Frammenti di complessità dell'esistenza. Questioni di significato nell'infanzia

This study focuses on existential questions that children pose during their preschool years in early education settings. It aims to identify areas of interest within ECECs, so as to analyze their significance; to document the interaction modes adopted by the subjects involved regarding those themes which adults consider to be difficult topics for dialogue with children; to test a few survey tools for studying the conversations between children and between children and adults. The empirical part consists in an exploratory study involving children, parents and educators within two ECEC services in the province of Milan. The research method has been chosen to encourage dialogue between descriptions and interpretation. Descriptive data (the daily practices utilized in the school context) and the interpretations and experiences of the subjects have been considered. The voices of the different protagonists have been gathered through interviews and group conversations, triggered by verbal and visual stimuli, and especially using illustrated books and stories as one of the main sources familiar and available to children which they turn to in an effort to find meaning in their experiences. Observations regarding typical conversations between the teachers and the children have also been collected and discussed. Dialogue has been the tool to address the complexity of the subject. The constant intertwining of voices and stimuli have allowed it to become an important part of the study, both in terms of epistemological reflection (tied to the type of awareness emerging from the survey) and methodological reflection (linked to the search for appropriate strategies for encouraging the participation by the different subjects). The discussion of results emphasizes the lack of specific studies on these themes within ECEC during the period when children spend most of their time in contexts characterized by a plurality of values, deeply involved in and linked to their process of awareness. This study evidences the importance of including these themes in ECEC pedagogy, research and professional development.