Published: 2025-11-08

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

Aleksandra Feliniak
Seminare. Learned Investigations
Section: Articles
https://doi.org/10.21852/sem.1867

Abstract

The author scrutinises the dissemination of Jean-Ovide Decroly’s didactic concepts 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 the child’s activity, integration of educational content, and reference to the child’s natural interests, as well as their practical applications in Polish preschool education. For this end, the journal issues from 1925–1939 have been subject to qualitative content analysis using elements of the historical approach. First, the journal’s profile and functions were discussed, followed by a biographical outline of O. Decroly, a medical doctor 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 as a scholar, teacher, and reformer were analysed. Particular attention was paid to his concept of a didactic triad, i.e. observation, association and expression as well as “centres of interest”. Both ideas were tools for organising the child’s experiences. The analysis suggests that “Wychowanie Przedszkolne” served as a forum for the transfer and adaptation of Decroly’s ideas to Polish reality and preschool practice, combining theoretical lectures with practical examples that, in turn, contributed to the professionalisation of preschool staff in interwar Poland.

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Feliniak, A. (2025). Propagation of the Decroly Method in the “Wychowanie Przedszkolne” Journal (1925–1939): a Theoretical and Practical Context. Seminare. Learned Investigations, 46(2). https://doi.org/10.21852/sem.1867

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