EDUCATION WITH AFFECTION: TEACHING WITH HEART AND REASON

Abstract

The article aimed to critically analyze the role of affectivity in teaching practice and in the process of meaningful learning, focusing on the relationship between emotion, cognition, and technical-instrumental rationality within the school context. The theme addressed the relevance of emotional dimensions in education and the way in which affect was linked to the ethics of care and teacher education, while also confronting the limitations imposed by educational policies centered on goals and productivity. The methodology was based on a bibliographic research, characterized by the selection and analysis of scientific texts published between 2020 and 2025 in digital databases, with inclusion criteria guided by thematic pertinence, recency, and academic rigor. The results showed that affectivity constituted a fundamental condition for meaningful learning and for strengthening pedagogical relationships, while also revealing contradictions in school practices marked by instrumental rationality. It was concluded that, although there is broad theoretical support for valuing affect in teaching, gaps persist in teacher training and in educational policies, which reinforces the need to further investigate this field. Thus, the study highlighted the importance of integrating the affective dimension into pedagogical practices as a strategy to promote more humanized and transformative educational processes.