Examining the Concept of School Before and After the Pandemic through the Eyes of Preschool Children

Abstract

This study aimed to explore how preschool children conceptualize "school" by comparing two independent cohorts: those who experienced early childhood education during the COVID-19 pandemic and those who began preschool after the pandemic. A qualitative descriptive research design was employed. The study group consisted of 40 children aged 60-72 months, attending two public kindergartens in the Black Sea region of T & uuml;rkiye. Twenty children (10 girls, 10 boys) were enrolled during the 2020-2021 spring term (pandemic cohort), while a different group of 20 children (11 girls, 9 boys) attended the same schools in the 2023-2024 spring term (post-pandemic cohort). Inclusion criteria required children to be within the target age range, enrolled in public preschool, and have parental consent. Children with diagnosed developmental or learning difficulties were excluded. Data were collected through children's drawings and semi-structured interviews, with parental feedback supporting contextual interpretation. The drawings were analysed using a picture analysis approach alongside content and descriptive analysis, focusing on colours, forms, and symbolic elements. Findings revealed that pandemic-period drawings often reflected distance, uncertainty, and mixed emotions, whereas post-pandemic drawings included more vibrant colours, smiling human figures, and positive associations. These results highlight meaningful differences in how children visually represent the concept of school across two distinct time periods.