Conceptualizing loving pedagogy in early childhood education: A narrative review

Abstract

The purpose of this narrative review is to extract and synthesize theoretical and empirical literature informing preschool pedagogy to conceptualize what loving pedagogy means in early childhood education. This review aims to unpack the definition, enactment, and contention surrounding loving pedagogy, and highlight major gaps and frictions in the current literature. Children learning and developing in the context of emotional relationships and caring interactions with teachers is one of the hallmarks of early childhood education. Although care, relational pedagogy and emotional responsiveness are well recognized concepts, the notion of loving pedagogy tends to be conceptually diffuse and vocally inconsistent. However, debates about its professional legitimacy, ethical boundaries, and cultural interpretations remain ongoing, leaving educators, researchers, and policymakers uncertain. An extensive search strategy was utilized to identify relevant studies, but this was then conducted as a narrative review. Methods searched in computerised databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and Google Scholar, in addition to screening references lists of selected studies. We included and thematically analyzed peer-reviewed journal articles and scholarly books published in English and between 2000 and 2024. According to the review, loving pedagogy is typically conceptualized in terms of ethics of care, relational pedagogy, and emotionally responsive teaching. There is evidence of loving pedagogical orientations and positive teacher–child relationships contributing to child well-being; nevertheless, emotional labor challenges, conceptual ambiguity, and professional boundary tensions also are highlighted. It seeks to provide an explication of loving pedagogy, and to urge the development of a more robust theoretical basis for it as well as the production of an empirical evidence base for including it within early childhood practice and policy.