Carmen Lyra, teacher: Following the Footsteps of Pedgagogical Eclecticism

Abstract

Costa Rica opened the doors to its first preschool, Escuela Maternal de Costa Rica in 1925 in the city of San José. This article attempts a pedagogical analysis of educational practice as taught by the country´s first teachers and understand the philosophical bases and profile of the that they aspire to educate. The results were obtained according to a methodology of symbolic interaction from collecting and analyzing original manuscripts, scientific and literary writings, historical photographs, and items recovered from the former preschool building, such as puppets and furniture. The preschool promoted organized and free play, as proposed by German pedagogue Friedrich Fröebel. It also established a school canteen, and emphasized manual skills as proposed by the Agazzi sisters. A state-of-the-art gym was also planned based on the principals of Belgian pedagogue Decroly. Other features of this pioneer Costa Rican institution included use of the psychoanalytic method, and healthcare support for families as established by Italian pedagogue Maria Montessori. The end result was an eclectic vision that significantly impacted twentieth century early childhood education.