Instructional resources in early childhood discovery learning: A systematic review
Recursos didácticos en el aprendizaje por descubrimiento en la primera infancia: Una revisión sistemáticaArticle Sidebar
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Background: Instructional resources serve as critical mediators in early childhood education, fostering autonomous exploration, critical thinking, and active participation. Objective: To determine how these resources facilitate discovery learning and cognitive skill development in children under six. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, searching Scopus, SciELO, and ERIC databases for publications from 2019–2025. Results: Twenty-one articles were identified, demonstrating that manipulative, technological, and multimodal resources strengthen autonomy, problem-solving, and higher-order thinking. Analysis also revealed gaps in teacher training and material contextualization. Conclusion: Integrating diversified and contextualized instructional resources enhances discovery learning in early childhood, provided they align with the pedagogical environment.
Contexto: Los recursos didácticos constituyen mediadores fundamentales en la educación infantil, pues potencian la exploración autónoma, el pensamiento crítico y la participación activa del niño en su proceso formativo. Objetivo: Determinar cómo los recursos didácticos favorecen el aprendizaje por descubrimiento y el desarrollo de habilidades cognitivas en niños menores de seis años. Metodología: Se realizó una revisión sistemática siguiendo la declaración PRISMA 2020, consultando las bases de datos Scopus, SciELO y ERIC con términos en inglés y español, incluyendo artículos publicados entre 2019 y 2025. Resultados: Se seleccionaron 21 artículos que evidencian que los recursos manipulativos, tecnológicos y multimodales fortalecen la autonomía, la resolución de problemas y el pensamiento de orden superior; asimismo, se identificaron vacíos en formación docente y contextualización de materiales. Conclusión: La integración de recursos didácticos diversificados y contextualizados potencia el aprendizaje por descubrimiento en la primera infancia.
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