The Role of Surprise in Kindergarten Teacher Education

The quality of early childhood education is widely recognised as being closely linked to the training of its educators. Teacher education is not merely a preparatory stage but a crucial policy lever in building equitable educational ecosystems, which is why training provided to kindergarten teachers is crucial and needs innovative approaches to delve into tricky issues related to children's growth. The contribution aims to analyse an innovative training approach developed for kindergarten teachers within “Artoo—Art as told by children”, an educational path based on the combination of social theatre, art and digital languages. The approach embraces innovative contributions in terms of supporting new adults’ views on childhood and the possibility for preschoolers to express themselves and to be heard through their knowledge. Central to this process is the assumption of surprise as an opportunity to enhance knowledge beyond stereotypes.