Don´t leave for tomorrow what you can build up today! Using early socioemotional development to foster healthy, inclusive, and successful comunities

Abstract

Relevant pedagogists have claimed the importance of valuing and embracing differences in education to create more inclusive and equitable learning environ ments that can be responsive to the diverse needs and strengths of all learners. Since the end of 19th century several educators have begun to demand construc tivist and student-centred approaches to learning, among them, Vygotsky in the socio-cultural theory considered the value of differences; and Piaget reinforced the diversity in learning by supporting cognitive differences at diverse stages of the learners’ development. At the beginning of 20th century, other influential figures claimed similar ideas: the humanistic approach of Carl Rogers considered the value of individual uniqueness and personal growth, and the importance of culture and individual differences in learning influenced the contributions of Jerome Bruner to this value of differences approach. Montessori’s educational approach then empha sised the self-directed learning and individual differences in learning styles, which has been influential in Europe and worldwide.