Propagation of the Decroly Method in the “Wychowanie Przedszkolne” Journal (1925–1939): a Theoretical and Practical Context
Propagation of the Decroly Method in the “Wychowanie Przedszkolne” Journal (1925–1939): a Theoretical and Practical Context

Summary/Abstract: The author scrutinises the dissemination of Jean -Ovide Decroly’s didacticconcepts in the pages of the “Wychowanie Przedszkolne” journal from 1925 to 1939.The paper aims to present the theoretical foundations of the method, such as thechild’s activity, integration of educational content, and reference to the child’s naturalinterests, as well as their practical applications in Polish preschool education. For thisend, the journal issues from 1925–1939 have been subject to qualitative contentanalysis usin g elements of the historical approach. First, the journal’s profile andfunctions were discussed, followed by a biographical outline of O. Decroly, a medicaldoctor who became a practical educator and developed his own innovative method.Next, the content of publications devoted to his concept and how he was presented asa scholar, teacher, and reformer were analysed. Particular attention was paid to hisconcept of a didactic triad, i.e. observation, association and expression as well as“centres of interes t”. Both ideas were tools for organising the child’s experiences. Theanalysis suggests that “Wychowanie Przedszkolne” served as a forum for the transferand adaptation of Decroly’s ideas to Polish reality and preschool practice, combiningtheoretical lect ures with practical examples that, in turn, contributed to theprofessionalisation of preschool staff in interwar Poland.

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