Where are you going? Lessons learned from Irish ECEC educators’ intuitive implementation of slow pedagogy during the COVID-19 pandemic

This article interrogates an intuitive implementation of slow pedagogy in Irish early childhood education and care (ECEC) practice in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Slow pedagogy is a developing concept; therefore, we contribute theoretically and empirically to understand its application in an ECEC context. We present findings utilising a temporally designed exploratory study surfacing educators’ pedagogical perspectives on slow learning. We conducted interviews with eleven educators and managers, working in eight different ECEC settings in 2021–2022. Our findings reveal an intuitive slowing down of practice to refocus on care and joy and to counteract negative impacts of the pandemic. We highlight the significant benefits of slow pedagogy for nurturing joyful and agentic learning, and relational practice. Thus, the article contributes to the theoretical formulation of slow pedagogy, through empirical exploration, by positioning slow pedagogy simultaneously as a critique and an alternative mode of engagement.