Pedagogical Approach
Our symbol reflects the interrelationship between the individual en their environment. It represents not only the social and cultural influences on the individual, but also the individual’s agency within their environment, and how this reciprocal relationship is crucial for embracing change and innovation.
The vesica piscis, the interception of the 2 circles, represents:
- the social character of meaning-making
- mediational nature of learning
- the social situation of development
- collaboration, creativity, and connection
The “Meaning-making” Approach
In the meaning-making approach, focus of learning is on the creation of meanings within a nurturing environment that invites children to discover and explore the world for themselves through their own experiences.
Adults are considered part of the learning environment, and heir role is mediational. Adults act as role models and whitin the meaning-making approach
their task is to learn alongside children: to observe them, acknowledge their motives, interests, and agency, and ultimately to form a community of practice with them.
The child is seen as an active cultural agent
Children are unique and capable of creating their own meanings and developings skills through exploration, self-expression, and collaborations with adults and peers.
The importance of the environment
The child are born vulnerable and require adults to survive. It is within a positive learning environment that children are able to thrive. At a societal level, we aim to create a collective social situation of development, which implies recognising the role of organisations in promoting change, innovation, and development.
Agency is a central concept for S4L, it is understood as a capacity that develops within a dialogical context. Individual agency is therefore an attribute that is socially acquired .
A new view of learning and Teaching: A New Learning Paradigm
Conventional views of learning and teaching tent to focus on cognitivism and the importance of mental processes. In contrast, the meaning-making approach focuses on the whole child and their environment, viewing the child and the environment as being in a mutual and dynamic relationship.
Therefore, S4L pedagogical approach focuses on:
- providing tools to enhance parents’ capabilities (knowledge, skills and understanding)
- offering meaningful learning opportunities that support both the right – and left brain development
- recognising children’s own motives and interests
- tailoring play-based activities to meet children’s needs
- creating a balance child-led and adult-led learning opportunities
- fostering positive, nurturing environments that invite exploration and meaning-making, and give children opportunities to create their own meanings.