Egan's developmental understanding model: later understandings build on and incorporate the Somatic¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The article draws on Kieran Egan's (1997) model of developmental understanding, in which prelinguistic bodily knowing from infancy undergirds later linguistic experience. As printed: "As what he names the Mythic, Romantic, Philosophic and Ironic Understandings are grown into they build on and incorporate the Somatic." The article uses this to argue that Western adults over-reinforced in Philosophic or Ironic Understanding are jolted when Somatic Understanding re-enters learning.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Recognition that bodily, prelinguistic knowing persists beneath linguistic adult cognition

Constraints¶

• The article attributes the model to Egan (1997) and applies it to Western adults; it reports no test of the model

Target Learners¶

• adult learners

Target Learning Objectives¶

• understanding the developmental role of embodied knowing in meaning-making

Claims¶

Related Theories¶

• Imagination as a neglected cognitive tool essential to Constructivist instruction (Egan)

Examples¶

• Workshop arc: oral conversation, then imagistic, then somatic, ending in ritual performance
• Intentionally activate symbols so they assist transformative learning

Key Sources¶

• Loper, Paul. (2000). Chormmunity: Co-Creating Embodied Community. ERIC Document ED443009. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED443009