The importance of pedagogy at school is increasing
Helping with social-emotional development gives teachers a little more satisfaction than transferring knowledge and skills. This is evident from research Education magazine. Appropriate education, mental well-being and a changing society play a role.
Picture: Nanne Meulendijks
"Seeing social-emotional growth is the most beautiful thing there is," writes a teacher in the current study 'Happy with my job' from the Education magazine. More than 800 teachers have already answered the question of what gives them the most satisfaction in helping pupils or students develop: transferring knowledge and skills, helping them develop their identity or helping them grow socially and emotionally?
It is striking that the latter category is valued slightly higher than the transfer of knowledge and skills. 'Knowledge is necessary, but ultimately the personal development of the pupil/student is much more important,' explains an MBO teacher. Another frequently heard statement is: 'If you cannot be yourself or do not know what you are like, then learning knowledge and skills becomes difficult.'
Behavioral specialist Kees van Overveld does not call the outcome special, but he is happy with it. Dutch students have always been at the top of international lists when it comes to well-being, but according to him, this changed six years ago. “In 2018, school pressure was reported for the first time in a study. Students experience increasing stress due to the emphasis on performance and the influence of social media. The isolated period during corona subsequently gave a further impetus to mental well-being and it has now become a hot issue. It is logical that education tries to find an answer to this.”
Picture: Nanne Meulendijks
According to him, the introduction of appropriate education has also influenced the increasing importance of social-emotional development. “Many students in regular education now need something extra to learn. Students who are socially-emotionally developed can deal better with themselves and with others, which prevents many problems. But skills such as recognizing and being able to regulate your feelings are important for every child and therefore benefit the entire class," explains Van Overveld, who, among other things, has written the books Group behavior plan en Social-emotional learning as a basis wrote. “Primary education has been working systematically on social-emotional learning for about fifteen years. Secondary schools also more often opt for a structural approach to dealing with problems with a view to prevention. I think it is a great development that this subject scores highly among teachers.”
The teacher as educator
Many teachers indicate that they find all three aspects important to a greater or lesser extent, but a small number have only checked 'teaching knowledge and skills'. "I teach them something in my profession, they decide for themselves who they are," writes a secondary school teacher. Another, from pre-vocational secondary education: 'Teachers are not educators!' Or a primary school teacher: 'What do you mean you can choose? identity? In my view, this is yet another confirmation that we are straying from basic skills.'
Van Overveld calls these reactions 'exaggerated'. “Education has traditionally had a pedagogical task, which is now being given a different interpretation due to the arrival of positive psychology and the changing society. It's about now teaching the whole child in which all facets, from knowledge transfer to social-emotional development, are discussed. It is not that your profession is being pushed aside, it is both-and.”
Education has traditionally had a pedagogical task
A good pedagogical climate and a good relationship with the student are important for learning and the teacher has an educational role in this. Nowadays, more emphasis has been placed on talent development and citizenship education, which has increased that role. “It used to be that swearing in church if you called the teacher an educator, also at primary school, but that is different now,” says Marion van de Sande, teacher and researcher at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. She obtained her PhD on the topic of social-emotional learning. She sees the changing society as the main reason why this topic has been placed on the agenda.
“Diversity has increased enormously in our society in the past twenty years, as has segregation. Students sometimes do not come from home with all the skills needed to survive in this society. For example, expressing one's own thoughts and feelings is not self-evident in certain groups. Due to segregation in society, these children usually do not come into contact with others who have mastered these skills. School is the place where they can learn this.”
In a society that is becoming so hardened, knowledge transfer is no longer the most important thing
“Research shows that strengthening social-emotional skills increases performance and contributes to the psychosocial health of children. This is probably most effective if these skills are taught by the teacher who knows the children well,” says Van de Sande. Her research shows that it is important to involve parents, because they primarily experience this as their task.
Behavior becomes more intense
A side note in her research is that teachers are in principle not trained in teaching social-emotional skills. Van de Sande: “The question is whether that is necessary. The teacher shortage is large and other parties such as social workers and specialized pedagogues could relieve the burden on teachers. Of course, teachers who enjoy this should be given the opportunity to be trained in this. Those programs already exist.”
She notices that her Social Work students also need to further develop their social-emotional skills. At the same time, she has not been able to get teaching hours for this. “Armed with my PhD research, I will draw attention to this again,” she says. “Given the problems that many students face, the need is enormous.”
Picture: Nanne Meulendijks
Jenny van Zanen, pre-vocational secondary education teacher in care and welfare, would like more support from experts. “I have been teaching with great pleasure for nine years, but I see student behavior becoming more intense. The home situation for many students is dire and there are serious problems such as self-harm or loverboys. In a society that is becoming so hardened, knowledge transfer is no longer the most important thing. The social aspect is therefore at the top in my lessons. That they become resilient, can set boundaries and create a stable foundation on which they can build their future. It gives me enormous satisfaction when I receive a message from a former student who has a nice job and can buy a car, that she has gotten her life on track.”
Where is the border?
The scores on the three aspects of knowledge and skills, identity and social-emotional development, are close to each other in all educational sectors. Also in higher education. 'The content of the teaching material is the least important on the road to adulthood,' wrote Rini Mennen-Verbaarschot, for example. She has worked as a chemistry and mathematics teacher for more than thirty years, now in secondary vocational and university education. “I have worked in all educational sectors, including many in secondary special education, and perhaps that explains my opinion. As soon as social-emotional development stagnates, learning also stagnates. I am proud when, for example, we manage to provide autistic students with tools to help them complete their training. They are intelligent enough, but sometimes get stuck on topics such as collaboration or planning.”
Of course, how much "education" is needed depends on the setting, she says. “Students mainly come to university to gain knowledge. There are professors who tell their stories in large lecture halls without any interaction. I think that is a poor role as a teacher and I don't think that is good education either. The question is where the boundaries lie in student care. This is often a gray area and sometimes very clear: I refer a student who is being abused to a psychologist.”
If you yourself are struggling with life, how can you present yourself well in front of the class?
Daniëlle Boot, teacher of pedagogy and educational sciences at Arnhem and Nijmegen University of Applied Sciences, has also previously worked in secondary education. She gives knowledge transfer a slightly lower score than the other two aspects. “It's not easy for students, that's what I worry about. If you yourself are struggling with life, how can you present yourself well in front of the class? It gives me great satisfaction to be able to help young people based on my knowledge and experience and to see them grow in their profession.”
“I can't imagine that teachers only consider knowledge transfer important," she continues. "All aspects are important in teaching, one reinforces the other. I also see students who are very strong in the pedagogical aspect, but do not sufficiently challenge the students in terms of subject teaching. That doesn't work either.”
Marieke Lodder, secondary school Dutch teacher at the Heer Bokel College in Rotterdam, agrees with this. “Most students go on to regular MBO or HBO, so knowledge transfer is my number one priority. Of course, everything surrounding it, such as a safe pedagogical climate, is also important, but just having a nice chat will not get you far. After eight years of toddlers at a regular primary school, I was ready for something different. It is really my drive to explain my profession well. When a student says, “Oh, now I get it,” I think, Yes! I really think that is the most beautiful thing there is.
AOb: 'More support needed'
“The pressure on knowledge and skills has caused a reaction among many teachers, but pedagogy has always played a role,” says AOb-director Jelmer Evers. “Teacher and union leader Theo Thijssen already called it a duality: as a teacher you are also an educator. The question is how far that goes. Every child needs to be seen, but we have to be careful not to go too far. That is why it is important to have a professional image that describes what the teaching profession entails. It is great that establishing this professional image is now in a final phase.”
Because education has become considerably more challenging - think of appropriate education, poverty, teacher shortage - extra measures are desperately needed, according to Evers. “Smaller class sizes are a prerequisite for good teaching where every child can achieve their full potential. More support from pedagogical supervisors in the school could also relieve the teacher's burden.”
Read more about it here Professional image Teacher
Research 'Happy with my job'
The Onderwijsblad investigates what makes working in education attractive. More than 1400 people have already completed the survey. Of these, 835 work as teachers or lecturers, mostly in primary and secondary education. This article highlights the question: 'When it comes to helping students develop, what gives you the most satisfaction?' Teachers could indicate how important they found three aspects on a scale of 1 to 5. This led to an average score of:
Why are you happy with your job in education? Let us know via aob.nl/wereldbaan
