SOCIAL PEDAGOGY
What is Social Pedagogy?
A values-led approach to practice that places relationships, well-being and human potential at the heart of everything.
AN INTRODUCTION
education in the broadest sense of the word
Social pedagogy offers a coherent, values-led approach to relationship-centred practice. At its heart is a belief that every person has innate potential and deserves to be supported in a way that recognises their whole self – their strengths, interests, relationships and life experience – not just their needs or difficulties.
The word ‘pedagogy’ comes from the Greek for ‘leading the child’, but social pedagogy has long since grown beyond this origin. Today it encompasses practice with people of all ages and in all kinds of settings: from early childhood through to care for older people, and from youth work to residential care, community support, social work and many more. In any setting where relationships and learning matter, social pedagogy has something to offer.
What unifies these diverse settings is a shared ethical underpinning: an understanding that we can make a positive difference both for individuals and indeed for society as a whole by creating an environment that enhances well-being, supports learning, human growth and social inclusion through empowering relationships. Social pedagogy is not something you do to people; it is a way of being with them.
THE DIAMOND MODEL
A framework for visualising the aims of social pedagogy.
IN PRACTICE
Not a method, but a way of being
Social pedagogy is sometimes described as ‘education in the broadest sense of the term’, with a particular focus on learning in everyday life. This distinguishes it from formal education: social pedagogy happens in the moments between planned activities, in conversations over a shared meal, in the way a practitioner responds when something goes wrong.
This is why social pedagogy can enhance rather than replace many approaches frequently used in UK and Irish practice – such as trauma-informed practice, restorative approaches systemic practice, strengths-based models and person-centred approaches. Social pedagogy provides the ethical and conceptual foundation on which these methods are built and from which they gain their deeper purpose.
APPROACHES IT ENRICHES
UK & IRELAND
Social pedagogy in the UK and Ireland
Social pedagogy has a long and rich tradition in much of continental Europe, across Latin America and in other parts of the globe. In the UK and Ireland it is a growing discipline, shaped by practitioners, academics and organisations who have been working collaboratively since the early 2000s to develop a distinctly Anglo-Saxon understanding of social pedagogy: one that is rooted in the same principles, but responsive to the structures, cultures and challenges of practice here.
At ThemPra, we have been at the centre of this work since 2007. We co-designed the first social pedagogy course in the UK, co-founded the Social Pedagogy Development Network and the International Journal of Social Pedagogy, and have supported professionals across more than 70 organisations in the UK and Ireland to embed social pedagogical principles and concepts into their practice, culture and leadership.
As organisational members of the Social Pedagogy Professional Association, we’ve been longstanding supporters of SPPA’s work. Its Charter for Social Pedagogy offers a helpful overview of the principles that underpin social pedagogical practice in the UK and Ireland.
THEMPRA’S CONTRIBUTION
Since 2007, ThemPra has been at the forefront of social pedagogy in the UK – through education, research, community-building and organisational development.
2007
Co-designed the first SP course in the UK
70+
Organisations supported across the UK & Ireland
1,200+
Members of the SPDN community
KEY CONCEPTS
Frameworks for social pedagogical practice
Social pedagogy offers a rich set of concepts and models that help practitioners think, feel and act in ways that are consistent with their values. Here are some of the most widely used:
The Diamond Model
A framework for visualising the aims of social pedagogical practice, placing well-being & happiness, holistic learning, relationships and empowerment at its four points – with positive experiences at the core.
Haltung
The professional stance that brings a practitioner’s values, beliefs and actions into alignment. Haltung describes the ethical, embodied disposition that underpins everything a social pedagogue does.
The 3 Ps
The Professional, Personal and Private dimensions of the practitioner – a framework that helps practitioners understand how much of themselves to bring into their work with the people they support.
The Learning zone Model
A model for creating the conditions that enable people to step out of their comfort zone and into their learning zone – without tipping into the panic zone where learning shuts down.
the relational universe
A model for understanding the full galaxy of relationships that shape each person’s life – formal and informal, current and past – and for thinking about how practice can strengthen and support a person’s connections to cultivate an enriching relational universe.
the common third
The use of shared activities as a means of building authentic, equal and meaningful relationships. The Common Third shifts the power dynamic and creates space for genuine connection around a shared interest.
WATCH OUR VIDEO EXPLANATION
READ OUR JOURNAL ARTICLE
ready to explore social pedagogy in your practice?
Our experiential learning courses are purpose-designed for you to explore all about how these concepts can further enhance your own practice. Whether you’re wanting to learn as an individual or together as a team, we’ve got a course that will suit you.