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Pedagogical documentation

Updated: Aug 13, 2022

Pedagogical documentation is rooted in the ideology of the Reggio Emilia philosophical approach of early childhood education.


Definition

Documentation is more than "work samples". According to Forman and Fyfe (2012: 250), documentation “refers to any record of performance that contains sufficient detail to help others understand the behaviour recorded". Thus, for example, a single drawing by a child is not documentation because there is no record of the performance.


Aim

It seeks to understand the whole child in context, acknowledging a diversity of perspectives. Alcock (2000: 18) makes a good point when she says that pedagogical documentation reduces the adult:child power imbalance. She adds that this is important if children are to be perceived as subjects, actively engaged in their own development, co-constructing and creating knowledge, rather than being perceived as passively observed objects to be filled with knowledge.


Steps

Pedagogical documentation includes three main steps:

  • Observation - It takes place as teaching and learning proceeds.

  • Collecting - The use of a variety of documentation techniques can provide a more inclusive understanding of children than that provided by decontextualised individual child observations (Alcock, 2000: 18).

  • Interpreting - "The intent of documentation is to explain not merely to describe" (Forman & Fyfe, 2012: 250)

Display

Documentation “shouldn't be seen as an extra paperwork load, but as part of the daily routine" (Biffi et al., 2021: 184). Ideal pedagogical documentation is displayed as photos with explanatory text on walls.


Value

Pedagogical documentation is of great value to children, educators, and families. It is a process that helps gather and store the memories of the entire community (children and teachers), which in turn can foster thinking and reflection, provide a basis for assessment, and communicate a culture of childhood (Biffi, 2019: 67).


Assessment

Documentation is considered to be a more inclusive practice of assessment. As it is a continuous and open-ended process, it tracks the learners’ progress throughout the course while respecting the complexity of their learning and their position within the learning process.

As a result, children's identities are not diminished down to a list of judgements about their academic abilities.

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