Science Direct’s online publication for September includes a notable work by Fanny Lalot, Sanna Ahvenharju and Peter Bishop. The article, “The seeds of tomorrow: Investigating adolescent perception of the future with the Futures Consciousness scale for adolescents” takes critical steps in demonstrating the importance of introducing futures thinking to teens. Measuring the effect of teaching futures literacy is a key to the acceptance of futures literacy in education. This study opens the door to curriculum integration and the further adoption of futures teaching as a respected part of scholastic endeavors.
The author's methodical research validates the Futures Consciousness-Adolescent Scale (FC-aS) in four languages (NL, EN, IT, TR), the first time that the adult version of the Futures Consciousness Scale (FCS) has been adapted and thoroughly tested for adolescents. Research indicates how adolescents differ in their FC propensity as measured by the FC scale.
Understanding the Futures Consciousness Scale
The article provides new insights on how futures thinking impacts may be quantified and is also a primer in understanding what the Future Consciousness Scale (FCS) is. Those familiar with the FCS will find the results and reponses revealing and worthy of a deeper look, while those new to futures thinking will find a solid background in its process and rationale for application.
Dr. Peter Bishop Continues his Work
For Dr. Peter C. Bishop, this published report is the culmination of four years of work documenting studies, conducting research, and utilizing these tools in training educators in futures thinking instruction. The original article was published in 2018, with Sanna contributing as a futurist, Fanny as a statistician and Dr. Bishop as an educator.
The study itself sought to answer several key questions:
Can we adopt this scale for use in youth?
Can we validate the effectiveness of the adapted FCS?
Can we measure change over time?
Is it possible to modify the way students perceive the future?
More to Come
A third article is in the works. It is hoped that this research becomes the standard for validating futures literacy as a critical and essential part of education.
Learn more about the Futures Consciousness Scale on our website. https://www.teachthefuture.org/projects/futures-consciousness-scale
Watch for upcoming tools for classroom use from Teach the Future soon!
About the Authors
Sanna Ahvenharju
Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Director at Finland Futures Research Centre. Before she transitioned to academia, Sanna had an extensive career of 20 years as a practitioner in the field of sustainable development policy and governance. As a consultant, she has been responsible for leading complex projects related to policy development and assessment processes that were commissioned by the government, ministries, or state agencies.
Fanny Lalot
Research associate funded by a SNSF Ambizione grant (2024-2027) and a member of the Centre for Social Psychology led by Prof. Rainer Greifeneder at the University of Basel. Her current line of research focuses on trust, more specifically on what happens when trust is betrayed (building, losing, and restoring trust). This is explored through an experimental approach, building paradigms to investigate trust in everyday life and also in the lab.
Peter Bishop, PhD
Dr. Peter C. Bishop founded and has served as the Executive Director of Teach the Future, Inc. for the past decade. He retired as an Associate Professor of Strategic Foresight and Director of the graduate program in Foresight at the University of Houston in August 2013 and is sought after as a speaker, consultant, and teacher trainer globally. Before establishing Teach the Future, Dr. Bishop specialized in techniques for long-term forecasting and planning, and he has published two books on the subject: Thinking about the Future (2007) and Teaching about the Future (2012), both with co-author Andy Hines.
Note on research funding: This study was supported by funding from the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Center for Futuristic Studies (project: The Assessment of Futures Thinking), awarded to Peter C. Bishop. Fanny Lalot is supported by a SNSF Ambizione grant (PZ00P1_216373 / 1). Sanna Ahvenharju is supported by the Strategic Research Council of the Academy of Finland (#345885). The funding sources had no involvement in the conduct of this research.