Analysis of an experience of daily practices of democracy in early childhood education

Abstract

Democratic education is essential for building more just and equitable societies. Hence the importance of children's participation and the exercise of citizenship in school, which must be carried out from an early age, as soon as children begin the process of socialization with their peers. However, experiences of democratic practices in formal childhood education are scarce, perhaps due to the scarce consideration of children as subjects of citizenship rights. In this article, we analyse the actions and dialogues, both in the classroom and outside it, of a teacher with an intense career in the Movements of Pedagogical Renewal (MRPs), and the children of pre-school education in a public school in Spain, regarding the exercise of democratic education. The research is carried out through a case study conducted over two academic years (2018 to 2020) and which uses participant observation, informal interviews, in-depth interviews, and documentary analysis. The results indicate that it is possible to favour actions focused on students and their citizen participation, with the perspective of democratic education and from a very early age (2 to 5 years). To this end, it is essential that teachers be committed to the rights of the child, that they use dialogue as the backbone, encourage care for themselves and others, promote coexistence and cooperation among peers, denounce injustice, promote equality and develop diverse relationships with their surroundings.