Cynefin can be interpreted in many ways. This blog post explores our understanding of cynefin as permeating across government policy, national institutions and local communities, filtering through education and becoming part of how individuals feel, their language(s), how they engage, and who and what they identify with.

Education in Wales is being transformed with the introduction of a new statutory Curriculum for Wales for learners between 3 and 16 years of age, a curriculum that considers learning as a process rather than focusing on content, information or outcomes. This curriculum is realised through six Areas of Learning and Experience which are central to planning based on four purposes of learning to develop ‘ambitious, capable learners’, ‘enterprising, creative contributors’, ‘healthy, confident individuals’, and ‘ethical, informed citizens’ (Welsh Government, 2022a). This final purpose recommends developing learners who are ‘informed about their culture, community, society and the world now and in the past’. Passion and pride for Welsh language and culture is promoted while acknowledging the importance of the variety of languages and cultures that enrich Welsh communities in the 21st century.

One core element of the curriculum is the concept of cynefin defined by Professor Mererid Hopwood as ‘the place where we feel we belong, where the people and landscape around us are familiar, and the sights and sounds are reassuringly recognisable … it is the historic, cultural and social place which has shaped and continues to shape the community which inhabits it’ (Welsh Government, 2020). There is no direct translation of the term ‘cynefin’ in English that gives justice to the complex elements that are part of it. These include the sense of belonging to a particular place, personal values, spiritual feelings, identity, and much more. One way to understand this is through applying Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory. Through this theoretical lens, we posit that cynefin is unique to everyone (at the micro level) as illustrated in Figure 1. Our cynefin and the varying natural and physical influences within it mould who we are and what is important to us as citizens of Wales, as reflected in the meso level. One part of the system is the Welsh language, and at the macro level, the Cymraeg 2050 policy and its aim for a million Welsh speakers and 40 per cent of learners in Welsh medium education by 2050 (Welsh Government, 2017).

Figure 1. Interpreting cynefin drawing upon Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory.

The curriculum, and the concept of cynefin, have a key role to play to realise this vision. From a teaching perspective, this is promoted through ‘Languages, Literacy and Communication’ and the ‘Humanities’, but the concept of planning at a local level to incorporate the element of cynefin is a further boost to the development of bilingualism from a Welsh language and home language perspective. Local culture as evidenced through events and organisations such as Urdd, Eisteddfod, the Young Farmers’ movement, sports clubs and religious events held in Welsh all contribute towards enriching the sense of cynefin among learners in Wales. These activities again are part of the meso system which influences the holistic development of the individual.

‘Interpreting the complexity of the term cynefin from a bilingual perspective or implementing it within a school context is not without its challenges.’

However, interpreting the complexity of the term cynefin from a bilingual perspective or implementing it within a school context is not without its challenges. Census results from 2021 demonstrate that 6 per cent fewer Welsh children and young people between the ages of 5 and 15 speak Welsh than in the previous decade (Welsh Government, 2022b). Incorporating the language while promoting the concept of cynefin is one way to address these challenges. Offering a variety of experiences raises awareness of one’s own cynefin as well as developing an understanding of the cynefin of others. There are various ways of offering this within the curriculum; for example, by introducing local stories and traditions, organising visits to the local area, discussing the work of Welsh poets and authors, as well as learning the language and offering opportunities to use it. In offering such experiences within school and beyond, learners will come to understand more about the elements that contribute to and enrich their concept of cynefin and appreciate it now and later in life. In this respect, practitioners must consider what they want to teach and the type of experiences they want to offer to promote a sense of cynefin among learners in their classes, both within school and beyond.

References

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press.

Welsh Government. (2017). Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers. https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2018-12/cymraeg-2050-welsh-language-strategy.pdf

Welsh Government. (2020). Curriculum for Wales guidance. https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales

Welsh Government. (2022a). Developing a vision for curriculum design. https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales/designing-your-curriculum/developing-a-vision-for-curriculum-design/

Welsh Government. (2022b). Chief Statistician’s update: Understanding Census 2021 data about the Welsh language. https://digitalanddata.blog.gov.wales/2022/12/06/chief-statisticians-update-understanding-census-2021-data-about-the-welsh-language/

Cynefin a Chymru: Yr allwedd i ddyfodol iaith a diwylliant

Gellir dehongli Cynefin mewn sawl ffordd. Mae’r post blog hwn yn archwilio ein dealltwriaeth o cynefin fel cysyniad sy’n treiddio ar draws polisïau’r llywodraeth, sefydliadau cenedlaethol a chymunedau lleol, gan raeadru trwy addysg a dod yn rhan o sut mae unigolion yn teimlo, eu hiaith/hieithoedd, sut maent yn ymgysylltu a chyda phwy a beth maent yn uniaethu.

Mae addysg yng Nghymru yn trawsnewid gyda chyflwyno Cwricwlwm i Gymru yn statudol i ddysgwyr rhwng 3 ac 16 oed ers Medi 2022, cwricwlwm sy’n ystyried dysgu fel proses yn hytrach na ffocysu ar gynnwys, gwybodaeth neu gynnyrch.  Gwireddir y cwricwlwm hwn trwy chwe Maes Dysgu a Phrofiad sy’n ganolog i gynllunio ar sail pedwar diben dysgu sef datblygu ‘dysgwyr uchelgeisiol, galluog’, ‘cyfranwyr mentrus, creadigol’, ‘unigolion iach, hyderus’ a ‘dinasyddion egwyddorol, gwybodus’ (Llywodraeth Cymru, 2022a). Mae’r diben olaf hwn yn argymell datblygu dysgwyr sy’n ‘wybodus am eu diwylliant, eu cymuned, eu cymdeithas a’r byd yn awr ac yn y gorffennol’. Yma caiff angerdd a balchder am yr iaith Gymraeg a’r diwylliant Cymreig eu hybu gan hefyd gydnabod pwysigrwydd yr amrywiaeth o ieithoedd a diwylliannau sy’n rhan o dapestri cyfoethog cymunedau Cymru yr unfed-ganrif-ar-hugain. 

Elfen greiddiol arall o’r cwricwlwm yn y cyd-destun hwn hefyd yw’r cysyniad o gynefin a ddiffinnir gan yr Athro Mererid Hopwood fel ‘lle yr ydym yn teimlo ein bod yn perthyn iddo, lle mae’r bobl a’r dirwedd o’n cwmpas yn gyfarwydd … lleoliad hanesyddol, diwylliannol a chymdeithasol sydd wedi ffurfio ac sy’n parhau i ffurfio’r gymuned sy’n trigo yno’ (Llywodraeth Cymru, 2020).  Ni cheir cyfieithiad uniongyrchol o’r term ‘cynefin’ yn yr iaith Saesneg sy’n gwneud cyfiawnder gyda’r elfennau cymhleth sy’n ran ohono. Mae’r rhain yn cynnwys yr ymdeimlad o berthyn i fan penodol, gwerthoedd personol, teimladau ysbrydol, hunaniaeth a llawer mwy. Un ffordd o ddeall hyn yw trwy gymhwyso damcaniaeth systemau ecolegol Bronfenbrenner (1979) sy’n awgrymu bod ‘cynefin’ yn unigryw i bawb (ar lefel meicro), fel y dangosir yn Ffigwr 1. Ein ‘cynefin’ a’r gwahanol ddylanwadau naturiol a ffisegol sydd ynddo sy’n mowldio pwy ydyn ni a’r hyn sy’n bwysig i ni fel dinasyddion yng Nghymru sy’n adlewyrchu’r lefel meso.  Un rhan o’r system yw’r iaith Gymraeg, ac ar lefel macro, y polisi Cymraeg 2050 a’r nod o gael miliwn o siaradwyr a 40 y cant o ddysgwyr mewn addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg erbyn 2050 (Llywodraeth Cymru, 2017).   

Ffigwr 1. Dehongli’r cysyniad o Gynefin gan ddefnyddio system ecolegol Bronfenbrenner (1979)

Mae gan y cwricwlwm felly, a’r cysyniad o ‘gynefin’ yn benodol, rôl allweddol i’w chwarae er mwyn gwireddu’r freuddwyd honno.  O safbwynt addysgu, hybir hyn trwy’r Meysydd Dysgu a Phrofiad ‘Ieithoedd, Llythrennedd a Chyfathrebu’ a’r ‘Dyniaethau’, ond mae’r cysyniad o gynllunio ar lefel leol er mwyn ymgorffori’r elfen o ‘gynefin’ yn hwb pellach i ddatblygiad dwyieithrwydd o safbwynt y Gymraeg a iaith y cartref.  Mae diwylliant lleol megis gweithgareddau’r Urdd, mudiad y Ffermwyr Ifanc, clybiau chwaraeon, eisteddfodau a digwyddiadau crefyddol a gynhelir trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg i gyd yn cyfrannu tuag at gyfoethogi’r ymdeimlad o gynefin yn nysgwyr ysgolion Cymru.  Mae’r gweithgareddau hyn eto yn rhan o’r system feso sy’n dylanwadu ar ddatblygiad holistig yr unigolyn.   

‘Nid yw dehongli cymhlethdod y term cynefin o safbwynt dwyieithrwydd na’i weithredu o fewn cyd-destun ysgol heb ei heriau’

Er hynny, nid yw dehongli cymhlethdod y term cynefin o safbwynt dwyieithrwydd na’i weithredu o fewn cyd-destun ysgol heb ei heriau. Dengys canlyniadau cyfrifiad 2021 fod 6 y cant yn llai o blant a phobl ifanc Cymru rhwng 5 a 15 oed yn siarad Cymraeg na degawd ynghynt (Llywodraeth Cymru, 2022b).  Mae ymgorffori’r iaith felly wrth hybu’r cysyniad o gynefin yn mynd i’r afael â’r her hyn. Trwy gynnig amrywiaeth o brofiadau i ddysgwyr mae cychwyn magu ymwybyddiaeth o’u cynefin eu hunain a dealltwriaeth o gynefinoedd eraill.  Mae amryfal ffyrdd o wneud hyn o fewn y cwricwlwm; er enghraifft, drwy gyflwyno hanesion a thraddodiadau lleol, trefnu ymweliadau â’r ardal leol, trafod gwaith beirdd ac awduron o Gymru yn ogystal â dysgu’r iaith a chynnig cyfleoedd byw i’w defnyddio. Y gobaith wrth gynnig y profiadau hyn yn yr ysgol a thu hwnt yw y bydd dysgwyr yn dod i ddeall mwy am yr elfennau sy’n cyfrannu ac yn cyfoethogi’r cysyniad o gynefin a’u dealltwriaeth ohoni nawr ac yn y dyfodol.  Yn hyn o beth, rhaid i’r addysgwr ystyried yr hyn maent am addysgu a’r math o brofiadau maent am gynnig er mwyn hyrwyddo’r ymdeimlad o ‘gynefin’ ymhlith disgyblion yn eu dosbarthiadau, o fewn ffiniau’r ysgol a thu hwnt.

Cyfeirnodau

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press.                                 

Llywodraeth Cymru. (2017). Cymraeg 2050 – Miliwn o Siaradwyr.  https://www.llyw.cymru/sites/default/files/publications/2019-03/cymraeg-2050-strategaeth-y-gymraeg-v1-1.pdf

Llywodraeth Cymru. (2020). Canllawiau Cwricwlwm i Gymru.  https://hwb.gov.wales/api/storage/b0e91f7c-0050-47b6-9b23-0273d39df9f3/canllawiau-cwricwlwm-i-gymru-070220.pdf

Llywodraeth Cymru. (2022a). Cwricwlwm i Gymru. https://hwb.gov.wales/cwricwlwm-i-gymru/  

Llywodraeth Cymru. (2022b). Datblygu gweledigaeth ar gyfer cynllunio cwricwlwm. https://hwb.gov.wales/cwricwlwm-i-gymru/cynllunio-eich-cwricwlwm/datblygu-gweledigaeth-ar-gyfer-cynllunio-cwricwlwm/

Llywodraeth Cymru. (2022c). Chief Statistican’s Update: Understanding Census 2021 data about the Welsh language. https://digitalanddata.blog.gov.wales/2022/12/06/chief-statisticians-update-understanding-census-2021-data-about-the-welsh-language/