Have you ever “met” a child doing something good? Have you ever spoken positively about your colleagues without them hearing it? When and how have you managed to create a positive, inspiring and lively atmosphere in your learning environment? Were you using positive psychology methods at the time?
Positive education is based on positive psychology. It is a branch of science that seeks to answer the question “What factors make individuals and communities thrive?”. It focuses on a person’s strengths, abilities, opportunities, achievements and skills, rather than on mistakes and problems. The concept of positive psychology is essentially associated with the US professor Martin Seligman, whose theory of well-being, PERMA+V, is considered to be one of the most important psychological theories of the 21st century.
Positive pedagogy is an approach to teaching and education that focuses on the child’s talents, strengths and overall well-being. The aim of this branch of pedagogy is to create inspiring learning environments in which students can flourish and reach their full potential. Positive pedagogy is based on the idea that positive experiences and focusing on strengths stimulate learning and increase motivation.
Positive education is all about strengths and encouragement. It is an approach that aims to enhance a child’s holistic development through friendly and constructive interactions. This approach emphasises the importance of developing a child’s self-esteem, emotion management and cooperation skills. Integrating the principles of positive parenting into the learning environment has long-term benefits for children and society as a whole, as children learn better social skills.
Positive pedagogy also focuses on discovering each child’ s strengths and applying them to the learning process. Character strengths (as classified in the Values in Action(VIA) review (Park and Peterson, 2006)) help children develop self-confidence and a positive self-image. These strengths can also be discussed with students. Recognising strengths increases willingness to learn and overall well-being, as well as strengthening the community. These features can be applied in many ways to make teaching easier for children.
Psychologist Lawrence J. Cohen believes that a child’s unacceptable behaviour is almost always linked to a lack of connection with other people. Based on the principles of positive pedagogy, building a strong bond between the child and the adult is another important aspect of education and parenting. A good teacher invests in connection, which means better responding to the child’s needs, active listening, building respect, participation and acceptance. A strong personal connection reduces the incidence of unwanted behaviour.
L. J. Cohen introduced the concept of the “emotion cup” to explain the impact of emotions on learning. During the day, the emotional cup becomes empty due to a lack of connection, setbacks, difficult emotions or fatigue. The emptier it is, the more likely it is that unwanted behaviour will occur. So, to refill the empty emotional cup, teachers should provide support and encouragement to students to participate, thus facilitating learning.
Photo source: https://www.stdominics.wa.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Emotional-Cup.jpg
Another very important aspect of positive education related to communication is “getting ahead of the curve”. Proactive education involves providing students with information in advance to help them prepare for the future and avoid problems caused by lack of communication or knowledge. Proactive action helps to react immediately to a problem situation and to think in advance about how to prevent potential conflicts and how to deal with them if they arise.
Another cornerstone of positive pedagogy is empathetic leadership and positive boundaries. Children’s needs and preferences are important, and they have the right to express their opinions or feelings and to be heard. But it is the adults who make the decisions and are responsible for the circumstances. Unlimited options, uncertainty and over-negotiation can cause stress and insecurity in a child. When interacting with children, educators should adhere to the principles of responsibility and empathetic leadership.
Let’s look at some of the principles of positive pedagogy as applied to teaching.
Empathy and encouragement
Learning can be challenging, and students face a variety of difficulties on their educational journey. It is essential that teachers respond empathetically and understandingly to students’ needs. When teachers encourage students to do their best and recognise their achievements, a positive and motivating learning environment is created.
Positive support
A very important aspect of positive pedagogy is to encourage student participation. Pupils are actively involved in setting and monitoring their learning objectives. Teachers can provide positive reinforcement in the classroom to encourage the desired behaviour. Praise, encouragement and rewards for good work are effective ways to motivate students. This increases their motivation to learn and helps them achieve their goals.
Solution-oriented approach
Positive education emphasises a solution-oriented approach. Teachers should not focus on mistakes, but on helping students achieve their goals. Pupils are not punished for their mistakes, but teachers can help pupils identify the causes of problems and find constructive solutions.
Boosting self-esteem
Teachers have the opportunity to have a strong impact on students’ self-esteem. By encouraging students to try new things, offering support and recognising their strengths, teachers can help students build a positive self-image and maintain high self-esteem.
Encourage open communication
Open communication in the classroom helps to ensure a smoother learning process and greater student well-being. Teachers should encourage students to express their opinions and ask questions. Teachers can also show how respectful dialogue should take place.
Setting boundaries wisely
Teachers are responsible for classroom order and the safety of the learning environment. To this end, clear rules and limits must be established. However, the limits should be justified and explained to students so that they understand the importance of applying the limits.
Ultimately, positive pedagogy can increase students’ motivation to learn, academic success and well-being, as well as helping them develop the self-confidence, problem-solving and social skills they need to succeed in life. Positive pedagogy provides guidance on how to focus the educational process on students’ talents, cooperation and a supportive atmosphere, making it easier for students to achieve their goals and enjoy the learning process. Positive pedagogy methods are consciously used in the educational process to develop a positive attitude towards learning and life in general.
The preparation and translation of this article has been funded by the Erasmus+ project “Mooc4Tutors” (project no. 2022-2-BE01-KA220-VET-000097289).
List of references:
- Avola, P. and Pentikäinen, V. (2022). Kukoistava kasvatus: positiivisen pedagogiikan ja laaja-alaisen hyvinvointiopetuksen käsikirja, BEEhappy Publishing
- Mäkinen, K. (26 April 2021). Positive pedagogy enhances wellbeing in general upper secondary schools. Retrieved August 28, 2023 from Positive pedagogy enhances wellbeing in general upper secondary schools | University of Helsinki, University of Helsinki
- Peterson, C., Park, N., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2006). Greater strengths of character and recovery from illness. The Journal of Positive Psychology
- Seligman, M.E.P. (2004). Authentic Happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize Your potential for lasting fulfillment. University of Pennsylvania
- Seligman, M.E.P. (2012). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. University of Pennsylvania
- Trogen, T. (2020). Positiivinen kasvatus. PS-Cuestnut
- Uusitalo, L. (2023). Positive psykologist voima. PS-Cuestanus
