part of the assignment is worth more points on the rubric, you know you should devote a lot of attention to it. For more tips on writing and revising using your assignment materials, listen to this podcast episode or view our Revising webinar .

4. Get Comfortable With Writing

At Walden, most communication with peers and professors occurs in writing. You are also assessed on your writing via discussion board and essay assignments. This attention to writing can be scary, especially for students who have been away from an academic setting for some time. You might need to start journaling or find a writing buddy to feel more comfortable. See our Writing Through Fear blog post for more tips.

5. Read Your Professor's Feedback

One of the fundamental ways to learn is through the written feedback from your professor. This might seem like a simple statement, but some students do not ever access this written feedback, and so they miss out on a valuable opportunity. When you receive your grades in Canvas, click on the individual assignment title to bring up the professor’s general comments. In those comments, you should see your attached submission with specific feedback embedded. Read our page on Using Feedback for more tips and download a feedback journal as a way to keep track of suggested improvements.

6. Make an Argument

In most assignments, you need to discuss a topic and have a reason for discussing that topic. Rather than just summarizing, you need to analyze and convince your reader of something. For example, if your topic is electric cars, your purpose might be to convince the reader that electric cars are an efficient alternative to gas cars. This means that every paragraph will be part of your overall goal to argue this point. Kayla explores the importance of argument in her blog post Argue Is Not a Dirty Word .

7. Practice Academic Integrity

As an academic writer, you use information from books, journal articles, and trusted websites to support your argument. To present this information ethically and with integrity, you need to give credit to the original source. At Walden, students give credit through APA citations in the text. Citations should accompany any ideas, information, or phrasing from others. You will gain familiarity with citing sources as you progress through your program; for now, see our  Using and Crediting Sources playlist  for an overview.

8. Organize Your Ideas

All of your discussion posts and papers should have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. An introduction provides background on the topic and includes your thesis statement. In essence, the introduction prepares the reader for all of the main points you will be making in the body. The body is where you develop your argument, paragraph by paragraph . Your conclusion acts as a summary and helps the reader understand the significance of the information presented.

9. Develop an Academic Voice

A formal, direct, and precise voice is expected in college-level writing. This means that you should avoid informal language such as colloquialisms, slang, metaphors, clichés, and jargon, as well as questions and contractions. Instead of having a conversation with the reader, you are an authority building an argument. The reader needs to trust in you.

10. Revisit Grammar and Sentence Structure

Because the goal of academic writing is to clearly communicate, you should ensure that your writing follows proper American English grammar and sentence structure rules. Otherwise, a reader might become confused. The Grammar page of our website provides explanation on many common grammar concerns. You might also find Grammarly helpful; Grammarly is an automated program that identifies potential sentence errors and offers revision tips.

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114 Good Argumentative Essay Topics for Students in 2023

April 25, 2023

The skill of writing an excellent argumentative essay is a crucial one for every high school or college student to master. Argumentative essays teach students how to organize their thoughts logically and present them in a convincing way. This skill is helpful not only for those pursuing degrees in law , international relations , or public policy , but for any student who wishes to develop their critical thinking faculties. In this article, we’ll cover what makes a good argument essay and offer several argumentative essay topics for high school and college students. Let’s begin!

What is an Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay is an essay that uses research to present a reasoned argument on a particular subject . As with the persuasive essay , the purpose of this essay is to sway the reader to the writer’s position. A strong persuasive essay makes its point through diligent research, evidence, and logical reasoning skills.

Argumentative Essay Format

A strong argumentative essay will be based on facts, not feelings. Each of these facts should be supported by clear evidence from credible sources . Furthermore, a good argumentative essay will have an easy-to-follow structure. When organizing your argumentative essay, use this format as a guide: introduction, supporting body paragraphs, paragraphs addressing common counterarguments, and conclusion.

In the introduction , the writer presents their position and thesis statement —a sentence that summarizes the paper’s main points. The body paragraphs then draw upon supporting evidence to back up this initial statement, with each paragraph focusing on its own point. In the counterargument paragraph , the writer acknowledges and refutes opposing viewpoints. Finally, in the conclusion , the writer restates the main argument made in the thesis statement and summarizes the points of the essay. Additionally, the conclusion may offer a final proposal to persuade the reader of the essay’s position.

For more tips and tricks on formatting an argumentative essay, check out this useful guide from Khan Academy.

How to Write an Effective Argumentative Essay, Step by Step

• Choose your topic. Use the list below to help you pick a topic. Ideally, the topic you choose will be meaningful to you.
• Once you’ve selected your topic, it’s time to sit down and get to work! Use the library, the web, and any other resources to gather information about your argumentative essay topic. Research widely but smartly. As you go, take organized notes, marking the source of every quote and where it may fit in the scheme of your larger essay. Remember to look for possible counterarguments.
• Outline . Using the argumentative essay format above, create an outline for your essay. Brainstorm a thesis statement covering your argument’s main points, and begin to put together the pieces of the essay, focusing on logical flow.
• Write . Draw on your research and outline to create a solid first draft. Remember, your first draft doesn’t need to be perfect. (As Voltaire says, “Perfect is the enemy of good.”) For now, focus on getting the words down on paper.
• Edit . Be your own critical eye. Read what you’ve written back to yourself. Does it make sense? Where can you improve? What can you cut?

Argumentative Essay Topics for Middle School, High School, and College Students

Family argumentative essay topics.

• Should the government provide financial incentives for families to have children to address the declining birth rate?
• Should we require parents to provide their children with a certain level of nutrition and physical activity to prevent childhood obesity?
• Should parents implement limits on how much time their children spend playing video games?
• Should cellphones be banned from family/holiday gatherings?
• Should we hold parents legally responsible for their children’s actions?
• Should children have the right to sue their parents for neglect?
• Should parents have the right to choose their child’s religion?
• Are spanking and other forms of physical punishment an effective method of discipline?
• Should courts allow children to choose where they live in cases of divorce?
• Should parents have the right to monitor teens’ activity on social media?
• Should parents control their child’s medical treatment, even if it goes against the child’s wishes?

Education Argument Essay Topics

• Should schools ban the use of technology like ChatGPT?
• Are zoos unethical, or necessary for conservation and education?
• To what degree should we hold parents responsible in the event of a school shooting?
• Should schools offer students a set number of mental health days?
• Should school science curriculums offer a course on combating climate change?
• Should public libraries be allowed to ban certain books?
• What role, if any, should prayer play in public schools?
• Should schools push to abolish homework?
• Are gifted and talented programs in schools more harmful than beneficial due to their exclusionary nature?
• Should universities do away with Greek life?
• Should schools remove artwork, such as murals, that some perceive as offensive?
• Should the government grant parents the right to choose alternative education options for their children and use taxpayer funds to support these options?
• Is homeschooling better than traditional schooling for children’s academic and social development?
• Should we require schools to teach sex education to reduce teen pregnancy rates?
• Should we require schools to provide comprehensive sex education that includes information about both homosexual and heterosexual relationships?
• Should colleges use affirmative action and other race-conscious policies to address diversity on campus?
• Should the government fund public universities to make higher education more accessible to low-income students?
• Should the government fund universal preschool to improve children’s readiness for kindergarten?

Government Argumentative Essay Topics

• Should the U.S. decriminalize prostitution?
• Should the U.S. issue migration visas to all eligible applicants?
• Should the federal government cancel all student loan debt?
• Should we lower the minimum voting age? If so, to what?
• Should the federal government abolish all laws penalizing drug production and use?
• Should the U.S. use its military power to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan?
• Should the U.S. supply Ukraine with further military intelligence and supplies?
• Should the North and South of the U.S. split up into two regions?
• Should Americans hold up nationalism as a critical value?
• Should we permit Supreme Court justices to hold their positions indefinitely?
• Should Supreme Court justices be democratically elected?
• Is the Electoral College still a productive approach to electing the U.S. president?
• Should the U.S. implement a national firearm registry?
• Is it ethical for countries like China and Israel to mandate compulsory military service for all citizens?
• Should the U.S. government implement a ranked-choice voting system?
• Should institutions that benefited from slavery be required to provide reparations?
• Based on the 1619 project, should history classes change how they teach about the founding of the U.S.?

Bioethics Argumentative Essay Topics

• Should the U.S. government offer its own healthcare plan?
• In the case of highly infectious pandemics, should we focus on individual freedoms or public safety when implementing policies to control the spread?
• Should we legally require parents to vaccinate their children to protect public health?
• Is it ethical for parents to use genetic engineering to create “designer babies” with specific physical and intellectual traits?
• Should the government fund research on embryonic stem cells for medical treatments?
• Should the government legalize assisted suicide for terminally ill patients?

Social Media Argumentative Essay Topics

• Should the federal government increase its efforts to minimize the negative impact of social media?
• Do social media and smartphones strengthen one’s relationships?
• Should antitrust regulators take action to limit the size of big tech companies?
• Should social media platforms ban political advertisements?
• Should the federal government hold social media companies accountable for instances of hate speech discovered on their platforms?
• Do apps such as TikTok and Instagram ultimately worsen the mental well-being of teenagers?
• Should governments oversee how social media platforms manage their users’ data?
• Should social media platforms like Facebook enforce a minimum age requirement for users?
• Should social media companies be held responsible for cases of cyberbullying?
• Should the United States ban TikTok?

Religion Argument Essay Topics

• Should religious institutions be tax-exempt?
• Should religious symbols such as the hijab or crucifix be allowed in public spaces?
• Should religious freedoms be protected, even when they conflict with secular laws?
• Should the government regulate religious practices?
• Should we allow churches to engage in political activities?
• Religion: a force for good or evil in the world?
• Should the government provide funding for religious schools?
• Is it ethical for healthcare providers to deny abortions based on religious beliefs?
• Should religious organizations be allowed to discriminate in their hiring practices?
• Should we allow people to opt out of medical treatments based on their religious beliefs?
• Should the U.S. government hold religious organizations accountable for cases of sexual abuse within their community?
• Should religious beliefs be exempt from anti-discrimination laws?
• Should religious individuals be allowed to refuse services to others based on their beliefs or lifestyles? (As in this famous case .)

Science Argumentative Essay Topics

• Should the world eliminate nuclear weapons?
• Should scientists bring back extinct animals?
• Should we hold companies fiscally responsible for their carbon footprint?
• Should we ban pesticides in favor of organic farming methods?
• Is it ethical to clone animals for scientific purposes?
• Should the federal government ban all fossil fuels, despite the potential economic impact on specific industries and communities?
• What renewable energy source should the U.S. invest more money in?
• Should the FDA outlaw GMOs?
• Would the world be safe if we got rid of all nuclear weapons?
• Should we worry about artificial intelligence surpassing human intelligence?

Sports Argument Essay Topics

• Should colleges compensate student-athletes?
• How should sports teams and leagues address the gender pay gap?
• Should youth sports teams do away with scorekeeping?
• Should we ban aggressive contact sports like boxing and MMA?
• Should professional sports associations mandate that athletes stand during the national anthem?
• Should high schools require their student-athletes to maintain a certain GPA?
• Should transgender athletes compete in sports according to their gender identity?
• Should schools ban football due to the inherent danger it poses to players?

Technology Argumentative Essay Topics

• Should sites like DALL-E compensate the artists whose work it was trained on?
• Is social media harmful to children?
• Should the federal government make human exploration of space a more significant priority?
• Is it ethical for the government to use surveillance technology to monitor citizens?
• Should websites require proof of age from their users?
• Should we consider A.I.-generated images and text pieces of art?
• Does the use of facial recognition technology violate individuals’ privacy?

Business Argument Essay Topics

• Should the U.S. government phase out the use of paper money in favor of a fully digital currency system?
• Should the federal government abolish its patent and copyright laws?
• Should we replace the Federal Reserve with free-market institutions?
• Is free-market ideology responsible for the U.S. economy’s poor performance over the past decade?
• Will cryptocurrencies overtake natural resources like gold and silver?
• Is capitalism the best economic system? What system would be better?
• Should the U.S. government enact a universal basic income?
• Should we require companies to provide paid parental leave to their employees?
• Should the government raise the minimum wage?
• Should antitrust regulators break up large companies to promote competition?
• Is it ethical for companies to prioritize profits over social responsibility?
• Should gig-economy workers like Uber and Lyft drivers be considered employees or independent contractors?
• Should the federal government regulate the gig economy to ensure fair treatment of workers?
• Should the government require companies to disclose the environmental impact of their products?

In Conclusion – Argument Essay Topics 

Using the tips above, you can effectively structure and pen a compelling argumentative essay that will wow your instructor and classmates. Remember to craft a thesis statement that offers readers a roadmap through your essay, draw on your sources wisely to back up any claims, and read through your paper several times before it’s due to catch any last-minute proofreading errors. With time, diligence, and patience, your essay will be the most outstanding assignment you’ve ever turned in…until the next one rolls around.

Looking for more fresh and engaging topics for use in the classroom? Also check out our 85 Good Debate Topics for High School Students .

• High School Success

Lauren Green

With a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University and an MFA in Fiction from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, Lauren has been a professional writer for over a decade. She is the author of the chapbook  A Great Dark House  (Poetry Society of America, 2023) and a forthcoming novel (Viking/Penguin).

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Editorial article, editorial: disciplinary aesthetics: the role of taste and affect for teaching and learning specific school subjects.

• 1 Department of Teaching and Learning, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
• 2 Education and Administration, Stockholm, Sweden
• 3 School of Teacher Education and Professional Development, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom

Editorial on the Research Topic Disciplinary aesthetics: the role of taste and affect for teaching and learning specific school subjects

Aesthetics concerns, on the one hand, people's feelings of pleasure and displeasure, and, on the other hand, the objects these feelings are directed to, that is, what people find beautiful or ugly ( Wickman, 2006 ). Traditionally aesthetics and affect have been treated as separate from cognition and only rarely has it been studied how they are intertwined when learning a specific content ( Wickman et al., 2021 ). However, recent situated and socio-culturally oriented research has begun to elucidate how aesthetics plays a key role for selection of content, what route learning takes in the classroom and for students' opportunities to develop an interest or taste for a specific school subject (e.g., Sinclair, 2006 ; Ainsworth and Bell, 2020 ; Wickman et al., 2021 ). This Research Topic compiles contributions from researchers examining these topics further.

Aesthetic judgments are not just reports of inner feelings but also concern outer objects and so constitutes an evaluation of what is the case ( Dewey, 1934 ). What beauty there is in educational settings such as mathematical inquiry ( Sinclair, 2009 ), data modeling ( Ferguson et al., 2021 ), writing a literary text ( Gilbert, 2016 ), learning grammar ( Ainsworth and Bell, 2020 ), cooking ( Berg et al., 2019 ), a ball game ( Maivorsdotter and Lundvall, 2009 ), or when art meets science ( Hannigan et al., 2021 ) is a question of taste and is socially constituted, negotiated, and learnt ( Bourdieu, 1984 ). Distinctions of taste make evident preferences of language and representations, procedures and actions, and ways-to-be as a person. Aesthetics is a question of what and whose content is included and excluded from a school subject ( Anderhag et al., 2015 ). The goal of this Research Topic is to explore these little examined topics extensively and to widen the understanding of what may characterize a school-subject-specific aesthetics and what role it may have when teaching and learning different school subjects, separately or as integrated.

The Research Topic is grounded in the notion of disciplinary aesthetics ( Wickman et al., 2021 ), that is, school-subject-specific aesthetics. It focuses on the overarching questions of what may characterize such an aesthetics and what role this may have for teaching and learning in different school subjects. Contributions to the field do not merely examine specific school subjects, such as mathematics and history, but also studies on intersections between school subjects, as for example art and science ( Caiman and Jakobson, 2019 ).

Ainsworth and Bell suggest that explicit grammar learning may evoke aesthetic experience as existing tacit knowledge of language is transformed into declarative knowledge, generating aesthetic-epistemic feelings of fittingness. Albuquerque and Moore suggest that additional language teaching and learning might be enhanced by framing it as “coartistry,” a site for “aesthetic, plurilingual/pluriliterate action, and interaction.” Andrée et al. explore learning in programming, demonstrating the importance of aesthetic judgments for orienting student learning toward the movement of the programmed object and the ways to be as a programmer. Berg et al. show how aesthetic values in teaching home and consumer studies play a key role and are constituted as culinary, production, and bodily aesthetics, relating to, for example, presentation of meals, preprocessing of food and bodily consequences of eating, respectively. Ferguson and White draw on a socio-semiotic pragmatist perspective to explore the synergy between science education aesthetics and climate change aesthetics, advocating for a transformative aesthetics of climate change education. Gåfvels explores the aesthetics involved in teaching and learning floristry, providing examples of aesthetic judgements being constructed in interaction, informed by sensory knowing and communicated through embodied actions. Hannigan et al. present a mixed methodology approach to examine the role of aesthetic experiences and art for learning in marine science when children engage in a series of fieldtrips, workshops and lessons on a marine environment. Karavakou et al. present a theoretical model for analyzing students' aesthetically driven mathematical meaning making, using empirical findings to discuss the prospect of an aesthetically oriented curriculum reform. Nemirovsky et al. draw on Rancière's approach to aesthetics and politics and a case study of a conversation between weavers, anthropologists, and mathematics educators on the nature of knots to discuss the implications of aesthetical entanglements for mathematics learning. Prain et al. adopt Peirce's semiotic theory of signs examining disciplinary aesthetics as enjoyment and appreciation learning within and across the two subjects drama and science. They show how students' taste for both subjects is constituted through signs and signs systems.

The contributions within this Research Topic make both empirical and theoretical contributions to the emerging field of disciplinary aesthetics. Together they provide exploratory responses to the hitherto understudied questions:

• What are the objects (language, procedures, and persons) that are aesthetically included or excluded as part of teaching and learning the subject?

• How can such distinctions be seen to be taught and learned as content of the subject?

Substantively, the studies provide an exploration of how the aesthetic dimensions of each of the academic subjects might be characterized, exemplifying the aesthetic experiences that may arise from engaging with particular kinds of subject content in particular ways. Methodologically, the contributions showcase a range of methods that might be used to capture such aesthetic experiences and the particular aspects of knowledge and/or learning that have the potential to evoke them. These articles provide a flexible suite of methodological and theoretical tools, which might be used in future research to broaden the field of disciplinary aesthetics to include further academic disciplines. They also yield a number of important implications for educators, including suggestions for how teachers might harness the aesthetic dimensions of particular subjects to maximize learning and engagement in the classroom. More broadly, the Research Topic argues for the role of aesthetics in education to be taken seriously, and signposts potentially fruitful avenues for future research.

Author contributions

PA: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. CC: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. P-OW: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. SA: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Ainsworth, S., and Bell, H. (2020). Affective knowledge versus affective pedagogy: the cases of native grammar learning. Cambr. J. Educ . 50, 597–614. doi: 10.1080/0305764X.2020.1751072

Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar

Anderhag, P., Wickman, P. O., and Hamza, K. M. (2015). Signs of taste for science: a methodology for studying the constitution of interest in the science classroom. Cult. Stud. Sci. Educ . 10, 339–368. doi: 10.1007/s11422-014-9641-9

Berg, G., Elmståhl, H., Mattsson Sydner, Y., and Lundqvist, E. (2019). Aesthetic judgments and meaning-making during cooking in Home and Consumer Studies. Educare 2, 30–57. doi: 10.24834/educare.2019.2.3

Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: a Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste . London: Routledge.

Google Scholar

Caiman, C., and Jakobson, B. (2019). The role of art practice in elementary school science. Sci. Educ. 28, 153–175. doi: 10.1007/s11191-019-00036-2

Dewey, J. (1934). Art as Experience . New York, NY: Perigee Books.

Ferguson, J. P., Tytler, R., and White, P. (2021). The role of aesthetics in the teaching and learning of data modelling. Int. J. Sci. Educ . 2021:1875514. doi: 10.1080/09500693.2021.1875514

Gilbert, F. (2016). Aesthetic learning, creative writing and English teaching. Chang. Engl . 23, 257–268. doi: 10.1080/1358684X.2016.1203616

Hannigan, S., Wickman, P. O., Ferguson, J. P., Prain, V., and Tytler, R. (2021). The role of aesthetics in learning science in an art-science lesson. Int. J. Sci. Educ . 2021:1909773. doi: 10.1080/09500693.2021.1909773

Maivorsdotter, N., and Lundvall, S. (2009). Aesthetic experience as an aspect of embodied learning: stories from physical education student teachers. Sport Educ. Soc . 14, 265–279. doi: 10.1080/13573320903037622

Sinclair, N. (2006). Mathematics and Beauty: Aesthetics Approaches to Teaching Children . New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Sinclair, N. (2009). Aesthetics as a liberating force in mathematics education? ZDM Math. Educ . 41, 45–60. doi: 10.1007/s11858-008-0132-x

Wickman, P. O. (2006). Aesthetic Experience in Science Education: Learning and Meaning-Making as Situated Talk and Action . Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Wickman, P. O., Prain, V., and Tytler, R. (2021). Aesthetics, affect, and making meaning in science education: an introduction. Int. J. Sci. Educ . 2021:1912434. doi: 10.1080/09500693.2021.1912434

Keywords: methodology, interest, aesthetics, learning, school subjects

Citation: Anderhag P, Caiman C, Wickman P-O and Ainsworth S (2024) Editorial: Disciplinary aesthetics: the role of taste and affect for teaching and learning specific school subjects. Front. Educ. 9:1396318. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1396318

Received: 05 March 2024; Accepted: 12 March 2024; Published: 27 March 2024.

Edited and reviewed by: Stefinee Pinnegar , Brigham Young University, United States

Copyright © 2024 Anderhag, Caiman, Wickman and Ainsworth. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Per Anderhag, per.anderhag@su.se

This article is part of the Research Topic

Disciplinary Aesthetics: the Role of Taste and Affect for Teaching and Learning Specific School Subjects

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The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at university level are argumentative — they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

• Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
• Writing : Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
• Revision:  Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

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Table of contents

Essay writing process, preparation for writing an essay, writing the introduction, writing the main body, writing the conclusion, essay checklist, lecture slides, frequently asked questions about writing an essay.

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay .

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay , on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

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Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared:

• Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or professor?
• Define a topic: If you’re allowed to choose your own topic , try to pick something that you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.
• Do your research: Read  primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you work out your position and angle on the topic. You’ll use these as evidence for your points.
• Come up with a thesis:  The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay—you should keep referring back to it as you write.
• Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline . This makes it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement— the central argument you’re going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Write your essay introduction

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure , it is important to organize it into paragraphs . Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a  topic sentence . The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

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The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10–15% of the text . A strong essay conclusion :

• Returns to your thesis
• Ties together your main points
• Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

• Including new arguments or evidence
• Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
• Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

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Checklist: Essay

My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length ).

My introduction sparks the reader’s interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic.

My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay.

I use paragraphs to structure the essay.

I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.

Each paragraph has a single focus and a clear connection to the thesis statement.

I make clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

My conclusion doesn’t just repeat my points, but draws connections between arguments.

I don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion.

I have given an in-text citation for every quote or piece of information I got from another source.

I have included a reference page at the end of my essay, listing full details of all my sources.

My citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required citation style .

My essay has an interesting and informative title.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (e.g. font, page numbers, line spacing).

Your essay meets all the most important requirements. Our editors can give it a final check to help you submit with confidence.

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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

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April guide to the arts at the U

By Brittney Bomnin Garcia [email protected] 03-29-2024

Explore a roundup of events this month, including concerts, exhibitions, and undergraduate student presentations during the annual Research, Creativity, and Innovation Forum. Learn more about The U Creates —the University’s digital hub for the arts, culture, and creative expression—and view the full calendar of events .

VIEW ALL: Bill Cosford Cinema | Center for the Humanities | Jerry Herman Ring Theatre | Frost School of Music | Lowe Art Museum | School of Architecture | University Libraries | UM Art Galleries

Saturday, April 6, 7:30 p.m. | in person and streaming, purchase tickets

Frost Music Live!: Schubertiade for Violin and Piano

Frost School of Music’s piano professors will join renowned violinist Charles Castleman to unveil the magic of Franz Schubert. A tradition that began in 1815 honoring the then 18-year-old Schubert, the Schubertiade originated as an unpublicized, informal concert of his music, but quickly spread throughout Europe, and eventually to the United States. Purchase tickets .

Newman Recital Hall, Knight Center for Music Innovation, 5513 San Amaro Dr, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Monday, April 8, 6:30 p.m. | in person, free event

Book Talk: ‘Roman Satire’

With particular attention to authorial and national identity, artistic self-definition, and literary reception, Jennifer Ferriss-Hill, professor of classics and senior associate dean for faculty affairs and college diversity at the College of Arts and Sciences, shows how four ancient Latin poets—Lucilius, Horace, Persius, and Juvenal—asked and answered these questions between the second century BCE and the second century CE as they invented and reinvented the genre of Roman verse Satire. Save your seat .

Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables, FL 33134

Tuesday, April 9, noon | virtual, free event

Slow Looking with the Lowe: Highlights from the Campus Art Collection

During this virtual program, Tola Porter, Lowe Art Museum educator for academic and public programs, will lead participants through a 30-minute mindful and interactive session exploring selected artworks from the Lowe’s collection. Sign up now .

Lowe Art Museum, 1301 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Wednesday, Apr. 10, noon to 4 p.m. | in person, free event

Research, Creativity, and Innovation Forum (RCIF)

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Community Outreach offers students from all disciplines the opportunity to present their research to a wide audience consisting of their peers, faculty and staff members, and the larger University community. In collaboration with the Center for the Humanities, RCIF has added a panel presentation component this year for students and peers to develop their presentation skills and further engage with their research in the humanities. Learn more .

Donna E. Shalala Student Center, 1330 Miller Drive, Miami, FL 33146

Thursday, April 11, 4 p.m. | in person, free event

Edith Bleich Lecture Series: Jennifer V. Evans, professor of history at Carleton University in Canada

In her lecture, “Why We Need Queer Kinship Now More Than Ever,” Evans asks how the queer and trans past has often been drawn upon to make a series of claims about liberal democracy itself, including the place of identity in rights-based discourses of experience, policy, and governance. Register now .

Otto G. Richter Library, Third Floor Conference Room, 1300 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Thursday and Friday, April 11–12 | in person, purchase tickets

Smart Cities MIAMI 2024

The School of Architecture, in collaboration with the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing, will host the 8th Annual Smart Cities Conference . This event will explore the theme of artificial intelligence in design, offering a platform to delve into the cutting-edge advancements shaping the future of architecture. Registration is $50 per person.

Lakeside Village Expo Center, 1280 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Saturday, April 13, 6 p.m. | in person, free event

M.F.A. in Creative Writing thesis reading

Graduate students Guillermo Leon, Dorie Spangler, and Swetha Siva, who are pursuing Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, will share their thesis. This event is open to the public.

Thursday April 17, 6 p.m. | in person, free event

Lowe Connects: Exploring Art, Marine Biology, and Engineering to Address Climate Challenges

U-Link partners from the departments of art and art history, marine biology, and engineering will speak about the connection between scientific research, engineering, and art. Guests will learn about the ways that the University of Miami is catalyzing interdisciplinary collaboration to advance knowledge on the impacts of climate change and other stressors, and the development of practical solutions to meet society’s changing needs. Register now .

Mindfulness programs are offered virtually at 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and in person at 10:30 a.m. on Thursdays at the Otto G. Richter Library.

Friday and Saturday, April 19-20 and Friday and Saturday, April 26-27 | in person, purchase tickets

‘Urinetown, the Musical’

Join the revolt in a dystopian future where water is worth its weight in gold, and one of the most basic human needs is under the control of an evil bureaucracy. Wickedly witty, this Tony Award- winning musical satire pokes fun at politics, social irresponsibility, capitalism, and musical theater itself. University students and staff and faculty members can use code THSUTOWN before selecting their seats to receive a discount. University students can obtain free entry to an 8 p.m. show Thursday, April 25, by presenting a valid ’Cane ID. Purchase tickets .

Jerry Herman Ring Theatre, 1312 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Saturday, April 20, 6 p.m. | in person, free event

Catherine Kramer: ‘Known/Unknown’

On view from April 5 through April 26, the University community is invited to the opening reception of “Known/Unknown,” an exhibition by Master of Fine Arts candidate Catherine Kramer. Drawing inspiration from Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung and his process of active imagination, Kramer intentionally works with subconsciously produced imagery while creating her artwork. Learn more .

University of Miami Wynwood Gallery, 2750 NW Third Ave., Suite 4, Miami, FL 33127

On view now through Saturday, April 20 | in person

The Annual Juried Exhibition

Organized by the Department of Art and Art History and hosted by the Lowe Art Museum, the exhibition features works of art across various media created by undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Miami. Learn more .

Monday, April 22, 4 p.m. | in person and streaming, free event

Adobe Scholars Reception

Meet and engage with the 2023-2024 Adobe Scholars as they share the results of their projects. This event is free to attend and open to the public. The online component of this hybrid event will be hosted using Zoom software. Sign up to participate .

Monday, April 22, 7:30 p.m. | in person, free event

‘Sing Sing’

Attend a sneak preview of “Sing Sing,” the story of an inmate at the infamous Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, NY, who forms a theater troupe with his fellow prisoners. Admission is free. Registration is required .

Bill Cosford Cinema, Dooly Memorial 225, 5030 Brunson Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Thursday April 25, 6 p.m. | in person, free event

ArtLab | Miya Ando: Sky Writing lecture and reception

Join the Lowe for a talk and reception featuring artist Miya Ando to celebrate the ArtLab 2024 exhibition, Miya Ando: Sky Writing, on view through Saturday, June 1. This student-curated exhibition features multimedia works by Miya Ando, whose oeuvre explores nature’s ever-changing moods and the fragility of human existence. Register to attend .

Thursday, April 25, 7:30 p.m. | in person and streaming, purchase tickets

Frost Music Live!: Michel Camilo and the Frost Latin Jazz Orchestra

Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York, Michel Camilo bridges the genres of jazz, classical, popular and world music with his artistry and virtuosity. The Grammy, Latin Grammy, and Emmy Award-winner joins forces for one night only with the Frost Latin Jazz Orchestra and Cuban drummer Dafnis Prieto. Purchase tickets .

Maurice Gusman Concert Hall, Frost School of Music, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146

Saturday, April 27, 7:30 p.m. | in person and streaming, purchase tickets

Frost Music Live!: Beethoven’s 9th

The Frost Symphony Orchestra season finale presents a symphonic masterwork alongside four American orchestral miniatures by Augusta Reed Thomas, Bernard Rands, Daren Hagan, and Chen Yi. Purchase tickets .

Featured: RCIF Humanities Hub

As part of the Research, Creativity, and Innovation Forum, the Humanities Hub will feature representatives from the University's humanities departments to provide attendees with information about the humanities as well as answers to specific questions about fields of study, research pursuits, and career opportunities. The Humanities Hub aims to create a stronger connection between research and the humanities within the undergraduate student body and also promotes the different ways in which students can get involved in the humanities.

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Age: an overlooked factor in higher education DEI initiatives

As universities around the world strive to cultivate diverse and equitable communities, a recent study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis highlights the necessity of recognizing age as a fundamental dimension of diversity.

“Age as an identity factor is not given much attention in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in higher education,” said Nancy Morrow-Howell , the Betty Bofinger Brown Distinguished Professor of Social Policy and lead author of the study “ Age as a Factor in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives in Higher Education ,” published in the Journal of Gerontological Social Work.

“Although focus group participants acknowledged the pervasive ageism in these highly age-segregated institutions, age is not regarded as an important factor to address in their programming,” Morrow-Howell said.

Findings from six focus groups in the study suggest that age is not given much attention in DEI initiatives. Participants acknowledge the issue of age; but in general, they strive to keep other identities, such as race and gender, in the forefront, especially in the face of low resources. The six focus groups included 42 DEI personnel representing 36 institutions across the U.S.

“As a society, we don’t react to ageism very strongly. If we even see it, we accept it,” Morrow-Howell said. “There is no social pressure to confront it, no MeToo movement or Black Lives Matter. DEI personnel on campuses have few resources, and they feel they can’t afford to divert attention from other marginalized identities.”

If we are lucky enough to live a long time, we will experience ageism. Ageism is discrimination against one’s future self. So, working toward a more age-just society will benefit all of us.  Nancy Morrow-Howell

The research highlights the following key findings:

Intersections of age and identity : Age intersects with other dimensions of identity, such as race, gender and socioeconomic status, shaping individuals’ experiences and perceptions within educational institutions.

Challenges and opportunities : While age diversity presents unique challenges, such as intergenerational conflicts and differential access to resources, it also offers rich opportunities for cross-generational learning and collaboration.

Inclusive policies and practices : Effective DEI initiatives must incorporate age-inclusive policies and practices to address the diverse needs and perspectives of all members of the university community.

“If we are lucky enough to live a long time, we will experience ageism,” Morrow-Howell said. “Ageism is discrimination against one’s future self. So, working toward a more age-just society will benefit all of us. 

“DEI staff members gave many examples of how students, faculty and staff experienced age discrimination and age bias. Admissions, job placements, promotions and development opportunities, belonginess on campus — all are constrained by ageism. Everyone will have a better chance of a long and healthy life if we can reduce ageism in our organizations.”

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UArizona preparing the next generation of special education professionals

The University of Arizona's Department of Disabilities and Psychoeducational Studies was awarded five grants that will allow the College of Education to develop and implement programs and services that address the diverse needs of students with disabilities.

Chris Richards / University Communications

Equity, inclusion and disability justice are the driving forces behind five grants awarded to the University of Arizona's Department of Disabilities and Psychoeducational Studies , in the College of Education , by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs.

The grants, which total about $5 million, will support undergraduate, master's and doctoral scholars during their studies, train early intervention specialists and prepare the next generation of special education leaders to use evidence-based, culturally sustaining practices.

College of Education Dean Robert Q. Berry III said the five grant awards are pivotal in enabling the college to innovate, develop and implement programs and services that address the diverse needs of students with disabilities.

"The advancements made possible through these grants will undoubtedly enhance educational outcomes, foster a sense of inclusivity and promote overall well-being for students with disabilities," Berry said. "I applaud our college's unwavering commitment to improving the educational experience and opportunities towards advancing the field of special education."

The five projects funded are:

• Systems Change for Inclusive Education, a National Collaborative Effort for Students with Extensive Support Needs, also known as SCIENCE-ESN
• Preparation of Culturally Sustaining Leaders in Special Education Through Apprenticeship Learning
• Representation and Diversity in Early Childhood Deaf Education
• Reading Arizona: An interprofessional personnel training program to train diverse personnel to serve multicultural/multilingual children with disabilities
• Educational Interpreting Emphasis

Preparing tomorrow's teachers

Two of the projects, SCIENCE-ESN and Preparation of Culturally Sustaining Leaders in Special Education Through Apprenticeship Learning, will prepare the next generation of special education educators with the skills and perspective necessary to enact multilevel, systematic changes across K-12 and higher education as well as state and federal legislation.

SCIENCE-ESN is a collaborative effort between UArizona and the University of Utah and was awarded $2.14 million split between the two institutions. The project will prepare eight doctoral scholars, four at each university, for special education faculty positions across the nation. The UArizona team is lead by principal investigator Kirsten Lansey and co-principal investigator Taucia González , both assistant professors, and associate professor Adai Tefera .

Kirsten Lansey

The project will support scholars starting their four-year doctoral programs in August 2024. The eight scholars will complete coursework from both institutions: UArizona will focus on equity, inclusion and social justice, while the University of Utah focuses on positive behavioral support, systems change and implementation science. Over the course of their studies, the scholars will attend seminars held by the two host universities on a variety of topics related to special education: equity and justice; leadership, policy and administration; race, culture and language; and inclusive education for students with extensive support needs.

The scholars will also complete internships in college-level teaching and student supervision, as well as externships with high-need local education agencies and national or state policy organizations or education boards. Lansey said these experiences are intended to prepare scholars for the kinds of challenges they will face over the course of their careers.

In the Tucson area, the project will work with Sunnyside School District to assist in systems change and implementation of inclusive, evidence-based practices.

Lansey hopes the eight scholars supported by SCIENCE-ESN will go on to conduct research on systemic educational change and prepare future teachers – special educators and general education teachers alike – to work together, collaborate and promote the inclusion of all students into general education, particularly those with extensive support needs who are often segregated to separate classrooms or entirely different schools.

"We want to ultimately have diverse scholars whose voices are represented in all aspects of the educational system, because those voices are important and need to be valued," Lansey said.

Lansey, Tefera and González will also collaborate on a second project, Preparation of Culturally Sustaining Leaders in Special Education Through Apprenticeship Learning, which received $1 million and will support four doctoral students at UArizona. Tefera will lead the project alongside co-principal investigators Lansey and González, professor and department head of disabilities and psychoeducational studies Carl Liaupsin , and associate professor Sunggye Hong .

Adai Tefera

The project, which launches in fall 2024, will recruit multilingual scholars, scholars from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds and scholars with disabilities, and utilize what Tefera calls a "comprehensive apprenticeship learning model" to prepare them for careers at research universities or other academic institutions.

"Our goal is to support four exceptional doctoral students who become faculty that prepare special education teachers to work in culturally, racially and linguistically diverse classrooms in special education," Tefera said. "We are preparing doctoral students to engage in that work, both in research and in preparing future teachers in special education."

In addition to the regular doctoral coursework, the four scholars will shadow a program director within the College of Education and participate in mentorships with faculty and non-UArizona community members whose work aligns with the scholars' individual research and postgraduation interests.

Scholars will also work in local classrooms alongside Sabrina Salmon, Tucson Unified School District senior director of exceptional education, to develop culturally sustaining practices reflecting the needs of diverse students. Tefera said there are also plans to collaborate with other universities, or a policy think tank, to further grow scholars' network and knowledge – and prepare them for career challenges.

Learning to communicate

Reading Arizona will also prepare future special education teachers, as well as speech-language pathologists. The project is run by Mary Alt , professor and department head of speech, language and hearing sciences , in the College of Science , and Jennifer White , associate professor of practice of disabilities and psychoeducational studies. The five-year project received $1.1 million in funding and will train educators to meet the literacy needs of multicultural students with disabilities and improve literacy skills for all children.

According to the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as The Nation's Report Card, only 31% of fourth grade students and 28% of eighth graders in Arizona met or exceeded their reading proficiency level. The need to improve literacy is even greater in special education, Alt said.

"That 31% reading proficiency in Arizona is not being driven by 10% of kids with disabilities, it's part of the larger picture," she said. "As a state, we need to improve the literacy of our children."

Special education teachers and speech-language pathologists work alongside one another, and individually with students and their families, in a variety of ways to improve academic outcomes for students – including literacy.

Reading Arizona will start that collaborative process between educators while they are still in school by launching a cohort comprised of students in the  Bachelor of Science in Special Education for Mild to Moderate Disabilities in the College of Education and the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology in the College of Science. Students selected as fellows for the cohort upon admission to their respective degree programs will participate in additional coursework, educational meetings and group activities over the course of their studies. Events hosted by the cohort will be open to all students and are intended to help future educators meet lifelong collaborators.

"The very nature of the special education classroom is built on a foundation of collaboration that students don't often have the time to work on and practice during a typical college education," White said. "This program also gives students the chance to learn to work as a team. These are not skills that are innate within us. We actually need specific instruction on how to communicate, problem-solve and work in a team. We want to enhance those skills so these students can go into schools and become leaders."

Over the course of their studies, Reading Arizona fellows will be able to apply for cost-of-living stipends, supported by grant funding, to support their work.

The program will also host a literacy camp during the summer, staffed by future students in the cohort, and will provide child-focused literacy activities over the course of several weeks. Alt said plans for the camp are still in the planning stages.

Reading Arizona will enroll the first members of its cohort in fall 2024.

While White and Alt focus on childhood literacy, M. Christina Rivera will work to improve support structures and early childhood intervention for Deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their families. Her project, Representation and Diversity in Early Childhood Deaf Education, was awarded $1.2 million over five years to expand the College of Education's online Special Education-Deaf/Hard of Hearing Master’s Teacher Preparation Program to include an emphasis in early intervention and early childhood.

The "Hearing Impaired" certification in Arizona is a teaching certificate that covers birth to age 21 but the program has historically focused on K-12 education. Rivera said supporting language development in deaf and hard-of-hearing children – especially those from multilingual homes – as early as possible is vitally important.

The first three years of life are particularly critical for language development, Rivera said, and there are many Deaf and hard-of-hearing children who experience those years without access to language. That may be due to families and audiologists waiting for the proper hearing aid, waiting for cochlear implant surgery or waiting for the cochlear implant to be activated. In those cases, children can experience language deprivation because the traditional focus is to develop listening and spoken language skills rather than visual modalities such as American Sign Language, which Rivera said can cause language delays and impact academic progress and social-emotional development.

The project, which includes disabilities and psychoeducational studies lecturer Patricia Smolko , is intended to increase the number of fully credentialed teachers of Deaf and hard-of-hearing children who can provide family-centered early intervention that addresses the needs of Deaf multilingual learners, Native children and their families. The program will also train fully credentialed teachers who can provide individualized programming and language instruction to Deaf and hard-of-hearing children with high-intensity needs in early childhood programs such as preschool.

M. Christina Rivera

"Our hope is to train teachers who can support families to start using sign language earlier so that DHH children do not experience language deprivation," Rivera said. "If the family chooses to pursue spoken language, sign language can be a bridge to developing their spoken language skills – whether that be English, Spanish or whatever the language of the home is."

The project will support 23 scholars through the teacher preparation program who are themselves multilingual, Deaf or use American Sign Language – including two students already enrolled in the program who expressed interest in early childhood intervention.

Rivera said she hopes nine or 10 of the scholars supported by the project come from Arizona and remain in the state after they graduate, finding employment in early intervention programs, early childhood programs, preschool programs, at Arizona School for the Deaf and the Blind or on general education campuses – wherever the need may be.

Also awarded funding by the Office of Special Education Projects was Educational Interpreting Emphasis. which received $1.2 million over five years. The program, run by associate professor of practice Holly Nelson , will train high-quality educational interpreters in the  Deaf Studies Bachelor of Science in Special Education program to work with deaf and hard-of-hearing students beginning in preschool. Over the course of five years, the project will prepare 60 educational interpreters.

Resources for the Media

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Maria Arey College of Education [email protected]

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