Logotherapy in Pedagogy, Education and Child Development
Authors: Larysa Pelykh, Viktoriia Drohobych, Svitlana Voitushenko, Dmytro Petruk, Illia Patricha
Under the guidance of Kateryna Haiova
Presented at the Student Forum on 27 February 2025.
Logotherapy in pedagogy contributes to the development of children’s values, motivation to learn and psychological resilience. It helps pupils find meaning in learning and life’s challenges, while helping teachers create a supportive environment that reduces burnout.
Using a logotherapeutic approach develops children’s responsibility, emotional resilience and awareness, which are key to their harmonious development.
Logopedagogy (or existential pedagogy) is an approach within pedagogy that focuses on the child’s personality, meaning, uniqueness and individuality. Aspects such as “orientation towards meaning”, “freedom and responsibility”, “a horizon of values” and “personality development” play a particularly important role.
There should be no differences between logopedagogy and other aspects of pedagogy, yet it is not merely an addition, since its aspects should be taken into account in all education.
Illustration from the original publication: a child and an adult sit facing each other in conversation.
Key Principles of Logopedagogy
The search for meaning: encouraging pupils to discover personal meaning in learning and life. Teachers should help pupils find their own interests and aspirations that motivate them to learn.
Responsibility: emphasising pupils’ responsibility for their learning and life decisions. Pupils are encouraged to participate actively in their own education and understand the consequences of their choices.
Personal growth: focusing on the pupil’s holistic development, including intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual aspects. Educators should help pupils develop their abilities and potential.
Authentic communication: creating a trusting and open classroom environment where pupils can freely express their thoughts and emotions. The teacher should demonstrate sincerity and empathy in relationships with pupils.
Support and inspiration: encouraging pupils and offering support by recognising their efforts and achievements. The aim is to encourage pupils to overcome difficulties and achieve their goals.
Ethical education: developing pupils’ values and moral principles. Teachers pay attention to the development of ethical awareness and a responsible attitude towards oneself and others.
Five Concepts of Logotherapy and Their Practical Application in Bringing Up Children
1. The Search for Meaning
IDEA — We start from the premise that every child has a unique dream and potential. We should help children discover and realise their strengths, interests and goals.
SITUATION — A child feels unsure of themselves or uncertain about their future.
APPLICATION — Talk with the child about their dreams and interests; ask questions: “What do you enjoy doing? What would you like to try?” For example, if a child enjoys drawing, help them find classes or create an art project.
2. Three Pathways to Meaning
IDEA: Creative activity: A child can find meaning through what they create (drawing, music, sport).
Experience: Meaning can be found through encounters with nature, art and other people.
Attitude towards difficulties: Teach children to see challenges as an opportunity for growth rather than defeat.
SITUATION — A child spends a lot of time using electronic devices.
APPLICATION — Arrange a walk in nature and discuss its beauty and harmony. Ask: “Why do you think trees grow so tall? How is this like our lives?” Use metaphors from nature to explain the importance of growth and self-development.
3. Responsibility
IDEA — Particular attention should be paid to teaching children, from a very early age, to make decisions independently and take responsibility for them. It is useful to apply the following sequence according to E. Lukas: clearly set out the options — weigh all possible consequences — make a decision. It can be used in the simplest situations.
SITUATION — A child does not want to do household chores.
APPLICATION — Explain the importance of their contribution to the family. For example, say: “Your cleaning helps us live in a clean and comfortable home. This matters to everyone.” Introduce an element of choice: “You can start by tidying your room or washing the dishes. Which will you choose?”
4. Freedom of Choice
IDEA — It is important to nurture the child’s own autonomy. A person always has the freedom to choose their response to a situation. This takes courage, and if parents are prepared to do so, it will be easier for the child to follow their example. Teach children to recognise their emotions and control their responses. For example, to choose patience instead of anger.
SITUATION — A child is upset by criticism from classmates.
APPLICATION — Explain that their response to the situation is their choice. Ask them to think: “How can you respond without ruining your mood?” Suggest: “You can either feel upset or think about how to become stronger.”
5. Transcendence
IDEA — Going beyond one’s own ego to serve others and higher ideals. Involve children in helping others, volunteering or shared projects that have a positive impact on the community.
SITUATION — A child behaves selfishly and does not want to help others.
APPLICATION — Suggest helping a loved one or a neighbour together. For example, prepare a meal together for a friend who is ill or collect toys for charity. Discuss their feelings after helping: “What did you feel when you did this?”
“The most precious gift is time: time for children, time for one another, time for ‘you’ and ‘me’. The time we find for people is always about respect. While the statement ‘knowledge is power’ was once considered true, today’s motto should be ‘respect is education’.” (E. Lukas; translated from the Ukrainian quotation)
Illustration from the original publication: a child and an adult against an imaginary landscape.
Logotherapy in Education: Areas of Application
Educational programmes: Logotherapeutic principles are integrated into education through curricula, selected texts, discussions and creative tasks. This approach develops moral values, empathy and responsibility.
Career guidance: Promoting awareness of one’s own values and calling, helping pupils choose a profession not only on the basis of external factors but also in accordance with their inner aspirations.
Identity development: In adolescence, logotherapeutic group sessions, art activities and reflective practices contribute to deeper self-perception and emotional resilience, helping to develop responsibility, overcome difficulties and understand oneself.
Using Literature in the Context of Logotherapy
Superheroes in fictional narratives often seek meaning in life rather than merely happiness or power. For example, Batman and Spider-Man find meaning in the tragedy of losing their parents, Wolverine in the search for his past, while Iron Man, starting from selfishness, strives to improve the world and sacrifices himself.
Self-sacrifice, although it often leads to the loss of power and luxury, is an important characteristic of superheroes. They often act with the aim of self-transcendence, seeking to help others. Their actions frequently reflect the principles of logotherapy, particularly freedom and responsibility. Despite a traumatic past, many superheroes do not see themselves as victims but determine their attitude towards life, demonstrating an unbreakable strength of spirit.
Like adolescents, superheroes explore issues such as autonomy, identity and building relationships. It is unsurprising that the problems superheroes face often mirror the developmental tasks of adolescence.
Using such characters in literature lessons helps pupils understand how existential concepts can be applied to their own experience by analysing the characters’ motives and their paths towards self-determination.
Logotherapy in Career Guidance
Career guidance based on logotherapy helps pupils not only choose a profession but also find meaning in their future work. This is important for preventing feelings of existential emptiness, even when career success has been achieved.
The Logo-CareerSkills (LCS) programme supports young people in overcoming challenges in today’s labour market, such as unemployment and technological change. It was developed on the basis of the JOBS method and Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy techniques to address crises associated with unemployment. LCS aims to develop young people’s career competencies, help them become aware of their values in life, set career goals and develop skills in self-presentation, communication and problem-solving.
The LCS Programme Consists of Two Stages
During the first stage, participants attend a series of seminars and individual coaching sessions in which they explore their strengths, hierarchy of values and life motivations through a logotherapeutic approach.
During the second stage, individual coaching sessions continue, now with the application of the methods learned to real-life situations.
Logotherapeutic Programmes for Identity Development
The LEIGA programme (a logotherapy-based ego-identity improvement programme through group art activities) is a structured course that combines a logotherapeutic approach with art practices to develop self-awareness, emotional resilience and awareness of one’s own values in life.
The Programme Consists of Four Stages
The beginning stage aims to create an atmosphere of trust and help participants get to know themselves and others. Through creative exercises such as making name badges with pseudonyms, mind maps and drawing a friend’s face, participants reflect on their personality, meaningful social connections and the importance of positive relationships.
The working stage focuses on exploring the inner world, recognising one’s own emotions and transforming them. Through art techniques (coloured sand and making an emotion ball), participants analyse what makes them happy or sad, learn to cope with anger, accept themselves and develop a positive self-image.
The transition stage helps participants identify their strengths, articulate their dreams and draw up a plan of action to realise them. Creative tasks such as painting with clay and making a photo frame foster awareness of their own initiative, responsibility and ability to influence their future.
The concluding stage emphasises cooperation, collective creativity and summing up. Through exercises such as creating a “City of Life” and a personal values album, participants consolidate the skills they have acquired, recognise the importance of interacting with others and integrate the experience into their lives.
In Lim’s (2022) study, participation in the LEIGA programme was associated with reduced academic stress and stress symptoms and improved ego-identity and meaning-in-life scores among pupils in grades 4–6. (Editor’s note)
Addressing Difficulties with Motivation in Children through Logotherapy
Addressing difficulties with motivation in children through logotherapy involves an orientation towards meaning in life, values and goals. Here are several approaches:
1. Helping Children Identify Meaning in an Activity
Problem: A child does not want to do a particular task, considering it uninteresting or pointless.
Solution: Explain how the task relates to their life or future. For example, explain that studying mathematics helps develop logical thinking, which will be useful in adult life.
2. Using Positive Examples
Problem: A child sees no meaning in making an effort.
Solution: Give examples of successful people who achieved success through perseverance. Suggest discussing their stories so that the child understands the importance of self-development.
3. Developing Responsibility through Choice
Problem: Reluctance to take part in decision-making.
Solution: Give the child freedom of choice within a specific situation. For example, ask: “What will you choose today: reading a book or helping at home?” This develops a sense of responsibility.
4. Supporting Interests and Dreams
Problem: A lack of intrinsic motivation.
Solution: Talk with the child about their dreams and aspirations. Help them find a connection between their current actions and achieving what they want. For example, if a child dreams of becoming an artist, encourage creative activities and small achievements.
5. Resolving Conflicts through Values
Problem: A child does not want to follow rules.
Solution: Explain the meaning of rules and the values they develop. For example, say: “When you wash the dishes after a meal, it helps our family live in cleanliness and harmony.”
6. Teaching by Example
Problem: A child does not understand the importance of perseverance.
Solution: Show through your own example how you overcome difficulties and talk about your own experience of motivation.
7. Recognising Small Achievements
Problem: A child quickly loses motivation because of a lack of visible results.
Solution: Praise every small step forward and point out their progress, emphasising that even small successes lead to a significant result.
8. Working with Negative Experiences
Problem: A child is afraid of failure.
Solution: Discuss how failures are part of the path to success. Ask them to name something they learned from a mistake.
Logotherapy helps guide children towards a sense of the significance of their actions, motivating them through meaning and personal values.
Source for the Editorial Clarification
Lim, Y.-S. (2022). The development and effects of the logotherapy-based ego-identity improvement program with the application of group art activities in late school-aged children. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 9(12), 89–97. https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2022.12.012