Educational Innovation from a Sociocultural Perspective: Contextual and Theoretical Components in an Early Childhood Education Program

Abstract

This article seeks to understand the contextual and theoretical components of educational innovation from a sociocultural perspective within an Early Childhood Education program at a regional university campus. These components were identified through a doctoral thesis conducted in the Doctoral Program in Education at the Costa Rican State Distance University (UNED). They emerged from two secondary research questions and specific objectives of the doctoral study, which, when analyzed through this theoretical lens, provided new insights into the topic. The purpose of this article is to share these insights as a contribution to academic knowledge and a reference point for future related research. The study adopted a qualitative humanistic paradigm, utilizing dialectical hermeneutics with phenomenological elements to analyze qualitative data gathered from the perceptions and experiences of both internal and external stakeholders of the university program. These stakeholders included experts in Early Childhood Education, program administrators, faculty, and students, alongside institutional documents from the program. The findings indicate that educational innovation in this program has evolved in response to historical events, contextual conditions, scientific advancements, political intentions, and the reflective processes of educational stakeholders. Consequently, educational innovation should be studied, understood, and critically examined within its historical and contextual framework, as emphasized by the sociocultural perspective. It is recommended to foster interdisciplinary spaces for exchanging experiences on educational innovation and examining the contextual conditions of university programs in regional settings. Additionally, future educational research should explore emerging theoretical orientations in early childhood education and teacher training, such as neuroscience, complexity theories, sociocultural perspectives, cultural diversity, and the integration of digital resources in education.