La importancia educativa de la higiene en la educación infantillas preocupaciones en torno al control de esfínteres

Abstract

The present study analyzes the teaching practices and discourses in an early child education center related to diaper change as well as the learning associated with achieving autonomy and toilet readiness. Analysis of the data gathered through direct observation, interviews and questionnaires to the educators and families showed that there is no clear criteria to deal with these activities, not having the center a common methodology and objectives. This increased the differences among students, so that children in a group with a defined set of procedures achieved toilet training at an earlier age. Data also indicate the existence of factors which may influence the age at which the children achieve toilet training like gender. In the same way, the emerging teaching practices and discourses around toilet training were affected by a hidden curriculum, made up from social pressures and eschatological and moral prejudices with a great influence in the children school live and which were in open conflict with the educational values which must support the teaching practices and discourses.