Dolls and puppet figures in narratives – themes and motifs in literature, art, theater, film, media, folklore and popular cultures

Die Onlineversion unterscheidet sich geringfügig gegenüber der Printausgabe. Auf Seite 88 wurde in der Printversion die falsche Übersetzung des Abstracts (Englisch) eingefügt. Dieser Fehler ist hier korrigiert. The online version differs slightly from the print edition. On page 88, the wrong translation of the abstract (English) was inserted in the print version. This error is corrected here.Dieses Themenheft behandelt die Vielfalt und das Potenzial von Puppennarrativen im weitesten Sinn und ihre universellen und/oder kulturspezifischen Formen, Spuren, Traditionen und Folkloren sowie das Spiel der jeweiligen Rezeptionsbezüge. Nachgespürt wird diesen Narrativen in einer Vielzahl von unterschiedlichen literarischen, künstlerischen, filmischen, (pop-)kulturellen und folkloristischen Bereichen sowie in pädagogisch relevanten Feldern. Eine eigens gestaltete kurze Graphic Novel hinterfragt darüber hinaus die Verknüpfung klassischer Puppentheater-Narrative mit zukunftsträchtigen KI-basierten Automatisierungsfantasien.This thematic issue deals with the diversity and potential of doll/puppet narratives in the broadest sense and with their universal and/or culture-specific forms, traces, traditions and folklore as well as with the interplay of the respective reception references. These narratives are traced in a variety of different literary, artistic, cinematic, (pop-)cultural and folkloristic genres as well as in pedagogically relevant fields. In addition, s specially designed short graphic novel questions the linking of classic puppet theater narratives with seminal AI-based automation fantasies

Puppets and inclusive practice: Engaging all learners through drama and puppetry in preschool contexts

Inclusive practice in education is supported by a compelling body of research (Cologon, 2019; Graham, 2020; Raphael et al., 2019) policy recommendations (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations [DEEWR], 2009; Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga–Ministry of Education, 2017(Commonwealth of Australia. (2003)) and mandated by legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 (DDA) (Commonwealth of Australia, 2003). It is also reflected in the Australian and New Zealand Professional Teaching Standards (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2014; Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand, 2017). Early Childhood Australia [ECA] (2016) states that “inclusion means that every child has access to, participates meaningfully in, and experiences positive outcomes from early childhood education and care programs” (p. 2). This paper explores what this means for early childhood educators and examines the concept of inclusion through the stories of two children and two puppets. A story that outlines how the perspectives of teachers shifted to create places of learning that were welcoming and more inclusive to every child

Everybody in! Drama as a Pedagogy for Inclusion

As a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) all educational settings and early childhood centres in Australia must legally “ensure an inclusive education system at all levels (Article 1, United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with a Disability). Inclusion for all children has been identified by the government as a national priority, yet from the extensive body of research surrounding inclusive practice (Cologon, 2019) highlights a range of barriers to such realisation. This inquiry seeks to add to the knowledge of inclusion for educators’ working with young children in early childhood settings and specifically explore the potential of drama of reducing these barriers. Included in the study are three preschools that enrol children with additional needs in their program. Together with the researcher, the children and staff engaged a range of drama strategies, including puppetry and found they significantly increased the participation and contribution of all children in their learning experiences, creating a more inclusive learning environment. The process of this study is depicted in portraits, allowing the audience to discover the world of the children, how their day-to-day experience was changed by the creative approaches and the potential of drama and puppetry as a valuable tool for professional development in the early childhood sector

Handpuppen in der Vorschule: Kinder als ‚Kompetentere Andere‘ – Eine Momentaufnahme aus der Feldforschung

Hand-Puppen spielen in den Einrichtungen der Frühpädagogik unendlich viele Rollen bei der Gestaltung und Förderung von Lernen und Entwicklung. Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht das ‚Prinzip der Puppe‘, indem – in einem Rückgriff auf die Vygotskysche Perspektive des Kompetenteren Anderen – die Handpuppe als diejenige betrachtet wird, die das Vorstellungsvermögen und die ‚Zone der proximalen Entwicklung‘ (ZPE) aktiviert (Vygotsky 1978). Traditionell haben die Ansätze in der Früherziehung den Erwachsenen als Wissenden und das Kind als Wissensbedürftigen betrachtet. Im vorliegenden Text wird argumentiert, dass ein solches Vorgehen das Wissen der Kinder übersieht, so dass eine andere Forschungskonzeption angemessen ist. Im Folgenden skizziere ich, wie die Puppe die Position des weniger wissenden Anderen einnehmen kann und damit den Einsatz dieser Strategie in frühkindlichen Einrichtungen neu definiert und erweitert. Innerhalb eines längeren, sechsmonatigen Forschungsprojekts geht es hier um einen Projekttag, an dem es einer gelben Plüschente namens Mabel durch diesen Lernprozess gelang, die ZPE zu aktivieren und damit die Kinder als Experten neu zu positionieren.Puppets and dolls play an infinite number of roles in shaping children’s learning and development in early childhood settings. This paper examines the ‘principle of the puppet’ when viewing the doll/puppet from a twist on the Vygotskian perspective as the More Knowledgeable Other activating imagination and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) (Vygotsky 1978). Traditionally, approaches in early education have placed the adult as the knower and the child in the position of needing to know. In this paper it is argued that this overlooks the knowledge of children and calls for a different research approach. In the following article I outline how the puppet may occupy the position of the less knowledgeable other, thus, redefining and expanding on the use of this strategy in early childhood settings. It includes one day of a six months research story when a yellow duck puppet, named Mabel, was able to activate the ZPD through this learning process and repositioned the children as experts