Improvisation: Toward an Improvisational Theory of Early Childhood Practice

• In Event: Searching for Insights: The Diverse Nature of Pre-K Policy and Practice

Abstract

Like K-12 education, early childhood education (ECE) is increasingly standardized, with both outcomes and practices aligned across age levels and domains of learning. Standards and benchmarks are designed to align parts of the education system and the accountability movement enforces this alignment with incentives and sanctions (Darling-Hammond, 2004; Hatch, 2002). At the same time these policies are enacted, research on classroom quality has found that high quality instruction is contingent on the needs, experiences, and resources that students bring to school (Mashburn, Pianta, Hamre, & Downer, J. T., et al, 2008.). This sets up a difficult tension -- should ECE be responsive to young children or should it be standardized and aligned? In this paper we consider how the idea of improvisation might be used to conceptualize a hybrid form of ECE; one that is both intentional and responsive, outcome and process oriented. We work conceptually, bringing together theories that animate improvisation and standards. We explore how child-centered ECE practices can intentionally promote rich intellectual content. Although some might argue that these two ways of thinking about early childhood practice are contradictory, we argue that play-based culturally and developmentally responsive curricula can be rigorous. Improvisation is a useful tool for thinking about child-centered, intellectually rigorous teaching and learning.
In earlier work, we described improvisation as responsive teaching made possible when teachers develop understandings of both content and children’s resources, using these to inform their interactions (Authors, 2015; Authors, 2014). We build on prior empirical work by theoretically exploring the concept of improvisation, addressing the questions: How do different authors conceptualize improvisation and how do these ideas inform empirical work? How can improvisation contribute to early childhood policy and practice?
Improvisation has been theorized differently over time and fields. It has been a conceptual tool for thinking about comedic performance (Halpern, Close, Johnson, 1994), musical performance (Hargreaves, 2012), teaching (Baker-Sennet & Matusov, 1997; Lobman, 2005, 2006; Sawyer, 1997, 2004), and identity development and knowledge construction (Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, & Cain, 1998). We review how researchers across fields and topics conceptualize improvisation. Putting this literature into conversation with our previous work we suggest 4 components of improvisation: Improvisational Actors, Improvisational Content, Improvisational Interactions, and Improvisational Spaces. We show how varied theoretical constructs undergird these components, deepening understandings about the potential improvisation holds for ECE. Working in a context focused on young children, we explore teacher roles in responsive interactions, how relationships serve as a context for learning, and how content, developmental and cultural knowledge enrich co-construction of knowledge.
Current policy initiatives have the potential to build a stronger preK system or to reduce the degree to which teachers can responsively improvise in their teaching. In this paper, we argue that early childhood practices can both be grounded in the early childhood theories and speak to the intellectual demands of ECE in the 21st century. Thus, putting energy into thinking about intellectually engaging, play-based teaching is a worthwhile task. We believe improvisation is a way to envision this kind of approach.

Authors

• Kristin Lyn Whyte, Northwestern University

• Mary Elizabeth (Beth) Graue, University of Wisconsin - Madison