The Role of Playfulness in Professional Development

Guest post by Alessandra Pimentel and Mônica Appezzato Pinazza The PALUDICON Research Group (Program of Playful Activities in Different Contexts), originally created as a university extension program, aims to promote professional development through playfulness, grounded in Historical-Cultural Theory (HCT) and the Reggio Emilia Approach. Between 2022 and 2025, the program was carried out by a…

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Between Digital Tools and Play: Understanding Early Childhood Teachers’ Decision-Making in the UK and China

Guest post by Shuolin He Photo by Robo Wunderkind on Unsplash Digital technology is now part of many young children’s everyday lives, both at home and in educational settings. In early childhood education, however, its use remains a complex and sometimes contested issue. While digital tools may support communication, documentation, literacy, creativity and home-school links,…

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Little Acts of Care – Babies in Brazilian Early Childhood Education

Guest post by Vanessa Neves The EnlaCEI research group is all about understanding how babies and toddlers develop culturally when they’re in collective care and education settings. Between 2017 and 2019, we followed a group of infants (aged seven to ten months) as they began their journey at a Brazilian Early Childhood Education Centre, EMEI…

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Beyond the screen: Rethinking children’s agency through light and shadow play

What a study in Mongolian kindergartens reveals about technology, participation, and democratic learning Guest post by Tserennadmid Shagdarsuren and Tala Fig. 1. A child explores light and shadow with toy animals.* When we talk about children’s agency, we often imagine a child making an independent choice—selecting an activity, taking the lead. But what happens when…

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Parental involvement in German Early Childhood Education and Care: Opportunities Possibilities and Barriers

Guest post by Prof. Dr. Armin Schneider According to the German Law (not dissimilar to laws in other countries) parents are considered the main guardians of their own children. They are responsible for caring, educating and raising their children, instilling their own ideas, beliefs, rules, and attitudes. Children’s and parents’ rights and the state’s supervisory…

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Unlocking Hidden Resources: Rethinking Early Childhood Education in Resource-Scarce Contexts

Guest post by Lesley Wood and Mariëtte Koen Across the globe, early childhood education (ECE) is widely recognised as the foundation for lifelong learning, well-being, and sustainable development. Yet in many resource-scarce contexts, achieving high-quality and sustainable provision remains a pressing challenge. Our upcoming EECERA presentation offers a different perspective that moves beyond deficit views…

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Guest Post: Envisioning a Nurturing Ecosystem in Which ECCE Can Thrive

Any views expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of their affiliated institution or EECERA. Planting Seeds of Resilience in South Africa’s ECCE through Local Hubs and Collaboration* By Sandra Bruwer, Lesley Wood and Benita Taylor- North-West University, South Africa Resilience in the face of…

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Exploring linguistic diversity and inclusivity through plurilingualism

by Dr Christina Egan Marnell, Early Childhood Ireland Photo by Shelby Murphy Figueroa on Unsplash Over the past 5 years, Early Childhood Ireland has been investigating how a culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy can be developed through a play and arts-based approach. Often co-constructed with educators, this journey has taken us into the realm of storytelling,…

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EECERA Conference 2025 – Guest Blog # 51: LEGO® Bricks and Mentoring

One of a series of short blog posts by presenters who will be sharing their work at the upcoming annual conference in Bratislava, Slovakia. Any views expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of their affiliated institution or EECERA. Leveraging LEGO Bricks and mentoring program…

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EECERA Conference 2025 – Guest Blog # 50: Teacher Well-Being Matters

One of a series of short blog posts by presenters who will be sharing their work at the upcoming annual conference in Bratislava, Slovakia. Any views expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of their affiliated institution or EECERA. How Well Are You, Dear Early…

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EECERA Conference 2025 – Guest Blog # 6: Sharing Personal Stories

One of a series of short blog posts by presenters who will be sharing their work at the upcoming annual conference in Bratislava, Slovakia. Any views expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of their affiliated institution or EECERA. Sharing Personal Stories with Preschool Children…

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