Wed, 08 Oct 2008

New approaches to education: international survey of social and emotional education published

By Christian von Arnim

SANTANDER (NNA) – An international survey of social and emotional education is being launched in Santander, Spain tomorrow (Thursday).

“Social and emotional education – an international survey” was commissioned by the Spanish Marcelino Botin Foundation and provides a comprehensive examination of social and emotional education, its theory and effects.

The author of the study, Christopher Clouder, chairman of the UK Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship, assembled an international team of experts for the task, including Bo Dahlin from Karlstadt University in Sweden and Harm Paschen from Bielefeld University in Germany.

“The study contains a meta-analysis of all the studies on social and emotional learning done over the last ten years and we have now found by looking at this that we can find measurable outcomes,” Clouder told NNA.

“We are able to show in evidence-based form that approaching the child in this way is beneficial in the sense that there is a reduction in criminality, reduction in drug abuse, more pro-social behaviour, less antisocial behaviour and better academic achievement by the children,” he added.

The Marcelino Botin Foundation commissioned the survey as a result of its work with schools in the Spanish region of Cantabria, where it was developing new ways of education. “It wanted to know what was happening outside the province and thought it should look around the world to find out where experience has been built up,” Clouder explains.

The contact with Clouder, whose approach is based on principles of Waldorf education, was established through a parent at one of the Madrid Waldorf schools which led to him presenting a proposal to the Foundation: “I did explain I was only a Waldorf teacher, not a professor, but they said no, that’s what we want, we want it based in the classroom, we want it very practical, what can be done, what is the experience, what has happened in these schools, how can we inspire others and learn ourselves to approach the children in a better way.”

The 100,000-word study has initially been published in Spanish and English and is aimed at policy-makers and practitioners. Clouder stresses that it is intended to bring about change and not just to be another purely academic exercise - “not just another report to go on another shelf”.

“It is very readable, describes visits to schools, the reactions of the children, what we’ve seen. It aims to inspire people to approach mainstream education in a new way and bridge the gap between approaches such as the Waldorf schools and the main stream,” Clouder said.

Now that the study has been published, the next steps still need to be discussed, but Clouder is already thinking ahead: “There are all kinds of ideas, but I would like to set up a sort of think tank, an independent think tank to explore innovative and creative education.”

END/nna/cva

Link: http://educacion.fundacionmbotin.org (in English)

Item: 081008-01EN Date: 8 October 2008

Copyright 2008 News Network Anthroposophy Limited. All rights reserved. See: www.nna-news.org/copyright/

More NNA reports at: www.nna-news.org/en/