Introduction

This project is based upon two Froebelian principles described by Tovey (2017):

a) the value of adult – child relationships, and b) the importance of knowledgeable educators. This inquiry is of a significant value because in a busy free-flow, open playrooms where children of all ages mingle and play, the role of an adult is sometimes underestimated affecting relationships with the youngest children.

My purpose to undertake this research was to promote self-reflection about attitudes and practices amongst the staff.  I aimed to give everyone a voice to express their opinions, have them heard and considered, and to seek opportunities for a positive change for the benefit of our children in a challenging environment.

Context

When I joined my setting two years ago, we had separate rooms for twos and 3–5-year-olds with limited opportunities to mix and play together. When the rooms opened over a year ago, it was a big change for both children and staff as everyone had to adapt to the large spaces, different needs of children and one big team. These factors impacted on communication, interactions and relationships and the new reality was a hot topic. The staff felt that some children loved the change whereas others seemed lost and unsettled for longer. I realised that it was a great opportunity for a project, and I could connect it with Froebel’s pedagogy.

Out of the Froebelian principles I have always been drawn towards the role of knowledgeable adults and the importance of relationships. Positive and meaningful relationships are necessary for children to feel valued and to promote confidence and meet their needs. Skilled educators have the power to tune into the child’s world, by observing and engaging they apply their knowledge supporting and extending children’s learning (Tovey, 2017). These principles have become a subject of my research as I believe their value could be better appreciated within my setting.

I chose a questionnaire as my research method as I intended to give the respondents an anonymous platform where they could express their views freely and advocate for change if necessary. Additionally, because of time restraints and a busy environment, a questionnaire seemed to be a most suited . Therefore, I constructed thirteen mixed questions, some open ended, others of a multiple choice to allow an inclusive scope of answers yet not too overwhelming. I was concerned that respondents would not be keen to answer some questions and sometimes that was the case, however, I have also received several forms with additional comments. I tried to use strength-based approach including questions about our own motivations and reasons of pride in daily practice, perception of current changes in the environment and their impact on the twos. I finally asked about potential improvements. I did a test run on one of my colleagues and made some changes upon their suggestions.

Ethics

Initially, I wanted to research the adult-child interactions in general, but I realised it might be too broad of a subject and perhaps staff could have felt judged on their practice. Therefore, I decided to narrow my research subject and place it in the context of recently opened playrooms as it was always a topic of informal discussions and observations amongst staff.  It occurred to be the right choice as 15 out of 16 team members returned their questionnaires and stated that answering the questions helped them to reflect on their practice and many left additional comments. Some staff expressed gratitude for the opportunity to voice their views.

To ensure confidentiality, every form had an individual, sealed envelope that could be filled at the time of convenience, then returned into a post-box placed in a neutral place. The form was anonymous, and the respondents consented to it by participating as the questionnaire explained. The project focused on gathering staff’s views only, so no images were taken.