We explain what a pedagogue is, what their task is and how they do it. Also, the origin of the term and how it differs from a teacher.
What is a pedagogue?
A pedagogue is a specialist in pedagogy, that is, a specialist in educational processes that concern one or more people capable of analyzing, designing and planning strategies to conduct or improve learning.
The work of pedagogues can be described as professionally thinking about the educational fact. This means that they are those in charge of understanding what is the best path to learning for a person or a community since they have the tools and knowledge to foresee and solve problems, or propose useful methods and dynamics.
We should not confuse the pedagogue with the teacher or teacher. The latter is in charge of teaching or teaching a class, that is, of conducting a teaching course, and may or may not have specialized pedagogical training. A pedagogue, however, is able to think about the teaching method that the teacher follows, propose improvements, incorporate changes and, in some way, teach to teach and teach to learn.
The terms “pedagogue” and “pedagogy” come from ancient Greek, specifically from the words paidon (“child”) and agogi (“guidance” or “teaching”). As its origin suggests, this title was formerly used to refer to the people in charge of raising children.
See also: Pedagogical approach
What does a pedagogue do?
In general terms, pedagogues They are in charge of thinking about teaching and finding the ideal mechanisms to carry it out. This is not necessarily restricted to the area of children and youth training, but can also have practical applications in the business and work environment, since learning is linked to the acquisition of knowledge, talents and skills.
Thus, a graduate in pedagogy can use psychological, philosophical, anthropological and other disciplines notions to understand and improve the educational fact wherever it exists: in the public educational system, in a professional training program, in the foundation of a postgraduate chair, among other places.
Continue with: Psychopedagogy
References
- “Pedagogy” on Wikipedia.
- “Pedagogue, ga” in the Language Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy.
- “Radicación de Pedagogo” in the Online Spanish Etymological Dictionary.
- “Who is the pedagogue?” at the Official College of Pedagogy of Catalonia (Spain).
