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e-ISSN: 2737-632x
Pgs 16-33
* Master's degree in education.
Corporación universitaria
Iberoamericana. Bachelor's degree
in early childhood education.
Specialist in the application of
ICTs to teaching.
asanc149@ibero.edu.co. Garcia
Angie https://orcid.org/0009-
0005-6455-3856
Received: March, 2022
Approved: May, 2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31876/ri
e.v6i4.237
http://www.revista-
iberoamericana.org/index.
php/es
How to cite:
Sánchez-García, A. (2023)
Empathy, postpandemia and
coexistence in early
childhood children. Revista
Iberoamericana De
educación, 7(3)
Empathy, post-pandemia and coexistence
in early childhood children
Empatía, postpandemia y convivencia en niños de primera infancia
Empatia, pós-pandemia e convivência em crianças da primeira infância
Sánchez-García Angie Carolina*
Abstract
This research work addressed the issue of emotion management in
early childhood children, in the light of empathy, considering the
post-pandemic context and its relationship with coexistence in the
formal public education of the district of Bogota. As main objective,
a pedagogical proposal built for the strengthening of coexistence was
proposed and developed. Methodologically, a qualitative approach
was followed, based on action research where the students'
impressions were systematized and questionnaires, observation and
field diary were applied. For the analysis of the information, the
categories empathy, coexistence, pedagogical practices and post-
pandemic were defined. The results of the application were mostly
positive to the extent that the pedagogical proposal was successfully
developed and allowed the children to generate spaces for dialogue
and self-recognition, in addition to improving classroom dynamics.
As conclusions, it was found that the pandemic affected the cognitive
and socialization processes in children and families; the importance
of addressing the emotional management of children and the need to
generate scenarios that enrich the discussion on the subject is
highlighted.
Key words:
didactic strategies, virtual teaching, Ecuadorian
secondary education.
Resumen
En este trabajo de investigación se abordó el tema del manejo de
emociones en niños de primera infancia, a la luz de la empatía,
considerando el contexto postpandemico y su relación con la
convivencia en el ámbito de la educación formal pública del distrito
de Bogotá. Como objetivo principal se planteó y desarrolló una
propuesta pedagógica construida para el fortalecimiento de la
convivencia. Metodológicamente se siguió un enfoque cualitativo,
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basado en la investigación acción donde se sistematizaron las
impresiones de los estudiantes y se aplicaron cuestionarios, la
observación y el diario de campo. Para el análisis de la información
se definieron las categorías empatía, convivencia, practicas
pedagógicas y pospandemia. Los resultados de la aplicación fueron
en su mayoría positivos en la medida que la propuesta pedagógica se
desarrolló de manera exitosa y permitió a los niños generar espacios
de dialogo y auto reconocimiento., además se mejoraron las
dinámicas del aula. Como conclusiones se pudo constatar que la
pandemia dejo afectaciones en los procesos cognitivos y de
socialización en los niños y en las familias; se destaca la importancia
de abordar la gestión emocional de los niños y la necesidad de
generar escenarios que enriquezcan la discusión sobre el tema.
Key words:
estrategias didácticas, enseñanza virtual, educación
media ecuatoriana.
Resumo
Este trabalho de investigação abordou a questão da gestão das
emoções em crianças da primeira infância, à luz da empatia,
considerando o contexto pós-pandémico e a sua relação com a
convivência no âmbito da educação pública formal no distrito de
Bogotá. O objetivo principal foi desenvolver uma proposta
pedagógica para fortalecer a convivência. Metodologicamente,
seguiu-se uma abordagem qualitativa, baseada na investigação-ação,
em que se sistematizaram as impressões dos alunos e se aplicaram
questionários, observação e um diário de campo. Para a análise das
informações, foram definidas as categorias empatia, convivência,
práticas pedagógicas e pós-pandemia. Os resultados da aplicação
foram maioritariamente positivos na medida em que a proposta
pedagógica foi desenvolvida com sucesso e permitiu às crianças
gerar espaços de diálogo e auto-reconhecimento, bem como
melhorar a dinâmica da sala de aula. As conclusões foram que a
pandemia afectou os processos cognitivos e de socialização nas
crianças e nas famílias; destaca-se a importância de abordar a gestão
emocional das crianças e a necessidade de gerar cenários que
enriqueçam a discussão sobre o tema.
Palavras chave: estratégias didácticas, ensino virtual, ensino
secundário equatoriano.
INTRODUCTION
One of the fundamental components of early childhood education has
to do with the generation of experiences and socialization spaces
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through which mental structures are established and molded, at this
age children begin the path to learn to manage their emotions and
school spaces are the favorite ones for this, but we have just faced as
a society the confinement generated by the Covid 19, and that has
made children arrive with other types of needs. It is understood, then
the school as the scenario where "children begin to identify possible
alternative solutions to problems of different order and take the
initiative to solve them according to their accumulated knowledge"
(SED., 2019) then we are faced with children who did not have that
opportunity and who arrive at school after spending almost two years
in confinement, ordered by the Ministry of the Interior (2020) as a
measure to try to stop the spread of the virus.
Alarming are the reports that are known today in Colombia regarding
the impact of the pandemic and confinement in children, for example,
the Colombian Institute of Neurosciences in 2022 mentions that
behaviors related to mental health and behavior reported in the survey
mainly affect children between 4 and 12 years old. This situation is
reflected daily in classrooms and translated into coexistence
problems, when it was necessary to assume again the presentiality
without taking into account in a concrete way the affectations
generated by the pandemic, and there are several entities of world
order that state that the cognitive processes of children were the most
affected.
Under this scenario and taking into account that according to
Restrepo (2022) "social isolation brings as consequences to this
population (children), high levels of emotional and social stress,
psychological problems" (p.4), a group of kindergarten children
composed of 12 girls, 11 children who mostly had not been schooled,
were identified as having great difficulty in listening and very low
levels of tolerance, which triggers conflictive situations of
coexistence. In view of this situation, the following question was
posed as a question guiding the research exercise: How can empathy
be strengthened in kindergarten children? From this, the general
objective was constructed as strengthening school coexistence
through the empowerment of empathy in the children of the
kindergarten grade, by means of a pedagogical proposal. And then
the specific objectives. a) To identify the origin and the dynamics
related to the coexistence problems of the students of the
kindergarten grade. B) To design and implement a pedagogical
proposal that makes it possible to improve the dynamics of
coexistence in the students of the Kindergarten grade. C) To analyze
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the way in which this proposal contributes to the strengthening of
empathy and coexistence in this group of students.
When addressing this issue, it is important to note that in Spain
Albendea C, B. M (2016) made a pedagogical proposal where they
presented some intervention sessions in relation to emotional
intelligence called Emotiva, which was worked with early childhood
education students in order to show the importance of managing these
emotions in one's own life and then be able to work with students.
They work from a program called "educating in positive" with
parents, training of trainers and children, with the purpose of training
them in emotional competences. This is a very significant precedent
when it comes to thinking about the relationship between emotion
and the educational process.
In Chile, psychologist Troncosa (2022) conducted a review of the
way in which social changes have influenced the mental health of
students, their families and teachers, as they are forced to face online
classes. This brought to light a socioemotional crisis that is translated
into aggressiveness, lack of empathy... which also affects brain
functions, after which he proposes some challenges for the
educational system, mainly related to the adequate pedagogical work
of emotional skills. Challenges for which Colombian education is
not yet prepared, but for which exercises such as the one presented
in this document arise, and which seeks to make visible and propose
alternative solutions to this problem.
Based on the above, Sánchez (2021) in the Cuban context brings to
the table the discussion related to the impact of covid 19 in young
people and children, through a study where he concludes that the
most affected population were school children under 10 to 16 years
of age, male, from dysfunctional homes, and from unfavorable
economic conditions. Its results are related to sleep disorders,
behaviors resulting from overexposure to screens and
psychopathological alterations and also recommends seeking
strategies to detect and manage risk situations arising from the
pandemic and confinement. It is then an imperative need to give
relevance to the implications of covid in the child population, to
begin to develop actions to mitigate and protect the emotional health
of children who daily are attending the classrooms of the capital
district.
Because as stated by Rengel & Calle (2020) when they enunciate the
problems and psychological changes that children face today, they
refer to changes in behavior and at the emotional level, changes in
interpersonal relationships, coping with losses, and the consequences
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of this, which according to the author have to do mainly with anxiety,
violence, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder; we are in time to sit
down to listen, observe and analyze, to think and propose actions that
teach children to identify and manage their emotions.
When we think of the Colombian context, the magazine Magisterio
is important because in 2021 it published an edition entitled
"Education in times of pandemic" for which the following authors
were approached in the research exercise. Duran, Vargas & Becerra
(2021) who presents a reflection referred to the big gap in education
in urban and rural areas and that due to the conditions of the pandemic
increased, within their exercise presents data referred to fixed internet
access points in different areas of the country and suggests that the
use of mobile points is relevant and proposes to end with some
challenges in terms of education and in social terms.
Martinez & Rozo (2021) make an analysis in relation to what
happened in pandemic, in the urban area where the confinement
occurred with peculiarities such as the assumption that internet
access would facilitate learning and teaching processes, concluding
that access alone does not guarantee learning; they also state what it
meant for families to open the door of their homes to virtual classes
and the creativity that emerged from the teachers to maintain the
interest of students. While in rural areas, access to ICTs in most cases
was null, there the children were perfecting their families' rural or
productive skills. In this sense, Marín-Posada, et al (2021) present
the results of a research process in which, through a hermeneutic
approach, the affectations of the right to education of early childhood
children in the suburban peasant territory of Medellín during the
pandemic period are analyzed.
Based on the above, Boude & Becerra (2021) make an analysis and
reflection that revolves mainly around the way in which institutions
had to assume the challenge of continuing with the processes during
the pandemic, since they had to continue with the administrative
procedures, training processes and teachers had to adapt their courses
for virtuality. In addition, they present the results of a research carried
out by the Universidad de la Sabana whose objective was to identify
the learning process resulting from the pandemic of teachers at all
levels of education in Ibero-America, in relation to the use and
appropriation of ICTs in the institutions.
Considering this scenario, it is essential to state the contributions that
have been made in this regard from the city of Bogota. For this
purpose, it is necessary to take into account what was proposed by
Álvarez, Unda, García and Orozco (2021) who conducted an
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exploratory study whose main objective was to approach the
practices of schools between March and December 2020, using
instruments such as interviews, focus groups and surveys to members
of the educational community in rural and urban areas of the district.
They make an interesting exercise, and make visible the pedagogical
practices of teachers in relation to their ways of facing the pandemic
scenario and end up presenting the arguments that lead them to
understand the school in a face-to-face manner as essential for
society. Within this context, Jiménez-Jaimes, (2021) through a
pedagogical proposal based on music and the song "La piragua",
exposes how to work on socio-emotionality with students in the midst
of the pandemic, an experience that makes visible the important role
of the teacher in the midst of what it meant to be in confinement.
Within the exercise it was proposed to address emotional
intelligence, empathy and coexistence, for which the conceptual
references adopted are presented below, taking into account that
these concepts are still under discussion, the following are the points
of view from which they are approached. In the first place, when
talking about emotions, Goleman (1995) states that "our emotions,
they say, guide us when it comes to facing difficult moments and
tasks too important to be left to the intellect alone... each emotion
offers a definite disposition to act" (p22) in this sense, it is essential
to develop pedagogical actions so that both students and families
develop empathy, one of the dimensions of emotional intelligence.
Taking this into account, empathy is understood as "the ability to
grasp what another thinks and needs and the sincere connection with
their feelings as if they were one's own ... feeling at the same time the
desire to comfort and help" (Carpena 2016, cited by Galiani, &
Terlato, 2020, p) it is then how through the various processes of
socialization how the scenarios are given for egocentrism to decrease
and develop this ability that is related to trying to care for the other,
which in children requires a long process.
When talking about empathy, it is possible to find two theoretical
strands, according to Lopez, Filippett & Richaud. B. (2014) a group
of researchers came to affirm that the perception of an emotion in
another is activated directly from gestures without cognitive
intervention; the other group gave importance to cognitive aspects
such as projection and imagination, highlighting the differences
between human empathy and similar phenomena observed in other
species. These two aspects can be assumed to be complementary,
since they have been approached from neuroscience, which has made
important contributions to the pedagogical processes we know today,
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since the same authors affirm that the development of empathy
requires interaction with others. One of the reasons why it is very
important to work on empathy with children from an early age is
because "if someone is hurt by the pain of others, they are less likely
to cause that pain. If they do cause it, they are more likely to want to
do something to repair the damage" (Chaux et al, 2008, p129). If
spaces can be created for children to develop this skill, conflicts and
aggression in the classroom can be significantly reduced.
In reference to school coexistence, it is approached from the
approach proposed by Fierro-Evans; Carbajal-Padilla (2019) who
propose coexistence as socio-emotional education, an approach
through which the development of fundamental social skills for
coexistence is proposed, and therefore with the potential to improve
interpersonal relationships at school. It is therefore essential for the
school environment that the educational community in general has
the necessary basis to manage their emotions and relate assertively.
Within the theoretical references, more focused on didactics, we take
into account the Pedagogical and curricular guidelines for education
in the District (2019) where the work with children is based on two
fundamental elements: the pedagogical work axes and the guiding
activities for early childhood, which are central to the development
of the research exercise to the extent that they are closely linked to
generating spaces that enhance the development of emotional skills.
Within this document, pedagogical work axes are proposed,
understood as follows:
Axis 1 Social and personal development in early childhood: designed
to strengthen the security of children and the world around them,
seeking to enhance autonomy, participation and identity.
Axis 2 Expression in early childhood: communication through
languages and movement: linking the construction of knowledge,
their vision of the world and the way to recreate it through words,
movement, and all languages; having the body as a fundamental
mediator. Axis 3 Experimentation and logical thinking in early
childhood: it has to do with the way in which the child understands,
situates and acts on his world, here all the questions that arise and is
oriented to the construction of hypotheses and the search for
explanations are accommodated.
These are elements that are addressed transversally within the
practice and that can be configured as an important tool to begin to
identify and manage emotions in the school setting.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
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The type of study that was applied within the research exercise is
action research, which "implies the dialectical vision between
research and action, so that both processes are integrated and
complemented through cyclical phases that propose to plan, act,
observe and reflect" (Cabrera, 2017, p 143) This allows the teacher
to conduct a dialogue between practice and theory through which it
is possible to change or resignify pedagogical practices. It then
becomes an alternative through which an answer is given to problems
that arise in the daily life of the classroom, for the purposes of this
research it makes it possible to investigate in a practical and concrete
way in relation to the effects of the pandemic on the emotional skills
of early childhood children.
As inclusion criteria for this exercise, it was taken into account that
the population should be from the district public education system,
children of early childhood age who were in their first year of
schooling, that in the year of the pandemic they were between two
and three years old, and that the group had coexistence problems
related to the lack of tolerance and listening.
During the development of the exercise, the following stages were
proposed:
Initial stage: research is conducted in relation to the identified
problem, the viability of the proposed problem, in relation to its
justification, and the collection of inputs that allow a systematic
approach to the issues. A first approach is made to look with research
eyes at the dynamics that take place in the classroom with early
childhood children. In addition, the necessary elements to build the
theoretical framework are investigated.
Intermediate stage: The type of research is identified and the
necessary instruments for the collection of information are built, in
addition to the pedagogical proposal. Progress is made in relation to
the necessary paperwork to apply the proposal with the students. The
implementation of the proposal begins.
Final stage: Culminate the implementation of the proposal, analysis
of the information collected, construction of conclusions and
socialization of the research exercise.
For the development of the exercise, questionnaires, participatory
observation and field diaries were implemented, instruments that can
be used with children aged 4 and 5 years old who are still in the
process of pronouncing words well and understanding what they
want to say. The instruments were validated through a format
designed for this purpose, by a licensed preschool teacher, master in
pedagogy with 37 years of experience, giving a favorable concept for
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their implementation, since they are written in such a way that the
children understand and the pedagogical proposal responds to the
proposed objectives.
Observation is understood as "an intentional and enlightened
perception. Intentional because it is done with a specific object,
illustrated because it is guided in some way by a body of knowledge"
(Bunge cited by Benguría etl, 2010, p. 4) for the purposes of this
exercise, it is observed on some occasions in a participatory manner,
to determine the way in which attitudes are expressed in everyday
life that denote lack of empathy of children when living together in
the school setting.
A questionnaire is assumed as "a set of questions about the facts or
aspects that are of interest in an investigation and that are answered
by the respondents" (Torres, 2021) and is implemented with
preschool children to establish in some way their perceptions of the
proposed dynamics, their emotions and those of their peers.
And the field diary as a basic instrument of research and training,
because it allows us to collect significant data, in addition to
reflecting on them, analyzing and systematizing them" (Jurado, 2011
p175). (Jurado, 2011 p175), an aspect that is fundamental when
analyzing and returning to the dynamics of this group of students.
RESULTS
The results presented here are presented in relation to the research
objectives set out above. In this sense, the following paragraphs
present the results related to the first objective, related to identifying
the origin of coexistence problems.
Based on the field diary, it was determined that the group is
constantly immersed in conflictive situations that end up in physical
aggressions to peers, the trigger in almost all situations has to do with
the need to have something just for himself, the exaggerated
egocentrism of all children led to play situations always ending in
pinches and blows.
Due to the repetitive nature of the situation, during a pedagogical day,
the topic was raised with the parents, where they inquired about what
happened to the families during the pandemic, and they informally
shared the way in which they experienced this scenario. Many of the
children assumed the confinement without the company of other
children, seeing their parents suffer to get food, or with their
grandparents. As part of the first activity related to the pedagogical
proposal, a questionnaire was sent home to inquire about it and a
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questionnaire was applied with the students, the result of which was
the following:
Image 1. Results of the diagnostic questionnaire
Source: Own elaboration.
From the implementation of the diagnostic questionnaire designed
for the students, it can be concluded that most of them at some time
of the day have felt that they do not like to attend school, either
because of the dynamics of the institution or because they want to be
with their family all the time. In relation to the friends they have in
the classroom, it can be affirmed that more than half of the children
say that they have friends in the classroom, however, they verbally
state that they do not have more than two, and affirm that most of the
time they feel good with their classmates.
All the children say that they feel bad when something is taken away
from them, and some verbally state that they would like to have all
the toys to themselves always, while only three children say that they
do not like to play alone. These results lead us to think that the
pandemic made them adapt to playing alone, and increased the
egocentrism typical of this age group. This generates that when
developing class dynamics, problems arise that are translated into
aggressions, sometimes physical, and difficulty to listen and listen to
each other.
In relation to the second objective related to the design and
implementation of a pedagogical proposal to improve coexistence
problems.
Based on the conceptual references and the information gathered in
the initial stage, a pedagogical proposal was created. The work
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sessions have to do with self-recognition and knowledge of the
environment based on feelings and the different ways of managing
them in relation to myself and the people who share the context.
Six pedagogical work sessions are planned, with the purpose of
developing one per week, preferably on the first day of class, in order
to develop an observation during the week related to the purposes of
the session and the research exercise. Due to the dynamics of the
institutions, the sessions should be divided in two, so that they are
approached without abrupt interruptions, and also to capture the
children's attention in a more effective way. Within the final
exercises, the final questionnaire was applied to the students and the
following results were obtained.
Image 2. Results of the final questionnaire
Source: Own elaboration
From the implementation of the sessions with the students and from
the final questionnaire we can say that the receptivity to the
pedagogical proposal was good to the extent that most of the children
say they felt very well or good, also to the extent that more children
say they like working in groups, compared to the initial
questionnaire, regarding rest all children say they feel well or very
well, which compared to the initial questionnaire has been a
significant improvement. Regarding how they feel at school most
children feel good or very good, which is also an improvement, the
three children who still do not feel good is because they have the
particularity that they attend class irregularly. In relation to the
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dialogue with the family, we can say that this is an item that can still
be improved, since not many children talk about the sessions at home.
In perspective, we can affirm that a pedagogical proposal based on
empathy can contribute significantly to the strengthening of
emotional intelligence and coexistence in early childhood children;
however, it is important to keep in mind that this exercise constitutes
the starting point of a long road from which long-term results will
emerge.
In relation to the third objective referred to analyze the way in which
this pedagogical proposal contributes to the improvement of
coexistence, and after having implemented the information collection
instruments, it can be said that the development of the proposal is
configured as the first step on a long road, but that the children
receive it with great interest; the activities, by departing a little from
the traditional elements, awaken a sense of curiosity in them that
leads them to be always attentive and expectant in relation to the
instructions and dynamics proposed. This improves the dynamics
within the space and contributes to the objective of providing tools
for the construction of a harmonious coexistence within the school.
In addition, it has been observed that children show an interest in
knowing the feelings of their classmates, which promotes a friendlier
and more collaborative school environment. However, it is important
to keep in mind that it is important to strengthen, in addition to
empathy, the way in which I express what I feel, since this group of
students does not yet have the necessary tools to identify the type of
emotion that leads them to act in a certain way.
Self-knowledge is fundamental to the extent that it is through their
work, in young children, that the basic notion of empathy is
understood. In this sense, traits of empathy were observed in their
interactions, which significantly improves communication and
therefore conflict resolution, which, although the teacher is still an
indispensable mediator in this process, significant improvements can
be observed in the way they relate to each other.
One of the most important results of this exercise has to do with the
decrease of aggressiveness to get what is wanted, now it is replaced
by a dialogic communication, which is sometimes effective and
sometimes not so effective, but it is an element that sows the seed of
tolerance and empathy in the coexistence relationships of these
children.
It can be affirmed, then, that a pedagogical proposal that addresses
the issue of empathy and emotional development in early childhood
children, also addressing the needs that arose after the confinement
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stage, opens the way to focus on the mental health of our children
and the way in which it is managed to strengthen the scenarios of
harmonious coexistence. In addition, it is necessary to mention that,
for this type of exercises, family support and the dynamics that are
generated there must be hand in hand with the elements that are
worked on in the classroom, otherwise the child does not see the
significance of the proposed activities and their teachings.
When we talk about confinement in a country like Colombia, and in
a city like Bogota, it is immediately related to the way in which the
recent global health crisis was faced, we think about the difficulty to
keep a job, to get money for food and housing, to take the children to
school, but we rarely think about the way in which emotions were
managed and the effects that this will have on our lives in the future,
and even less we think about the impact this will have on the lives of
children who for almost two years were socializing through a screen.
As stated by Rocero, etl (2021) "Children are the hidden victims in
the post pandemic effects, they even drag the effects of their parents
such as: poverty, family violence, conflicts, death of family members
or bereavement". (p 238) which is reaffirmed daily in district
classrooms.
Through this research exercise, a group of children is given a voice,
to the extent that it is identified that they have difficulty to coexist
harmoniously in a school setting, and a series of pedagogical actions
are proposed that seek to strengthen school coexistence through the
enhancement of empathy, giving importance to the approach of
emotions and opening the door to think about the need to promote the
management of emotions in children from an early age. For as stated
by Troncosa (2022) quoting Sandi & Haller (2015) "confinement has
affected brain development. The brain is essentially a social organ,
when it is deprived of the social bond its development is affected
...associated behaviors of lack of self-regulation, aggressiveness...
and irritability are manifested" (p 96) which highlights the imperative
need to know the group of students and from this determine how to
address the problems related to the management of emotions.
In order to deepen the discussion related to coexistence in post-
pandemic times in early childhood children, it is important to put on
the table the affective responsibility that families have in relation to
the dynamics related to the management of emotions, since this is the
first stage of socialization and it is there where the necessary tools
should be provided to interact assertively with others. However, in
the Bogota context, family dynamics rarely give relevance to feelings
and assign that and other infinite responsibilities to the teacher and
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Empathy, post-pandemia and coexistence in early childhood children.
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the school, it is then where it is reaffirmed that "empathy resides in
the family, and it is they who must enhance it in the most appropriate
way, and encourage it from childhood in their children." (Rivero,
2019, P 12) It is evident that children's behaviors are a reflection of
what they live at home on a daily basis, in that order of ideas, the
work with families should be more emphatic.
The implementation of a pedagogical proposal focused on improving
the dynamics of school coexistence has a potential positive impact
on the socioemotional development of the students; however, it is
necessary to understand that the results of this type of exercises are
neither palpable, nor do they occur in the short term. This was one of
the reasons why in the exercise of constructing the pedagogical
proposal it was decided to develop workshops on a weekly basis,
since it allows reinforcing the content during the week and observing
the receptivity of the children in a period that is not mediated by
immediacy.
It is also important to take into account that the learning processes in
school scenarios of children should be mediated by a teacher who is
critical, reflective and who is clear about his or her training purposes
with the group of students to effectively determine a situation that
deserves the necessary attention to initiate a research exercise. This
taking into account that educating in the context of Bogota is
complex to the extent that there are an infinite number of variables,
and that the exercise of research requires time, which many times is
not available, and an ethical commitment that transcends the walls of
the school.
In closing, it is clear that it is essential to begin to pay the attention
that the management of emotions in children deserves, because,
although the confinement stage is over, it is still a matter of research
to determine what were the effects in terms of the integral
development of children and even adults. In this sense, the discussion
has to do with the way in which the teaching exercise and the
dynamics of the school allow me to consciously and systematically
address the elements related to emotional intelligence in both
teachers and students.
CONCLUSIONS
The research exercise presented here highlights the importance of
working on strengthening empathy and social and emotional skills in
early childhood children as a strategy to improve school coexistence
in the post-pandemic context. From this perspective, it highlights the
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need to design innovative and creative pedagogical proposals to
effectively address coexistence problems in the school environment.
The results obtained in this research may serve as a reference for
future research in the field of education and child psychology.
This exercise had limitations in terms of implementation of the
proposal to the extent that the dynamics of the institutions often
slowed down the processes, the times did not coincide with what was
planned and therefore the sessions had to be modified. It is important
to keep in mind that these dynamics related to emotional intelligence
yield long-term results, for this reason the important thing is to sow
seeds and if you really want to track the impact, follow the group of
students in a systematic way.
It is suggested as future lines of work to deepen the relationship
between empathy, school coexistence and the effects of the pandemic
in other stages of education, and not only with students, linking
families in a more committed way in these processes and also
working on this aspect with teachers. Also explore in more depth the
relationship between empathy, coexistence and the use of
information and communication technologies. Currently, the use of
electronic devices is increasingly present in the daily lives of children
and young people, which could be influencing their ability to develop
skills.
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