Increasing Children's Participation in Everyday Life in Polish Preschools through Action Research with Teachers

The goal of my presentation is twofold: to report on a project “Strengthening the participation of children as agents in preschool everyday life” conducted at the University of Lower Silesia in Poland, and to reflect on... [ view full abstract ]

The goal of my presentation is twofold: to report on a project “Strengthening the participation of children as agents in preschool everyday life” conducted at the University of Lower Silesia in Poland, and to reflect on the use of action research as a means of supporting teachers in transforming their pedagogical practice. The project stemmed from the recognition of children’s limited influence in preschools, rarely going beyond free play situations to include daily routines or learning activities. It was designed in line with action research methodology and carried out by a group of preschool teachers and academic researchers. The first step was to investigate the extent of children’s participation, using the Mosaic approach and the teachers’ critical reflection on their practice. The data gathered was analyzed and discussed during meetings of the research team, which led to the identification of a problem to tackle, i.e. involving children more in planning their group’s daily activities. This was followed by designing and implementing ways to increase children’s involvement (e.g. by arranging group debates to learn about children’s interests or bringing to children’s attention the possibility to decide on activities). The changes introduced by the teachers were documented and discussed in the meetings.

The project demonstrated the potential of action research for changing pedagogical practice and, consequently, the way children experience their lives in preschool. The combination of the teachers’ individual actions and collective work of the research team proved particularly fruitful: observation of one’s practice enabled the teachers to become aware of previously unnoticed dimensions of their work, while group discussions created conditions for mutual support and inspiration. Small scale, group action research projects appear therefore to be a beneficial and feasible instrument for teachers interested in transforming educational institutions for young children.      

children’s participation, action research, children as agents, teachers’ collaboration