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Leib – Leiblichkeit – Embodiment pp 229–247Cite as

Embodied Education and Education of the Body: The Phenomenological Perspective

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Part of the book series: Phänomenologische Erziehungswissenschaft ((PHE,volume 8))

Abstract

The concept of Embodied Cognition (EC) includes a variety of approaches involving embodied, embedded, extended and enactive cognition (sometimes referred to as the 4Es) and it can offer meaningful contributions to educational research and practice, including the re-evaluation of the role of the body in educational experiences. To discuss the reciprocal relevance of EC and phenomenological pedagogy, in this paper we start by shortly reviewing the “disembodiment of Western culture” and the “disembodied school” model, we then outline the origins of the connection between EC and education, and we conclude by discussing embodied education in formal education context. We argue that embodied education goes far beyond sensorimotor processes, physical exercise and motor skills. Adopting a phenomenologically oriented embodied cognition perspective means taking seriously the idea that cognition is always and necessarily grounded into a bodily dimension and that it has a complex phenomenological nature intertwined with emotional, affective, reflective dimensions. Education, particularly formal one, must be able to consider and promote such embodied mind.

This research has been supported by a marie Sklodowska-Curie individual fellowship (IF) under contract number 799779.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For a more comprehensive discussion of a theory of school from a phenomenological perspective grounded in Hegel, Langeveld and Fink, (see Brinkmann, in press).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Danish School of Education, Aarhus University, Copenhagen, Dänemark

    Denis Francesconi

  2. UCL Institute of Education and University of Bologna , London, Great Britain

    Massimiliano Tarozzi

Authors
  1. Denis Francesconi
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  2. Massimiliano Tarozzi
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Correspondence to Denis Francesconi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Malte Brinkmann

  2. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Johannes Türstig

  3. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Martin Weber-Spanknebel

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Francesconi, D., Tarozzi, M. (2019). Embodied Education and Education of the Body: The Phenomenological Perspective. In: Brinkmann, M., Türstig, J., Weber-Spanknebel, M. (eds) Leib – Leiblichkeit – Embodiment. Phänomenologische Erziehungswissenschaft, vol 8. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-25517-6_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-25517-6_12

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