Abstract:
The Reggio Emilia pedagogical approach is an acknowledged and increasing world-wide inspiration in early childhood education. This qualitative study aims to investigate the process of inspiration from the Reggio Emilia approach and analyse the risks and possibilities associated within early childhood education. Six New Zealand early childhood teachers, working across a range of educational contexts, were interviewed for their interpretations of the impact and local relevance of this Italian pedagogy. Analysis revealed strong responses, a shared perspective on the issue of appropriation, commonalities between cultural contexts, and the complexities involved in constructing an identity as an early childhood setting in Aotearoa New Zealand. The teachers were found to contextualise the principles of the Reggio Emilia pedagogical approach to fit within their individualised contexts. They each make connections between the Italian and New Zealand pedagogies in an effort to interpret the commonalities and dissonances that exist. The teachers' meaning-making of the approach involves much dialogue where the theoretical principles are critiqued and debated in determining their appropriateness for Aotearoa New Zealand. This results in teachers reconstructing their pedagogy through making meaning of the principles of the Reggio Emilia pedagogical approach interwoven within the early childhood curriculum document Te Whāriki. This is embedded in this study's conclusion; that a meaningful pedagogy, reflective of its cultural context, can be achieved when teachers' contextualise the deeper philosophical underpinnings within their own individualised contexts. The process of pedagogical change investigated in this study holds implications for researchers, policy makers, professional development organisations, early childhood employers and teachers.
