Introduction

The educational process is a means that contributes to expanding and developing knowledge about a given topic. All knowledge follows individual and collective paths, which permeate the desire and need to learn in the process of seeking knowledge (Vygotsky, ¹⁹⁹¹ ). From this perspective, the analysis of educational processes based on students’ perceptions becomes relevant.

The comprehensive and complex health needs that involve early childhood require a coordination that contemplates the interdisciplinary and intersectoral perspective from university education onwards (Lemos; Magiolino; Silva, ²⁰²² ; RNPI, ²⁰²⁰ ). However, in higher education in health, the teaching-learning process based on knowledge conveying and knowledge fragmentation still predominates, in individual spaces of each profession, with little integration among peers and far from real contexts (Lacerda; Santos, ²⁰¹⁸ ).

Environments that allow developing transdisciplinary learning in higher education can improve the fulfillment of human needs, based on professionals capable of interacting in their different professions. Their actions must have a common goal: solving society’s complex problems (Caron et al ., ²⁰²³ ).

In the Brazilian reality of higher education, there is also a distance between students during the training process, although in the professional context teamwork is a reality. This reality of distance among courses makes it difficult for future professionals to act interprofessionally (in collaborative and joint actions and practices) in plans and projects, which can hinder integrated and participatory constructions (Batista, ²⁰¹² ; Hong; Shaffer, ²⁰¹⁵ ).

Although the necessary structure exists in the curricular bases to optimize an interprofessional teaching and learning process, it is still necessary to advance in terms of use of tools and practical actions that make this experience more consistent and expanded in higher education (De Mazzi et al ., ²⁰²³ ). Interprofessional education emerges as an alternative to promote professional integration during training, aiming to strengthen work processes based on collaborative relationships, given that it allows the integration of different courses and professions, considering the different knowledge and intersections of care (Barbosa et al ., ²⁰²¹ ; Silva Leal et al ., ²⁰²¹ ).

Teaching-learning processes that include art, aesthetics and creativity can contribute to horizontal and collaborative teaching-learning processes, as they favor the use of alternative tools for learning and teaching (Vygotsky, ²⁰¹⁰ ; Silva; Schor; Gallian, ²⁰²¹ ).

In the teaching-learning process from Vygotsky’s perspective ( ²⁰¹⁰ ), professors are not seen as a single source of knowledge. Professors must act as mediators in this process, valuing the potential of everyday contexts and socio-interaction in the process of construction/use of knowledge.

In this way, storytelling in the classroom offers opportunities to incorporate artistic, aesthetic, narrative, creative identity-building and writing elements. This authentic characteristic of storytelling favors the teaching and learning process, directing students’ attention to new understandings and observation of different scenarios and facts, favoring the construction of meanings and reflections on the way of acting and being a professional (O’Byrne et al ., ²⁰¹⁸ ).

This study was based on the assumption that storytelling/children’s literature could be an aesthetic tool for constructing higher education students’ knowledge, practical skills and reflection about early childhood. Using stories from children’s literature to improve knowledge and practical skills in higher education through collaborative and interprofessional interventions in a hybrid format was developed with the perspective of adding relational elements with solid and practical knowledge about early childhood development.

This study aimed to analyze higher education students’ perceptions about an educational process focused on early childhood, mediated by storytelling in an interprofessional approach.

Educational process description

The educational process “ Histórias e saberes: o desvelar de olhares para a primeira infância, navegando para os caminhos possíveis-Naveghi ” (freely translated as Stories and knowledge: unveiling perspectives on early childhood, navigating possible paths-Naveghi) was developed as an extension and research project in a hybrid format at a public university in Brazil during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Naveghi is the combination of the words “navigate” and “stories”. We are an extension project linked to the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE) and we created @naveghi to optimize the name of our project in the context of social networks. The educational process mentioned above aimed to develop knowledge and practical skills on how undergraduate students in education and health should work with children in early childhood through storytelling/children’s literature. Students from different courses and areas of knowledge participated in the project, such as nursing, literature, medicine, occupational therapy courses, and a team of collaborating professors/professionals.

From a theoretical point of view, we used Vygotsky ( ²⁰¹⁰ ) as a pedagogical foundation to guide the educational process in a collaborative and interactive manner among different students, considering the interests/needs and affections/emotions related to the learning process. The educational process was based on the education of feelings and aesthetic education mediated through storytelling/children’s literature.

From an operational point of view, the educational process considered Bloom’s pedagogical principles (Ferraz; Belhot, ²⁰¹⁰ ) when establishing as 1) cognitive objectives: to understand concepts related to early childhood; to reflect on childhood from an individual and social perspective, based on personal narratives; to reflect through children’s stories on early childhood today; 2) affective objectives: to understand children’s expectations and experiences in childhood, based on different everyday situations; to exercise empathy and care strategies for children, parents and families in the context of health services and in the social sphere; to reflect on their childhood with the purpose of bringing contributions to care for children in a context of vulnerability.

The educational process mediated by storytelling was intended to encourage students to learn and understand their experiences and aspects that permeate the childhood of children in different contexts today. Moreover, sharing narratives and experiences in a group helped students reflect on their way of being, feeling, creating and imagining.

The theoretical-synchronous meetings were organized into five topics. These meetings took place once a week, with an average duration of 60 to 90 minutes each, always mediated by the telling of different children’s stories, from September 2021 to March 2022. All synchronous meetings were held through Google Meet®.

Oliver Jeffers’ books were the most studied because the narratives mobilize reflective aspects about childhood and the child-caregiver relationship. In addition, the author’s books have rich imagery aspects to enable discussion among peers.

Chart 1 presents the meetings and educational strategies, including the children’s books worked on.

The opening and initial thematic discussion of each meeting were mediated by storytelling, followed by a presentation in dialogue with specialists (nurses, speech therapist, occupational therapist, architect, graduate in literature).

As an auxiliary resource, the main researcher narrated, edited and made available narrations of children’s books on Google Classroom®. The videos were previously recorded and edited, and were made available up to 48 hours before the meetings.

Practical activities took place in spaces that provide care for children and families (two community libraries, a pediatric ward, and a pediatric emergency room). During the first visits, students observed the spaces and talked to children, families, and professionals.

After the first contact, students were organized into three groups, with four participants, tutored by the researchers. The groups chose one of the spaces visited, selected materials, books and resources to carry out the second visit, presenting a story in a collective session based on the group’s co-creation.

Method

This qualitative research was based on the case study design, with theoretical interpretation based on Vygotsky.

Data collection instruments

The multiple sources of evidence for data collection followed Yin’s ( ²⁰¹⁵ ) evaluative case study guidelines.

Data collection took place between September 2021 and March 2022, parallel and simultaneous to the educational process.

The data collection instruments included:

1) Letter of interests: students individually wrote a letter in which they explained their interests, motivations and expectations.

2) Initial and final forms: the initial form allowed for the survey of undergraduate students’ previous knowledge and experiences regarding their childhood and on topics related to early childhood; at the end, the final form assessed the articulation between previous knowledge and knowledge acquired throughout the educational process.

3) Participant observation with records by the main researcher: the observations, reflections and comments made by the researcher were recorded in a field diary with impressions about each meeting.

4) Transcripts of synchronous meetings: all virtual meetings, via Google Meet®, were recorded and later transcribed. This material was reviewed and contributed to coding of participants’ feelings, thoughts and reflections.

5) Individual portfolio: students wrote an individual portfolio during the educational process, with records of the activities carried out, feelings and knowledge. Students were guided to describe significant aspects of the theoretical and practical activities, including co-creation in group activities.

6) Focus group: the evaluative focus group aimed to understand, from participants, the educational process assessment and the contribution to its teaching-learning process in individual and group aspects with a focus on storytelling and early childhood. Two groups were held to accommodate participants’ availability. Each group lasted an average of 85 to 90 minutes. The groups took place outdoors due to the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The environment was prepared with checkered blankets on the grass. Participants were asked to describe how they felt about carrying out the theoretical and practical activities, and were asked about the role of their professions in early childhood care and how interprofessional coordination among groups occurred.

The other questions involved the role of storytelling during the implementation of interventions in practical contexts. Finally, the role of storytelling during mediation in the educational process and during interventions was addressed, emphasizing strengths, difficulties, weaknesses and fruits during the educational process.

At the end of the focus group, a coffee break was held and each student received an origami (tsuru ).

 

Source: Own authorship.

Figure 1 -  Outdoor focus groups. Naveghi, Recife, 2022 

The evidence collected from the focus group was recorded through audio recordings and notes in a field diary. The data was transcribed immediately after the groups were held, with content transferred to a computer.

Results

In the general profile of participants, ten were female and one was male, totaling 11 participants. Three participants revealed that they had no previous contact with storytelling. As for previous knowledge on early childhood, all reported contact with children during early childhood in the context of professional training or in the family network. Age ranged from 19 to 27 years old.

All students were studying for their undergraduate degrees at a public university and expressed interest in participating in the study through a letter of interest submitted at registration. Participants recorded their motivations, expectations, and inferences regarding the project as well as information about their time availability to carry out the proposed activities. In this letter of interest, participants described their previous contact with storytelling. Three participants revealed that they had no contact with storytelling. As for their previous knowledge on early childhood, all reported contact with children during early childhood in the context of professional training or in the family network.

The analysis of the data set made it possible to construct two categories that are linked to the study objectives, explained in Figure 2 .

Source: Own authorship.

Figure 2 -   Systematization of categories and topics emerging from the data. Recife, 2022 

Affections and emotions in the educational process: sharing paths and childhoods

The first meeting intended to recover and integrate feelings related to early childhood, leading to a better understanding of oneself and others. Students noticed the meeting’s aesthetic organization, and the diversity of shared memories allowed building new perspectives on childhood.

This was a truly beautiful moment of the meeting. Listening to each story and sharing memories was very meaningful. We will certainly start to see each other in a different light [...] defining the meeting in one word; they were: nostalgia (the one I mentioned), longing, memories, connections, meanings, rescue, remembrances and others. In fact, each of these words defines what today’s moment was like, full of feelings and meanings.

(Portfolio, Goldilocks).

The mediation of the meetings based on individual narratives and children’s literature was seen as an opportunity to strengthen the group’s interpersonal relationships. The tools and objects used during training brought emotional meanings to the learning context that could be related to the games of developing children.

Many people were moved and I felt that, after these moments, emotional ties were strengthened with the entire extension group, in addition to having a dialogue about childhood and knowledge itself.

(Portfolio, Caroline).

[...] it was very exciting to have this more intimate contact with the other members of the extension, seeing different objects such as books, toys, a bible and a blanket made us take the dimension of childhood far beyond the commercial toy, because, especially in early childhood, everything is a toy, imagination is very strong in the construction of play and growth [..]

(Portfolio, Lumiére).

The memories brought up by the meeting led to reflections on the past, as well as appreciation of simple and affectionate moments, which became drivers for self-knowledge based on previous experiences and a positive assessment. These individual previous experiences served as a basis for building new knowledge about early childhood and developing self-awareness.

[...] it was impossible not to return to the past, when listening to the stories of our colleagues, and remember things that we had long forgotten. It was exciting to realize that sometimes we are so busy with today and tomorrow that we forget the good memories and moments that marked our journey so far.

(Portfolio, Jasmine).

The stories took me on a journey through so many beautiful and meaningful childhoods. It was like traveling through a child’s life through the voice of an adult. It reminded me of the feeling of reading “The Little Prince”. Word of the day: acceptance (and gratitude for having accepted my scraps). I learned that knowing other people’s stories helps me learn more about my own history, things so profound that I didn’t even know were there.

(Portfolio, Bubblegum princess).

Identifying with objects and scenarios that arouse emotional reactions in students made it possible to access memories and important aspects in the teaching and learning process, as it enabled the recovery of empathetic feelings and reflections about oneself based on the other. This understanding contributed to the group’s relationship as a team and to the professional decision-making process.

Learning through storytelling/children’s literature: perspectives on the education of feelings and aesthetic education

The teaching-learning process about early childhood is complex. Storytelling to mediate this formative process helped to awaken new perspectives and reflections on early childhood, including the relationship between parents and children and light and enjoyable motivation for learning. This new way of observing childhood was considered an innovative way of learning and teaching:

From the beginning, I fell in love with the concept of the father writing the book as a ‘guide’ for his own son.

(Portfolio, Kiara in reference to the book Here We Are).

[...] it becomes much easier to absorb the content, what we see, physiology, biochemistry, so it becomes much easier when we see the application of a situation rather than an abstract form, both in relation to the child and to us adults. [...]

(Focus group, Emilia, in reference to the book Here We Are).

The stories allowed them to observe multiple contexts, different possibilities, meanings and reflections. Students realized the important role of caregivers in introducing their children to oral and written stories as a contribution to cognitive, social and emotional aspects. Participants also highlighted the role of health professionals in encouraging and supporting parenting skills.

A wonderful story that portrays a father’s care in showing the world to his son, recognizing that he understands many things and that he will be able to express his doubts when he learns to speak. The book made me think about how important it is to talk to children about things in the world, because they still have so much to discover and need someone to guide and answer their curiosities.

(Portfolio, Hare).

[...] the importance of recognizing a child as someone who needs a caregiver to help them understand life issues and to help them develop in the best possible way. The importance of looking at caregivers was emphasized and that health professionals should reflect on the importance of interventions that help parents so that they can find paths that lead to the full development of children, whether they have many resources or not.

(Portfolio, Hare).

Another topic related to early childhood that emerged from the book Here We Are, by Oliver Jeffers, was the exposure of children to beauty and adverse circumstances. The contextualization of the book generated concerns among students regarding what should be taught/exposed to children in their early years of development:

[...] throughout their life, they will learn about the bad things in the world. So, at this first moment, it is important that we only talk about good things. The book passes on this first information to these children who still have no knowledge about the world.

(Transcripts of Synchronous Meeting 02, Caroline).

[...] there are children who already live in a bad environment, and do not have this opportunity to be introduced to the good world. We can see the importance of the caregiver’s role in this situation, of how they will convey to children about this situation that they are experiencing.

(Transcripts of Synchronous Meeting 02, Goldilocks).

Another aspect highlighted by participants was the need for a comprehensive approach to the contexts involving early childhood, which involve complexity:

[...] in the face of the recognition of so many problems we face today, such as environmental pollution, prejudice and violence, the father teaches his son from an early age the importance of environmental preservation and respect for diversity. In this context, two words that define the story well are education and altruism. As the story develops from a macroscopic aspect – the universe – to the microscopic – the constitution of human organs and tissues – I leave this image of the planets to remind us that not even the planets that make up the solar system are the same, let alone people.

(Portfolio, Emilia).

Participants identified impressions about children’s imaginary world for healthy development. Playful aspects were valued through storytelling as a tool that allows developing knowledge about the world and about themselves.

The girl from the books by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston. The story highlights two skills that are very characteristic of childhood: creativity and imagination. I highlight the possibility of discovering unknown worlds, of discovering precious things in the midst of darkness.

(Portfolio, Emilia).

This story made me reflect on their ability to stimulate the imagination of children (and even adults). Reading gives us more than just knowledge, it also gives us the ability to experience other realities through our imagination.

(Portfolio, Goldilocks).

This beautiful story portrays the importance of the power of words in books and the creativity of children. This combination provides a lesson in how to use any instrument to become a toy and that any place can become their world of play.

(Portfolio, Little Red Riding Hood).

Students’ ability to use information from stories to re-elaborate new concepts and perceive characteristics about children and their development process, through the mediation of their parents, caregivers and health professionals, was also related to reflections on storytelling as a tool that favors children’s creativity, imagination and cognitive capacity.

By creating a link with the nursing care process, we develop critical-reflective capacity and pay attention to new possibilities for care. In addition, the opportunity to experience storytelling moments allows children to play and travel through this playful scenario created by themselves. This practice also contributes by enabling children to seek new forms of communication. It is worth remembering that promoting a healthy childhood has a direct impact on the adult they will become.

(Portfolio, Emilia).

Discussion

The main results highlighted the importance of storytelling in the educational process on early childhood, encouraging students’ reflections on feelings, knowledge and practical skills in caring for children and families.

Storytelling/children’s literature is a tool that encourages reflection and intensifies the presence of emotions and feelings in the teaching-learning process, since aesthetic elements, such as images, texts and sounds present in each work/book, favor the contextualization of topics about early childhood. Additionally, individual experiences and group constructions give new meaning to emotional aspects in students’ memories, leading to the emergence of new knowledge (Vygotsky, ¹⁹⁹⁹ ; ²⁰¹⁰ ).

In a reflective study that developed a theoretical-conceptual framework that mediated the understanding of the active in active methodologies, it was inferred that a methodological dimension is decisive in the teaching and learning process so that creative collaborative teaching must mediate the problematization and construction of knowledge syntheses (Alves; Teo, ²⁰²⁰ ).

The articulation of the creative with the collective as well as the strengthening of the relationship between scientific knowledge and art produces a humanized learning environment and allows each student to be an active subject in this construction of individual knowledge, which is structured in a collective environment (Alves; Teo, ²⁰²⁰ ).

The education of feelings is mediated by art, and is also enhanced by it. It is believed that when the educational process aims to build meaningful knowledge with applicability, the initial stage is to establish tools that provide emotional stimulation for students (Vygotsky, ²⁰¹⁰ ).

Storytelling/children’s literature is a sensitive tool for mediating teaching and learning, as it has pedagogical characteristics linked to art. The small excerpts presented in the stories make it possible to broaden the perception of life and allow for participatory and communicative experiences (Conte; Cardoso, ²⁰²² )

Similar results were found in a study that used classical literature to mediate a teaching experience in higher education in the field of health. Literature was considered a tool for expanding the experience of art and awakening playfulness in the teaching-learning process, with emphasis on humanization in education in practical contexts, through the reworking of professional attitudes (Silva; Gallian; Schor, ²⁰¹⁶ ; Silva; Schor; Gallian, ²⁰²¹ ).

This perspective is in line with the findings of this study, given that storytelling/children’s literature favored increased knowledge about comprehensive child development in early childhood in such a way that, although the educational process had been previously planned, the content worked on went beyond pre-established topics, redefining actions and practices of different professions that were being formed.

As it is an artistic tool, it also promoted the awakening to beauty in two ways. A priori, it favored learning about early childhood through art and play, contributing to awakening in students the importance of the presence of art/play during early childhood development.

Notions about aesthetic needs during childhood were considered essential, generating concerns, reflections and new perspectives regarding self-knowledge and others’ childhood, also supporting the expansion of knowledge about early childhood from different professional perspectives (Silva; Schor; Gallian, ²⁰²¹ ; Vygotsky, ²⁰¹⁰ ).

Storytelling as an aesthetic tool and as a tool for integrating emotional and motivational aspects proved to be effective in engaging and motivating students in the teaching-learning process. At the same time, it was an essential resource in practical activities involving direct interaction between students and families and children in the sociocultural reality of different contexts (Hilário et al ., ²⁰²² ; Mendelsohna et al ., ²⁰²⁰ ).

The transdisciplinary and versatile nature of storytelling/children’s literature has allowed students, even in different professions, to use this tool to promote the development and strengthening of parenting skills and, at the same time, has supported the emergence of creativity, imagination and cognitive capacity (Hilário et al ., ²⁰²² ; Mendelsohna et al ., ²⁰²⁰ ; Silva; Schor; Gallian, ²⁰²¹ ).

Children’s stories were able to raise awareness among participants about children’s leading role and voice, highlighting their ability to raise awareness in adults, transform perspectives on how to look at themselves and others, and allow understanding the role of empathic relationships in the personal-professional context.

In a case study that analyzed child development and personality in early childhood and described the influence of school settings during this period, it became evident that there is a need to strengthen professional training, with knowledge about professors’ affective and pedagogical availability for comprehensive understanding of individuals (Lemos; Magiolino; Silva, ²⁰²² ).

Affective and aesthetic dispositions prove to be powerful tools for the pedagogical process, as they involve individuals comprehensively, recognizing the diversity of factors that influence each person’s behavior and well-being, being considered decisive for the teaching-learning process (Lemos; Magiolino; Silva, ²⁰²² ).

Perceptions about storytelling/children’s literature books as a strategy for caring for children and families were highlighted in problem-solving and promoting early childhood development.

The understanding of early childhood was recalled by students throughout the educational process, through elements provided by the education of feelings. The elements of children’s stories allowed students to access knowledge regarding support networks, affection, parenting and dispositions regarding beauty, with notes that highlighted the importance of small details and aesthetics during child growth and development.

These aspects may help these students to carry out professional and interprofessional actions that value childhood in its entirety in the future. Comprehensive care must go beyond the biological focus to broader concepts, whether at the community level, with recognition of multiple childhoods, or in the processes of illness.

The old education described by Vygotsky ( ²⁰¹⁰ ) leads to the drying up of the heart. This teaching-learning model guides behavior rationalization and enables knowledge construction without real applicability to the contexts of human life, accumulating knowledge with minimal utility. On the other hand, this study supported the educational perspective that sought sensitive ways to observe the world and human needs, guided by the fertile ground of feelings and emotions, aspects evidenced in students’ statements throughout the educational process.

Final considerations

Storytelling/children’s literature as a teaching-learning tool has favored professional training on early childhood, building new perspectives on the needs of the contexts and aspects that involve this period of human development.

Furthermore, it increased professional training in higher education, since, through its characteristics that are inherent to art, it generated new meanings and a broad connection of thoughts/meanings about professional action in the context of early childhood.

Aesthetic potential supports critical-reflective thinking about the needs of development in early childhood, legitimizing a horizontal teaching-learning process.

The use of this instrument in the Naveghi educational process allowed glimpses of the future, mainly with regard to alternatives for humanized practices and teaching-learning strategies that integrate motivational elements, knowledge and collaborative practical skills in comprehensive professional training in higher education and consequent applicability in their professional practices.

One of the limitations of this study was that it only addressed students, without collecting information from children and their guardians. We emphasized that the interaction between students and caregivers/children in the use of storytelling is a key point to be explored in future studies.