“Friend's Council”: The Importance of Emotions and Democracy in Preschool Education

Beatriz Coquim¹, Maria João Rocha¹, Mariana Abreu¹, Ana Paula Pedro² and José Luís Araújo^1,

¹Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

²Open Laboratory for Science Education, Research Centre on Didactics and Technology in the Education of Trainers (CIDTFF), Portugal

Cite this paper:
Beatriz Coquim, Maria João Rocha, Mariana Abreu, Ana Paula Pedro and José Luís Araújo. “Friend's Council”: The Importance of Emotions and Democracy in Preschool Education. American Journal of Educational Research. 2023; 11(8):525-531. doi: 10.12691/education-11-8-7

Abstract

The present article presents the development and implementation of an educational project centered on the triad of Education, Emotions, and Democracy. The project's main goal was to understand how Emotions can be explored with children in Preschool Education, aligning these activities with the Portuguese curricular guiding documents of this level of Education, while fostering the mobilization of democratic principles. This dynamic was implemented in a Portuguese Preschool Education classroom with nineteen children (aged between 3 and 5 years), within the context of teacher initial training. Several weekly sessions were conducted between the months of February and May, where a range of different activities were developed to engage children in the central topics of this project t. From the project evaluation, it was concluded that the proposed approach promoted the development of respect for others and different opinions, as well as a democratic spirit in everyday decision-making, improving the ability to vote and argue, understanding the concept of Democracy, identifying different Emotions, and fostering a spirit of understanding and mutual-aid. Considering that Emotions play a fundamental role in the cognitive, social, and emotional development of children, it is crucial to explore them from an early age so that children can later recognize, express, and regulate their Emotions. By applying democratic practices in this process, we simultaneously contribute to shaping children as active, participatory, and aware citizens of their rights and responsibilities.

Keywords:
Education Democracy Emotions Early Childhood Intervention Project

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