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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6437-9732

Abstract

This paper critically examines findings from a qualitative study of collaborative, student-led seminars framed within relational pedagogy, with undergraduate students on an Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) degree programme in England. Drawing upon focus groups and observational data, this paper argues for the importance of student-led seminars in ECCE programmes, for improved student’s motivation to learn, teamwork, collaboration skills and peer learning. Significantly, our data reveals that depth engagement in these seminars facilitated students rethinking their worlds ‘otherwise’ where they questioned their own biases and prejudices towards so-called hard to reach and marginalised groups. Utilising a relational pedagogical approach facilitated deep appreciation of the challenges regularly faced by groups who are invisibilised with relation to power, care and belonging, which emerged strongly in interviews as impacting positively upon students’ personal and professional growth. Our findings illuminate the importance of student-led seminars and relational approaches to learning and teaching for advancing students’ understanding of intersectional prejudices and the multidimensional factors that both help and hinder children’s rights. Our data illuminates that relational pedagogy enhanced students’ confidence in working with children and families whilst facilitating reflection on what it means to be an effective ECCE practitioner. Given the expansion of ECCE in HEIs in Ireland and the UK, findings on ‘what works’ with regards to practitioner training are highly relevant to educational providers and curricular specialists in this domain.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

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