Early childhood inquiry and e-learning: recontextualizing a progressive pedagogy in online school

This is a study of progressive education in the context of virtual preschool. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged teachers globally to adapt to new e-learning environments while finding creative solutions to support child engagement and learning. In this case study, we examined a preschool program in a progressive and multilingual Hong Kong preschool as teachers struggled to adapt the school’s inquiry-based pedagogy to online and at-home learning. Findings suggest that, while teachers had some successes in maintaining the school’s progressive philosophy, teachers and children struggled with unmet needs for social learning.