Education through human rights lens: Psychosocial development and student engagement in school
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21527/2179-1309.2025.122.15638Keywords:
Psychosocial development, student engagement, adolescent development, human rightsAbstract
The right to education entails a specific quality of education that summons full personality development and educational processes. However, the pressing need for a theoretical framework to address these aspects at the student level, particularly during adolescence, a crucial period for promoting lifelong well-being, thriving, and active participation, cannot be overstated. The study aims to present a theoretical perspective to address full personality development and educational processes at the student level. Following initial considerations, we suggest two sound theoretical and empirical approaches highly relevant to education research: Erikson’s psychosocial development to address full personality development; student engagement in school to address educational processes. For each approach, prospects and challenges are presented. The discussion section focuses on the feasibility of a framework using these approaches to address the right to education at the level of students’ experience. The study presents a practical and constructive framework to actualize the right to quality education and advocates for its significance in both research and intervention. While the perspectives hold promise, this work serves as a starting point for debate and issue presentation. Further empirical endeavors are imperative, given the urgent need to consider education's role in adolescent’s thriving. However, the potential of the presented perspectives gives us hope for the future of education.
References
ABREU, Sónia; VEIGA, Feliciano Henriques. Students engagement in school: Relation to perceived rights in the family and perceived family support. In: VEIGA, FELICIANO HENRIQUES (org.). Students’ engagement in school: International perspectives of psychology and education. Lisboa: Instituto de Educação da Universidade de Lisboa, 2014. p. 38-57.
ALEXANDER, Robin J. Education for all, the quality imperative and the problem of pedagogy. Brighton: Create: University of Sussex, 2008.
ALFVÉN, Tobias et al. Placing children and adolescents at the centre of the Sustainable Development Goals will deliver for current and future generations. Global Health Action, v. 12, n. 1, p. 1670015, 1º Jan. 2019.
ARCHAMBAULT, Isabelle et al. Promoting student engagement from childhood to adolescence as a way to improve Positive Youth Development and school completion. Handbook of Student Engagement Interventions. [S. l.]: Elsevier, 2019. p. 13-29.
BIESTA, Gert. Good education in an age of measurement: on the need to reconnect with the question of purpose in education. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, v. 21, n. 1, p. 33-46, Feb. 2009.
BIESTA, Gert. Risking Ourselves in Education: Qualification, Socialization, and Subjectification Revisited. Educational Theory, v. 70, n. 1, p. 89-104, Feb. 2020.
BIESTA, Gert. School‐as‐Institution or School‐as‐Instrument? How to Overcome Instrumentalism without Giving Up on Democracy. Educational Theory, v. 72, n. 3, p. 319-331, June 2022.
BOURDIEU, Pierre. L’école conservatrice: Les inégalités devant l’école et devant la culture. Revue Française de Sociologie, v. 7, n. 3, p. 325-347, July 1966.
CALDEIRA, Suzana Nunes; VEIGA, Feliciano H. Desenvolvimento pessoal, psicossocial e moral [Personal, psychosocial and moral development]. In: VEIGA, FELICIANO H. (org.). Psicologia da educação – teoria, investigação e aplicação: Envolvimento dos alunos na escola. Lisboa: Climepsi, 2013. p. 121-176.
CANTOR, Pamela et al. Malleability, plasticity, and individuality: How children learn and develop in context. Applied Developmental Science, v. 23, n. 4, p. 307-337, 2 Oct. 2019.
CARVALHO, Nuno Archer de; VEIGA, Feliciano Henriques. Psychosocial Development Research in Adolescence: A Scoping Review. Trends in Psychology, v. 30, p. 640-669, 2022.
CARVALHO, Nuno Archer de; VEIGA, Feliciano Henriques. Studies on student engagement in adolescence: A scoping review. Psicologia, v. 37, n. 2, p. 62-79, 2023.
CÔTÉ, James E.; LEVINE, Charles. A formulation of Erikson’s theory of ego identity formation. Developmental Review, v. 7, n. 4, p. 273-325, Dez. 1987.
COULOMBE, Simon; HARDY, Kendra; GOLDFARB, Rachel. Promoting wellbeing through positive education: A critical review and proposed social ecological approach. Theory and Research in Education, v. 18, n. 3, p. 295-321, Nov. 2020.
CROSS, Tracy L.; CROSS, Jennifer Riedl. Maximizing potential: A school-based conception of psychosocial development. High Ability Studies, v. 28, n. 1, p. 43-58, 2 Jan. 2017.
DELORS, Jacques (org.). Learning, the treasure within: Report to Unesco of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century. Paris: Unesco, 1996.
DUNKEL, Curtis S.; HARBKE, Colin. A Review of Measures of Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development: Evidence for a General Factor. Journal of Adult Development, v. 24, n. 1, p. 58-76, Mar. 2017.
ECCLES, Jacquelynne S.; ROESER, Robert W. Schools, academic motivation, and stage–environment fit. In: LERNER, R. M.; STEINBERG, L. (org.). Handbook of Adolescent Psychology. [S. l.]: Routledge, 2009. p. 404-434.
ERIKSON, Erik H. Identity, youth and crisis. New York: Norton, 1994.
ERIKSON, Erik H.; ERIKSON, Joan Mowat. The life cycle completed. Extended version ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 1998.
FREDRICKS, Jennifer A.; RESCHLY, Amy L.; CHRISTENSON, Sandra L. Interventions for Student Engagement: Overview and State of the Field. Handbook of Student Engagement Interventions. [S. l.]: Elsevier, 2019. p. 1-11. Disponível em: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780128134139000012. Acesso em: 18 June 2023.
FREDRICKS, Jennifer A.; BLUMENFELD, Phyllis C.; PARIS, Alison H. School Engagement: Potential of the Concept, State of the Evidence. Review of Educational Research, v. 74, n. 1, p. 59-109, Mar. 2004.
GANDHI, Amarendra et al. Reactive and regulative temperament and non-suicidal self-injury in Flemish adolescents: The intervening role of identity formation. Personality and Individual Differences, v. 99, p. 254-259, Sept. 2016.
GUTIÉRREZ, Melchor et al. Autonomy support, psychological needs satisfaction, school engagement and academic success: A mediation model. Universitas Psychologica, v. 17, n. 5, p. 1-12, 5 Dec. 2018.
HART, Stuart N.; PAVLOVICB, Zoran; ZEIDNERC, Moshe. The ISPA Cross-National Children’s Rights Research Project. School Psychology International, v. 22, n. 2, p. 99-129, May. 2001.
IBÁÑEZ AYUSO, María José; LIMÓN MENDIZABAL, M.a Rosario; RUÍZ-ALBERDÍ, Cristina María. La escuela: lugar de significado y compromiso. Teoría de la Educación. Revista Interuniversitaria, v. 35, n. 1, p. 47-64, 5 Sept. 2022.
KOHLBERG, Lawrence; MAYER, Rochelle. Development as the Aim of Education. Harvard Educational Review, v. 42, n. 4, p. 449-496, 1º Dec. 1972.
LAM, Shui-fong et al. Cultural universality and specificity of student engagement in school: The results of an international study from 12 countries. British Journal of Educational Psychology, v. 86, n. 1, p. 137-153, Mar. 2016.
LAM, Shui-Fong et al. Understanding student engagement with a contextual model. In: CHRISTENSON, S. L.; RESCHLY, A. L.; WYLIE, C. (org.). Handbook of research on student engagement. Boston, MA: Springer US, 2012. p. 403-419.
LAWFORD, Heather L.; DOYLE, Anna-Beth; MARKIEWICZ, Dorothy. Associations of attachment orientation with early generative concern across adolescence. Journal of Personality, v. 86, n. 4, p. 726-737, Aug. 2018.
LEI, Hao; CUI, Yunhuo; ZHOU, Wenye. Relationships between student engagement and academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Social Behavior and Personality: an International Journal, v. 46, n. 3, p. 517–528, 25 Mar. 2018.
LERNER, Richard M. Concepts and theories of human development. 3rd ed. Mahwah, N.J: L. Erlbaum Associates, 2002.
LERNER, Richard M. et al. Positive Youth Development in 2020: Theory, Research, Programs, and the Promotion of Social Justice. Journal of Research on Adolescence, v. 31, n. 4, p. 1.114-1.134, Dec. 2021.
LIU, Katrina; BALL, Arnetha F. Critical Reflection and Generativity: Toward a Framework of Transformative Teacher Education for Diverse Learners. Review of Research in Education, v. 43, n. 1, p. 68-105, Mar. 2019.
LUNDY, Laura; O’LYNN, Patricia. The Education Rights of Children. In: KILKELLY, U.; LIEFAARD, T. (org.). International Human Rights of Children. Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2019. p. 259-276.
MALVEIRO, Fernanda; VEIGA, Feliciano Henriques. Students’ Engagement in School: Analyses according to perceived rights and grade level. In: VEIGA, Feliciano Henriques (org.). Envolvimento dos alunos na escola: Perspetivas da psicologia e educação – motivação para o desempenho académico. Lisboa: Instituto de Educação da Universidade de Lisboa, 2014. p. 268-286.
MCCOWAN, Tristan. O direito humano à aprendizagem e a aprendizagem dos direitos humanos. Educar em Revista, n. 55, p. 25-46, Mar. 2015.
MCCOWAN, Tristan. Reframing the universal right to education. Comparative Education, v. 46, n. 4, p. 509-525, 2010.
MONTEIRO, António Reis. O novo direito à educação da criança. In: MONTEIRO, António Reis et al. (org.). Direitos das crianças. Coimbra: Coimbra Editora, 2004. p. 23-37.
MONTEIRO, António Reis. The right of the child to education: what right to what education? Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, v. 9, p. 1.988-1.992, 2010.
MONTEIRO, Michelle; LIMA-BERTON, Tatiane Delurdes de; ASINELLI-LUZ, Araci. A importância da inserção da cultura da paz no currículo escolar. Revista Contexto & Educação, v. 36, n. 114, p. 301-315, 6 July 2021.
NEWMAN, Barbara M.; NEWMAN, Philip R. Development through life: a psychosocial approach. 12. ed. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning, 2015.
OECD. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. OECD Learning Compass 2030: A series of concept notes. [S. l.]: OECD, 2019.
OSHER, David et al.; Drivers of human development: How relationships and context shape learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, v. 24, n. 1, p. 6-36, 2 Jan. 2020.
PATTON, George C. et al. Our future: a Lancet commission on adolescent health and wellbeing. The Lancet, v. 387, n. 10.036, p. 2.423-2.478, June 2016.
QUIN, Daniel. Longitudinal and contextual associations between teacher – student relationships and student engagement: A systematic review. Review of Educational Research, v. 87, n. 2, p. 345-387, Apr. 2017.
REBOUL, Olivier. A filosofia da educação. Tradução Antonio Rocha e Artur Morão. Lisboa: Edições 70, 2000.
REEVE, Johnmarshall; TSENG, Ching-Mei. Agency as a fourth aspect of students’ engagement during learning activities. Contemporary Educational Psychology, v. 36, n. 4, p. 257-267, Oct. 2011.
RESCHLY, Amy L.; CHRISTENSON, Sandra L. Jingle, jangle, and conceptual haziness: evolution and future directions of the engagement construct. In: CHRISTENSON, S. L.; RESCHLY, A. L.; WYLIE, C. (org.). Handbook of research on student engagement. Boston, MA: Springer US, 2012. p. 3-20.
RIVAS-DRAKE, Deborah et al. Ethnic and racial identity in adolescence: Implications for psychosocial, academic, and health outcomes. Child Development, v. 85, n. 1, p. 40-57, Jan. 2014.
ROBAERT, Damaris Wehrmann; SCHONARDIE, Elisiane Felzke. Educação e práticas para promoção de saúde mental na adolescência. Revista Contexto & Educação, v. 32, n. 103, p. 191, 1 Dec. 2017.
RYAN, Richard M.; DECI, Edward L. Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, v. 55, n. 1, p. 68-78, 2000.
SANTOS, Boaventura de Sousa. A transição paradigmática: da regulação à emancipação. In: CARRILHO, M. M. (org.). Dicionário do Pensamento Contemporâneo. Lisboa: Dom Quixote, 1991. p. 23-43.
SAVATER, Fernando. O valor de educar. Lisboa: Dom Quixote, 2007.
SCHACHTER, Elli P. Erikson Meets the Postmodern: Can Classic Identity Theory Rise to the Challenge? Identity, v. 5, n. 2, p. 137-160, Apr. 2005.
SCHWARTZ, Seth J. et al. Identity around the world: An overview. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, n. 138, p. 1-18, Dec. 2012.
SOENENS, Bart; VANSTEENKISTE, Maarten. A Lifespan Perspective on the Importance of the Basic Psychological Needs for Psychosocial Development. In: RYAN, R. M. (org.). The Oxford Handbook of Self-Determination Theory. 1. ed. [S. l.]: Oxford University Press, 2023. p. 457-490.
THE NEW YORK TIMES. Erik Erikson, 91, Psychoanalyst Who Reshaped Views of Human Growth, Dies. The New York Times, 13 May. 1994. Obituaries, p. 9.
TOMASEVISK, Katarina. Right to education primers n. 3: Human Rights obligations – making education avaliable, accesible, aceptable and adaptable. Gothemburg: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, 2001a.
TOMASEVISK, Katarina. Right to education primers n. 4: Human rights in education as prerequisite for human rights education. Gothemburg: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, 2001b.
UN. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 44/25 ed. New York: General Assembly of the United Nations, 1989.
UN. General comment N. 1: The aims of education (Article 29). New York: United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2001.
UN. General comment N. 4: Adolescent Health and development in the context of the Convention on the Rights of the child. New York: United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2003.
UN. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. General Assembly resolution 217 A ed. New York: General Assembly of the United Nations, 1948.
UNESCO. Education 2030 – Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4. Paris: Unesco Education Sector, 2016.
UNESCO. Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2021.
UNESCO. Right to education handbook. Paris: Unesco Education Sector, 2019.
UNICEF. UNICEF programme guidance for the second decade: Programming with and for adolescents. New York: Unicef, 2018.
UNICEF; UNESCO (org.). A human rights-based approach to education for all. New York: Unicef, 2007.
VEIGA, Feliciano H. Students’ Perceptions of Their Rights in Portugal. School Psychology International, v. 22, n. 2, p. 174-189, May. 2001.
VEIGA, Feliciano Henriques et al. Do students with immigrant and native parents perceive themselves as equally engaged in school during adolescence? Current Psychology, 13 Nov. 2021. Disponível em: https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12144-021-02480-2. Acesso em: 6 Dec. 2021.
VEIGA, Feliciano Henriques et al. When adolescents with high self-concept lose their engagement in school. Revista de Psicodidactica, v. 20, n. 2, p. 305-320, 25 June 2015.
VEIGA, Feliciano Henriques. Assessing student engagement in school: Development and validation of a four-dimensional scale. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, v. 217, p. 813-819, Feb. 2016.
VEIGA, Feliciano Henriques et al. Student’s engagement in school: Conceptualization and relations with personal variables and academic performance. Revista de Psicología y Educación, v. 9, n. 1, p. 29-47, 2014a.
VEIGA, Feliciano Henriques et al. Students’ Engagement in School: Analyses according to perceived rights and grade level. In: VEIGA, Feliciano Henriques (org.). I Congresso Internacional Envolvimento dos Alunos na Escola. Lisboa: Instituto de Educação da Universidade de Lisboa, 2014b. p. 1.916-1.928.
VERHOEVEN, Monique; POORTHUIS, Astrid M. G.; VOLMAN, Monique. The Role of School in Adolescents’ Identity Development. A Literature Review. Educational Psychology Review, v. 31, n. 1, p. 35-63, Mar. 2019.
VERIAVA, Faranaaz; PATERSON, Kate. The right to education. In: DUGARD, J. et al. Research Handbook on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as Human Rights. [S. l.]: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2020. p. 113-136.
WANG, Ming-Te; DEGOL, Jessica. Staying engaged: Knowledge and research Needs in student engagement. Child Development Perspectives, v. 8, n. 3, p. 137-143, Sept. 2014.
WATERMAN, Alan S. What does it mean to engage in identity exploration and to hold identity commitments? A methodological critique of multidimensional measures for the study of identity processes. Identity, v. 15, n. 4, p. 309-349, 2 Oct. 2015.
WHO. Declaration of Alma-Ata. Alma-Ata, USSR: World Health Organization, 1978.
WONG, Zi Yang; LIEM, Gregory Arief D. Student Engagement: Current State of the Construct, Conceptual Refinement, and Future Research Directions. Educational Psychology Review, v. 34, p. 107-138, 2022.
ZAPP, Mike. Beyond large-scale achievement testing: The “psychological turn” in international organizations’ work on educational assessment. In: WISEMAN, A. W.; DAVIDSON, P. M. (org.). International Perspectives on Education and Society. [S. l.]: Emerald Publishing Limited, 2018. v. 35. p. 161-195.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Context and Education Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Autores que publicam nesta revista concordam com os seguintes termos:
a. Autores mantém os direitos autorais e concedem à revista o direito de primeira publicação, com o trabalho simultaneamente licenciado sob a Creative Commons - Atribuição 4.0 Internacional que permite o compartilhamento do trabalho com reconhecimento da autoria e publicação inicial nesta revista.
b. Autores têm autorização para assumir contratos adicionais separadamente, para distribuição não-exclusiva da versão do trabalho publicada nesta revista (ex.: publicar em repositório institucional ou como capítulo de livro), com reconhecimento de autoria e publicação inicial nesta revista.
c. Autores têm permissão e são estimulados a publicar e distribuir seu trabalho online (ex.: em repositórios institucionais ou na sua página pessoal) a qualquer ponto antes ou durante o processo editorial, já que isso pode gerar alterações produtivas, bem como aumentar o impacto e a citação do trabalho publicado (Veja O Efeito do Acesso Livre).
