Ms. Sasha Ann Kwan
January, 2024

The Pedagogic practices of any early childhood educational set-up are largely defined and influenced by teachers’ perceptions, beliefs and experiences. Pedagogy, therefore, imbibes the rationale of knowledge, skills and disposition of the practitioner. To understand the evolving needs of children in the 21^st century, it is crucial to acknowledge that the nature of learning for very young children is rooted in the Vygotskian social constructivist theoretical framework that claims that learning takes place in a social construct and meaning-making and creation of new knowledge is acquired through experiences. Therefore, this brings to light that if children are to develop an understanding of the world, they must be provided with a plethora of experiences that enable them to have autonomy in early childhood education and care to build skills and competencies that gauge a pathway to a successful life.

The concept of learning in early childhood education and care is a complex and dynamic process that entails multiple processes and factors that determine how young children develop metacognitive abilities, social-emotional intelligence and human-centred values and principles.  At the core of any early childhood education model and framework, the holistic development of the child is the key focus. Therefore, in all relevant research and innovative practices practitioners must make a pedagogical shift to learner-centred pedagogy that embodies agency, which is the voice, choice and ownership of young children. This can be done meaningfully by adopting playful inquiry strategies to ensure all children are given the right to engage in meaningful and developmentally appropriate ways that incorporate all of the complex processes of learning. This approach ensures that all learning experiences designed for young children are given ample opportunities to thrive and learn at their own pace while, in turn, subsequently developing other important competencies such as collaboration, critical thinking, ethical decision making and altruism. The science and power of playful inquiry play a pivotal role in the repertoire of an early childhood practitioner.