Distance Educational Links: a qualitative study on the perception of kindergarten teachers

The outbreak of novel coronavirus infection that originated in 2020 resulted in the immediate closure of all Italian school services for several months. Children who attend ECEC (Early Childhood Education and Care) services have particularly suffered from not being able to take advantage of consolidated distance learning models specifically designed for them.The main priority was to re-establish the bond between them and the teachers so that the educational path they embarked on did not disappear from their daily lives. To this end, LEADs (Distance Educational Links) have been established in Italy, a new relational modality involving children, teachers, and families, who could rely exclusively on communication through digital devices. The research presented here explored what happened during the first lockdown phase, corresponding to the start of LEADs, and during the resumption of the school in presence. The study aimed to detect and record reactions, experiences, and changes in children, families, and teachers, with attention to new pedagogical and social practices and a main focus on the unprecedented use of technology as the primary tool to maintain the bond. IT devices revealed new potential as relational and educational resources, making them indispensable during emergencies, not only for basic communication but also for recreating the setting in which bonding occurs and is built. Bonding was possible even at a distance because technology supported it. The unprecedented involvement of families as educational partners, the rethinking of teachers’ roles, and close collaboration among colleagues emerged as equally significant results.