Social Pedagogy and Working with Children and Young People - Literature review Example

Social Pedagogy and the Public Intellectual Introduction The education sector has been evolving since its formal inception over the late eighteenth century. There have been various scholars who have played a key role in shaping education to what it is today. In fact it is believed that in its inception education was taken to be a communal task where the ‘enlightened’ in a society would gather children together and teach them on basic issue. However, it became important for education to be taken as a sector that needed equity so that students would acquire skills that would match the market requirements. Besides, it is at this time that industrialization was taking place hence there was a large need for a work force that would operate on the machines. Accordingly, this paper is going to reflect on education in primary schools in the United Kingdom (UK). Further, this paper is going to have a backing of various theorists who have tried to advance their assumptions and views so that they can try and streamline education in general. Some practitioners decipher social pedagogy as ‘community education’ and have constantly defined it around three key pillars/traditions. Accordingly, the first tradition is The Continental tradition; that reflects on the nature of man which acts on the notion that individuals can fully develop only if they are part of that society (Fernandes, 2010). This institution of social pedagogy emphasizes upon social integration and socialization. The second tradition is Social conditions and social problems ‘the American tradition’. Further, in this element of the tradition the focus is on working with individuals, casework in addition to providing care. Unlike in the others, this tradition has more interest in and minimizes the impact of social disparities. Lastly, the pedagogy tradition of social pedagogy has its origins in the work of educational thinkers and philosophers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi and John Dewey (Fernandes, 2010). Moreover, Paulo Freire has in the recent past been outspoken and advancing theories aimed at helping people to structure their thinking. Generally, Social pedagogy can be said to be a theory, or a philosophy, extensively used in European countries. Pedagogy is said to have been devised by Karl Mager in 1844, although Friedrich Diesterweg is recognized for conveying its idea to a larger audience. Diesterweg’s focused at combining theory and practice thereby encouraging ‘learning by doing’. However, modern day pedagogues are different from teachers and they do not automatically work in schools ( Westmoreland, 2012). In most cases they work with a wide range of people such as the elderly and the disabilities, unlike in the traditional pedagogues that were limited to children and the youth. Holistic Education Holistic education is founded on the principle that a person finds character, sense, and tenacity in life. These principles must be intertwined through networks in the community, the natural world, the spiritual tenets such as empathy and harmony. The aim of holistic education is to redeem an essential veneration for life and an adoring love of learning from people. This can only be achieved through direct engagement with the environment, not through a syllabus based education that narrows the world into instructional packages. Therefore, holistic education cultivates a sense of wonder hence, the art of holistic education centers in its reaction to learning styles that are diverse (Alred, G, Brymam, M, & Fleming, M, 2006). The role of the curriculum has been highlighted by A.V. Kelly in his book ‘The curriculum’ is very important in the education sector. In addition, Kelly observes that the education structure is a social establishment and it should be objected to change as other institutions changes. Equally, the curriculum which is an important tool in the education sector is not exceptional to changes. For example, in the recent past, it has been subjected to increased planning incidents, and development in its preparation (Kelly, 2004). Another aspect of evaluating social pedagogy and the public intellectual is through the evaluation of education transformation. Transformation is an important ingredient in the modern world. Basically, economic and social transitions depend greatly on education transformation. However, there are many challenges associated with this transformation such as the political aspect of involvement in the education sector. Subsequently, for education to transform fully there is need for human capital investment because it is vital for both social cohesion and economic regeneration. Therefore, these are some of the key elements that are useful for holistic approach in education ( Lingard, Nixon, & Ranson, 2008). Basically, this assertiveness toward teaching and learning motivates many home-schooling families and educators in the curriculum system. However, there are very few public schools that are entirely devoted to holistic principles although many educators try hard to practice them. In fact, encouraging group work rather than competition in classrooms, the educators’ motivates young minds feel connected. Consequently, using real-life familiarities, current affairs, the theatrical arts and other lively sources of knowledge to supplement but not entirely eliminate the textbook information, teachers sparks the love of learning. In addition, encouraging reflection and quizzical approaches rather than submissive memorization teachers uphold the flame of intelligence. Lastly, accepting differences and refusing to label children (as learning disabled or hyperactive) teachers bring out the exceptional gifts within each childs spirit (Camerom,C & Moses,P, 2011). The 200-year history of public schooling has continuously attracted a wide-ranged group of critics that has argued that the education of young people should incorporate more than simply molding them singularly as future workers. Moreover, the founders of “progressive education” all maintained that education perceived as the art of nurturing the ethical, emotional, physical, mental and transcendent aspects of the developing child. During the late twentieth century, an embryonic organization of science, philosophy and cultural history literature provided a predominant concept to define this way of understanding education and the perspective was baptized ‘holism’. Accordingly, the holistic way of thinking pursues to involve and bring together multiple layers of connotation and skill rather than elaborate human possibilities narrowly. Consequently, every child should be viewed as being more than a prospective employee. Indeed, personal intelligence and skills are far more complex than their scores on homogeneous tests (Apple & Beane,J, 1999). In order to get a clearly understanding of the already described notions and principles, it is only prudent to bring in the issue of the teacher / pedagogue as a ‘pubic intellectual’. This will be done by considering a range of influential educators who became public intellectuals as well as important practitioners. These influential educators and theorists include; Herbart, Dewey, Freire, in addition to the educative and pragmatic action in the age of narrative turns. The Herbart Educational Theory places the teacher as the process leader while the student should pay courtesy and work on the given exercise. Lastly, the student is expected to attempt the exercises as per the models given by teachers (Department of Education_ Teaching Agency, 2012). Subsequently, Dewey changed this through the Educational Theory of Dewey which was objective and main concern is the students. Likewise, Dewey maintained on the construction of problems and hypotheses. Dewey desired the educated to act like scientists. Lastly, Freire positioned the educational progression in the hands of the teachers. Consequently, he wanted the students to be recognized as individuals with the ability to think political hitches and start political action ( Westmoreland, 2012). Teaching hugely revolutionized in the last quarter the nineteenth century up to the commencement of the twentieth century. This revolution has been attributed to John Dewey who advanced several criticisms of old pedagogy. The main critique was that the intellectual apparatus did not function alone rather, they essentially depended on motivation. In addition, lessons that are constructed in a logical and historical way desired to be transformed to incorporate psychological means. In deed this is a very logical approach that goes a step to constructing a lesson in an all-inclusive means. The students are encouraged to participate rather than to just sit and listen (Apple & Beane,J, 1999) Consequently, this revolution was compelling and thus it swiftly put Herbart in the past. Even though, many educators continued with the Herbart philosophy, many new books on pedagogy started to advance new philosophies such as how a child thinks is not wrong, only that the child thinks in a different way. Dewey’s theory made a great contribution to teachers and the beginning of the twentieth century ( Westmoreland, 2012). In fact, it is through his theory that the child became the focal point in a school. From this argument it is apparent that education in the classroom setting recognized the input of a student only that it perceived the student as thinking different from the educator. After the world war, there cropped very strong political pools and this is what lead to the formulation of Paulo Freire’s theory. In essence, his theory was in total agreement with the Herbart on teaching being an activity that should be conducted in a communal method. Subsequently, he also agreed with Dewey, about the roles of motivation, psychology and sociology in education (Camerom,C & Moses,P, 2011). However, Freire added a new element into the games of educational theory which was the political element. Freire argued that pedagogical achievement should be a political accomplishment. However, the political accomplishment should be specific i.e. aimed to make humans free. Indeed, Dewey had this notion in his theory but the difference is on how both theorists viewed the education institutions. For instance, Dewey believed that education and social democracy as inseparable, as such the concept of education only made logic in democracy. On the contrary, Freire thought of education in a position deprived of democracy as such thought of education as being like an engine to realize social democracy. This theory is very practical in relation to the location that the education is being given. For example if the country does not respect freedom, then Freire’s theory is very practical. However, if the country is democratic then the Dewey theory will prevail (Fernandes, 2010). Reflection on Education in the UK Education is meant to enlighten the students on different notions. However, education can be described to be good or bad, disadvantageous or advantageous. This is to say that, education should be divided and taught very cautiously. In fact, there are many aspects that should be put in place before an educator faces his/ her class. The age of the class should be a determining factor on the material and tools to use (Kelly, 2004). In the recent past, early childhood education has come to be recognized as a very special form since it shapes the young brain for future comprehension of knowledge. Indeed, much emphasis has been put in place on the need to cultivate and handle this category of students. For example, the importance of allowing the students ample time to socialize and play has been advanced as a very effective way of molding and boosting the learning capabilities of children. Further, it has been advanced as a means of motivating the child to learn. Indeed, this matches the Dewey theory that recognized the importance of motivation and the impacts of socializing; it is in fact a means of forming groups (Fernandes, 2010). From this theory, I deduce that socializing and group work should be that primary goal of teachers. Teachers should maximize on group working because it encourages students to form strong bonds hence they become team players and learn from one another. Besides, the students are able to learn from one another in addition to creating a good learning environment. Further, students in these lower classes should be encouraged to participate in discussions so that the teacher can nature any notable talent at this early stage. Therefore, the Dewey theory has very strong bases that can be used even in the modern day class (Fernandes, 2010). Consequently, there are traditional norms that cannot be totally done away with. For example the syllabus and the rigid lesson plans are important tools for the teacher. These tools help the teachers to achieve the objectives (Kelly, 2004). In this regard, group work and discussions should not limit the extent to which the teacher sticks to his objectives. Likewise, freedom should not be overexpressed. This is so because it may be misused by the students and as such distorting it meaning in a classroom scenario as such it is very important for the educator to be able to balance freedom thereby achieving the desirable results and objectives of every lesson. In relation to this the incorporation of technology in the education system has proved to be very rewarding. However, e-learning has brought with it a basket full of challenges to both the educator as well as to the student. The level of absenteeism has been all high and this has been attributed to the fact that a student can record a class proceeding and evaluate or go through the notes later. It is true that technology must be embraced; however it should not be used as a means to challenge the importance of an educator at any given time ( Lingard, Nixon, & Ranson, 2008). Therefore, the acceptance of technology in a class should be left at the discretion of the teacher. In other words, it is the teacher who should choose the best time and way to incorporate technology in his/her class. Moreover, most schools in the UK have low standard computers in the school than those in most homes. As such the application of ICT has become challenging since most students see it as a joke. In addition, technology though important has not been a suitably considered parameter by the government, as such there is limited or no internet connection in most schools, the teachers have minimal ICT knowledge and the computers are old and inadequate. Therefore, as has been discussed earlier, it is inevitable that the teacher should be left to judge when it comes to the use of ICT in the classroom (Department of Education_ Teaching Agency, 2012). Another, important area that requires address is on the education system that is exam intensive rather that knowledge based. In the UK most students are first tested for their ability to solve mathematics problems and on their knowledge for English. In this regard, the child grows knowing that these are the most if not only fields that one needs to focus on so that they can prosper. It is important to put emphasis on other subject and if possible the education sector should tap on the talents of the primary students early. Though, sports and other extra curriculum activities have been recognized in the general teaching, they have not been accorded the required attention. They are always considered to come second after class work. Though, in recent times there are special schools for example the football academies that have started tapping such skills at an early stage (Kelly, 2004). However, more is still needed in this concern so as the child can recognize his/her talent early. Talents like modeling, music, acting among others have afforded many personalities very comfortable lives and consequently they are being recognized as careers all over the world. In modern day, this is the political revolution being referred to by Freire in his theory. In conclusion, there are many advanced theories most of which this paper has been able to highlight. However, it is only prudent to acknowledge that there is no one theory that can work fully on itself and obtain maximum yield (Fernandes, 2010). Therefore, it is important the education sector practices a mixture of the existing and emerging theories in pedagogy. Further, the role of a teacher in instilling knowledge on the young brains should be recognized is a fundamental duty. As such, both the parents and the governments should play their parts to ensure that the teacher and the child are protected and aided when necessary. In fact, it is important to understand that it is equally, important for the society and the parent to continue with the role of being educators when the child is not at school. Therefore, though social pedagogy has not been famous in the UK, in the recent past it has shown a new and is blending well with education transformation ( Lingard, Nixon, & Ranson, 2008). References Lingard, B. Nixon, J. & Ranson, S. 2008, Transforming Learning in Schools and Communities: The Remaking of Education for a Cosmopolitan Society: Continuum International Publishing Group, London. Westmoreland, M. 2012, Philosophy, Politics, And Social Theory. Penn State University-Brandywine. Alred, G, Brymam, M, & Fleming, M. 2006. Intercultural Citizenship: Concepts and Comparison: Multilingual Matters, Cleveden. Apple, M.& Beane,J. 1999, Democratic Schools:Lesson from the Chalk Face. Buckingham: OU Press. Camerom,C & Moses,P. 2011, Social pedagogy and Working with Children and Young people.: Jessica Kingsley, London Department of Education_ Teaching Agency. 2012, Retrieved March 15, 2013, from Education in UK: http://www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/teacher-training-options.aspx familylearning. 2012, Education in England. Retrieved March 15, 2013, from familylearning.org.uk: http://www.familylearning.org.uk/education_in_england.html Fernandes, A. 2010, A New Perspective On Education:A Comparative Study Of John Dewey And Paulo Freire. Freire,P. 2004, Pedagogy of Hope: Reliving pedagody of the Opression: Continuum, London Kelly, A. 2004, The Curriculum Theory and Practice:Sage, London Osler, A. 2000, Citizenship and Democracyin School:diversity, identity, equality ,stoke on trent. Trentham. Petrie, P. 2011, Communication Skills for Working with children and Young People: introducing social pedagopgy: Jessica Kingsley, London. Read More