Interactive groups in early childhood education: First step for educational success

Abstract

Purpose: The educational gap, between those who succeed in the education system and those who fail, may begin in the years before compulsory schooling, thereby reducing the high rates of school failure requires the intervention at an early age. This article follows the recommendations of the European Commission as well as the results of different researches, to analyze some of the features that this childhood education should have to contribute to improve the educational success of children.

Methodology: The findings presented are the result of a scientific literature review and the results obtained in European research Includ-ed (2006-2011), which methodology was based on communicative approach. Specifically, we gathered the results from one of the case studies developed in Spain during the period 2007 - 2010. The data collection techniques used were both quantitative and qualitative: questionnaires, communicative daily live stories, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and communicative observations.

Findings: Promoting interaction and family involvement are two of the identified components that may favor the development of this education of quality. One way of organizing the classroom that includes both elements is by means of interactive groups. The results of the case study show that this action has helped to reduce dropout rates and has increase motivation, enhancing solidarity and improving educational outcomes of children.

Originality/value: The lack of scientific researches in Europe that analyze educational actions in early childhood education that contribute to the success and, more specifically, those organizational elements that influence them, makes this article specially appealing to the scientific community and to the rest of professionals and the general public involved in the education of children since the earliest ages.