Education, Child-Centered

Child-centred education can be defined as education which is oriented around the child as an active constructor of its own learning and development. Pedagogy must align itself with the child rather than the child aligning with pedagogy. The dominant pedagogy in child-centred ideology is learning through play, as this enables children to actively make sense of their world. This entry offers an overview of child-centred learning, its application, and its key features.

Evolution of Child-Centred Education

The idea of child-centred education began with the early years’ pioneers. The 18th-century Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau and early 19th-century German educationalist Friedrich Froebel saw children as innately good. This was in contrast to the main religious dogma of the time, which viewed children as tarnished by original sin. Rousseau suggested ...

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