Teacher Training and Pedagogical Practices in Early Childhood Education: A Systematic Review under the PRISMA Protocol

Abstract

Early childhood education constitutes the foundational stage of human development, and the training of those who lead it directly affects the quality of the learning experiences received by children aged zero to five. However, the literature points to a persistent gap between the prescribed curriculum and the pedagogical practice actually implemented in classrooms, as well as significant gaps in the initial and continuing training of teachers at this level. This article aimed to systematically analyze the available scientific evidence on teacher training and pedagogical practices in early childhood education, with an emphasis on the Ecuadorian and Latin American context. The PRISMA 2020 guidelines (Page et al., 2021) were followed for the identification, screening, eligibility assessment and inclusion of studies. The search was conducted in databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, Scielo, Redalyc and Dialnet, considering publications in Spanish and English between 2014 and 2026. Of 612 records initially identified, 20 studies were included in the final synthesis after the screening and eligibility process. The results show four central categories: initial and continuing teacher training, pedagogical practices and active methodologies in the classroom, digital teaching competencies as an emerging dimension of training, and professional wellbeing as a condition for the quality of pedagogical practice. It is concluded that teacher training in early childhood education requires contextualized programs, sustained over time and articulated with classroom practice, in order to narrow the gap between the prescribed curriculum and the lived curriculum, particularly in rural areas and in culturally diverse contexts such as those found in Ecuador.