VOLUME 18 NUMBER 3 SEPTEMBER 2000

CONTENTS

Editorial 1

Feature Articles

Tony WebsterConnected Thinking 4

Peter SharpPromoting Emotional Literacy: EmotionalLiteracy Improves and Increases YourLife Chances 8

James ParkThe Dance of Dialogue: Thinking and Feelingin Education 11

Colleen McLaughlinThe Emotional Challenge of Listeningand Dialogue 16

David LeatThinking Through the Curriculum 21

David CarrEmotional Intelligence, PSE and Self Esteem:A Cautionary Note 27

Reviews and Update 34

People and Perspectives 39

EDITORIAL

The fact that some people have a greater ability tocontrol their emotions or at least the effect theseemotions have on them is not a new insight. To someextent neither is the belief that it is possible to helppeople become more effective at doing this. However,it is only quite recently that such ideas have beenbrought together as a new and popular conceptdescribed as `emotional intelligence'. Though thereare those who regard this with a touch of cynicism.

Talking of this idea as popularized in Daniel Gole-man's best selling book (1995), an Israeli academiccommented, `Emotional Intelligence, it's just a way ofmaking stupid people feel better'. Like many unfaircomments I think there is a little bit of truth in this.The fact that, unlike normal (cognitive) IQ, EmotionalIntelligence is presented as something which can beimproved, might indeed account for some of itspopular appeal. I am reminded of the parents whotold their children that if they worked hard theymight get on the gifted programme.

However, such points about the sometimes over-simplified and optimistic basis for some of itspopularity do not mean that this is not an area ofgreat importance for education and society generally.It seems obvious that in a concern for the holisticdevelopment of the individual the emotions will be ofcentral importance, equally that it makes little senseto address the cognitive and academic dimensions ofpupil experience in isolation, ignoring the effect offeelings be they positive or negative. Though recogni-tion of the central place of the ideas identified by theterm Emotional Intelligence is of key importance, it isonly an initial step and it is what the recognition leadsto which is critical. This issue of the journal is devotedto a consideration of emotional intelligence though, infact, most writers have used the parallel term emotionalliteracy as expressing the ideas more appropriately.All are concerned to emphasize its importance but it isthe implications of this with which the papers aremainly concerned. Thus though they start by under-lining the importance of this area they move on todiscuss ways through which it may be promoted anddeveloped.

I have already suggested above that there was a certainseductiveness about Goleman's conceptualization ofEmotional Intelligence, in the idea that it was some-thing we could all get better at and that it was

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potentially more important than traditional intelli-gence. In my view some of this over-simplistic appealtends to exist when the ideas are being applied toeducation. Thus, whilst much of what follows iswholly positive, an element of critical caution is alsoincluded. Again in my view the term EmotionalLiteracy is more appropriate than Emotional Intelli-gence, and as I have already pointed out this is theterm used by most of the writers that follow. Perhapsan even more appropriate term would be `emotionalmaturity' for unlike intelligence and literacy, maturityinvolves values, mature action is by definitionprincipled action which intelligent or literate actionmay not be.

Though some of the government's present educa-tional policy and priorities may seem to ignore thesignificance of emotional literacy, there are alsofeatures of the current situation which suggest thatthis is a particularly opportune time to stress its im-portance, especially because of the higher profilegiven to PSHE and Citizenship in the recent NationalCurriculum Handbooks, and the work that led up tothis, where explicit statements about what pupilsshould be taught in the PSHE area. These include thefollowing:

1. d. to recognise the stages of emotions associatedwith loss and change caused by death, divorce,separation and new family members, and how todeal positively with the strength of their feelings indifferent situations

2. a. to recognise the physical and emotional changesthat take place at puberty and how to manage thesechanges in a positive way

These statements and a number of others have con-siderable implications for the specific development ofpupils' emotional literacy. The papers that follow seekto encourage thought about, suggest ways of workingwith and information about emotional literacy.

Tony Webster describes the Connected Thinkingproject, which has been initiated by the Society ofEducation Officers. This has a wide brief, whichincludes values education, thinking skills, emotionalintelligence and ICT. This paper also includes anumber of key issues and questions, which need tobe considered in relation to these areas. Peter Sharpexplains how the Southampton Education Service hasmade emotional literacy one of its priorities anddetails a wide range of initiatives that have resulted.In the following paper those who believe that themost important task of education is to developcognitive abilities, without any particular regard foremotional development are criticized. James Parksuggests that such an approach leaves young peopleill-equipped to engage with the challenges of life. Theidea of dialogue is presented as an effective way ofpromoting emotional intelligence. This theme is taken

up in Colleen McLaughlin's paper where dialogue isseen as central to the education of the emotions.David Leat writes specifically about teaching think-ing, an area that has many connections with the ideaof emotional literacy. He explains what this involvesin the classroom and highlights the importance ofdebriefing as a way of starting pupils thinking abouttheir learning: debriefing is a process which has closeconnections with the idea of dialogue. Finally DavidCarr, whilst accepting that given the current emphasison PSHE it is appropriate that attention should begiven to the idea of emotional literacy, goes on to offera number of critical cautionary points. There are twoessential points he seeks to make. First, that many ofthe ideas and concepts involved have not been subjectto rigorous scrutiny and analysis and that as a result anumber of areas or the ideas from which they havebeen developed are taken to be neutral and value free,which in fact they are not. He suggests that notionsof self-esteem and emotional intelligence itself areproblematic in this way.

This special issue of the journal presents a range ofideas, views and strategies connected with emotionalliteracy. It seeks to provide a starting point for indi-viduals and schools to develop their understanding inthese areas. Such thinking should include both therecognition of the areas importance and of the issuesthat surround its development. Such developmentwill require rigour and critical awareness, along withcareful consideration of evidence and thoroughevaluation.

I have already suggested elsewhere that the idea of the`affective school' is now more appropriate than that ofthe `caring school' (Lang, 1999). An affective schoolwould be one which seeks to promote emotionalmaturity amongst all members of its community andwhere ethos, classroom climate and organizationalprocess would be informed by humanistic values. Inparticular where the quality of the relationshipswhich exist and the openness of the processes andpedagogy which pupils experience are likely toencourage the kind of dialogue which it is suggestedis key to the promotion of emotional literacy. But anaffective school needs more than this, it is also aschool where there is an agreed vision and sharedvalues and these have been created through detailedand extensive discussion which has involved all thosewho form part of the school's community. Thisdiscussion will have engaged in the kind of debateabout values that is implied by David Carr's paper.

Schools must stand on firm ground here if they are toseek to make sense of and choose wisely from thewide range of ideas, schemes and materials connectedwith PSHE, emotional literacy and all those otherareas which are being brought under this umbrella. Itis from this basis that informed decisions can be madeabout the appropriate ways to develop practice. Thepromotion of emotional literacy/maturity must be a

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part of the `affective school's' agenda, but based onthe particular needs of its pupils and informed by theschool's own unique vision, and a recognition of thepotential pitfalls of an area which is not as simple andvalue free as it is sometimes presented.

Peter Lang

References

GOLEMAN, D. (1995) Emotional Intelligence. London: BloomsburyPublishing.

LANG, P. (1999) `Counselling, counselling skills and encouragingpupils to talk: clarifying and addressing confusion', British Journalof Guidance and Counselling, 17(1), pp. 23±33.

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