Subjectivity in Pedagogy: Importance in Understanding Children's Learning and Development

Running head: PEDAGOGY
Is the idea of objective scientific observation of children a myth? What is the value of
subjectivity in understanding children’s learning and development?
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Author Note

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PEDAGOGY
Pedagogy is a broad term which is defined as a set of teaching practices and strategies
that is used to engage children and subsequently encourage them to learn. It other words it
can be said that pedagogy is educational choices that is being made by the teachers or the
educators in order to promote academic and mental health development of the children
(Cagliari et al., 2016). According to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) (2009)
pedagogy is composed of three interrelated concepts of principles, practices and learning
outcomes which help the teachers or the educators in framing their curriculum. The following
essay aims to analyse importance of subjectivity in pedagogy in order to understand children
learning and development. Having a proper understanding about of the subjectivity in
pedagogy will help to frame children specific educational framework that will promote
quality mental, cognitive and academic development of the children during early years of
their life.
According to Cagliari et al. (2016), subjectivity is a philosophical term and has no
direct relation to science. This is because, science is more about facts, figures and data
whereas, philosophy is about critical or effective thinking. In relation to the philosophical
views of subjectivity, Loris Malaguzzi forwarded one fundamental idea which highlights that
subjectivity in pedagogy promotes critical thinking and subsequent reflection in relation to
specific child activity and behaviours and then utilizing it in the process of curriculum
decision making. This approach is further embraced by Reggio Emilla which argues that
observation is more effective than science and theory of device students study curriculum
(Edwards & Gandini, 2018). Edwards and Gandini, 2018 stated that proper observation helps
in devising children specific curriculum via understanding the perspective of children
thinking process and this in turn helps to increase the overall outcome of the curriculum.
Another interpretation of subjectivity is undertaking proper judgements about what is
desirable on the educational ground in relation to the children rather than focusing on the

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PEDAGOGY
outcomes (looking ahead in the future) or norms (looking behind at what was happening in
the past) (Allal, 2013). According to the EYLF (2009), a child has a strong sense of identity
and this identity helps in the generation of belonging. Children learn and construct their own
identity under the context of their families and communities in which they resides. This helps
in the promotion of their relationships with others and their actions in responses of others.
This identity is not fixed and varies from child or child based on their surrounding
experiences. Thus making situated judgements help to promotes children specific curriculum
which take the preference of the belonging of the children in to active consideration.
In relation to the subjectivity and theory, it can be said that pedagogy is developed via
the use of theory as one of the principal source of information and this information is based
on the particular images of children. These theories can give proper meaning and provide
satisfactory explanations but this is provisional. The images of the children are further
influenced by the individual thinking, personal interpretations, and application of the
predetermined standards in order to interpret the results. For examples, according to the
EYLF, children are connected with and make significant contribution to their world. This
observation to their contribution in their surrounding world like their families communities
help to devise the pedagogy plan for the children learning and development (Broström et al.,
2014). Here comes the relation of the science in philosophy of subjectivity. It is the duty of
the educators to generate environments under which the experience of the children is
mutually enjoyable caring and respectful relationships. This generation of children specific
environment is based on application of scientific theories based on children specific
observation (Broström et al., 2014).
In relation of subjectivity versus objectivity, it can be said that subject is what acts
and object is what acted upon. Under the subjective approach, children are recognised as an
agency which plays an active role in their own learning. According to Zimmerman (2013),