How teachers, peers, and classroom materials support children’s inquiry in a Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool

ABSTRACT

The present study examined the roles of teachers, peers, and materials in the environment in supporting children’s inquiry processes at a Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool. Reggio Emilia is an educational system originally developed post-WWII in Italy and now has become a pedological approach that influences early childhood education programs all over the world. Seventeen children and their two teachers were observed over 24 days in the spring and/or fall of one calendar year. Forty-one events in four days were coded for children’s inquiry processes (i.e. observing and questioning, predicting, evaluating, comparing, and concluding) and how they were guided (i.e. by teachers, peers and/or materials). The activity context (including art, storytelling, gardening, mapping, constructing, and pretend play) in which the inquiry exchange occurred was also examined. Findings revealed that teachers, peers, and classroom materials supported children’s advanced inquiry processes. In addition, advanced inquiry processes were utilized across all six activity contexts.

KEYWORDS:

• Guidance
• inquiry
• teachers
• peers
• Reggio Emilia
• preschool

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Children First School community, including the teachers, families, and children who made this research possible. We also thank Elon University for providing support through the Faculty Research and Development Committee and the Undergraduate Research Program.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The name of the preschool is used at the encouragement of the teachers. However, children’s confidentiality is protected by not naming the specific years in which the study occurred and by using pseudonyms.

2 Consent from the preschool was obtained to provide this information.

Additional information

Funding

There was no external funding for this research. The first two authors received internal faculty and undergraduate research awards.

Notes on contributors

Lauren Westerberg

Lauren Westerberg is an alumnus of Elon University, and is currently a doctoral student in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Purdue University. Lauren’s research interests include preschooler's STEM learning; the home science environment; measurement of preschooler's science skills and knowledge; early STEM intervention; and the Reggio Emilia Approach.

Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler

Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler is a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Research on Global Engagement at Elon University. Her scholarly interests include children's learning in collaborative, authentic experiences; adult guidance of children's inquiry and discovery; sociocultural and global contexts of learning; and undergraduate research mentoring.