Child participation in early childhood education in Spain: When having rights does not mean being able to exercise them

This article carries out a systematic review of the scientific literature on child participation in the formal education system in Spain between 2010 and 2022. Recognising the importance of child participation in the context of the European Union, the theoretical principles of this study are in line with the perspective that child participation involves recognising the fundamental right of children to be heard and taken into consideration from an early age and providing them with the opportunity to convert that listening into positive changes to aspects that affect their lives. Child participation has significant benefits, both from an individual point of view (the child’s own development and the recognition that all rights are for all children), and a social and collective point of view (the strengthening of democracy itself making the school a school for participation). The systematic review of the scientific literature was conducted according to the PRISMA statement 2020. The analysis of the selected articles was based on the Lundy model of child participation (2007) which considers four dimensions: space, voice, audience and influence. The results show that despite the Spanish scientific community’s growing interest in child participation in the field of early childhood education, school culture is still very adult-centric. Aspects related to the dimensions of voice, audience and influence could be improved for which more research is required. There is a clear need to broaden the techniques and instruments required for making child participation effective, and experiences that go beyond consultative participation should be developed. This would enable forms of child participation focused on improving their lives based on their own needs being heard and taken into consideration.