What is active pedagogy?

As a parent, you want the best for your child: a stimulating environment where he or she can learn, socialize and feel good. The best school is the one that understands and respects your child, matches his personality and nurtures his individuality. We asked Nicolas Firmenich, Director of the bilingual private school La Découverte, whose unique approach to teaching is inspired by active pedagogy, to shed some light on the subject.

three children doing an exercise in class

What is active pedagogy?
Active pedagogy is a teaching method that encourages students to become actively involved in their academic learning. Instead of simply listening to a teacher give the class, students are encouraged to actively participate, ask questions, solve problems, think critically, discuss and collaborate with their peers. This is achieved through group discussions, hands-on projects, role-playing, case studies, debates and practical experiments.

Active pedagogy aims to foster independent learning, giving students responsibility for their own education and encouraging them to take initiative in a stimulating, interactive environment.

Who invented active pedagogy?
Active pedagogy was not invented by one specific person. It's a concept that has emerged and evolved over time thanks to the contributions of numerous educators, researchers and education specialists such as Dewey, Montessori, Freinet and Steiner. It's important to note that active pedagogy is not set in stone, and continues to evolve and develop every day.

At La Découverte, rather than having a single master in mind, we prefer to draw inspiration from what we believe to be the best of each of them and from active pedagogy in order to propose our own method of learning. A unique hybrid method that we've been applying for over 30 years.

Is being a bilingual school part of active pedagogy?
Yes, as is teaching in open-space classrooms. At La Découverte, our students work in immersion and all subjects are taught in French and English. Each class has two teachers: a French-speaking teacher on Mondays and Tuesdays, and an English-speaking teacher on Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays are generally reserved for subjects such as IT, music, robotics or digital citizenship courses - indispensable today.

What training do your teachers have?
Our teachers come from very different backgrounds. They all have university degrees, but they also have other qualifications. We also offer a number of in-house training courses, such as the practice of philosophy.

What is La Découverte's philosophy?
We advocate innovation and evolution. Indeed, we believe that pedagogy must constantly evolve to adapt to the world around us and offer education that is in tune with the times. The values on which we base our decisions make this possible. The one we place above all others is the well-being of our children. Next come community, balance, curiosity (daring!) and consultation. Camaraderie and family are also very important to us.

What is your relationship with the parents of your students?
A privileged relationship based on exchange and trust. We organize regular three-way meetings (pupil/parent/teacher) to find out how the child is doing and how he or she is progressing. We also communicate via an in-house blog where parents can follow current activities, and we give them the opportunity to come and talk to a teacher or watch a class in the morning. For our part, we expect parents to get involved in their child's school life.

What is the transition like for your students once they have completed their primary education at La Découverte?
Students finish at 12 and are ready to join any private or public school. Our academic objectives are identical to those of the Plan d'Études Romand, but at La Découverte it's not the objectives that differ from other schools, but the way in which they are achieved. When they leave, our students are self-confident and self-reliant, which is a big advantage for them as they go on to further education.

What advice would you give to parents hesitating between several schools?
Go and visit several schools to get a feel for what goes on there and the atmosphere. In any case, you'll make the right choice because you know your child best.

A little "trick" to help you see what kind of teaching you're dealing with: look at the children's drawings on the walls. Are they all the same, with only the colors differing? Or is there a real creative effort on the part of the children, resulting in more varied drawings?

For further information or to organize a visit to the Geneva or Mies campuses, please contact La Découverte directly by telephone or e-mail: admin@decouverte.ch.

Find out all about La Découverte school.

École de La Découverte is first and foremost a family affair! It was founded 30 years ago by a mother who wanted to offer her children a different kind of education, one that was more personalized and adapted than that offered by other schools!

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