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<p>This Participatory Action Research (PAR) study involved early childhood educators from two schools in Spain serving middle- and low-income communities. Situated within a Community of Practice (CoP), the research examined how collaborative inquiry fosters meaningful professional growth and promotes sustainable improvements in early years teaching, thereby supporting United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education. Teachers engaged in iterative cycles of observation, dialogue, and reflection to examine how their expectations of children aligned with their educational philosophies, shaping pedagogical decisions, and supporting a gradual shift from teacher-directed to more child-centered, inquiry-based practices. Qualitative data analyzed using the LAST protocol fostered a pedagogy of listening, helping educators become more intentional, inclusive, and responsive to children’s thinking. The CoP offered a non-hierarchical space for critical reflection where teachers challenged deficit-based assumptions, embraced vulnerability, and supported each other’s growth. Over time, they reported stronger alignment between their values and classroom practice, as well as increased confidence in facilitating participatory, inquiry-driven learning. Findings suggest that PAR, when embedded within a trusting professional community, can empower educators to reflect deeply, shift beliefs, and transform practice, highlighting the potential of PAR and CoPs to strengthen teacher agency, elevate children’s voices, and build more equitable, high-quality early learning environments.</p>

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Empowering Teachers Through Communities of Practice and Participatory Action Research: Reshaping Teaching Philosophies to Child-Centered Approaches

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月18日

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  • Angela K. Salmon,
  • Isabel María Gómez-Barreto,
  • Carlos Montoya-Fernández

摘要

This Participatory Action Research (PAR) study involved early childhood educators from two schools in Spain serving middle- and low-income communities. Situated within a Community of Practice (CoP), the research examined how collaborative inquiry fosters meaningful professional growth and promotes sustainable improvements in early years teaching, thereby supporting United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education. Teachers engaged in iterative cycles of observation, dialogue, and reflection to examine how their expectations of children aligned with their educational philosophies, shaping pedagogical decisions, and supporting a gradual shift from teacher-directed to more child-centered, inquiry-based practices. Qualitative data analyzed using the LAST protocol fostered a pedagogy of listening, helping educators become more intentional, inclusive, and responsive to children’s thinking. The CoP offered a non-hierarchical space for critical reflection where teachers challenged deficit-based assumptions, embraced vulnerability, and supported each other’s growth. Over time, they reported stronger alignment between their values and classroom practice, as well as increased confidence in facilitating participatory, inquiry-driven learning. Findings suggest that PAR, when embedded within a trusting professional community, can empower educators to reflect deeply, shift beliefs, and transform practice, highlighting the potential of PAR and CoPs to strengthen teacher agency, elevate children’s voices, and build more equitable, high-quality early learning environments.