Peer-reviewed article

Nurturing considerate minds: kindergarten classroom as Trailblazer

Mumuni Thompson, Roger Abogzuah Ayinselya · 31 Dec 2025

Abstract

This study examined factors and teacher practices that foster compassion in Ghanaian kindergarten classrooms. Situated within the sociocultural theory, the study sought to understand how compassion is enacted and nurtured by teachers in early childhood education settings. Data were collected from eight public Kindergarten teachers in the Cape Coast Metropolis through semi- structured interviews, allowing for in-depth exploration of teachers‘ perspectives and classroom practices. The data were analysed thematically to identify recurring patterns. The findings revealed that compassion is socio culturally entrenched and shaped by broader societal values, norms and religious teachings that emphasise care, reciprocity and love. Teachers drew on these cultural and moral elements to cultivate compassionate disposition among young children. Pedagogical strategies such as storytelling, guided peer interactions, role modelling and the creation of learning centres within the kindergarten classroom also emerged as key teacher practices for fostering compassionate behaviour. In addition, teachers organised community visits that allowed children to observe and experience compassion in action in real-life situations, while parental involvement and support further reinforced children’ s learning and behaviour beyond the classroom environment, highlighting the interconnected roles of school, home and community. Together, these findings call for the need for policy and pedagogical shifts that embed compassion within teacher education, curriculum design, and school culture. Such integration would ensure that compassion becomes a lived educational outcome rather than a peripheral moral and social outcome.