From Choosing Topics to Sharing Learning: A Participation-Based Project Approach in Preschool

This mixed-methods study examined how a participation-based project approach grounded in children’s participation rights relates to preschool children’s learning outcomes and family perceptions. Using an explanatory sequential design with a quantitatively dominant structure, a two-month intervention was implemented in a university-affiliated kindergarten in Central Anatolia, Türkiye, followed by a parent focus group to elaborate the quantitative findings. Participants were 31 children aged 48–72 months (intervention n = 18; comparison n = 13). Children were assessed on forward and backward memory span, social problem-solving skills, and story comprehension. Nonparametric analyses showed significant pretest–posttest gains in the intervention group across all outcomes. Baseline equivalence analyses indicated pretest differences in forward and backward memory span, favouring the intervention group; therefore, posttest memory differences were interpreted cautiously. Change-score analyses showed greater gains in the intervention group for backward memory span, social problem-solving skills, and story comprehension, whereas the change-score difference for forward memory span was not significant. Parent accounts illustrated perceived increases in children’s curiosity, communication, preference expression, and everyday participation behaviours. The findings suggest that participation-based project work may support selected learning outcomes and children’s everyday expressions of agency, while highlighting the need for cautious interpretation due to the quasi-experimental design and small qualitative sample.