Finding the Right Rhythm: Slow Pedagogy in Icelandic Preschools

Abstract

This article explores slow pedagogy as a professional, ethical and relational stance in preschool education, with particular attention to how time, rhythm and presence shape children’s play and learning and teachers’ professional practice. The study is situated within the Icelandic development project Stilla – Slow Preschool Practice, conducted between 2022 and 2025 in collaboration between four preschools and researchers from the University of Iceland, the University of Akureyri and the University of South- Eastern Norway. The project emerged in response to increasing time pressure, rigid daily schedules and outcome-oriented practices in early childhood education, which risk undermining children’s participation, continuity in play and meaningful learning experiences. The study draws on design-based research methodology, aiming to bridge theory and practice through iterative cycles of reflection, experimentation and analysis in real-life educational settings. Participants included preschool leaders and head teachers from the four participating preschools, while children and other staff members were indirect participants through pedagogical documentation and everyday practice. Data were generated through focus group interviews conducted at the beginning and end of the project, as well as through pedagogical documentation used and discussed in shared workshops throughout the development process. The analysis combined content analysis and discourse analysis, guided by key concepts from slow pedagogy and theories of time in early childhood education. Findings indicate that slow pedagogy is not merely a set of alternative practices, but a professional and ethical orientation that reshapes relationships, decision-making and preschool culture. Four interrelated pillars of slow preschool practice were identified across the data. The first, being with, refers to teachers’ conscious presence with children – slowing down, listening attentively and trusting children’s play as a meaningful learning process. Teachers described how stepping back from constant intervention allowed new understandings of children’s competencies, cooperation and self-regulation to emerge, particularly among children previously perceived as challenging. The second pillar, going off track, captures teachers’ willingness to deviate from pre-planned schedules and activities in order to follow children’s interests, emotional states and emerging ideas. Rather than viewing interruptions or deviations as disruptions, teachers began to consider them as valuable learning opportunities. This shift required professional courage and ethical judgement, particularly when adapting routines to support children with additional support needs. In these instances slow pedagogy aligned closely with ideas of children’s rights, participation and equitable access to time on their own terms.

The third pillar, diving deep, reflects the creation of conditions for continuity, depth and extended engagement in play and inquiry. When children were given uninterrupted time to explore materials, ideas and questions, play became more sustained, collaborative and meaningful. Teachers observed increased concentration, creativity and flow, as well as richer opportunities for reflection and dialogue. Importantly, depth was not associated with “more time” in a quantitative sense, but with a qualitative shift in how time was valued and protected within the daily life of the preschool. The fourth pillar, taking the longer view, points to slow pedagogy as a cultural and organisational orientation rather than a temporary project. Over time, slow practices became embedded in decisions about space, routines, group organisation and leadership. Teachers and leaders emphasised that slow pedagogy supported not only children’s wellbeing and participation, but also their own professional sustainability, reducing stress and strengthening professional identity and ethical clarity. Across all four pillars the findings highlight the importance of recognising time as a relational and multi-layered phenomenon rather than a neutral resource to be managed. Drawing on the notion of tempo giusto – the “right rhythm” – the study shows how professional judgement involves continuously attuning to the rhythms of children, groups and situations. In this sense, slow pedagogy challenges dominant discourses of efficiency and control, offering an alternative understanding of quality grounded in relationships, presence and democratic values.

The article contributes to early childhood education research by providing the first comprehensive Icelandic study of slow pedagogy in preschool practice, while also offering insights relevant to international discussions on time, professionalism and children’s participation. The findings suggest that slow preschool practice can serve as a viable and sustainable pathway to enhancing quality, wellbeing and democratic participation in early childhood education – provided that it is supported at organisational and policy levels, rather than resting solely on individual teachers’ efforts.