Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Pere Darder
Emeritus profesor
Department of Systematic and Social Pedagogy
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
1 Introduction
The title of this paper conveys a sense of personal passage through the world of
research into the quality of education, moving through the discovery of the role of
emotions in life to the incontrovertible complexity of education and complexity
theory.
Two positions have no doubt influenced the direction of this pathway. Current-
ly, educational change, rather than focusing on substituting certain views and
strategies for others (the traditional schooling/active schooling divide of the last
century), takes the form of an accumulation of elements that should be considered
both separate and also related, given that they have an influence on the educational
process of the subject.
It is worth highlighting that parallel to this undeniable fact, the rigorous ques-
tioning of what the object of the education system should be, from the perspective
of the various authorities involved, results in an inability to address adequately the
complexity by which it is increasingly characterized.
The contributions of complexity theory shed light on many of the issues that are
the subject of ongoing debate and that give rise to the defence of simplistic, indi-
vidual perspectives presented as mutually exclusive, thus preventing a profound
re-examination of the issues.
96 P. Darder
∗ There is an ongoing exchange between the interior (the self) and the exterior
(other people, the world, the universe). The notion of learning system is thus
confirmed as the foundation of development and learning dynamics.
∗ From the previous statement emerges the interdependence between “self, the
other, other people”, as the condition for becoming human. Human contact
places us in our condition. There are historical situations that provide evidence
of this fact, ranging from survival and adaptation to inferior forms of life.
As a result of the previous contributions it is necessary to explore different aspects
that affect the educative process, incorporate new dimensions and rethink other,
more or less common ideas, which distract us from the desired objective.
Currently we can say that the unity of the person is a product of the integration
of thought, emotion and action.
Dispensing with the emotions is a simplification that mutilates the complexity
of reality.
In fact it distorts the subject and reality, given that emotions are presented as an
anthropological feature that forms an aspect of humanity.
Dispensing with emotional education is a simplification that isolates us from
the individual and social experiences and the life adventure of the subject. It tends
to reduce the complexity of the subject—all subjects—of the human collective,
and of education. It also reduces the notion of system.
It is essential to take emotions into account and train people in their use, as is
the case with other intelligences. This is essential for personal and social devel-
opment, ethics and solidarity, learning and knowledge.
school in Barcelona) from 1932 to 1939), responded to the question about the suc-
cess of education, saying that it lies in the enthusiasm of the teacher.
Emotional competence is also essential for effective teamwork. Fundamental to
tackling complexity within the framework of the school is emotional maturity,
emotional and behavioural self-control, the ability to recognize complexity, the
parts and their sum, the notion of system, and an optimistic attitude to life.
5 Rethinking Education
The collection of facts and reflections on complexity theory and the role of the
emotions drives us to un-train ourselves (Bach, E., Darder P. 2004) and to rethink
education.
We must move beyond the accumulation of partial truths unconnected to life or
to its subjects, to manage uncertainty and prompt in-depth development.
This affects all dimensions of education.
We turn to the dimensions of particular interest to me. They cover a variety of
aspects (integrated education, learning and knowledge, participation and gover-
nance in education) that give rise to new courses of action.
beyond the strict confines of the educational community, extending to the various
institutions and stakeholders.
We recall the recent manifesto of the ESADE Forum, an event held by ESADE,
an internationally renowned business school in Barcelona, which called for the
participation of social institutions in the governance of education. Participation is
two-fold: improving the quality of education and encouraging the personal growth
of participants. Participation means engaging with the group, achieving the maxi-
mum possible consensus among the "parts" so that "everyone wins."
If we refer to the region where it is carried out, participation leads us to man-
agement in the sense that it provides us with the concept of governance. It is man-
agement and local government based in the region, from a global educational plan
that guarantees the basic elements and counts on the responsibility of the partici-
pants. A change of this magnitude accentuates complexity and uncertainty (Sub-
irats, J. 2008).
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