Judaic/Israel studies curriculum for the 21st-century learner – An innovation study

2018-07-26With alarming declines in Jewish demographics in the United States, Jewish education is being viewed as a way of reversing this negative trend. Some have therefore argued for the use of 21st century pedagogical methods to increase the relevancy and effectiveness of Jewish education. This study utilizes a modified Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis model to investigate the assumed knowledge, motivation, and organizational needs of Jewish/Israel studies teachers who are charged with implementing such a curriculum based on established literature relating to Jewish education, 21st century educational approaches, learning and motivation theory, as well as organizational culture influences. Qualitative analysis of study data was collected and triangulated through survey, interviews, and document analysis resulting in six needs being validated and another seven being validated with a high probability. Using the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick New World Model (2016), these needs lead to the formation of implementation and evaluation plans for this study's recommended solutions, which include collaborative, educational and training experiences in which Jewish Studies (JS) faculty will be able to learn, observe, practice, and receive feedback on their training, followed by strategic follow-up and reinforcement of training until established outcomes can be systematically demonstrated