Our Background and Influences

‟Attentive care must be devoted to the conditions which give each present experience a worthwhile meaning.”

John Dewey

Our research in the sphere of pedagogy has delved into the works of constructivist thinkers such as John Dewey, Lev Vygotsky, and Jean Piaget. We have drawn much inspiration also from pedagogues and educators such as Maria Montessori, A. S. Neill, Susan Isaacs, Emmi Pikler, Paulo Freire, Maxine Greene and Nel Noddings. We have been captivated by the world-renowned educational philosophy developed in Reggio Emilia, Italy; by democratic schools which foster children's responsibility and sense of freedom; and by the Scandinavian forest schools, in which children acquire tremendous levels of autonomy in outdoor environments. Last but not least, we have sought theoretical support in the findings of neuroscience, from experts such as Sue Gerhardt, Peter Gray, Antonio R. Damasio, Iain McGilchrist, Daniel Goleman, Howard Gardner, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and Carol Dweck.