Teachers who support Reggio: exploring their understandings of the philosophy (Reggio Emilia)

There is a growing recognition that for an educational innovation to be successful it needs to be more than a good idea--success requires an understanding of how change is implemented. Reggio, a widely-applied, innovative philosophy in early childhood settings, has some support in primary schools. Yet there is very little research to guide primary teachers interested in incorporating it into their teaching practice. This study begins to address this issue by investigating whether teachers committed to Reggio: a) have a deep understanding of the philosophy; b) distinguish a difference between the original and their own sociopolitical and cultural contexts; and c) report utilising this knowledge in their practice. The findings of the research underscore the importance of knowledge of the change process and the need for debate regarding Reggio in primary school settings.