EECERA Conference 2025 – Guest Blog # 16: Revealing Practice in a Day-Care Setting

One of a series of short blog posts by presenters who will be sharing their work at the upcoming annual conference in Bratislava, Slovakia. Any views expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of their affiliated institution or EECERA.

Revealing Practice in a Day-Care Setting: A Case from the Autonomous Region of Madeira

By Mariana Estrela and Ana França Kot-Kotecki

Photo by Stephen Andrews on Unsplash

This blog post draws on an ethnographic case study conducted in a Day-Care setting in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (ARM), Portugal, between 2018-2023. Grounded in the voice and daily practice of one educator, the research explores how situated conceptions, routines, and reflective processes contribute to pedagogical innovation in the 0–3 age group. The findings not only shed light on the complexity of practice in early childhood settings but also open space for critical reflection on national and regional policy frameworks, proposing the example of ARM as a conceptual model worth further academic and political attention.

Revealing Practice in a Day-Care Setting: A Case from the Autonomous Region of Madeira

Understanding the current landscape of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in Portugal, particularly for children aged 0–3, requires an in-depth analysis of multiple interconnected dimensions. These include the historical evolution of early years provision, national and regional educational and curricular policies, the influence of various curricular and pedagogical perspectives – both national and international – and, crucially, the professional formation, conceptions, and situated practices of early childhood educators.

Within this complex framework, we conducted an ethnographic case study in a Day-Care setting in the ARM, aiming to explore the following research question:

How is pedagogical practice characterised in a Day-Care setting in ARM?

The study involved sustained observation and deep listening to the voice of one educator, with particular attention to her daily pedagogical routines, life narratives, professional reasoning, underlying beliefs, and situated reflections. This methodological approach enabled the creation of reflective spaces grounded in the educator’s lived experience. It also fostered a reflexive process in, for, and on practice, highlighting the significance of professional development, pedagogical supervision, and educational leadership as key components in the construction of new knowledge, the transformation of practice, and the shift towards renewed paradigms in Day-Care education.

Findings indicate a heightened sensitivity towards smooth, respectful, and collaborative educational transitions, as well as a deliberate effort to enhance learning and developmental opportunities for babies, children, professionals, and families alike. The educator’s commitment to “thinking and doing otherwise” – anchored in intentional and praxiological reflection – emerges as a powerful vector of Pedagogical Innovation.

This investigation also provided a critical lens through which to examine regional legislation in dialogue with national frameworks concerning Day-Care provision. Such an analysis offers valuable insights into the significant conceptual discrepancies that persist within Portuguese ECEC, particularly in relation to the Day-Care stage. In this context, the pedagogical approach observed in ARM may serve as a potential conceptual model – both inspiring and informing ECEC policy and practice at national and international levels.

Ultimately, this research contributes to the ongoing academic and political dialogue around early childhood pedagogy, making visible the nuanced and contextually grounded work of educators with the youngest children, and affirming the importance of reflective, situated, and transformative practice in the field of early years education.

About the authors

Mariana Estrela https://www.cienciavitae.pt/711C-AB23-643C

Ana França Kot-Kotecki https://www.cienciavitae.pt/portal/2C1F-D30A-61E1

Mariana Estrela and Ana França Kot-Kotecki will present work referred to in this blog in Symposium Set C21 (Wednesday, the 27th of August). (Schedule liable to change; please refer to final programme for details).