The paper will present an overview of a three year long research program titled COPE: RESILIENCE that engaged 80 preschool children at the University of Melbourne's Early Learning Centre, Melbourne.
The research was specifically designed to support the development of care and empathy for others, facilitating relationships and building emotional competency, dispositions and understanding of self, others and the environment through multimodal explorations of CARE, OPEN COMMUNICATION, POLITENESS, EMPATHY and REFLECTIVE PRACTICE.
COPE:R has been integrated into the classroom Curriculum under the overarching EYLF guidelines of BELONGING - BEING - BECOMING, and from the outset it was defined and influenced by an ecological oriented thread (environmental key). The program applied the socio-constructivist approach (Vygotsky, 1978) acknowledging the role of the intentional teacher and the establishment of a 'community of learners' (Rogoff, 1998). It places the voices of children and their lived experiences (van Manen, 1990) centrally in the research (Mortari, 2011)
There is significant evidence in the data that highlights the mature capacities of the children to emerge in the COPE: R and to demonstrate a range of emotional competencies that include: giving voice to social emotional issues, recognizing emotions in self and others, enacting relational empathy, demonstrating care for others and the environment = WISDOM.
The concept of empathy emerged as the strongest thread and there was extensive evidence through children's drawing - tellings of their involvement in the care of others, the immediate environment and the world.
The research highlights the capacity of the children to question, not just what they knew about care between and for humans, but also their perception of care between humans and the environment.
The research presents evidence that highlights the capacity of young children to deeply reflect on how and why thoughtful caring and empathetic actions are important to ensure harmonious living.
