Unpicking pedagogy

Unravelling the term that reveals the art and science of teaching and learning - and uncovers thinking behind the ‘why’ of what we choose to do.

Over the next three weeks we are going to share some of the highlights of The Pedagogy Podcast. In this article Lynn Taylor, Senior Education Officer at Education Scotland, unravels the meaning around 'Pedagogy' and shares her thinking around The Pedagogy Podcast.

I’ve found ‘pedagogy’ to be a marmite word. As part of the trio leading the writing and editing of Realising the Ambition: Being Me - the national practice guidance for early years education in Scotland - we would often come across calls to avoid the term altogether.

During the process of co-creating Being Me, my HMIe colleagues Liz Paterson, Marion Burns and myself frequently heard the likes of the phrases below on the mere mention of the word. Such statements were often accompanied by grimacing faces…

‘I hate that word - leave it out…’

‘It’s aloof terminology…’

‘I don’t understand what it means…’

‘This guidance is for early years folk… they won’t understand ‘pedagogy’!’

We noted that such negativity towards ‘pedagogy’ was, for the most part, voiced to us from those in promoted local authority or national positions. Most practitioners and teachers called for a clear understanding of the term to be included and clearly defined. We acknowledged this, ensured its careful articulation in words and imagery, and kept pedagogy front and centre. We judged it too crucial to exclude or dumb-down.

Pedagogy is, after all, the term that relates to understanding our collective and individual ‘why’. The ‘why’ that underpins the art and science of the many actions we choose to make, both consciously and instinctively, in teaching and learning.

In saying this, I must declare a degree of sympathy for this negative viewpoint. In 2014 I was fortunate to be afforded the gold-dust opportunity of joining a government funded M.Ed. Early Years Pedagogue cohort at the University of Strathclyde. As a full-time working mum of four young children, I jumped at the chance of this funded work-based course/qualification. Otherwise, I would never have been able to afford either the financial or time commitment of completing a master’s degree.

I had been drawn to study early years practice at postgraduate level – working with very young children had delighted, inspired, and intrigued me throughout my career. But what was this odd word ‘pedagogue’? I turned to our all-knowing friend Google to explain. At that point in my teaching experience of almost 20 years I had not consciously encountered the term. I didn’t remember it from my initial teacher training. It wasn’t used in any of the schools or early years settings I had worked in.

I bristled at my ignorance of the existence of this ‘pedagogy’ thing. I asked myself, would the knowledge of it really have impacted on the quality of my practice anyway? And, come on, who needs to – or possesses the time to - analyse the ‘why’ behind all the decisions they make, or question the practices they are asked to undertake? I just do what I do with the best interests of all at heart and need to find or be given good quality stuff /resources/materials to help me do it. I write this in the comfort that I am not alone in these confessions. Completing the course was challenging and rewarding. It transformed my thinking, my practice and my professional - and personal - identity.

Fast forward to 2022 and being charged from Education Scotland to lead the development of an innovative approach to support informed pedagogical thinking and practice. This assignment was partly prompted in response to reports from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Council of Education Advisors (ICEA) recommendations on improving Scottish education, and partly as result of noticing how Realising the Ambition’s ‘Pedagogy in Practice’ cycle was striking a chord in early years practice - and beyond.

The Realising the Ambition Pedagogy in Practice Cycle is on pages 48 and 64 of the guidance. We deemed it so important we included it twice. It prompts us to carefully consider the learning environment we facilitate as educators for learners.?

Note the term ‘learning environment’ here is articulated in the terms of interactions, experiences, and spaces – outdoors and indoors /inside. This articulation was carefully thought through. During the initial phase of developing Being Me we noticed that, for some, the term ‘learning environment’ was limited to thinking about learning within the confines of what is planned by the adults within the walls of physical indoor spaces. How many times do we hear and use the phrases ‘in the classroom’ or ‘in the playroom’ in education? In Scotland we aim to develop the whole child in terms of being an individual, a citizen, a contributor, and a learner. Learning and development happens continuously in all spaces and times – within the classroom and playroom and beyond. It happens through what is planned and intended – and what is not. We are missing something fundamental to holistic human development if we fail to realise this and explore what this means for us and our approach as educators.

Several early years practitioners and teachers spoke to us about their creation of beautifully curated natural indoor environments with hessian-backed walls filled with interesting loose parts that the children ‘didn’t know what to do with’ or ‘destroyed’. Others spoke of their lack of confidence in using play as a vehicle for learning, especially after setting up experiences that the children did not use in the way the adult intended them to. We therefore sought to assist early childhood educators to think about the interplay and totality of the interactions, experiences, and spaces they facilitate and to consider what influences and informs their pedagogical practices. So much of what we do as educators is instinctive or habitual, are we aware of how our habits are formed??

In addition, the cycle invites us to notice and act upon the child’s ‘voice’ within learning environments. We drew on research that understands voice is articulated beyond words spoken. Actions and emotions are called to be noticed and listened to. What do the actions, emotions and words expressed by children and young people in the learning environment tell us about what needs to remain, be removed, or be adapted to progress learning? After publication we would hear from educators beyond the early years sector in Scotland - and further afield – who find this conceptualisation impactful.

The development of The Pedagogy Podcast

At the start of the project, we looked at the frequency of the instance of the term ‘pedagogy’ in Scottish education policy and research. This highlighted fragmented discussions of pedagogy in education literature pertaining to Scottish practice. While the term featured prominently in early years literature, it featured less frequently in research and policy in relation to older children where discussions were less explicit. There was a sense that while policymakers stress its importance, there appears to be an assumption that pedagogy is something which is discussed and developed as part of ongoing professional development within sectors, without clear guidance or many specific examples of best practice or processes for educators to develop their own understandings.

Following on from this we talked to educators across Scotland, using a service design process to discern what they would find useful in supporting and developing their pedagogical thinking and day to day teaching and learning practices. Views were expressed that a written document on pedagogy may be of limited help and use, especially due to time constraints and within a landscape already cluttered with a plethora of documentation and recommendations. The clear ask within this space was for us to produce a series of relevant and interesting conversations available over different platforms that could be listened to individually or by groups of educators at a time of their choosing.

Recognising the need for high quality content and production, the service of an experienced, highly skilled, and successful Scottish educational podcast host, Bex Ewart (QIO City of Edinburgh Council), was procured. Bex’s hosting of? Edinburgh’s Early Years Podcasts was fundamental in the early success of ensuring Realising the Ambition’s message was articulated – particularly as the guidance was launched just a few weeks before the first pandemic lockdown when plans for a series of promotional events across Scotland were abandoned. Bex’s style of podcast host goes beyond simply asking questions to elicit interesting responses. She gives her guests space, listens intently – comments and challenges with tact and thought, and offers insightful reflection.

Bex has also managed to capture the voices of some of the most interesting and important figures influencing and working within Scottish education at this juncture of national change and challenge. The ‘if you build it, he will come’ theory proved true for this project. A simple email out to a wish-list-of-who-we-would-love-to-talk-to fast became a to-do-list-of-diary-appointments of recording. We were dumbfounded at the responses. The initially planned series of 10 conversations became over 20 episodes as almost everyone invited said yes – and almost all by return email. All featured in The Pedagogy Podcast gave freely of their time to support the project as they understood the intent was to support Scottish educators.

There is an accompanying infographic of key pedagogical considerations for the series (see above), co-created with academic partners and drawing on the key themes of the conversations, alongside current research and evidence. It aims to provide a useful framework of pedagogical considerations for Scottish educators across all sectors. It is adapted from Clark, 2023, OECD, 2021, Realising the Ambition, 2020, Van Der Akker & Thijs, 2009 and Rincón-Gallardo, 2019.

In summary, the totality of the Pedagogy Podcast Project outputs of conversations and graphic of key concepts acknowledges the complexities and nuances of pedagogy. It understands there is no short-cut or easy way to deeply examine, challenge and justify the origins and stances of our own pedagogical beliefs and actions. It offers both national and international perspectives on pedagogy with an aim to encourage both individual reflection and collaboration within and outwith sector silos. ?

Although it is not easy, being able to articulate our why can reconnect us powerfully with our motivation as educators and support us to practice with joy. It is definitely worth it.

Lynn Taylor is a Senior Education Officer for Curriculum Design within Education Scotland’s Curriculum Innovation Team. She is also an artist and researcher who is currently completing her Doctorate of Education at the University of Strathclyde examining portraits of play pedagogy in Scottish education: expressing and exploring the interactions, experiences, spaces and time of play pedagogy in the landscapes of Scottish primary schools.