Development & Features of Social Pedagogic Theory

Implications for Practice

Sylvia Holthoff

Gabriel Eichsteller

ThemPra Social Pedagogy CIC

Tell me, and I forget;Show me, and I remember;

Let me do, and I understand.

Social pedagogy is a „function of society‟ (Mollenhauer) – it describes how society thinks about children, their education and upbringing.

Therefore, social pedagogy is closely related to society at a given time and place, it is context specific.

“Children are a key to understanding a nation,not only to comprehend the habits of a society

but also its collective intelligence and sustainability”

(Donata Elschenbroich, German sociologist)

The Development of Pedagogic Thought

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778):

Humans are naturally good and are corrupted through society‟s influence

Upbringing and education in harmony with nature

Emile (1762) describes healthy upbringing of a fictitious character

Facilitating opportunities for learning depending on where the child is

“We should not teach children the sciences,but give them a taste for them”

The Development of Pedagogic Thought

Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827):

Developed Rousseau‟s core ideas

Education as a holistic process addressing head, heart, and hands

Head: not imposing knowledge, but stimulate curiosity

Heart: moral education, “without it, the other types would lose their sense of direction”

Hands: learning through physical activities, grasping the world

Head, heart, and hands are inseparable and corresponding with each other

Importance of observation and reflective practice

Role of pedagogue is to take care that “no untoward influence shall disturb nature‟s march of development”

“I seek education for humanity, and this only emanates through love”

The Development of Pedagogic Thought

New Education Movement:

Applied these thoughts into school context (Montessori, Steiner, Fröbel, Hahn)

Refined concept of children as competent (“A child has a hundred languages” - Malaguzzi) and as equals (“Children don‟t become humans, they already are” - Korczak)

Development of child participation and children‟s rights in pedagogic concepts of Montessori and Korczak

Mainstreamed pedagogic thinking beyond educational institutions social pedagogy to address wider social issues and tackle disadvantage / social exclusion

The children have been vested with unknown powers that could lead the way to a better future”

(Maria Montessori)

“I prefer the word pedagogue to teacher. A teacher is someone paid by the hour to drill something into the child, while a

pedagogue draws something out. If you want to be a pedagogue you have to learn to talk with children instead of to them. You have to learn to trust their capacities and

possibilities.”

Janusz Korczak (1878 – 1942), Polish pedagogue, paediatrician and author

What is Social Pedagogy?Origin: Pedagogy – Greek pais (child), and agein (to lead, bring up)

Basis:

Humanistic value base, e.g. respect, trust, unconditional appreciation

Fundamental concept of children as equal human beings with rich and extraordinary potential, as competent, resourceful and active agents

Inter-disciplinary theory combining concepts and models from sociology, psychology, education, philosophy, medical sciences and social work

Aims:

Holistic education – education of head (cognitive knowledge), heart (emotional and spiritual learning), and hands (practical and physical skills)

Holistic well-being – strengthening health-sustaining factors

To enable children to grow up as self-responsible persons who take responsibility for their society

To promote human welfare and prevent or ease social problems

What is Social Pedagogy?

Pathways:

Through providing opportunities for learning (“It is not possible to teach; but it is possible to create situations wherein it is impossible not to learn”)

By building strong and positive authentic relationships which are non-hierarchical

Working with head (concepts, theory, reflective practitioner), heart (building relationships, using one‟s personality, positive attitude), and hands (activities, „Common Third‟) in the everyday, focussing on the here and now

Cultural impact on what is possible in practice – depending on social images of children, policy-context, regulations, qualifications

Aim

Pathways

Basis

The Pedagogic Triangle

Systemic Pedagogy

Pedagogic practice is embedded

in societal context, corresponds

with and influences social

views on pedagogy and

informs policy-making

“The essential thing is for the task to arouse such an interest that it engages the child‟s whole personality”

(Maria Montessori)

Badry & Knapp, 2003

Social pedagogy is deeply rooted in society and has grown organically into a coherent system, wherein theory meets practice.

“Social pedagogy is a theory of all the personal, social and moral education in a given society, including the

description of what has happened in practice.”

Karl Mager (1810 – 1858), German „founding father‟ of social pedagogy

Personal

Professional Practical

Pedagogic practice is a holistic process creating a balance between:

the professional (theory and concepts, reflective practitioner – the ‘head’)

the personal (using one‟s personality, positive attitude, building personal

relationships, but keeping the „private‟ out – the ‘heart’)

the practical (using certain methods and creative activities – the ‘hands’)

All three elements are equal and

complement each other synergy

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” (Fritz Perls)

Pedagogy – Theory meets Practice

„The pedagogical approach rests on an image of a child as a complex social being with rich and extraordinary potential, rather than as an adult-in-waiting who needs to be given

the right ingredients for optimal development. […] For pedagogues there is no universal solution, each

situation requires a response based on a combination of information, emotions, self-knowledge and theory.‟

Children‟s Workforce Development Council, 2006

Pedagogic Concepts

3P’s:

professional pedagogueknowing theories, explaining behaviour, reflectivity

personal pedagoguerelational contact, authenticity, using personality

private pedagoguepersonal boundaries of what is not shared

Pedagogic Concepts

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development:

Learning and development are embedded in and dependent on the cultural and social context, on interaction with our environment

Through interaction with others we can develop further than we could by being on our own

Zone of Proximal Development is the distance between what we can actually achieve on our own and what we can potentially achieve with help from others (others can be adults or children!)

Pedagogic Concepts

4 development situations to extend the Zone of Proximal

Development:

Starting from the child‟s motivation to learn

Starting from where the pedagogue thinks the child „is‟

Mutual process of learning together, e.g. Common Third

Necessary development, things that need to be learned

Pedagogic Concepts

The Common Third:

Creating a commonly shared situation or activity as something

third between pedagogue and child

Development of relationship around this activity, e.g. building

a kite, cooking, football

Sharing and having something in common implies to be in an

equal relationship with full participation of both

Both show a genuine interest in activity and are authentic -

use of personality as a resource

Holistic education - common potential for learning

“It is not possible to teach. But it is possible to create situations wherein it is impossible not to learn”

“Good judgment comes from experience. And often experience comes from bad judgment”

(Rita Mae Brown)

contact:

sylvia@thempra.co.uk

gabriel@thempra.co.uk

© by ThemPra, 2008

further information:

www.socialpedagogy.co.uk

www.socialpedagogyuk.com