Outcome-based ELT Lesson Planning for Inclusive Education and Lifelong Learning: Aligning with SDG 4

Ensuring Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promoting Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All is set as the SDGs Goal 4 by United Nations. Under that broad theme, the following sub-objectives or targets, introduced as metadata, exist. The details of the following sub-objectives are available in PDF format in UN's official website. 

• Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that every girl and boy completes free, fair, and high-quality primary and secondary education that results in meaningful learning outcomes.
• Indicator 4.1.1: Percentage of children and youth:
  • (a) in grades 2 or 3,
  • (b) finishing primary school,
  • (c) completing lower secondary school,
  who meet at least the basic level of proficiency in:
  • (i) reading
  • (ii) mathematics
  disaggregated by gender.
• Indicator 4.1.2: Completion rate across primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education levels.
• Target 4.2: By 2030, make sure all children have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education to prepare them for primary school.
• Indicator 4.2.1: Share of children aged 24–59 months who show appropriate development in health, learning, and social-emotional areas, broken down by gender.
• Indicator 4.2.2: Enrollment rate in structured learning one year before the official primary school starting age, by gender.
• Target 4.3: By 2030, guarantee all women and men have fair access to affordable, high-quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education, including university.
• Indicator 4.3.1: Participation rates of young people and adults in formal or non-formal education and training over the past year, categorized by gender.
• Target 4.4: By 2030, significantly increase the number of youth and adults with the skills needed for employment, including technical, vocational, and entrepreneurial skills.
• Indicator 4.4.1: Percentage of youth and adults with ICT-related skills, categorized by the type of skill.
• Target 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender-based disparities in education and ensure equal access for all, especially vulnerable groups, including those with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children in difficult situations.
• Indicator 4.5.1: Parity indexes (e.g., female/male, rural/urban, wealth quintiles) for all relevant educational indicators, including those based on disability, indigenous status, and conflict exposure.
• Target 4.6: By 2030, ensure that all youth and many adults of both genders achieve basic literacy and numeracy skills.
• Indicator 4.6.1: Percentage of individuals within specific age groups who reach a basic level of literacy and numeracy, by gender.
• Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure learners gain the knowledge and abilities needed to support sustainable development, including education for sustainability, human rights, gender equality, peace, cultural diversity, and global citizenship.
• Indicator 4.7.1: Level of integration of:
  • (i) global citizenship education and
  • (ii) education for sustainable development
  into:
  • (a) national policies,
  • (b) curricula,
  • (c) teacher training programs, and
  • (d) student assessments.
• Target 4.a: Create and upgrade education facilities that are safe, accessible, and inclusive, taking into account the needs of children, people with disabilities, and gender diversity.
• Indicator 4.a.1: Proportion of schools with essential services, broken down by service type.
• Target 4.b: By 2020, significantly increase scholarships for students from developing countries, especially the least developed, small island states, and African nations, to support their enrollment in higher education, including technical, engineering, and scientific programs.
• Indicator 4.b.1: Amount of official development assistance provided for scholarships, categorized by sector and program type.
• Target 4.c: By 2030, increase the number of qualified teachers through international cooperation, particularly in the least developed countries and small island states.
• Indicator 4.c.1: Percentage of teachers with the required qualifications, sorted by education level.

Incorporating Inclusive Education and Lifelong Learning into ELT through OBE (Outcome-based Education)

In English Language Teaching (ELT) context, adopting outcome-based education (OBE) helps align teaching practices with ambitious goals as outlined in SDGs (sustainable development goals). This approach ensures that students not only master the target language but also develop essential skills and values that prepare them for lifelong learning and active participation in a globalised world. The following ELT lesson plan is developed using outcome-based education format. 

Outcome-Based Education (OBE) is a teaching framework that focuses on the desired learning outcomes or competencies students should achieve by the end of an instructional period. These outcomes include both knowledge and skills, as well as attributes like critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and social responsibility. OBE emphasises a learner-centered approach, where teachers design lessons based on clearly defined objectives, making the learning process more transparent and goal-oriented. In OBE, success is measured by the extent to which students achieve the intended outcomes, rather than how much content is covered or how well they perform on traditional exams. This ensures that students' progress is judged against specific benchmarks that reflect the competencies they need to succeed in real-world scenarios. The flexibility of OBE also allows educators to adapt teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs of learners, thus promoting inclusive education.

OBE: Promoting Inclusive Education

OBE naturally aligns with inclusive education because it shifts the focus from standardized teaching methods to personalized learning experiences. Instructors design lessons based on the learning outcomes relevant to individual students, which ensures that every learner can achieve progress, no matter their starting point. Some practical ways to implement inclusive education in OBE-based ELT lesson planning include:

• Differentiated instruction: Adapting teaching materials and strategies based on students' needs, such as using visual aids, storytelling, or interactive activities. This can be done by employing needs analysis and environment analysis. 
• Multilingual support: Acknowledging students' native languages and using them strategically to aid understanding while developing English proficiency.
• Collaborative learning: Encouraging group activities that promote teamwork, empathy, etc.
• Accessibility considerations: Ensuring that lesson materials are available in formats that accommodate students with disabilities (e.g., captions, audio support, or Braille).

OBE: Promoting Lifelong Learning

In OBE-based lesson planning, the focus is not only on achieving immediate language goals (such as mastering grammar or vocabulary) but also on developing transferable skills and attitudes that encourage lifelong learning. Below are some strategies to consider in integrating lifelong learning outcomes into ELT:

• Authentic tasks: Designing activities that simulate real-world scenarios, such as writing emails, giving presentations, or participating in debates. These tasks help students connect classroom learning with practical applications.
• Self-assessment and reflection: Encouraging students to reflect on their learning progress and set personal goals fosters self-regulation and a growth mindset.
• Project-based learning: Engaging students in longer-term projects that require research, collaboration, and critical thinking. These projects mimic the kinds of challenges they might encounter in their professional lives.
• Digital literacy: Incorporating technology into ELT helps students develop essential digital skills while learning English, preparing them for future learning opportunities in a connected world.