Definition and Importance of Pedagogy

Pedagogy is a broad term which is defined as a set of teaching practices and strategies that is used to engage children and subsequently encourage them to learn. It other words it can be said that pedagogy is educational choices that is being made by the teachers or the educators in order to promote academic and mental health development of the children (Cagliari et al., 2016). According to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) (2009) pedagogy is composed of three interrelated concepts of principles, practices and learning outcomes which help the teachers or the educators in framing their curriculum. The following essay aims to analyse importance of subjectivity in pedagogy in order to understand children learning and development. Having a proper understanding about of the subjectivity in pedagogy will help to frame children specific educational framework that will promote quality mental, cognitive and academic development of the children during early years of their life.

According to Cagliari et al. (2016), subjectivity is a philosophical term and has no direct relation to science. This is because, science is more about facts, figures and data whereas, philosophy is about critical or effective thinking. In relation to the philosophical views of subjectivity, Loris Malaguzzi forwarded one fundamental idea which highlights that subjectivity in pedagogy promotes critical thinking and subsequent reflection in relation to specific child activity and behaviours and then utilizing it in the process of curriculum decision making. This approach is further embraced by Reggio Emilla which argues that observation is more effective than science and theory of device students study curriculum (Edwards & Gandini, 2018). Edwards and Gandini, 2018 stated that proper observation helps in devising children specific curriculum via understanding the perspective of children thinking process and this in turn helps to increase the overall outcome of the curriculum.

Another interpretation of subjectivity is undertaking proper judgements about what is desirable on the educational ground in relation to the children rather than focusing on the outcomes (looking ahead in the future) or norms (looking behind at what was happening in the past) (Allal, 2013). According to the EYLF (2009), a child has a strong sense of identity and this identity helps in the generation of belonging. Children learn and construct their own identity under the context of their families and communities in which they resides. This helps in the promotion of their relationships with others and their actions in responses of others. This identity is not fixed and varies from child or child based on their surrounding experiences. Thus making situated judgements help to promotes children specific curriculum which take the preference of the belonging of the children in to active consideration.

Subjectivity as a Tool for Critical Thinking and Reflection

In relation to the subjectivity and theory, it can be said that pedagogy is developed via the use of theory as one of the principal source of information and this information is based on the particular images of children. These theories can give proper meaning and provide satisfactory explanations but this is provisional. The images of the children are further influenced by the individual thinking, personal interpretations, and application of the predetermined standards in order to interpret the results. For examples, according to the EYLF, children are connected with and make significant contribution to their world. This observation to their contribution in their surrounding world like their families communities help to devise the pedagogy plan for the children learning and development (Broström et al., 2014). Here comes the relation of the science in philosophy of subjectivity. It is the duty of the educators to generate environments under which the experience of the children is mutually enjoyable caring and respectful relationships. This generation of children specific environment is based on application of scientific theories based on children specific observation (Broström et al., 2014).

In relation of subjectivity versus objectivity, it can be said that subject is what acts and object is what acted upon. Under the subjective approach, children are recognised as an agency which plays an active role in their own learning. According to Zimmerman (2013), According to the theory of self-regulated learning, neither the mental ability nor the academic performance promotes learning. The self-regulation is driven by self-directive process by the help of which the children gradually transform theory mental abilities into the task-related to academic skills. This approach views their overall process of learning as an activity that students perform for themselves in a proactive way thus here the students or the children acts as subject (Zimmerman, 2013).

Thus considering the children as the main subject of the educational curriculum, it can be said that the educational practice is grounded over the reflective and critical thinking approaches. The education approach must be devised in child-centred manner rather than teacher-directed manner. According to Liston and Zeichner (2013), the child centre educational approach take active consideration of the child-specific requirement like mental, emotional, cognitive and physical demand. This child-specific education approach is based on objective of improving outcome in early life developmental framework. Under child-centred educational approach, the children can never be considered as an “empty-vessels” rather they should be considered as active agents in their own ideas. According to EYLF (2018) children have a strong sense of well-being. This well-being is connected with the social and the emotional well-being. They also have an increase in the responsibility of the own health related well-being as well. So in order to promote a comprehensive well-being to the child via the pedagogical approach, the thought process of the child must be taken under active consideration. 

The Importance of Subjectivity in Curriculum Development

Considering children as the main subjective in the educational planning, it can be said that “child psychology” plays an important role in understanding how a child promotes their emotional and physiological well-being (Eisenberg, Spinrad & Knafo?Noam, 2015). Understanding child psychology draws a direct significance of scientific methods in relation to subjectivity in pedagogical approach. Here considering the child as the main subject and then understanding the psychology of child in promoting his or her well-being promotes self-organized approach of learning. Self-organized approach of learning further upholds the importance of child-centre learning and curriculum planning (Thomas & Harri-Augstein, 2013).

According to Rose (2015) scientific knowledge is the best knowledge to understand the underlying psychology of the child. The gathering of the scientific knowledge mainly deals with factual data in order to develop theories regarding how to devise the educational plan for comprehensive developmental promotion of the children. However, Le Fevre (2014) are of the opinion that scientific method underlying the child psychology ignores the actual lived experiences of the children as they tend of objectify the reality or objectify children via treating them as objects which needs to work-upon. Thus the scientific approach down-plays the reality of the “observer bias”. In order to overrule the “observer-bias, it is recommended that both the teacher and the children must unit their knowledge, ideas and experiences into the learning experience. However, a child alone might fail to incorporate his or her own ideas and it is the duty of the teacher to make effective observation or assist children in expressing their sense of well-being and belonging in the pedagogy curriculum (Papatheodorou, Luff & Gill, 2013).

According to Greene (2013) subjectivity must be valued in the process of child development and learning and it has underlying scientific basis. It the duty of the teachers to make proper use of different perspectives for a better understanding.  Here perspective is driven by difference in child attitude or behaviour based on gender, race, culture, religion and abilities. The valuing the differences help to find child-centre teaching approach that helps to avoid the risk of homogenization. The gathering of the information specific of child is guided by the principle of objectivity which is gain grounded by proper observation of the running records, anecdotes, use of proper checklist, rating scales and time samples (Dennis, Rueter & Simpson, 2013). In the domain of using anecdotes to capture child learning experience and proper behavioral significance, videos, photographs, child’s creations and transcripts of the children’s voices can be used this approach is guided by Reggio Emilla’s of using visual methods (Lindsay, 2015). This documentation of the child information is mainly occurs via the use of advanced technology. The use of technology provides direct evidence of influence of science under the subjectivity approach of children development and learning.

The Science of Subjectivity in Pedagogy: The Role of Child Psychology

Thus from the above discussion, it can be said that objective scientific observation of children is not a myth. The importance of this concept can be discussed in relation to the subjectivity in understanding children’s learning and development. While framing proper pedagogical approaches, the children are required to be treated as the main subjected and not as object. Children with their own sense of well-being as highlighted in the model of EYLF make effective contribution in the devising the curriculum for learning and developing. The reference of child-specific sense of well-being helps in devising children-centered pedagogical approach on the basis of culture, community, race, gender and emotional and cognitive requirement of the child. This children center subjective observation is however based on few children’s personal creation, their images, their video transcripts and their cognitive skills. The recording of these objectives is done with a scientific approach. However, these scientific approaches are influenced by technology and depend on child specific data and observation. The child-specific observation helps to promote a pedagogy curriculum that is children specific and thereby helping to achieve quality developmental outcome. 

References

Allal, L. (2013). Teachers’ professional judgement in assessment: A cognitive act and a socially situated practice. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 20(1), 20-34.

Australian Government Department of Education and Training (2009). The Early Years Learning Framework For Australia. Access date: 27^th September 2018. Retrieved from: https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia._v5_docx.pdf

Broström, S., Johansson, I., Sandberg, A., & Frøkjær, T. (2014). Preschool teachers’ view on learning in preschool in Sweden and Denmark. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 22(5), 590-603.

Cagliari, P., Moss, P., Castagnetti, M., Giudici, C., Rinaldi, C., & Vecchi, V. (2016). Loris Malaguzzi and the Schools of Reggio Emilia: A selection of his writings and speeches, 1945-1993. Routledge.

Dennis, L. R., Rueter, J. A., & Simpson, C. G. (2013). Authentic assessment: Establishing a clear foundation for instructional practices. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 57(4), 189-195.

Edwards, C. P., & Gandini, L. (2018). The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. In Handbook of international perspectives on early childhood education (pp. 365-378). Routledge.

Eisenberg, N., Spinrad, T. L., & Knafo?Noam, A. (2015). Prosocial development. Handbook of child psychology and developmental science, 1-47.

Greene, S. (2013). Child development: Old themes and new directions. In A Century of Psychology (Psychology Revivals)(pp. 60-77). Routledge.

Le Fevre, D. M. (2014). Barriers to implementing pedagogical change: The role of teachers’ perceptions of risk. Teaching and teacher education, 38, 56-64.

Lindsay, G. (2015). Reflections in the mirror of Reggio Emilia’s soul: John Dewey’s foundational influence on pedagogy in the Italian educational project. Early Childhood Education Journal, 43(6), 447-457.

Liston, D. P., & Zeichner, K. M. (2013). Reflective teaching: An introduction. Routledge.

Papatheodorou, T., Luff, P., & Gill, J. (2013). Child observation for learning and research. Routledge.

Rose, D. (2015). Genre, knowledge and pedagogy in the Sydney School. Genre studies around the globe: beyond the three traditions. Ottawa: Inkwell, 299-338.

Thomas, L. F., & Harri-Augstein, S. (2013). Self-organised learning: Foundations of a conversational science for psychology. BookBaby.

Zimmerman, B. J. (2013). Theories of self-regulated learning and academic achievement: An overview and analysis. In Self-regulated learning and academic achievement (pp. 10-45). Routledge.