Growing up Happy Exploring the pedagogical meaning of

Growing up Happy Exploring the pedagogical meaning of happiness from children’s voices Gonzalo Jover Bianca Thoilliez Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

INTRODUCTION Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

v Spanish children have the second highest rate of subjective well-being Children’s subjective well-being in OECD countries: Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

v Although they do not need to have many things to be happy Children’s material welfare in OECD countries: An overview of child well-being in rich countries. UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florence, 2007. Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

Questions: A) How happy Spanish children are? B) What do they feel good at? C) What are their hopes and aspirations? D) How do they experience happiness in their daily life? E) Who do they feel happiest with? Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

METHODOLOGY Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

Sample: Five Primary Schools: • Three public schools • Two private-subsidized schools 817 Children Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

Sample: Interview GRADE Questionnaire 1 2 3 4 5 6 AGE 6 -7 7 -8 8 -9 9 -10 10 -11 11 -12 NUMBER 35 46 170 218 179 169 Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

Children’s voices: elisa. raúl. belén. alba. javier. valerio. jorge. félix. susana. laura. francisco. isabel. estefanía. alfredo. elena. pilar. eloy. carlos. covadonga. alberto. ra fael. david. lorena. esther. irene. ernesto. yolanda. maría. jaione. gonzalo. rosa. marta. cristina. luis. roberto. álvaro. ángel. josé. amelia. aarón. palo ma. penélope. pablo. pascual. gemma. gloria. gisela. gabriel. genaro. ger mán. gustavo. teresa. tania. belinda. tamara. teo. macarena. candela. mar celo. malena. maite. matilde. domingo. melissa. miriam. marcos. manuel. maura. ana. rogelio. miguel. mariano. matías. inés. isidoro. íñigo. jon. isra el. yannick. narciso. natalia. nieves. nicolás. lola. leonor. leticia. fernando. Because my father knows I really like hamsters, but carmen. lorenzo. carolina. carlota. felisa. generosa. claudia. judith. paula. we’re not allowed to have pets in my building. So he camilo. césar. cristóbal. diana. diego. matilda. virginia. eva. esperanza. er tried to get them to let me have one for my birthday, and when I went there to see if he had gotten me anything, I ica. esmeralda. eduardo. tomás. esteban. fátima. fabiola. flora. mónica. fa started to cry because of the hamster. ………… bián. felipe. feliciano. valentina. vicente. víctor. alejandro. diego. ofelia. ol ………………………………. iva. octavio. ramón. raquel. rosario. rodrigo. santiago. sebastián. rosana. sandra. silvia. soraya. sergio. tatiana. verónica. salomé. nadia. jimena Diana’s happiest day, 7 years old Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

Children’s perception and understanding of happiness: Five fields A: self-satisfaction B: mastery C: aspirations D: vital events and daily live E: relationships Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

A) SELF-SATISFACTION Am I happy? Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

The “Stair of Happiness” Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

v Children claim to be very happy v As they get olders, the rate of self-satisfaction diminishes Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

B) MASTERY I’m good at… Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

v Children perceive their parents and teachers value their effort to improve v Children who do not feel valued by their parents and teachers are less happy Teachers do not give compliments Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Parents do not give compliments Growing By Playing Foundation

v Boys and girls feel competent in different skills Carlos, 8 years old Tell me about the three things you think you’re good at. Sports…I’m pretty good at them. Tests…I usually get 8, 9 or 10 out of 10. Umm…three things that what? Three things you’re good at. Oh, yeah…I behave myself pretty well. You behave yourself at what? Uh, for instance, helping out at home…and I’m a pretty good eater…. ………………………. Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

C) ASPIRATIONS I want that! Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

v Children’s aspirations move between the desire for security and the expectation of emancipation Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

v The context determines children’s aspirations “I will be happy because I’ll be an architect and I’ll save me from the crisis” (Adolfo, 10 years old ) Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

D) VITAL EVENTS AND DAILY LIFE My jows and sorrows Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

v Happiness is for children a comunitarian experience Pablo, 7 years old “The happiest day of my life was when I was born because all my family was at birth" (Juanjo, 10 years old) Because I was celebrating my birthday and they gave me a bow and arrow set and a racquet with some practice balls and I was with my family: my mother, my father, my brother and I were at the hotel at the “To pass a test beach. . ……………………… and to win a match make me feel happy” (Rudy, 11 years……………………. old). Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

v Situations of sadness are also lived communally Diana, 7 years old “My father left home, they got angry, and it’s just that…my cousins, as It’s not that I’m not happy, he decided to leave us" (Rebeca, 10 yearsas they see that I’m the littlest, I’m the littlest in the soon old) family, they always boss me around and they hit me, and since we little ones are the most mischievous, the older ones act like they’re hurt the worst, they act like they’re crying, and I don’t cry, and then I blame myself for not hitting them. That’s when I feel sad and that act as if I had, and I just…. . ……………………………. Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

E) RELATIONSHIPS What makes me happiest is… Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

RAQUEL Carlos, 8 years old I’m going to show you some pictures…. OK…. This is a girl called Rachel…. OK…. You see here in four different situations. In this one she’s at home playing with her toys. Here she’s being praised by her teacher, here she’s watching TV with her family, and here she’s playing in the park with her friends OK? Look at them carefully, and I want you to imagine yourself in each of these 4 situations…. Yes…. And then tell me which one you think you would feel happiest in. . . In two of them. OK, could you tell me why you chose each one? . . Because I like to be with my family. . . I like being praised by my teacher—when I do something right……. . …………………………. ………… Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Growing By Playing Foundation Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de. . …………… Madrid ……………………………. . …. www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant

CONCLUSIONS Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation

v For children, a stable area of relationships is a prerequisite for happiness. v Children’s aspirations of enhancement or selfimprovement depend on what their context value and offer to them. v To be happy, children need an education environment which gives them security as well as it provides them opportunities to grow up. Research Group on Pedagogy of Children Values Facultad de Educación – Universidad Complutense de Madrid www. ucm. es/info/quiron/pedinfant Growing By Playing Foundation