The Practicum as a Context for Transformative Research in Early Childhood Education

This educational research is framed within a critical paradigm. Pursuing the aim of developing transformative educational processes, and within the RIECU network (Early Childhood Education Schools-Center for Teacher Training-University), hybrid teams have been constituted, where early childhood teachers, advisors, university professors, and students participate. The study implements three different techniques for data collection and production: two focus groups, 25 reflective diaries and 25 processes of pedagogical documentation. An analysis of discourse (textual data) and content (visual data) has been used. The results show the benefits of hybrid teams for avoiding routinization in the classroom and for contributing to the development of an educational theory that emerges from practice. The most outstanding conclusions are: (1) pedagogical documentation that captures educational moments promotes reflection in-and-about the action and help teachers in rethinking their role by acknowledging what theory says; (2) the educational pair which entails a horizontal pedagogical relationship, fosters a professional dialogue where it is possible to re-create and confront the theory by means of the practical situations that have been experienced.