The Purpose of Preschool Education

• In Event: OHA Poster Session and Project Bazaar

Abstract

The poster presents the results of a study conducted in Nicaragua regarding teachers’ conceptions about the purpose of preschool education. The analysis focused on the teachers’ views about the development and evolution of such conceptions based on their own experiences during 1979-2013. The research method consisted of oral history supported by interviews with teachers from public and community based preschool centers, as well as observations of teaching practice in the classroom. The results show that teachers aim at attaining the following goals: the preparation of children for life, for elementary education and for literacy, as well as their holistic development. Three periods in the development of education, (education for social change, the neo-liberal education agenda, and education as a human right and human development) provide the context for the experiences of the teachers and for policy and organizational changes. The conclusions indicate that the educational thought of teachers has been shaped by formative life experiences, modern pedagogy, teaching practice, and continuing education. The poster highlights the teachers’ contributions to the reflection about the purpose of preschool education, education for life, as well as teachers’ identity. The poster also emphasizes the legacy of the teachers towards increasing children’s access to free preschool education.

Author

• Ileana Maria Gadea, Doctoral Candidate Universidad del Zulia