An essential objective in Social Sciences teaching in all educational stages is to educate critical citizens able to face contemporary issues. To achieve this goal, Service-Learning (SL) and the usage of oral sources can be especially useful in Early Childhood Education. This study explores the possibilities offered at this stage by combining methodological practices to facilitate the understanding of social issues and the development of historical thinking skills and social commitment. This qualitative research adopts a hermeneutic methodological approach based on the analysis of the learning generated in a sample of 25 schoolchildren between 4 and 5 years old under a Service-Learning project that, based on interviews with their grandparents, focused on empty Spain. The results confirm the educational potential of using oral sources in Early Childhood Education to approach current social problems through SL, promoting cognitive-academic, civic, and social learning.
Universitat de València
