{"id":1418,"date":"2026-08-30T22:53:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T12:53:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/?p=1418"},"modified":"2026-08-30T22:53:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T12:53:56","slug":"cvc2026-715","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/cvc2026-715\/","title":{"rendered":"CVC2026-715 \u2013 Facilitating children\u2019s participation in early childhood education"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"cvc-hero alignfull\">\n  <span class=\"cvc-chip\">Presentation \u2013 CVC2026-715<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\">Facilitating children\u2019s participation in early childhood education<\/h1>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<div class=\"cvc-authors\">\n<p><strong>Putri Ayu Wulandari,<\/strong> Early Childhood Care and Development \u2013 Resource Centre Yogyakarta, Indonesia<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bernadheta Fridayanti, <\/strong>Early Childhood Care and Development \u2013 Resource Centre (ECCD-RC) Yogyakarta, Indonesia<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fransisca Ana Rukma Dewi, <\/strong>Early Childhood Care and Development \u2013 Resource Centre (ECCD-RC) Yogyakarta, Indonesia<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tita Dian Wulandari,<\/strong> Early Childhood Care and Development \u2013 Resource Centre (ECCD-RC) Yogyakarta, Indonesia<\/p>\n<p><strong>Retno Maulida Hanum, <\/strong>Early Childhood Care and Development \u2013 Resource Centre (ECCD-RC) Yogyakarta, Indonesia<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<div class=\"ast-oembed-container \" style=\"height: 100%;\"><iframe title=\"CVC2026-715 Facilitating children\u2019s participation in early childhood education\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/T3zzeySVQrA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<p><strong>Background: <\/strong>The top-down learning model remains prevalent in Indonesia, often resulting in passive learners who hesitate to express opinions. Children\u2019s participation, however, is a crucial principle in early childhood education, as it fosters active involvement, critical thinking, and innovation. In project-based learning, teachers serve as facilitators who encourage children\u2019s voices. Rumah Citta School has implemented participatory facilitation methods that empower children to become confident, collaborative learners.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Aim: <\/strong>This study aims to describe teacher facilitation in fostering early childhood participation using Roger Hart\u2019s Ladder of Participation. Hart\u2019s model outlines eight levels of children\u2019s involvement in decision-making, from manipulation to child-initiated, shared decisions with adults. It provides a framework for assessing the quality of children\u2019s participation in educational settings. This study identifies the level of participation reflected in the learning process at Sekolah Rumah Citta and examines the extent to which children are involved in planning, implementing, and reflecting on learning activities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Method\/approach:<\/strong> This study employed a qualitative approach during a one month co-curricular project-based learning program at Sekolah Rumah Citta. Data were collected through classroom observations, interviews, field notes, and documentation, and analysed descriptively. Participants were 62 children aged 4\u20137 years and 11 educators from an inclusive early childhood school. The study was conducted with school approval, written parental consent, children\u2019s verbal assent, and permission to use photographs and videos before data collection.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Results\/findings:<\/strong><strong> <\/strong>The findings showed that teachers supported children\u2019s participation through open-ended questions, activity choices, guided discussions, and appreciation of children\u2019s ideas. These strategies encouraged children to express opinions, collaborate, solve problems, and participate in decision-making. Based on Roger Hart\u2019s Ladder of Participation, children\u2019s participation ranged from consulted and informed to adult-initiated shared decision-making with children.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Conclusion: <\/strong>The findings indicate that educator facilitation at Sekolah Rumah Citta aligns with levels 6 (Adult-Initiated, Shared Decisions with Children) and 7 (Child-Initiated and Directed) of Roger Hart\u2019s Ladder of Participation. Adults initiate projects while children share decision-making, plan, implement, and lead activities, with adults providing support only when needed. This facilitation model enables children to express ideas, make choices, and participate actively in the learning process.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Implications for children and families: <\/strong>Children become more confident and actively engaged when they are given opportunities to express ideas, collaborate, and participate in decision-making through enjoyable learning activities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Implications for practitioners:<\/strong> As practitioners, teachers can strengthen children\u2019s participation through child-centred facilitation while also creating an enjoyable culture of discussion that makes the classroom learning process more conducive, active, and engaging.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Keywords<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> children\u2019s participation, child-centred facilitation, children\u2019s voice<\/p>\n<p><strong>This presentation relates to the following <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/goals\"><strong>United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<ul class=\"cvc-sdgs\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/goals\/goal4\">SDG 4: Quality Education<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Putri Ayu Wulandari, Early Childhood Care and Development \u2013 Resource Centre Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Bernadheta Fridayanti, Early Childhood Care and Development \u2013 Resource Centre (ECCD-RC) Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Fransisca Ana Rukma Dewi, Early Childhood Care and Development \u2013 Resource Centre (ECCD-RC) Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Tita Dian Wulandari, Early Childhood Care and Development \u2013 Resource Centre (ECCD-RC) Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Retno Maulida Hanum, Early Childhood Care and Development \u2013 Resource Centre (ECCD-RC) Yogyakarta, Indonesia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,52,1],"tags":[46],"class_list":["post-1418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-childrens-learning-and-activities","category-childrens-rights-voices-and-perspectives","category-presentations","tag-sdg-04"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1418"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1418\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1471,"href":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1418\/revisions\/1471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}