English-Language Cartoons as Early-Years Educational Resources: Algerian Teachers’ and Parents’ Perspectives on Preschoolers’ Linguistic Curiosity and Incidental Learning

Abstract

This convergent mixed-methods study examines kindergarten teachers’ and parents’ perceptions of English-language cartoons as educational resources that foster linguistic curiosity and incidental learning in Algerian children aged three to five. Quantitative survey data were gathered from 90 kindergarten teachers and 120 parents to measure children’s exposure, adult mediation practices, and perceived indicators of linguistic curiosity; qualitative depth was added through a purposive subsample of 25 teachers and 25 parents and their open-ended responses. Quantitative results show that adult mediation practices (in both home and classroom contexts) are the strongest correlate of perceived linguistic curiosity, and that exposure to cartoons predicts perceived curiosity most strongly when paired with active mediation in the home. Parents reported higher perceived curiosity and more frequent mediation than teachers; qualitative accounts attribute this pattern to differing observation opportunities, daily routines, and the home environment’s affordances for co-engagement. Thematic analysis identified four interrelated mechanisms linking cartoons to early learning: curiosity enacted through play, the ambiguous evidentiary status of repetition, mediation as a meaning-making process, and contextual constraints (content suitability, accent, and classroom logistics) that limit instructional mediation. Findings suggest that brief, routinized pedagogical strategies (co-viewing, labeling, dramatization, guided questioning) transform audiovisual input into exploratory behaviours that precede measurable learning. The paper discusses implications for early-years pedagogy, teacher training, parental engagement, and educational media design, and outlines limitations and directions for longitudinal, child-level validation.