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When teachers believe in their students’ capabilities, those students learn more

26 November 2024

Interview Learning & Education Education systems Learning environments Reading and writing Teaching methods Learning to thrive

Helping teachers create high-quality learning environments that are equitable and inclusive

Photo provided by Laboratório de Educação

When children are treated as capable individuals and invited to play an active role in their own education, they become our greatest allies, says Beatriz Cardoso from Laboratório de Educação (Labedu). Beatriz talks with Aisha Schnellmann about improving public education in Latin America and transforming children’s learning experiences by providing effective professional development for teachers.

Aisha Schnellmann: What are the biggest challenges facing children in Latin America and globally?

Beatriz Cardoso: I believe the greatest global challenge is to ensure that every child has access to quality education, particularly in regions with deep-seated inequalities, like Latin America. Efforts to transform public education in these areas are crucial to providing children with the support and resources they need to learn and thrive.

“I believe the greatest global challenge is to ensure that every child has access to quality education.”

AS: What do children need to help them thrive?

BC: All children have the right to learn. To enable them to learn, classroom environments must foster children’s trust in their own abilities, and stimulate curiosity, investigation, questioning, and collaboration.

Children need ample opportunities to engage in thoughtfully designed learning experiences that promote their growth. This requires not only a strong curriculum, but also ongoing professional development for teachers, aimed at helping them design and offer activities that encourage individual and group growth.

AS: How does your work at Laboratório de Educação (Labedu) support teachers and ultimately improve children’s learning?

BC: We collaborate with educational stakeholders, from school management to institutions, to design professional development programmes for educators at all levels. These programmes equip teachers with research-backed pedagogical tools and strategies to help them better understand how children learn, and to use these insights to create high-quality, equitable, and inclusive learning environments.

Last year, children who participated in our “Aprender a Estudar Textos” programme showed significant progress in reading and text comprehension. Additionally, 79% of teachers reported notable differences in learning processes after they had participated in the programme. 

AS: Can you tell us about something that has surprised or inspired you in this work?

BC: It continues to surprise me how quickly children engage when they are given the opportunity to learn and collaborate. When they are treated as capable individuals and invited to participate in their own learning, they become our greatest allies. When teachers or parents are able to view children’s actions through a different lens, they perceive and interact with these children differently. They begin to see intelligence where they once saw a lack of ability. It is profoundly inspiring to realize that with the right investment and methodology, we can have a positive influence on the contexts in which learning occurs.

“It continues to surprise me how quickly children engage when they are given the opportunity to learn and collaborate.”

AS: What is your vision for children in the future?

BC: The children of the future will become multitasking adults, constantly facing overwhelming demands and information overload. Access to information will continue to increase, so the real challenge will be to understand it and find meaning in the details. The key is to help children learn to filter, analyse, select, and integrate what is relevant and appropriate. It is our responsibility to provide children with the tools and practices that support well-rounded development, rooted in strong values.