"Making connections" early childhood teachers re-creating meaning: contextualizing Reggio Emilian pedagogy

Reggio Emilian pedagogy is an acknowledged and burgeoning world-wide influence in early childhood education, yet it claims not to be a model for emulation. Where practising teachers engage with Reggio Emilian pedagogy in their classrooms, such 'influence without emulation' creates a paradox in the process. This qualitative study aims to investigate the process and theorize the paradox. Following the tradition of interpretive research into teacher reflection, research, inquiry and professional development, eight Australian teachers, working across a range of early childhood contexts, were interviewed for their interpretations of the impact, influence and local relevance of this foreign pedagogy. Analysis revealed strong responses, common themes of influence and a shared perspective on the issue of translocation - engagement in an alternative process to mere replication.