Alaya Preschool: A Culture of Care and Meaningful Work in Contemplative Early Childhood Education

Creator

Christina Marie Taylor, University of Northern Colorado

First Advisor

O'Neil, Kathleen

Document Type

Dissertation

Date Created

5-2018

Abstract

The purpose of this ethnographic case study was to describe the culture of an early childhood educational preschool setting which was philosophically grounded in contemplative education and traditions — the Alaya Preschool at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. While much has been written about early education and contemplative education as separate topics, the current study fills a scholarship gap in the literature about contemplative early childhood education. Data were collected using the Mosaic Approach, and included shoulder-to-shoulder and walk-around methods for interviewing. Data types consisted of the observation of classroom and school activities; semi-structured face-to-face-interviews and informal interviews with adults and children; and the collection of artifacts, including paintings, drawings, photographs, and poetry generated by the researcher and participants, as well as school documents and audio recordings. Multimodal data analysis included inductive analysis and coding; the compilation of paintings and drawings; and research poetry. Both narrative and art forms generated with participatory tools were used for reporting. Findings about the culture and lived experiences of the learning community included contemplative practices of adults (staff meditation), children (practicing stones, sand trays, and Kalapa Ikebana), and the collective practice of holding and opening space. In addition, the learning community described their personal and professional cultural identities, as individuals and a collective, and spoke to the key Principles of Practice which served as their guide — a foundational belief in Basic Goodness, which cradled expressions of Genuine Relationships and Kindness. These findings were interpreted and discussed within the contexts of embodied presence, care theory, and the theory of work and human evolution. This research has the potential to inform early childhood educators, teacher educators, and contemplative practitioners. Key words: care theory, contemplative education, contemplative practices, early childhood education, embodied presence, ethnographic case study, qualitative, teacher education, theory of work and human evolution, transformative education

Extent

255 pages

Local Identifiers

Taylor_dissertation_2018

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

Recommended Citation

Taylor, Christina Marie, "Alaya Preschool: A Culture of Care and Meaningful Work in Contemplative Early Childhood Education" (2018). Dissertations. 504.
https://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations/504