LEND ME A HAND: EMBODIMENT-BASED LEARNING PRACTICES AND ENVIRONMENTS AS ACTIVE PROCESSES OF INCLUSION

Abstract

The processes of inclusion across diverse educational contexts and institutional levels highlight the critical role of embodied gestures in shaping both individual presence and the collective capacity to learn within shared environments. Recognizing and interpreting these gestures requires acute sensitivity to their inherent complexities and variations, thereby enhancing the quality of our interpersonal interactions. From this perspective, playful exploration as an embodiment-based learning practice is recognized as a vital component of children's physical, cognitive, and emotional development. It fosters social interaction and cultivates resilience within securely bounded environments, as active processes of inclusion. Consequently, affective experiences manifest through narrative gestures, enabling children to actively engage with their immediate context— encompassing interactions with people, objects, and abstract concepts. This participatory approach to learning underscores the construction of meaning through intersubjective interactions, which are indispensable for the acquisition of knowledge. Ultimately, the collaborative essence of social interaction is integral to cognitive development, emphasizing the significance of relational dynamics in the learning process. This study aims to elaborate on the embodied learning paradigm, focusing on methodological approaches and educational designs rooted in well-established research models.