Regional Education as a School of Positive Emotions

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present theoretical and practical perspective of positive emotions in the process of teaching and upbringing, especially in the space of regional education. In the first part, author describes the place of emotions in the theoretical models of education of J. Locke, J.J. Rousseau, J. Herbart, researchers of New Educations Movement and C. Rogers’ humanistic theory of child development. A separate place devoted to the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions developed by B. Fredrickson. This theory posits that experiences of positive emotions, like joy, interest, contentment, and love, broaden people’s momentary thought-action repertoires which in turn serves to build their enduring personal resources, ranging from physical and intellectual resources to social and psychological resources. The field of regional education very well fits into the theory of positive emotions. The children may observe and understand their own place and its tradition. They may be proud of it, and they would like to do something good for the local society in the future. An integral part of this article provides a proposal of substantive basis of regional educational for the Podtatrze region.