Piklerian approach

Educational practice and pedagogical approaches

Piklerian approach

Could Piklerian
approach improve
the quality of
interactions in early
childhood
education and
care?

Nancy Proulx, M.A.

PhD student in education (early
childhood)

Under the supervision of
Nathalie Bigras and Lise Lemay,
Université du Québec à
Montréal

The first 3 years of
a child’s life

• The need for Early childhood education and care for

children under 3 years old increased from 26% to 34%
(OECD, 2019).

• The importance of process quality is supported by a

large body of literature (OECD, 2019).

• Process quality has been associated with child

development (Bigras et al., 2012, 2017; Blain-Brière et
al., 2012; Cantin et al., 2012; Laurin et al., 2019; Lemay
et al., 2015; Tardif & Lemay, 2012).

Reality in child care settings
for children under 3

• Regarding levels of global process quality,

studies (Drouin et al., 2004; Gingras et al., 2015) have found:

• low to fair quality levels in for-profit-childcare centers

• fair to good quality levels in not-for-profit childcare

centers.

• The quality of interactions is the dimension of

process quality that seems to be most
associated with child development (Pianta et al., 2016
; Sabol et al., 2013).

•Nevertheless, the level of quality of interactions for children under 3 years in childcare centers is not high
enough (Barros et al., 2018; Jamison et al., 2014).

•However, the level of quality of interactions offered to children aged from 0 to 3 years old tends to be higher
when a particular pedagogical approach is adopted by the educational team (Lemay et al., 2021).

Teaching
through
interactions
framework

Self-

determination
concept (Ryan &
Deci, 2017, 2020).

Attachment

theory

(Ainsworth, 1983;

Bowlby, 1988)

Ecosystem model of
educational quality

(Bigras & Lemay, 2012)

The importance of
bidirectional interactions
between the child and
their environment

Foundation of
security

Three psychological
needs of autonomy,
competence, and
belonging

Piklerian
approach

Teaching
through
interactions
framework

Self-

determination
concept (Ryan &
Deci, 2017, 2020).

Attachment

theory

(Ainsworth, 1983;

Bowlby, 1988)

Ecosystem model of
educational quality

(Bigras & Lemay, 2012)

The importance of
bidirectional interactions
between the child and
their environment

Foundation of
security

Three psychological
needs of autonomy,
competence, and
belonging

Piklerian
approach

Privileged

educator - child

relationship –
care moments

Free movement

/autonomous

activity

Purpose of
literature review

Examining what is known about the Piklerian
approach.

• Identify the themes and the quality dimensions

studied regarding the Piklerian approach

Knowledge about the
Piklerian approach

• Literature review

• Assistance of a research librarian

• Steps in a rigorous review process

563 records identified through

database searching

74 additional records identified

through other sources

464 records after duplicates removed /
175 records after after applying filters

(2010-2021) and french/english

175 records screened

106 records excluded

69 full-text articles assessed for

eligibility

50 full-text articles

excluded, with reasons

19 papers included in

synthesis

Included Eligibility Screening Identification

Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, The PRISMA Group (2009). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The

PRISMA Statement. PLoS Med 6(7): e1000097. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed1000097

Papers : 19

Studies : 11 (7

theses or

dissertations)

Main focus :

educator-child

relationship,
most of them
concern 0 to 3

Studies are

mainly

descriptive

Studies
regarding the
Piklerian
approach

Systematic observation of the behaviour of educators
during specific moments such as lunch (Belza et al., 2019a,

2019b), getting dressed (Belasko et al., 2019), as well as during free
play (Sagastui et al., 2020; Sagastui et al., 2021).

• The results highlight the stability in the practitioners'

actions, providing children with a sense of security in a
stable and familiar environment. In addition, considering
the child's level of autonomy would allow children to
regulate themselves and increase their social skills.

Description of the Piklerian/RIE-inspired practices (Christie,

2010; 2018) and educators’ beliefs (Fatahian-Tehran, 2020)

• Practitioners demonstrated a good understanding of care

practice. The practices between practitioners and children
demonstrate respect and confidence in the children's
abilities. Indeed, interactions are not experienced in a
rush, and the educator offers choices to children and waits
for a response each time.

Studies
regarding the
Piklerian
approach

Educators' perceptions of care as a program (Bussey, 2012 ;

Bussey et Hill, 2017), and training to promote warm, sensitive,
and responsive interactions between the child and
caregiver

• The care approach is not taught during educators' initial

training, but is supported through communities of
practice in childcare centers.

• Warm, sensitive and responsive interactions between

children and caregivers can enhance children's
development.

How educators think and reflect on their interactions
with children (Cherrington, 2011; 2018)

• Ability to make intentionality explicit regarding their

interactions with children. They were more able to
support their statements with a theoretical perspective.

Studies
regarding the
Piklerian
approach

How relationships are formed between children and
practitioners (Johnston, 2011)

• All three participating educators referenced the

Piklerian/RIE approach, raising the importance of training
in understanding sensitive practices.

Concept of a referent educator (Violon, 2018 ; Violon et Wendland,
2014, 2018, 2021)

• This practice provides a sense of security for parents and

children. However, the educator respondents believe that
the absence of the referent educator would make the
child experience difficult moments.

• While the results highlight a positive link between the

referent and the children's attention span.

• Care is better defined.

Interaction : educator
behaviours (verbal
and nonverbal
interactions between
educator and children)

Beliefs and
perceptions about
caregiving practices

Concept of referent
educator

Identify the
themes studied
regarding the
Piklerian
approach

Systematic observation of the behaviour
of educators during specific moments
such as lunch (Belza et al., 2019a, 2019b), getting
dressed (Belasko et al., 2019), as well as during
free play (Sagastui et al., 2020; Sagastui et al., 2021).

Description of the Piklerian/RIE-inspired
practices (Christie, 2010; 2018) and educators’
beliefs (Fatahian-Tehran, 2020)

How educators think and reflect on their
interactions with children (Cherrington, 2011;
2018)

Educators' perceptions of care as a
program (Bussey, 2012 ; Bussey et Hill, 2017)

How relationships are formed between
children and practitioners (Johnston, 2011)

Concept of a referent educator (Violon, 2018 ;
Violon et Wendland, 2014, 2018, 2021)

Identify the
quality
dimensions
studied
regarding the
Piklerian
approach

Quality of orientations : Perceptions,

beliefs, vision of the child and knowledge

about the pedagogical approach

Process quality

Structural quality

Physical

environment

Children’s
experiences

children

Nature of the
interactions

Ratio

Qualification’s

educators

Ecosystem model of
educational quality

(Adaptation : Bigras & Lemay,

2012)

Conclusion

• The components of the Piklerian approach could contribute to improving the quality of

educator-child interactions

• Studies concern the quality of orientation (perceptions, intentionality) and provide

information on relational quality

• Studies do not share the same vision of quality of interactions as in Teaching Through

Interaction framework (TTI; Hamre et al., 2013)

• Studies do not consider all the components of educational quality (process,

operational, structural).

Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1983). L’attachement mère-enfant. Enfance. Les premières années de la vie, Tome 36(1-2), 7-18.

Anders, Y. (2015). Literature review on pedagogy for a review of pedagogy in early childhood and care (ECEC) in
England (United Kingdom) (JT03383547). Germany : Freie Universität Berlin.
http://www.oecd.org/officialdocuments/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/?cote=EDU/EDPC/ECEC(2015)7&doclangua
ge=en

Barros, S., Cadima, J., Pinto, A. I., Bryant, D. M., Pessanha, M., Peixoto, C. et Coelho, V. (2018). The quality of
caregiver–child interactions in infant classrooms in Portugal: the role of caregiver education. Research Papers in
Education, 33(4), 427-451. doi: 10.1080/02671522.2017.1353676

Belasko, M., Herrán, E. et Anguera, M. T. (2019). Dressing toddlers at the Emmi Pikler nursery school in Budapest:
caregiver instrumental behavioral pattern. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 27(6), 872-887.
doi: 10.1080/1350293X.2019.1678928

Belza, H., Herrán, E. et Anguera, M. T. (2019a). Early childhood, breakfast, and related tools: analysis of adults’
function as mediators. European Journal of Psychology of Education. doi: 10.1007/s10212-019-00438-4

Belza, H., Herrán, E. et Anguera, M. T. (2019b). Early childhood education and cultural learning: systematic
observation of the behaviour of a caregiver at the Emmi Pikler nursery school during breakfast / Educación
temprana y aprendizaje cultural: observación sistemática de la conducta de la educadora Pikler durante el
desayuno. Infancia y Aprendizaje, 42(1), 128-178. doi: 10.1080/02103702.2018.1553268

Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: parent-child attachment and healthy human development. New York : Basic
Books.

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). Contexts of Child Rearing. American Psychologist, 34(10), 844-850.

Bussey, K. (2012). Care as curriculum [mémoire de maîtrise inédit]. University of Auckland.

Bussey, K. et Hill, D. (2017). Care as curriculum: investigating teachers’ views on the learning in care. Early Child
Development and Care, 187(1), 128-137. doi: 10.1080/03004430.2016.1152963

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