Further Memorandum from The Effective
Early Learning Project (EY 82)
Accounting Early for Life Long Learning:
The Importance of Dispositions, Self and Emotional Well Being,
Professor Christine Pascal and Dr Tony Bertram
What constitutes an "appropriate"
curriculum for young children is still hotly disputed but it is
increasingly apparent that simplistic outcome measures which only
look to knowledge and skill competence in the short term are seriously
underestimating the issue. This paper aims to raise awareness
of the deeper latent, long term effects of the curriculum processes.
A similar concern underpins some of the affective outcomes recently
identified by policy makers (DfEE 1997), researchers (Wiltshire
and Sylva 1993), and the business community (Abbott 1994, Handy
1994). The evidence shows that lasting and important attitudes
to learning are shaped early, and many crucially during babyhood.
Research from a variety of disciplines, is providing us with rich
and powerful evidence about how children learn; the nature of
such learning; and the ways in which early experiences shape the
pattern of progress, achievement and fulfilment, throughout an
individual's life. The research highlights the importance of,
for example, dispositions to learning (Katz 1995); mastery orientation,
(Heyman et al 1992); pro-social development, (Scaps et al 1991);
conflict resolution, (Lantieri 1990); multiple intelligences,
(Gardner 1983); involvement, linkedness, emotional well being
and emotional literacy, (Laevers 1995, 1996, Goleman 1996). As
Sir Christopher Ball pointed out in the influential Start Right
Report (1994).
"Modern educational research is on the threshold
of a revolution. The findings of brain science, for example, or
the theory of multiple intelligence, or the idea of different
styles of learning, or the recognition that people can learn to
learn faster, are all pointing the way towards a new and powerful
theory of learning which will be able to satisfy the three tests
of explanation, prediction and aspiration. Central to the new
theory will be a clearer understanding of learning development,
and the sequence whereby people progress from infancy to become
mature learners. In the (recent) past the professionalism of teachers
has often been thought to reside in mastering the subject or discipline.
But these are merely the tokens of learning. The art of learning
(learning how to learn) is also concerned with the types, or `super
skills' and attitudes of learning—of which motivation, socialisation
and confidence are the most important. These are the fruits of
successful early learning."
National reports (National Commission 1993,
Ball 1994) have indicated the importance of positive attributes
towards early learning for life long achievement. They suggest
that important learning characteristics associated with later
achievement, such as aspiration, pro-socialisation, self esteem,
motivation and confidence, are established in the early years.
These enabling attitudes have been called the "super skills"
of learning (Ball 1994). These ideas about what is fundamental
in developing lasting, positive attitudes to learning are to be
the focus of a new national investigation by the authors of this
paper.
Whilst we recognise the importance of skills
and knowledge in early learning, we believe that such a simplistic
focus should not be the sole view of early years curricula. We
need to widen our perspective on "outcomes" in early
childhood and strengthen the practitioners' ability to support
and assess those other areas of children's development which may
be equally crucial to long term success. These aspects of children's
early development and learning we summarise as dispositions to
learn; respect for self and for others; and emotional well being.
In our work with practitioners, we acknowledge
the recent neuro-psychological research on brain growth in infants
(summarised in Phillips 1995); and Trevarthan 1992) that supports
the view that environments for young children which are staffed
by caring, responsive and dependable adults are critical in the
development of these attributes and dispositions in children.
We believe there is a need to develop the ability of practitioners
to support the child's learning in sensitive, stimulating and
empowering ways (Bertram 1996). To sustain development in young
minds, practitioners must be prepared to look at wider outcomes
than academic knowledge and skills, and include dispositions to
learn, respect for self and others, and emotional well being,
in their aspirations and intentions for young children. Developing
practitioners' awareness of these important aspects of children's
learning, and providing them with the means to assess and enhance
them, will be a major challenge in developing a nation of life
long learners.
Our interest is targeted at birth to six year
olds because there is evidence to show that this is the critically
important phase for establishing learning attitudes. Gender and
race studies (Siraj-Blatchford 1996) show that life long attitudes
are set early. Attitudes to "self as a learner" follow
the same pattern. Goleman (1996) talks of a "window of opportunity"
analogous to Lorenz's (1946) notion of "imprinting".
These studies show that there is a biologically determined period
when it is crucial to establish certain semi-permanent attitudes
about learning. The stronger these are embedded, the greater their
resilience to inevitable, climatic periods of poor stimulation,
and the more likely that they will persist. The importance of
this early period of social consciousness to life long achievement
is recognised by Donaldson et al (1983),
"Early childhood is" . . . a period
of momentous significance for all people growing up in our culture
. . . By the time this period is over, children will have formed
conceptions of themselves as social beings, as thinkers, and as
language users, and they will have reached certain important decisions
about their own abilities and their own worth."
Donaldson et al (1983), p 1.
We live in an audited society where that which
is measurable is seen as significant. We need to ensure that what
we are measuring is significant and that we are not simply focussing
on those things which are easily measured. The identification,
development and assessment of young children's aptitudes' dispositions
and inclinations are to be the subject of our new work. They are
part of the intrinsic motivation which sustains a child's learning
and, when strongly established, are carried forward to develop
life long learning. We shall call these attitudes, dispositions
and inclinations. "Advancement Attributes", and in this
project we shall focus on three core areas.
(1) Dispositions to Learn
(2) Respect for Self and Others
IN CONCLUSION
As Ball (1993 para 2.17) points out, "major
educational research is on the threshold of a revolution",
a view echoed by Bruner (1996), who talks of a "cognitive
revolution" which is changing the way we think about learning.
The knowledge base which supports our understanding of early learning
is developing fast, and clearly showing that a focus on education
as the injection of facts, subjects and disciplines of knowledge
alone, particularly in the early years, provides only a partial
explanation of what makes for effective and life long learning.
Our focus on "Advancement Attributes" has two main thrusts.
Firstly, we are attempting to encourage those who work with young
children to apply this new knowledge to their practice and ensure
their work is at the forefront of professional knowledge. Secondly,
we are aiming to communicate this newly acquired professional
knowledge to those who create policy so that they also may act
from an informed base. The need to review and evaluate both practice
and policy in relation to current educational research is a priority
in a new millennium. We should aim for the knowledge revolution
in early learning to come off the shelves and feed directly into
the actions of those who shape young children's early educational
lives.
The Effective Early Learning Project
June 2000
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