In 2025, between June and September, Julie Winget-Power held a total of three Futures workshops with Early Years Educators as part of her PhD research, which aims to explore and conceptualise Pedagogy in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) by Educators in Ireland. The Futures Workshop served as a transformative solution to the disconnect between formal curriculum terminology and the real-world practice of Early Years Educators in Ireland. Following the 2024 revision of the Aistear curriculum, which introduced complex concepts like “slow relational and nurturing pedagogy,” the workshop provided a dedicated space for educators to conceptualise these ideals through practical application.

Key aspects and impacts of the Futures Workshop include:

• Empowering Marginalised Voices: The Futures Workshop is particularly effective for educators who often have policies imposed on them without the chance to participate in their creation. It offers a format where participants genuinely feel their voices are heard and valued.
• From Passive to Active Learning: By inviting educators to deconstruct and then reconstruct their understanding of pedagogy, the workshop facilitates a shift toward active engagement. Although “dreaming big” was initially a challenge, the supportive environment—free from the fear of being “wrong”—participants felt empowered to take control of their professional vision.
• Professional and Personal Growth: Participants reported feeling empowered and supported in their personal leadership. Many educators expressed a desire to integrate the Futures Workshop’s model into their own management practices.
• Bridging the Policy Gap: Ultimately, the initiative enables educators to advise policymakers on the specific supports required to turn curriculum ideals into reality, ensuring research and policy are grounded in actual experience.

The profound impact of this approach is captured by an Early Years Educator with over 20 years of experience, who noted that the workshop was the first time they had been asked to truly explore and discuss their pedagogy in a “safe, exciting, and enjoyable” way. The workshop helps spark new conversations, promote follow-through, and foster an “electric” atmosphere that leaves educators eager for more opportunities to engage with this innovative method.

The Futures Workshop was initially used as a research method to ensure genuine participation; however, an unexpected finding was that educators found the Futures Workshop model to be a very effective tool for professional development, providing them with space and time to engage in critical self-reflection on their professional practice.