Maria Papandreou, professor in the School of Early Childhood Education at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), stands out as a leading voice in contemporary pedagogical approaches for young children. She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Patras (2002) and directs the postgraduate program “Educational Sciences: Research and Praxis in Changing Learning Environments,” focusing on participatory learning, interactions in formal, non-formal, and informal settings, and strengthening children’s autonomy and resilience.

With an emphasis on the role of the “educator-researcher,” Ms. Papandreou views education as a dynamic process that learns from contact with society and moves beyond gender stereotypes. Her personal journey, from the natural sciences to kindergarten teacher and researcher, reflects her deep love for fostering critical thinking, the quality that shapes autonomous and well-rounded citizens. Days of Art in Greece welcomes her in an interview dedicated to her work and her educational vision.

Days of Art in Greece: Mrs. Papandreou, your field of expertise concerns contemporary pedagogical approaches and preschool education programs. What does “contemporary approaches” mean today? How different is the way a child is introduced to educational issues today?

Maria Papandreou: My field of expertise encompasses two interrelated components in the field of preschool education. The first concerns the study of theoretical approaches to teaching and learning at an early age, which interact with today’s children and their needs, while the second focuses on preschool education programs that connect theory with practice in the field of everyday practice in classrooms and formal and informal educational settings that accommodate young children. Hence the word ‘contemporary’ in the title. In other words, it examines learning and teaching for young children in today’s circumstances, social and otherwise.

For example, participatory approaches view the learning process as participation in various sociocultural situations and settings, both formal (such as the classroom), informal (such as a museum), and informal (such as the family environment). Participatory approaches treat preschool-aged children as active subjects who have rights and diverse experiences, abilities, and knowledge. Consequently, they emphasize the meaningful and active participation of each child in the learning process and aim to empower all students through their actions and the strengthening of their autonomy. In relation to the past and the present, I should tell you that these are not entirely new ideas. They are ideas that were formulated by great thinkers and educators, such as Dewey, Malaguzzi, and others, but which have never been widely applied in education, especially in our country. They remain relevant and are fueled by new research, which, by monitoring the rapid changes in today’s world, contributes to the development of new theories and approaches that address the contemporary challenges facing our children and their education.

“For example, today children’s rights are increasingly violated on a daily basis by wars, migration, trafficking, child labor, and many other factors. In recent years, these issues have been of particular concern in the field of education. In combination with the influence exerted by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in recent years, research has been continuously fueled, influencing curricula and, gradually, everyday classroom practice.”

Another example. Today we live in a society of fear that is averse to risk. This makes us adults fear even more for our children and overprotect them, without allowing them to stumble, try and fail or be disappointed. And so we limit their play and, in general, their ability to act independently. But in the end, this prevents them from developing valuable life skills such as autonomy, self-regulation, resilience, and many others. Contemporary research in this field therefore studies what children gain from living and being educated in environments that encourage autonomous action, taking and evaluating various risks, and thus developing modern approaches such as education and play in open environments (e.g., forest schools, loose parts & adventure play).

D.A.: When did the turning point occur? Have we found the modern pace?

M.P.: Based on everything I mentioned earlier, I would say that there is no turning point in education; the world we live in is constantly changing, and education must keep pace with these changes.

On the other hand, it is very difficult to find the modern pace in education, in everyday practice in the classroom. To achieve something in this direction, we must understand that education in general, at every level, must be a dynamic process and closely follow the rapid changes that are taking place in our lives at all levels. If we consider that today’s schools in our country are very similar to the schools that my generation attended, and I mean the generation of those over 50, then we understand that schools, at least in Greece, remain largely stagnant. And this school system today has nothing to say to the younger generation. Schools must ‘learn’ and change along with society. However, this is a deeply institutional and political issue.

D.A.: You run the master’s program (MSc): “Educational Sciences: Research and Praxis in Changing Learning Environments.” What does “changing learning environments” mean? Who is it aimed at?

M.P.: With the previous examples, I think I have already given you an idea of changing learning environments. This MSc program was designed with the understanding that rapid changes (scientific, political, technological, socio-economic, and cultural) make it imperative to constantly redefine education as a whole.

“For this reason, the main objective of the MSc program is to provide current and future educators, as well as other professionals who work more broadly with children and their education, with the appropriate tools to manage any changes flexibly and creatively, developing a transformative perspective for their profession, but also for research in the field of education. Thus, the aim of this MSc program is to provide specialized knowledge that will allow those who attend it to delve deeper into the changes and contemporary theoretical approaches that study these changes, upgrading their knowledge and skills. “

Our students are constantly challenged to reflect on traditional, established, and outdated ideas and assumptions in relation to today’s children, critically examine contemporary teaching approaches and learning practices so that they can design and implement appropriate programs, actions, and research in various (formal and informal) teaching and learning contexts, striving to ‘respond’ to the real and current needs of today’s children.

D.A.: How important do you consider the retraining of active teachers and kindergarten teachers to be for a new educational strategy in public education?

M.P.: Continuous and lifelong learning is now accepted by everyone. It is not disputed. It is essential as a daily practice and not just as attending a training program or even a postgraduate program. Teachers seek continuous professional development. However, today they are more demanding, they know better what they want, and they seek programs that can respond to their needs and the problems they face in their classrooms today. They are not looking for general training.

“That is why we believe that this MSc program has been designed flexibly to respond to such needs. What this program also offers is a realistic connection to contemporary research, seeking to educate not only those who want to continue to the next level of study (doctoral studies) but also every educator in modern methods of educational research. In this program, our ambition is to contribute to building the identity of the ‘educator-researcher’, because progress and development in education must and can come from the grassroots, especially in societies like ours where institutions and politics have largely failed.”

I would also like to point out something that you may consider self-evident, but today it is probably not. This is a postgraduate program that is implemented in a ‘traditional’ way, but not with conservative characteristics. What do I mean? Contrary to the current trend of distance learning programs, we insist on face-to-face teaching with a relatively small number of students, seeking to a large extent to provide our students with experiential education. Although distance learning is easier and more convenient for all teachers and students, in this postgraduate program we consciously insist on face-to-face teaching, as even the most specialized practices in distance learning cannot replace face-to-face communication and the development of close relationships between students and between students and teachers.

D.A.: Your educational programs include the concept of inclusion. Which population groups are you referring to exactly?

M.P.: The concept of inclusion, especially in education, refers to the creation of an environment where every child, regardless of their characteristics, will have equal opportunities for participation, access, and development at school. It is not just about simple tolerance, but active acceptance and the elimination of any barriers.

Although inclusion concerns society as a whole, it focuses mainly on groups that have historically or socially suffered exclusion, discrimination, or marginalization, and here there are many different groups such as ethnic and racial minorities (refugees and immigrants, Roma families, and other minority groups), the LGBTQI+ community, families with low living standards and vulnerability who struggle to make ends meet, people with special learning needs or disabilities, as well as women and the elderly.

Thus, inclusion is now used in a variety of contexts and situations and to a very large extent. Unfortunately, however, this use is often superficial, intended to lend prestige and a democratic dimension to various choices, and thus it has begun to resemble yet another slogan in the field of education.

“The truth is that in our society we do not have the infrastructure, institutions, and will for real inclusion in education, precisely because there is no unified strategy to effectively strengthen, control, and defend institutions, mechanisms, and infrastructure.”

On the other hand, we must educate teachers and future researchers on these issues because diversity in classrooms is a reality that has always existed, but today we can no longer simply turn a blind eye to it. It calls out to us, pulls us by the sleeve, urging us to do something. Therefore, this dimension could not be missing from a modern postgraduate program. The good news, however, is that our students are particularly interested in this field of research and study. I would say that young people today are much more sensitive to all these issues and treat any kind of diversity with much greater respect.

Maria Papandreou

D.A.: We would like to conclude by asking you about your own personal journey in the field of education. Why did you choose this very special and demanding scientific field?

M.P.: The decision to pursue a career in education was a conscious one, but also quite intuitive at first, and it took some time to mature. I should mention that I did not begin my studies with the intention of becoming a teacher. I was a good student with a penchant and interest in the sciences, I was easily accepted into the school of my choice (at the time), one of the best schools for the sciences, but I quickly realized that I didn’t want to do that in my life. So, the real search for ‘what I want to do in my life’ started late. Somewhat intuitively, I chose to study to become a kindergarten teacher, and from there, in combination with people who inspired me, I fell in love with research in this field, and so I continued my studies in France and later in Greece. I would say that my love for research in the field of education led me to higher education later on.

D.A.: Is gender a decisive factor in the teaching profession?

M.P.: The teaching profession has long suffered from gender stereotypes. Our society considers women to be more suited to this profession, especially for younger children (preschool, elementary school). This is why we see women dominating the education sector, and the lower we go in the education system (preschool), the more dominant they become. For example, even today, we often hear that teaching is a good choice for a woman for various reasons that you are aware of and that seriously underestimate the female gender. For example, because she will be able to “take care of the house and children,” etc. etc., and because a woman does not need to become a doctor or an engineer. On the other hand, for a man, becoming a teacher is not considered a recommendation, because it is unambiguously considered a profession that does not confer prestige on those who practice it.

In essence, this approach in both cases deeply undermines education itself and teachers, who unfortunately do not enjoy particular esteem in society, and this becomes worse the lower down the ladder we go. However, a society that thinks this way is deeply conservative and certainly does not recognize the paramount importance of education in addressing many of the problems that plague us daily on a personal and global level. I would not want to include gender in this equation at all.

As far as I am concerned, gender and the stereotypes I mentioned above had no bearing on my choices and my connection to education. Fortunately, I grew up in a family environment that never embraced such ideas.

D.A.: Which books, works of art, and your family environment influenced your choice? What is your vision? How much can a child’s early education play a decisive role in shaping a mature and well-rounded citizen?

M.P.: My family did not influence me in any particular way to pursue this profession; quite the opposite, in fact. My family and my wider circle taught me to love knowledge, books, to ask questions and seek not ready-made answers but to think critically, to be fair, creative, and independent, to stand on my own two feet with my own strength, and above all to pursue my dreams. I would say that education should play this role, and it starts very early, in a child’s first steps.

“The school’s purpose is not to fill children’s heads with information; school has an important role to play in getting children’s minds to work independently, and to achieve this, all children must enjoy themselves and have a good time at school, finding and pursuing their dreams.”