Theories Supporting the Use of Puppets as Pedagogical Tool with Young Children

Abstract

Puppets as pedagogical tools with young children have a long tradition in therapy and healthcare, but the tradition and practice in ECEC (Early Childhood Education and Care) have decreased in recent years. The academic learning outcomes of ECEC require a clearer connection to researching the professional practice. If puppets are to be introduced as functional pedagogical tools, it is important to find theoretical support for their use. This study is a systematic review of 37 research articles concerning the pedagogical use of puppets with young children, focusing on the theoretical relationship. The review reveals four theoretical perspectives, constructivism, psychology, sociology and art. The finding of the two most common perspectives, constructivism and psychology is not surprising but does give some new insights into relevant and functional terms and approaches. Perezhivanie is an example of a relevant term from Vygotsky to understand the pedagogical use of puppets. A bit surprising was the finding of Corsaro in the perspective of sociology, and an insight here is that also this theory and concept can be useful when puppets are used to teach children social behaviour. More surprising is that the art perspective includes few articles. However, the foundation of theoretical support in art, narrative pedagogy, seems highly relevant and worthy of development.