Nurturing Curiosity in the Post-Pandemic Era: C&K Oaks Beach Community Kindergarten

Rebecca Bowen, Director/Teacher at C&K Oaks Beach Community Kindergarten, made a number of observations about the children in her care following the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent measures put in place to ‘stop the spread.’ 

 

Particularly for children who were born during the pandemic, she noticed, there was a noticeable decrease in natural curiosity.

 

This ‘noticing’ led Ms Bowen and her educator team to undertake deep learning about the role of slow pedagogy and how educators can nurture curiosity as a foundational skill for developing global citizenship in a post-pandemic era.

 

Slow Pedagogies and Global Citizenship

 

The team started with a recommended book, “Slow Knowledge and the unhurried child: Time for Slow Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education”, by Alison Clark (2023). 

 

“With advanced technology, the push down of curriculum and an accelerated childhood are all evident for the children of today. The idea of slowing things resonated perfectly with our philosophy and kindergarten service, as well as the idea of diving deep rather than superficial knowledge, connecting with nature, listening and focusing on ‘being’,” Ms Bowen explained. 

 

Slow pedagogies emphasise:

 

1. Allowing time for deep, meaningful engagement with concepts
2. Encouraging reflection and thoughtful questioning
3. Valuing the process of learning over quick outcomes.

 

By intentionally slowing down the learning process, educators can create space for awe, wonder and curiosity to emerge. This aligns closely with the goals of global citizenship education, which seek to develop:

 

• Critical thinking skills
• Empathy and understanding of diverse perspectives
• Awareness of global issues and interconnectedness

 

In her research Alison Clark looked at key concepts in ‘slow’ pedagogies being plural (not just one type of pedagogy). Slow pedagogy of place (how being outdoors invites a different relationship with ‘time’ and how this can allow a deeper understanding of the world around us ) and a Slow pedagogy of listening (learning to linger, listening and ‘being with’) as well as the impact of pedagogical documentation.

 

A Birdwings Forest School webinar “Slow Pedagogy and the Art of Caring” enabled further research and understanding into slow pedagogies for the team. 

 

“One key concept that we discovered here was ‘Attention Restoration Theory (ART)’ – (Stephen and Rachel Kaplan),” Ms Bowen explained, “and how time spent in nature supports the improvement of concentration and mental fatigue and enables children to reset their brain and direct their attention effectively.” 

 

“This supported what we have been finding over the last few years in our nature pedagogy. We were seeing an increased number of children with ADD, ADHD or shorter attention spans and supporting them more through more time connecting in and with nature.”

 

The research into slow pedagogy allowed the team to continue to build on their journey of nature pedagogy and practices, reflecting on these through current research and through the global citizenship lens, an exploration which culminated in a research question – How does a commitment to slow pedagogies enable children to develop the global citizenship fundamentals?

 

Advancing the learning 

 

As a part of the Community of Practice, the C&K Oaks Beach Community Kindergarten team completed a micro-credential course through CQUniversity – Leading Education for Global Citizenship and Global Competence. 

 

“It was through this that we were introduced to Visible Thinking Routines from Project Zero,” Ms Bowen explained. These thinking routines invite learners of any age to be close observers, organise their ideas, and to reflect on how they are making sense of their world (Harvard University).”

 

“With such a vast range of visible thinking routines in their toolbox to choose from, it was very difficult to know where to start. They recommend starting with one and allowing children the time they need to master this routine before moving onto the next. We selected “See, Think, Wonder” from their core thinking routines.”

Unexpected Challenges Encountered

 

“Through spending time working through the see-think-wonder visible thinking routine with the children, we soon discovered the very unexpected challenge that most of the children were not demonstrating natural curiosity and many struggled in the space of wonder and asking questions,” Ms Bowen continued.

 

“Many were not easily impressed by special things that we were discovering in nature, demonstrating some disconnect from their natural world. Part of the purpose of this particular thinking routine is to stimulate curiosity and set the stage for inquiry. We found that only a few children (about 3 out of 22) were comfortable in the wonder space.”

 

Instead, most of the children tended to give factual responses and were competent in the seeing and thinking space, but not asking questions for further inquiry. 

 

“What we were seeing in this group of children this year (being very different to what we experienced last year) challenged us as our educators in many ways and made us question our image of the child as being naturally curious, our pedagogical practices and how these needed to be adapted.”

 

The Curiosity Conundrum

 

“Traditionally,” she continued, “early childhood educators have relied on children’s innate curiosity to drive learning and exploration. However, our recent experiences with ‘COVID babies’ have revealed a shift in this paradigm. Many children are displaying a preference for instant gratification and quick answers, often turning to digital assistants like Siri for information rather than engaging in the process of discovery.”

 

This phenomenon presented the educator team with a unique challenge – how to cultivate curiosity in children who may not naturally possess it, and, more importantly, how to leverage this process to foster the development of global citizenship skills?

 

“Our first goal was to look at other ways for children to explore and express their curiosity and then to inspire further paths of inquiry,” Ms Bowen said. 

 

“We continued to spend time with the See-Think-Wonder routine, later expanding this to See-Feel-Think-Wonder as we asked the children to consider different works of art, photos, videos, objects, situations etc.”

Children’s interest in science experiments led the educator team to set up a science lab where see- think-wonder was used alongside the experiments they were conducting. 

 

Curiosity Cube/Corner was another adaptation made in the room, as well as implementing a “Wonder Window”.  Some of these adaptations were easily steered towards global themes, and encouraged children to think beyond their own immediate environment and circumstances. 

 

For example, an exploration of various oil and water experiments led on to an oil spill experiment, allowing children to engage in the process of discovering the effect oil has on wildlife (e.g. feathers) and how difficult an oil spill is to effectively clean up.

 

Strategies for Nurturing Curiosity

 

For other services wishing to cultivate and enhance children’s curiosity, Ms Bowen recommends the following; 

 

1. Nature-Based Learning

 

Incorporating regular nature walks and outdoor observations can stimulate curiosity about the natural world. This approach not only encourages questions and wonder but also fosters a sense of connection to the environment – a key aspect of global citizenship.

 

2. Visible Thinking Routines

 

Implementing thinking routines like “See, Think, Wonder” helps structure children’s observations and encourages them to ask questions. These routines can be applied to global issues at an age-appropriate level, promoting critical thinking about the wider world.

 

3. Provocations and Open-Ended Discussions

 

Using provocations, such as unusual objects or thought-provoking images, can spark curiosity and lead to rich discussions. These discussions can be steered towards global themes, encouraging children to think beyond their immediate environment.

 

4. Modeling Curiosity

 

Educators play a crucial role in demonstrating curious behavior. By asking questions, expressing wonder, and showing enthusiasm for learning, teachers can inspire similar attitudes in their students.

 

It’s important to acknowledge that cultivating curiosity in children who are accustomed to instant gratification can be challenging. However, educators have observed positive outcomes from these efforts, including:

 

• Increased attention spans
• Reduction in challenging behaviors
• Improved engagement, particularly among children with attention difficulties

 

By focusing on nurturing curiosity, early childhood educators are laying the groundwork for future global citizens. Curious children are more likely to:

 

• Ask questions about the world around them
• Seek to understand different perspectives
• Engage with global issues in meaningful ways

 

“As we navigate the post-pandemic educational landscape, the cultivation of curiosity emerges not just as a desirable trait and disposition for learning, but as an essential skill for fostering global citizenship,” Ms Bowen said. 

 

“By embracing slow pedagogy and implementing strategies to spark wonder, we can help our youngest learners develop the curiosity needed to engage meaningfully with our interconnected world.”

 

The team will continue to explore how the commitment to slow pedagogies can support children in becoming stronger in their identity as global citizens, and as children who think deeply, critically and creatively and then act on it.