Exploring teachers’ understandings of implementing child participation in early childhood education in Spain

This research aims to understand the relationships between the conceptualization of childhood, child participation, and the opportunities for participation that early childhood education (ECE) teachers offer to children at school. The perspectives of Spanish ECE teachers were gathered through semi-structured interviews. The results confirm that teachers are far from promoting authentic participation by children in school. Teachers who refer to children as competent and capable offer them more opportunities for participation. The analysis shows that the image of childhood held by teachers determines the types of activities they propose, the degree of freedom they offer, and the influence that participation has on children's lives. The adult-centered approach that dominates society and schools leads teachers to design and control most activities. Participatory activities are dependent on oral language skills, which can be a limiting factor for participation. However, there are signs of progress in the opportunities for participation offered to children.