Meeting perspectives on kindergarten practices in France and Quebec: thinking about children's success from the point of view of its actors – PRAMATER

In order to draw a portrait of pedagogical and educational practices for kindergarten children in France and Quebec, the research focuses on the realities experienced by its front-line actors: teachers and, where applicable, other staff, parents and the children themselves, while taking into account the differences in the organization of kindergarten on both sides of the Atlantic. The objective is to analyze, from their different points of view, what they believe is "success" for children, without imposing a priori developmental standards or school performance indicators. The study will thus underline the social and cultural dimensions of practices which are also anchored in their local environment, in particular the diversity of the conceptions of the children / pupils who go through these daily practices. Carried out in contrasting kindergartens in the two countries, in terms of audiences, rural and urban environments and innovative projects, the survey is based on visual and participatory methodologies. These methodologies make it possible to compare the views of actors and researchers, by following the children for two years, from 4-year-old kindergarten (“moyenne section”) to 5-year-old kindergarten (“grande section”): observation, production of visual data (videos, by the researchers, and photos, by the children), individual and collective interviews to elicit these visual data. Favoring an inductive approach, the research will thus make it possible to identify and characterize the obstacles and levers for children's success considered in its plurality and open up possible transformations in practices. The research brings together a Franco-Quebec team of preschool specialists, with experience in international studies and who have already built working collaborations. This joint work in France and Quebec will allow them to deepened through a reflective analysis of the study.