"A Polyphonic Mosaic”: Exploring the Voices of Childhood in the Transition from Early Childhood Education to Primary Education

Abstract

The transition to primary education demands approaches that recognize children as active participants in constructing their educational experiences, ensuring their right to participation and acknowledging their voices. While Chile's Decree No. 373 marks progress in fostering a coordinated, contextually grounded transition, tensions remain due to over-schooling and rigid curricular standards that limit pedagogical approaches centered on play and active exploration. To address these challenges, various perspectives highlight the need for sensitive, inclusive pedagogical practices that recognize children as political agents and knowledge producers, promoting democratic educational spaces (Boylan et al., 2024; Figueroa-Céspedes & Yáñez-Urbina, 2020; Milstein & Guerrero, 2021).

In this context, the Mosaic Approach (Clark & Moss, 2005; 2017) stands out as a participatory methodology that amplifies children’s voices through play, visual language, and storytelling, shifting pedagogical practices towards more inclusive and democratic models (Delgado-Fuentes, 2020; Sevón et al., 2023). However, its adaptation in Latin America faces methodological and structural barriers, requiring culturally situated research to authentically represent children’s experiences (Jadue-Roa et al., 2018; Milstein & Guerrero, 2021).

This study investigates the implementation of the Mosaic Approach in a first-grade classroom at a subsidized private school in Santiago, Chile, focusing on its potential to understand the educational transition from the children’s perspectives and foster more equitable school environments. The research involved 21 students and four education professionals, utilizing a range of data collection methods, including interviews, group sessions, participant observation, school walks, literary mediation, and photography. Reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021) was applied to identify patterns and reconstruct the co-research experience, while adhering to ethical principles such as informed consent, confidentiality, and respectful child participation (Jadue-Roa, 2017).

The study identified three key stages: (1) familiarization of the research team with the children and school, (2) methodological implementation, and (3) triangulation of voices and methods. Findings suggest that the Mosaic Approach enhances understanding of children's emotional and social experiences, fostering their agency and addressing social justice issues. Tools like storytelling, school walks, and photography provided a comprehensive view of children’s subjectivity in the transition process. Moreover, the study emphasized the need for authentic listening spaces and active participation, allowing children to express emotions and reflect on their educational experiences.

The research highlights the importance of placing children at the center of the educational process, challenging adult-centric models. It also underscores the need to strengthen dialogue among teachers, school leaders, and students for a more cohesive educational transition. As a limitation of the study, the absence of leadership during the final phase hindered the inclusion of students' voices in the school agenda, highlighting the urgent need to recognize children as legitimate agents of knowledge and to consider their proposals and concerns within the school's agenda. The Polyphonic Mosaic concept illustrates the coexistence of multiple voices in educational knowledge construction, where dialogue serves as the "grout" that unites perspectives and deepens understanding of school transitions. This metaphor underscores the need to integrate children’s experiences into educational research and policy, promoting more participatory, inclusive frameworks.