ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief review of the main phases and findings of the Froebel Research Fellowship (FRF) project, which has been funded by the Froebel Trust since 2002. It investigates the project, the extent to which Froebelian ideals might be met within the demands of contemporary early childhood education and care. The chapter investigates five main phases of the project. In Phases 1–3, it investigates practitioners' attitudes to the development of children's personal, social and cognitive skills in the Foundation Stage curriculum using interviews, observations and questionnaires. In Phases 4a-c, the chapter focuses on the study of children's creative thinking, and the effects of social relationships upon it: children's, parents' and practitioners' views. In Phase 5, it focuses primarily on the distinction between play and learning at home and at school. The investigation of well-being is also very topical from various other educational and social points of view.
