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If you’re thinking about buying Christmas gifts for the kids, chances are Lego sets aren’t too far from your mind. The endless creativity of LEGO bricks means they can be used for much more than just following the instructions to build models on the front of the box. They are also used in academic research.
Our research uses Lego to get young people to talk to each other about identity, belonging and participation in society. We help young people connect with each other to think critically about their place in the world and their relationships with others.
We build on the concept of “worldview” – the beliefs and values that shape the way we see things – and explore how our worldview (whether religious, non-religious or somewhere in between) affects the way we view and interact with others and society.
In a recent study, we gave ten groups of young people in four secondary schools across England stacks of Lego bricks and asked them to build models to show the answers to questions. Besides the fact that it’s fun, building with LEGO is a powerful way for people to express themselves.
create and think
“Building” gives people time to reflect and can lead to more thoughtful, imaginative, and often emotional responses. The power of metaphor is especially helpful in exploring personal or sensitive issues. It creates a sense of distance; We feel less exposed and are able to discuss things that may be difficult to express.
This is a technique used in the LEGO Serious Play approach: a tool developed by the LEGO Group for the workplace with the idea that by “thinking through fingers” we use both sides of the brain with the ability to unleash insight and imagination. We apply it to explore ideas of similarities and differences.
Students in our study explored ideas of identity by creating a model to show the “three things that make you, you.” Some students focused on things they like, like hobbies, or things that are important to them. Many also highlighted people who matter to them, their heritage, nation, faith, community and nature. We asked students to explain their models and in doing so, they explored complex and diverse aspects of their own and others’ identities.
Students considered their relationships to people and places when creating a model of “Where You Feel You Belong.” What emerged were multiple loyalties and allegiances in which gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, interests, aspirations and politics were all interconnected in complex and unexpected ways. We asked students what connections there were between their Lego creations, and had to show this by connecting strings between their own and others’ models.
making connections
We then asked students to show and explain the work they do in these spaces as a way of exploring their involvement in social and civic life. At this point, we asked students about their religion or worldview and asked them to sprinkle beads on their models where it was relevant to them. This helped students think about their personal worldview and understand how it relates to identity and belonging, their actions, and society.
About the authors
Martha Shaw is Associate Professor in Education at London South Bank University and Alexis Stones is Subject Head of Religious Education PGCE at UCL. This article is republished from Conversation Under Creative Commons license. read the original article,
Finally, we asked students to come together to create “What Does It Mean to Be a Citizen?” Here they combined their ideas, working together in a new and interactive way that pays attention to differences and connections. One of the students said, “It shows how we are all connected together in the society and we must work together to run the society.”
Our research shows that young people’s worldviews are complex and dynamic: they shape and are shaped by interactions in society. In other words, there is a complex interplay between worldview, civic identity, and action. Young people told us that the research process had increased their understanding of themselves and each other. The experience of building and discussing created empathy, a sense of interconnectedness, and a shared vision for a more cohesive society. As part of our project, we have put together resources on this method for teachers to use.
A recent review of England’s National Curriculum aims to prepare young people to meet the challenges of our changing world, and recommends increased provision of religious education and citizenship. As a research method and an educational tool, Lego or other building toys have the potential to help teachers and youth think outside the box, whether it is Lego boxes, identity “boxes” or traditional approaches to learning.