Social Pedagogy in Education: Re-establishing relationships and enriching learner experience. Edited by Carla Solvason, Nicola Stobbs and Geoffrey Elliot (2026)

Social Pedagogy in Education: Re-establishing relationships and enriching learner experience. Edited by Carla Solvason, Nicola Stobbs and Geoffrey Elliot (2026) 172 pp. (pbk) Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-03-287555-2

This book is both timely in its concerns and rigorous in the way it weaves together theory and practice, offering insights that speak directly to contemporary educational challenges.It will be useful to education academics and students alike, but will also have resonance and relevance for wider professionals of both the education and care sectors. The book covers considerable ground, utilising the core concepts from social pedagogy as a lens through which to discuss a breadth of educational and care related issues. The importance of cultivating relationships and interpersonal connections is explored in chapters covering topics such as creativity in education, art and music education, SEND provision and inclusive practices for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children and communities, along with tackling social class bias in HE and issues facing college based HE provision. The possibilities of forging connections in a blended learning environment explored in Chapter 12 will resonate across many settings grappling with issues related to student face-to-face engagement, and the chapter on leadership provides an excellent springboard for critical discussions of this important facet of education. Chapter 13 explores the mentor/ mentee relationship utilising both social constructivist and critical pedagogy theories. Chapters 2 and 3 orientate and define social pedagogy and lay out the core concepts that act as a thread throughout the book. For example, several of the chapter authors draw upon the Diamond model (Eichsteller and Holthoff 2011) that illustrates how empowerment, holistic learning, relationships and happiness are all necessary parts of educational experiences designed for students to fulfil their potential. Others refer to ‘the common third’: learning activities designed based on shared interests of learners and tutors to foster connections and deepen relationships. Several chapters also apply the ‘head, heart, and hands’ approach to create a dialogue between the learner and their environment; the head relates to knowledge, the heart to emotions and the hands to the application. Together these feed into ‘haltung’ the ethos of social pedagogy.