Reaching Out and Drawing In: A Conceptual Framework for Socially Empowered Learning and Student Engagement

• In Event: Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: Engaging and Reconceptualizing Pedagogical Frameworks

Abstract

There is a gap in our knowledge between what constitutes effective pedagogy and what engages students intellectually. This paper addresses the phenomenon of low intellectual engagement of middle school students by framing it as collective powerlessness requiring intervention. Drawing upon theory in Educational Cognitive Psychology and Social Learning, a new, conceptual framework is introduced: Socially Empowered Learning. Requisite elements are described to design pedagogy that increases collective efficacy through activities that are socially entrepreneurial, empathetic, empowered, and ethical. Thus, it contributes new knowledge for scholars, teachers, policy makers, and especially for youth, in providing an authentic way to engage students in their learning through collective empowerment.

Author

• Brittany Harker Martin, University of Calgary