The challenge
The traditional educational arrangement based on standardized curricula has proven to have difficulties supporting 21st-century children’s holistic development and their potential. When some of these children struggle following constant supervision and directivity, they get diagnosed with ‘learning difficulties - a condition that was non-existent some decades ago. Increasingly, instead of dealing with the causes of anxiety, boredom, and hyperactivity, children get medicated to be able to ‘focus’ on directed tasks, standardized assessment, and class behavior. Too often the attention is on the weaknesses rather than developing the strength of the children.
Democratic Education
Democratic Education is a pedagogical concept that has developed over the past 100 years meaning that students are in charge of their own learning (self-directed learning). For example, the kids participate in the decision making processes, enjoy the freedom of movement and exploration, and learn through being surrounded by adults who are there to support them. In a nutshell, it is an environment free of medication and full of positive emotional connections. Democratic education supports youth´s empowerment to become independent and conscientious citizens and promotes a sense of belonging and well-being.
Self-Directed Learning
Self-Directed Learning (SDL) recognizes that we are all different, possess diverse skills, interests, needs, and go through cognitive, emotional and social developmental paths (Fahey, 2008). SDL enables exploration, socialization and creative thinking processes. SDL is based on intrinsic motivation which conditions our expectations, influences our behavior and results in meaningful learning (Ausubel, 1963). The four drivers for self-directed education are: curiosity, playfulness, sociability and planfulness.
According to the evolutionary psychologist Peter Gray who has studied at the Sudbury Valley School (USA), there are six conditions for self-directed learning:
Understanding that education is the child’s responsibility
Unlimited opportunity and time to play and explore and pursue own interests to ‘develop a passion’
Opportunities to play with the tools of the culture (i.e, magazines, books, computers, educational apps.)
Access to a variety of caring adults. Helpers, not judgers – no evaluation, but self-evaluation and collective planning of individualized curriculum.
Age-mixing which bridges that promotes learning & enables learning from example and teaching from experience
Stable, moral, democratic community (youth’s participation in rulemaking – take people’s ideas seriously – social and individual responsibility)
Student Participation
The principle of student participation defines that all freedom is finite and needs to be framed within the collective well-being. School self-government supports youth in the consolidation of their own opinions, free expression, and participation in decision-making processes regarding issues affecting them.
Democratic education creates mechanisms where youth can express and listen to each other seriously trying to understand others´ arguments and defending their own without aggression. Apple and Beane (1995) argue that a democratic mechanism ‘does not mean to vote but to promote the discussion of different viewpoints and a collective search for balance among particular interests’. Some schools promote majority-based decision making while others prefer reaching consent.
According to Hannam (2017) some of the benefits reported from the promotion of student participation in schools are (Hannam, 2001):
the development of moral reasoning (Kohlberg, 1985)
a reduction in school bullying, emerging from power imbalances within schools (Wittwer, 2015)
a stronger feeling of belonging affecting students’ commitment with their own learning, reducing their feelings of anxiety, and facilitating autonomy and self-regulation
an improvement in students’ argumentative skills and academic results
a creation of a culture of participatory (distributed) leadership
the development of positive attitudes towards diversity and social responsibility
learning about rights and responsibilities through empirical experiences
the development of skills to defend individual and collective rights, the development of empathy, and political/media literacy
the assumption of responsibility of own actions
citizen involvement emerging from empowerment and critical thinking during decision-making processes
Free Play
Free (non directive) play is a crucial aspect in a child's development Chudacoff (2007), having effects on a child's physical and cognitive development, socialization with peers, and assumption of control of his/her life (Brown, 2015) and (Chudacoff et al, 2007). Furthermore, it is important in the development of emotional intelligence as the ability to understand other people’s emotions and to be able to act accordingly (Wenner, 2009). Moreover, some studies (Panksepp et al, 2004) have related free play to the development of autonomy and self-regulation, self-awareness and empathy, the development of creativity, and the consolidation of self-esteem, empathy and social intelligence.
In the context of free and democratic schools, Greenberg (1994) argues that free play is crucial for the development of creativity and the ‘construction of models’ in the brain about the consequences of their actions. Regarding harsh and rude play, some authors have highlighted the development of cooperative skills, conflict resolution, and a reduction of hyperactivity in children. Finally, risky play has been associated with emotional regulation, a reduction in anxiety, depression, and search for creative solutions.
Authors:
Charlie Moreno Romero
PhD Democratic Education
Head of Studies, Suvemäe Democratic School, Tallinn
