Teachers' Exemplar of Effective Peer Collaboration in Young Children: Exploring Perspectives and Unravelling Generative Mechanisms

ABSTRACT Peer collaboration is widely recognized as essential in children's learning and early childhood education policy and pedagogy. However, research has largely focused on researchers' interpretations, with limited attention to teachers' perspectives. Conducted in a Chinese preschool, this study explored how teachers perceived and interpreted effective peer collaboration in young children. Drawing on video‐recorded classroom interactions, teachers' ethnographic notes and interviews with teachers and preschool directors, the study examined (1) teachers' understandings of effective peer collaboration and (2) the factors shaping these views. Adopting a critical realist approach, we moved beyond observable interactions to uncover the underlying mechanisms shaping teachers' perceptions. Findings indicate that teachers' understandings were shaped by policy mandates emphasizing professional training, child‐led practice and global citizenship, as well as hierarchical role assignments that integrated Chinese cultural values, reflecting the interplay of local and global educational dynamics. These insights highlight the importance of aligning teaching practices with evolving pedagogical approaches in China and globally to strengthen peer collaboration in early childhood settings.