Youth Education in the Age of Disinformation

New Book Challenges Educators to Combat Disinformation Through Critical Thinking

In an era where disinformation spreads at unprecedented rates, a new book argues that teachers and adults must first develop their own critical thinking skills before they can effectively guide young people through today’s complex information landscape.

Dr. Rosemary Hipkins, who recently retired with Emeritus status from the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER), explores this challenge in her latest work, “Lifelong Learning for a Post-Truth World.” The book, released this week by NZCER Press, draws on her extensive career researching curriculum and assessment approaches, particularly in science education.

“If adults, including teachers, are not critically engaged with their own meaning-making, they cannot genuinely support young people to do the same,” writes Hipkins, describing the fundamental premise of her work.

The book recounts Hipkins’ personal learning journey while examining strategies to prepare students for navigating an information environment increasingly saturated with misleading content. She argues that understanding knowledge generation and validation processes is not just an academic exercise but an essential commitment for both personal and societal wellbeing.

One of the book’s central arguments advocates for educational approaches that incorporate multiple knowledge systems. Hipkins highlights the particular value in combining scientific and Indigenous knowledge frameworks to create richer, more nuanced understanding. While her argument is grounded in scientific discoveries and contemporary science education research, she emphasizes that these principles apply across all curriculum areas.

Rather than offering simplistic solutions to complex problems, the book invites readers to embrace complexity and engage in collaborative meaning-making. Finnish education expert Pasi Sahlberg praises this approach in his endorsement: “Rosemary Hipkins does not promise simple or easy answers; rather, she offers something far more valuable: a way of thinking that honours complexity, resists false binaries, and places lifelong, collective, and culturally grounded learning at the heart of brighter educational futures.”

Hipkins’ work comes at a critical time for education systems worldwide. Studies consistently show that students struggle to identify reliable information online, with the Stanford History Education Group finding that over 80% of middle school students cannot distinguish between genuine news and sponsored content. Meanwhile, the 2022 Digital News Report found that 55% of adults worry about their ability to detect false information online.

The book’s themes reflect growing concerns among education experts that traditional approaches to information literacy are insufficient in today’s digital environment. Recent curriculum reforms in countries including Finland, Norway, and now New Zealand have begun emphasizing critical thinking about information sources as a core competency across subject areas.

Hipkins, who was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her contributions to education, has focused her recent work on intersections between different knowledge systems. Her research explores how bringing these systems together can enhance learning experiences and develop more robust critical thinking frameworks.

“The book ultimately invites readers into a lifelong quest to think more expansively, critically, and collaboratively about the ways we make meaning in an increasingly complex world,” notes the publisher’s description.

“Lifelong Learning for a Post-Truth World” is now available through NZCER Press and aims to spark important conversations among educators, policymakers, and parents about how education systems can better prepare young people to navigate today’s information challenges while developing the skills for lifelong learning in an increasingly complex world.