EÖTVÖS LORÁND UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY DOCTORAL SCHOOL OF EDUCATION (Ph.D.)
THESIS BOOKLET
T HE CONTINUOUS PRESENCE OF CONDUCTIVE PEDAGOGY IN THE U NITED S TATES OF A MERICA
(A QUINAS C OLLEGE , G RAND R APIDS , MI, USA) R ESULTS 14 YEARS OF A RETROSPECTIVE RESEARCH
D OCTORAL THESIS (P H .D.)
W
RITTEN BY: B
ENYOVSZKYA
NDREAS
UPERVISOR: D
R. S
CHAFFHAUSERF
RANZ, CS
C2016
“Help me to do it by myself, to help myself!
Teach me to be independent, to be proud of myself!
To be able to think about it, to have the capability, to be able to decide about it, to be able to do it.
I, myself! Because this is the road that leads to the ultimate goal of childhood, to a happy adulthood.
This is how I become a thinking, feeling, sentient, balanced grown up.
This is how I will become confident, happy and creative,
this is how I will be in harmony with myself, with others and with the world…”
Maria Montessori
INTRODUCTION
During the past almost seven decades, the conductive education system founded and created by András Pető (1893-1967) has undergone significant changes in both its framework and execution, which is, within and outside of the frame of the Pető András Institute for Conductive Education of the Motor Disabled, Conductor’s College (as of September 1st 2014, Pető András College – PAF1), still in process.
Since the 1980’s, the Hungarian conductive educational method has intermittently become known abroad, and has become a model that has spread all over the world. To fulfill the ever growing international interest, several initiatives of training courses on practice, education and consultation have been launched to establish, organize and build up a network of conductive education abroad.
The first American conductor training program was established in the United States in the State of Michigan (Grand Rapids) at Aquinas College (AQ) which enriches the training palette of conductive education by implementing the special structure and network of traditional conductive education.
Since the planning of the BA training program (1999) for teaching students who are Physically and Otherwise Health Impaired (POHI), I have been the program director and taken part in the theoretical and practical realization of the training of special education teachers and conductors, as well as in the professional directing of the Conductive Learning Center (CLC).
1. A PAF’s predecessor is the Pető András Institute for Conductive Education of the Motor Disabled, Conductor’s College (MPANNI). Because the research was concluded while MPANNI was still in existence, I am referring to the Institute under that name throughout the thesis
The Conductive Learning Center, as a conductive educational school model, together with the training program of conductors-teachers/special education teachers at Aquinas College – with the professional help of the (MPANNI) – is unique even today in North America.
The aim of my doctoral thesis is to present the special characteristics and results both of the American implementation of the conductive educational program based on the fundamental priciples of Pető, and that of the local education of conductor experts.
This historic, narrative thesis is based on facts, on my observations, and when possible, on statistical data.
AIM OF THE RESEARCH
In my doctoral research – while using my theoretical and practical experiences – retrospective analysis of statistical data would prove the fact that in our days − despite the diversity of therapeutical methods and multidisciplinary services and assistance in the USA − the traditional conductive educational method (as it was founded by dr. András Pető) fills a deficiency in the habilitation/rehabilitation for those who suffer from motor skill disorder resulting from the damage of the central nervous system, thus it has a raison d’etre in the United States.
The second aim of this paper is to offer a practical model for those who would like to implement the conductive educational program based on the fundamental principles of dr. András Pető outside the framework of Hungarian cultural environment and educational practice. For this reason, the research shows the special ways of creating the school, its structure, specialities, its conductive pedagogical/educational program, as well as all the documents concerning the aforementioned features.
Last but not least, I also would like to pay tribute to the work of dr. András Pető and to the conductive education system which today is regarded as a real Hungaricum.
The changes of the national education system today usually either follow or adopt the important trends abroad, whereas conductive education broke fresh ground both nationally and internationally in the habilitation/rehabilitation of those children and adults who suffer from motor skill disorder resulting from the damage of the central nervous system. We must be proud that this outstanding and unique Hungarian conductive educational system has become an example to follow worldwide, including the United States of America.
RESEARCH METHODS
The method of my research was basically determined by the fact that the object of the research is an ongoing process. This process is the realization of the implementation of conductive education – where Hungarian and American culture is blended and at the points of intersection an innovative college education and an alternative school model is being constructed – of which process I have been (from the very beginning) a creative participant and still continue to be today.
Due to the complexity of the subject, it is essential to apply both deductive and inductive strategies, and I strongly believe that these strategies would inevitably complement each other during the research work, therefore both of them were used to prove my hypothesises.
My research is analytical from the point of view that by analyzing the sources, documents, experiences of others as well as mine, I seek to formulate those principles and rules by the help of which conductive education can be successfully implemented and adopted outside Hungary.
Parallel to the aforementioned, I also used inductive strategies, since the methodically collected data and empirical experiences of the past 14 years have an inexorable role in the odjective – social and educational – interpretation of the adaptation of the conductive educational system.
During the selection and implementation of the research methods, I also aimed for complexity, thus several forms of qualitative and quantitative research methods were used.
The characteristics – and the challenges – of this research are that its content reflects my educational and school-building activities. Therefore, I deliberately chose methods that would help balance those processes by reveal using both objective and subjective elements. During the different phases of the research, I tried to achieve “positivist” objectivity by using comparative techniques, reflections, and self-reflective methods.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS
In the theoretical introductory chapter, the basic concepts of conductive education, the connections and coherence of the system and its educational concept will be discussed as it was founded on the basis of the ideas of reform pedagogy by dr. András Pető, and later further developed by dr. Mária Hári.
The main steps and phases and development of conductor-teacher training, the birth of the conductor “profession”, the role of conductors and the system of conductor teacher training will be shown.
The next part of the thesis describes how conductive education first became known in the USA (from the 1950’s), the historical background of this, and what has happened since then. This chapter is based on research work on the history of education done in libraries and archives.
On the basis of reviewing and analyzing literature mostly written in English, it is shown what initiatives took place from the 50’s in order to implement conductive education in the USA. In addition to literary sources, I could also use my rich personal experiences, interviews I held, and conversations I took part in. In this chapter, it is explained why many institutional and private initiatives were succesful at the beginning, and why some of them declined after the intitial enthusiasm.
In the fifth chapter of the thesis, the main characteristics of the Michigan tertiary education, (teacher training system) are dealt with, and the history, the structure and the main characteristics of the training program of special education teachers and conductors at Aquinas College from 1999 to today is described. This chapter also deals with the cooperation between AQ and MPANNI, describes the aim of the cooperation, the phases of implementation, its results, difficulties, and last (but not least) it draws attention to the necessary changes that were needed when a nationally effective functioning training and practical model (Hungarian conductor training) was to be implemented in a country with totally different traditions of culture, jurisdiction and education.
The sixth chapter of the research is about the history of the foundation of the Conductive Learning Center. Here the special features of the school are described that was formed by the cooperation of three institutions: the MPANNI, AQ and the CLC.
It is an American speciality that the Conductive Learning Center is a part of the local community, started as a grassroot movement, the school was the initiation of the parents. The school economically is maintained and managed by the members of the community, which is represented by the Board of Trustees.
I show and analyze the structure, the organization and the personal resources of the CLC, strongly emphasizing the fact that the entire educational and professional control of the school
– from the very beginning until today – is eminently the responsibility of the program director appointed by the MPANNI.
The seventh chapter focuses on a highly important part of my research, – the presentation of the educational program of the Conductive Learning Center, as well as the individual documentation of the development of each individual child. The documentation is based on the holistic approach of conductive education while it fulfills the standard American and international requirements. In this chapter the indications of conductive education are explored with the indications are based on statistical data – collected for scientific research – of the children applying for and taking part in the program (1999-2013). The percentile range distribution of this data was compared to that of data available from the database of the MPANNI.
SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH
On the basis of my comprehensive study about the history of conductive education in North America and the statistical data of the Conductive Learning Center, it has been proved that the conductive education method developed by dr. András Pető is suppletory, in other words, there is a great need for the rehabilitation through education in North America, as well. It has also demonstrated that the conductive educational system – the “pure” conductive education –, as opposed to multidisciplinary services, has its own place, its raison d’etre, and is needed overseas.
From the point of view of the universal history of conductive education, my research study has verified a unique importance: the conductive education system based on and built up on the Petőian principles is successfully feasible and sustainable even within a different educational, socio-cultural and legal environment if there is the professional background of the MPANNI, the scientific background of AQ and the high standard program of the CLC where students complete their teaching practice, and if all these are under the direct control of the program director who is delegated from the originator and authentic source.
The most important result of my daily educational work is that, with the help of my colleagues, the “conception” of conductive education has been successfully transplanted, its standards are respected and the need to keep them strictly are never questioned.
My hypothesis was that it is possible to train highly qualified professional conductors in the USA (at AQ) under the professional umbrella of the MPANNI if the two institutions cooperate, but to achieve that goal, permanent professional attendance is necessary. It was also proven that education has an undoubtly important role in establishing conductive education, that a well trained American conductor is a key figure in maintaining and further developing conductive education on a local level.
The permanent cooperaton between AQ and the MPANNI during the past 14 years is still unique in the international field of conductor education.
It was also verified that such permanent cooperation can only be achieved if constant stability is ensured by the presence of a permanent professional, who permanently represents the interest of the MPANNI on the spot, who is familiar with the local socio- cultural environment, who lives there on the daily basis, and who, while keeping in mind the principles of conductive education, is able to assimilate.
The research showed that as far as the conductor training is concerned, we did not achieve full success, because fewer American conductors/teachers/special education teachers have attained their diploma within the framework of the AQ-MPANNI training program than was expected.
At the same time, it is of utmost importance in the history of conductive education that the Michigan Department of Education approved of the training program, thus recognizing the need for conductor education, and doing so recognized the raison d’etre of conductive education in schools for children with special needs.
As it was stated in the hypothesizes, statistical data proved that many chose the systematically and continuously operated conductive education program based on the principles of dr. Pető even when there was no further effort to influence the market.
People are continuously interested, regardless of their age, from many states and from Canada, as well. Some of the families chose the conductive education program at the Conductive Learning Center even if there were other accepted and financed traditional therapies and conductive programs nearby their living area.
During dataprocessing, it was verified that the percentile range distribution of the clinical anamnesis and the age of the children applying for and taking part in the program converge/approximate to that of the data from MPANNI’s available database.
Meanwhile the research also revealed the unfortunate fact that the social status of a
family strongly determines if they can take part in the program, thus the services are not accessible to all.
Summing up the results, it can be said that the Conductive Learning Center has become the intellectual center of conductive education in North America, and the bicultural conductor/teacher/special education teacher training program of the three institutions – MPANNI/AQ/CLC – as well as the educational program of the conductive school serving as a training center that has become a model.
I sincerely believe that in the long run the prerequisite of a capable program is the above mentioned unified framework in which tradition goes hand in hand with innovation and practical realization.
CONCLUSIONS – COURSE OF FURTHER RESEARCH
As the research of the American history of conductive education reveals, due to the lack of methodological guidelines and written instructions many did not understand the essence of the system, and so it was misinterpreted. As long as there are no measures taken as far as the license is concerned, we have to be a model for standards, have to support founding conductive education programs and have to back and assist conductors working alone or in small teams.
In America, access to conductive education is a matter of money, in as much as clients are able or unable to pay for the program. The wide social strata who is unable to pay for the attendance fee of the services of the education program is disclosed, because conductive education is not an “evidence based practice”, thus neither educational institutions nor health insurance companies finance this educational service. Therefore our next “big issue” is to make conductive education academically and scholarly accepted. I may state, in light of my research work, that the corner stone of spreading conductive education is doing and publishing research works endorsing the success and effectiveness of conductive education.
Conductors introduced Hungarian conductive education to many hundreds of families and their friends and raised their interest toward Hungarian culture. The Hungarian conductors and American conductors/teacher trainees learned to respect each other as human beings and as professionals, they learned to work in teams, to use one “common language”, and also learned how to lead children (body and mind) towards joyful activities and success.
The highly valuable experience of this research is that Hungarian conductors were able to pass on to their American counterparts their holistic, child-centered approach that the child is
impressionable and can be taught. Through this approach they were able to deliver professional results, a testament to the mindset that knows no borders, nor disabilties, instead they only recognize exciting pedagogical tasks to be solved.
The number of students earning a degree at the AQ program is far less than what is needed in the conductive education workforce market. There is still a high demand for conductors, but more importantly – due to the development of inclusive education – there is a highly increasing need for professionals with specific knowledge in North America, therefore along the lines of the MPANNI-AQ conductor education program, more such cooperations would be needed that are open to elaborating the requirements of trainings and outputs of MA courses.
The “present” of the effective conductive education in Grand Rapids is undoubtedly granted by the Hungarian presence that refuses opportunism and professional compromises.
Talking about the future, we can only define the possible ways towards positive changes – while putting down the essential pillars – which also will define the position of the Pető method within the framework of the American educational system.
The aim of my thesis is to provide good spirit, encouragement and support those professionals who feel responsibile for conductive education, advocates who in international academic fields would like to foster the conductive education program based on the respect of the Petőian principles, and those who want to nurture the training of professional conductors. It is not at all impossible, though a very complex and long term task.
REFERENCES
1. Bábosik István, Borosán Lívia, Hunyadi Györgyné, M. Nádasi Mária és Schaffhauser Franz (2011): Pedagógia az iskolában – A szociális életképesség megalapozása. ELTE, Budapest.
2. Balogh Erzsébet és Kozma Ildikó (2000): Cerebralis paresis. In: Kálmánchey Rozália.
(szerk.) Gyermekneurológia. Medicina, Budapest. 139-155.
3. Balogh Erzsébet és Kozma Ildikó (2009): A konduktív nevelés gyermekneurológiai indikációja. Ideggyógyászati Szemle, 62. (1–2). 21.
4. Balogh Margit (2005): Hári Mária. MPANNI, Budapest.
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Szerk.: Kozma Tamás, Szerk.: Perjés István Közoktatás, pedagógusképzés, neveléstudomány: A múlt értékei és a jövő kihívásai. Budapest: MTA Pedagógiai Tudományos Bizottsága; ELTE Eötvös Kiadó, Budapest. 13-26.
7. Dvorak, David C. (2004): Organization of the Conductive Learning Centre. Conductive Education Occasional Papers, Suppl. 4. Abstracts of the 5th World Congress on Conductive Education, Budapest. 72.
8. Falus Iván, Környei György, Németh Szilvia és Sallai Éva (2012): A pedagógiai rendszer – Fejlesztők és felhasználók kézikönyve. Educatio Társadalmi Szolgáltató Nonprofit Kft., Budapest.
http://www.oktatas.hu/kozneveles/projektek/tamop311_2szakasz/projekthirek/nevelesi_o ktatasi_program/.
Hozzáférés ideje: 2015. február 14.
9. Garofalo, V. James (2005): Countries where Conductive Education has gained ground:
USA. Conductive Education Occasional Papers, 12. 63-80.
10. Garofalo, V. James (2005): The state of Conductive Education in USA: Past, Present and Future. Conductive Education Occasional Papers, 12. 49-62.
11. Hári Mária (1988): A humán alapelv a konduktív nevelésben. In: Balogh Margit (2005) Hári Mária. MPANNI, Budapest.
12. Hári Mária (1997): A konduktív pedagógia története. MPANNI, Budapest.
13. Kozma Tamás (2006): Az összehasonlító neveléstudomány alapjai. Új Mandátum, Budapest.
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15. Trencsényi László (2014): Impakt faktor. Neveléstudományi tanulmányok 1974-2014.
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(Magyarország felfedezése). T-Twins Kiadó, Budapest.
PUBLICATIONS OF THE AUTHOR CONNECTION WITH THE TOPIC
1. Benyovszky Andrea (2013): The Replication of the System of Conductive Education in the United States. Acta Technologica Dubnicae. 3. 2.
2. Benyovszky Andrea (2013): Otthonoktatás jellegzetességei az USA-ban. Taní-tani Online, http://www.tani-tani.info/otthonoktatas_az_amerikai.
3. Andrea Benyovszky (2013): The Replication of the System of Conductive Education in the United States. Abstracts of the 8th World Congress on Conductive Education. Conductive Education Occasional Papers International Pető Institute, Munich. Supplement 8/315-316.
4. Andrea Benyovszky (2013): Children with Spina Bifida and Spinal Injury in the Conductive Learning Center. Abstracts of the 8th World Congress on Conductive Education. Conductive Education Occasional Papers International Pető Institute, Munich.
Supplement 8/176-177.
5. Horváthné Kállay Zsófia, Nádasi Zsófia, Gál Franciska, Kolumbán Erika és Benyovszky Andrea (2012): Doktori kutatások a Pető Intézetben, Iskolakultúra, 4. 20-34.
6. Benyovszky Andrea (2011): Gondolatok a szociális és érzelmi tanulásról. Taní-tani Online, http://www.tani-tani.info/gondolatok_a_szocialis_es_erzelmi_tanulasrol.
7. Andrea Benyovszky (2010): Traditional and Non Traditional cases in the Conductive Group – Admitting those Who Would Benefit Most from Conductive Education. Abstracts of the 7th World. Congress on Conductive Education. Conductive Education Occasional Papers. International Pető Institute, Hong Kong Supplement 7/97-98.
8. Andrea Benyovszky and Elizabeth Filkins (2010): Conductive Education Data Collection at the Conductive Learning Center. Abstracts of the 7th World Congress on Conductive Education. Conductive Education Occasional Papers Supplement. International Pető Institute, Hong Kong. 7/223-224.
9. Andrea Benyovszky, Andrea Swiger and Jessie Brown (2010): Conductive Education Teacher Training in the United States: A Unique Style for Preparing Teachers at Aquinas College. Abstracts of the 7th World Congress on Conductive Education. Conductive Education Occasional Papers. International Pető Institute, Hong Kong. Supplement 7/336- 237.
10. Andrea Benyovszky (2007): Selected Data and Commentary of Conductive Learning Center (CLC) 2000-2006. Abstracts of the 6th World Congress on Conductive Education.
Conductive Education Occasional Papers. International Pető Institute, Gothenburg.
Supplement 6/71-74.
11. Andrea Benyovszky – Dr. Balogh Erzsébet (2007): Children with Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) in Conductive Education (CE). Abstracts of the 6th World Congress on Conductive Education. Conductive Education Occasional Papers. International Pető Institute, Gothenburg. Supplement 6/75-76/
12. Andrea Benyovszky (2001): Characteristics of the Realization of Conductive Education Assessment in Michigan. Abstracts of the 4th World Congress on Conductive Education.
Conductive Education Occasional Papers. International Pető Institute, London. Supplement 3/24-26.
13. Andrea Benyovszky (2001): The Realization of Conductive Education in Michigan in the Spirit of Salamanca. Abstracts of the 4th World Congress on Conductive Education.
Conductive Education Occasional Papers. International Pető Institute, London. Supplement 3/27-28.
14. V. James Garofalo, PhD, Andrea Benyovszky (megjelenés alatt): Conductive Learning Center: Grand Rapids, Michigan General Information Report Summer 1999-Summer 2009.
