This Guide will help you get familiar with the collaborative reflective practices of educators working in Early Childhood Education Centres (ECEC) and primary schools. It is intended for both ECEC professionals and leaders interested in finding out more about professional learning communities, how they operate, how different reflective methods help educators and how to set one up in your educational setting.

The Guide is developed within the Reflection, Cooperation, Group Support (REC) international project funded by the European Union with the aim of introducing collaborative reflective methods for educators and other professionals working with children aged 0-10 in a total of ten child-care and educational centres in Belgium (Flemish Community), Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia. It is grounded on national experiences of the consortium partners, their collaborative reflective practices in different educational systems (e.g. split and integrated ECEC systems), as well as on international research findings. Through our joint experience, we share the voices of numerous educators who, based on their experiences, advocate for the opportunity to be a part of the reflective group within their comprehensive, supportive and continuous professional development.