Larry Prochner

Prof. Larry Prochner is a Professor in the Elementary Education Department of the University of Alberta's Faculty of Education. His work focuses on early childhood education, teacher training, historical educational analysis, and international comparative studies. He collaborates on research projects like the SSHRC-funded Take It Outside initiative exploring nature-based education.

Research Interests: Prochner's scholarship critically examines historical educational systems, particularly colonial-era schools and their impacts on Indigenous populations. He studies transnational educational movements, material culture in early classrooms, and contemporary teacher education challenges in diverse cultural contexts. His work bridges historical analysis with modern policy implications, emphasizing inclusive practices and cross-cultural pedagogy.

Recent Work: Key contributions include analyzing Froebelian educational philosophy's global adaptations, investigating missionary school impacts in colonial settings, and developing comparative frameworks for early childhood teacher training programs across Canada, Namibia, and Colombia. His 2020 book Reimagining Teaching in Early 20th Century Experimental Schools explores progressive educational experiments worldwide.

Grants & Collaborations: As SSHRC Insight Grant collaborator (2021-2025), he advances nature-based teacher education. His comparative studies employ qualitative methodologies to address insider-outsider research dynamics and policy-practice gaps in Bulgaria and other contexts.

Teaching: Leads EDEL 455 - Play as a Teaching Strategy, exploring play-based learning's cultural and historical dimensions. Course content integrates emergent curriculum design and critical pedagogy.