Love Pedagogy: Teachers Reflect On Love As An Educational Approach

Abstract

Love pedagogy integrates emotional and relational aspects into education, fostering compassionate relationships between educators and students, and promoting a more humane approach to teaching. Rooted in its leading principle that education should nurture both the intellectual and emotional growth of students, this study explored the role of love pedagogy in contemporary education by examining the opinions, knowledge, and experiences of 61 educators. Through a qualitative questionnaire with open-ended questions, the research investigated how teachers perceive and implement love-based approaches in their classrooms. The findings indicate a strong belief among educators that love is a foundational element to effective teaching, promoting emotional well-being, enhancing student engagement, and fostering a positive learning environment. Many teachers perceived love as an essential component of education, considering it an integral part of their professional responsibilities. The study highlights the benefits of love pedagogy in reducing behavioral issues, increasing participation, and supporting holistic student development. However, challenges such as personal stress and difficult student behavior can hinder consistent application of this approach. Notably, 83.61% of teachers had no formal training in love pedagogy, pointing to a gap in teacher education programs. Based on these results, the study concludes that formalizing the role of love in education, teachers can better nurture both the academic and emotional growth of their students, resulting in improved educational outcomes. Therefore, it proposes to incorporate love pedagogy into formal teacher training, provide institutional support for teachers, and promote a more holistic educational framework.