Anette Emilson

Children's participation and teacher control

In this study we have tried to come close to, and at the same time problematize, what participation in educational practice might be. The overall aim is to study how a toddlers participation can be understood in two kinds of educational activities, where the degree of teacher control differs. The data in this study are video observations of interactions between preschool teachers and toddlers. Two situations are analyzed. One refers to a situation characterized by strong classification and framing, while the other refers to a situation with weak classification and framing. The result shows that strong classification and framing risks restricting childrens participation, and that a weak classification and framing can promote childrens possibility to participate on their own terms. An important issue for childrens participation is a participant teacher who is creating meaningful contexts, where teacher control is about being emotionally present, supportive and responsive.

Young Children's Influence in Preschool.

SummaryThe purpose of this study was to investigate how very young children can influence their daily life in preschool, in relation to teacher control. The specific questions studied were: What opportunities do the children have to make their own choices and take the initiative? How does teacher control manifest itself? What form do permanent structures, such as rules and routines, take? The results show that the children do, in fact, make choices, mostly from several fixed alternatives, and that they do take the initiative, sometimes to express an opinion and even a right, sometimes to express what they want to do in circle time. It is also shown that the amount of influence young children are able to exert varies with the amount of control the teacher exercises. It is evident that strong teacher control is maintained in different ways, that is, by directing communication, by using a playful voice, by being responsive and by endeavouring to come close to the child’s perspective. In communication directed by the teacher, explicit rules about conduct and manners appear. In such situations, the children are unable to exert any influence. When the teacher maintains control by coming close to the child’s perspective, responding to them sensitively and talking to them with a playful voice, the rules are implicit and no reprimands are necessary. In these situations, the children are freer to make choices and take the initiative. The conclusion is that strong control does not necessarily limit children’s influence; it depends on the character of the control. Children’s influence increases when the teacher’s control over the what and how aspects of communications is weak, and is characterised by closeness to the child’s life-world and a communicative approach. In order to stimulate children’s influence, it seems to be important to develop teachers’ powers of insight and mutual respect.RésuméLe but de cette étude est d’examiner de quelle manière est-ce que les très petits enfants peuvent influencer leur vie quotidienne dans le système préscolaire, en relation avec le contrôle exercé par l’enseignant. Les questions spécifiques étudiées étaient: A quelles occasions est-ce que les enfants peuvent faire leurs propres choix et prendre l’inititative? Comment se manifeste le contrôle exercé par l’enseignant? Quelles sont les formes des structures permanentes telles que les règles et les routines?Les résultats montrent que les enfants font des choix, la plupart du temps entre des alternatives fixées d’avance et qu’ils prennent des initiatives, parfois pour exprimer une opinion ou même un droit, parfois pour exprimer ce qu’ils veulent faire dans le contexte du rassemblement. II est aussi démontré que la quantité d’influence que les enfants sont capables d’exercer varie avec le caractère du contrôle exercé par l’enseignant. II est évident qu’un contrôle ferme exercé par l’enseignant est maintenu de façons différentes, notamment en dirigeant les communications, en employant une voix enjouée, en étant sensible et en essayant de se rapprocher de la perspective de l’enfant. Lors des communications dirigées par l’enseignant apparaissent des règles explicites de conduite et de bonne éducation. Dans ces situations les enfants ne sont pas capables d’exercer leur influence.Quand l’enseignant maintient le contrôle en se rapprochant de la perspective de l’enfant, en leur répondant d’une manière sensitive et en employant une voix enjouée, les règles sont implicites et les réprimandes ne sont pas nécessaires. Dans ces situations les enfants sont plus libres de faire un choix et de prendre de l’initiative. La conclusion est qu’un contrôle ferme ne limite pas nécessairement l’influence des enfants; il dépend du caractère du contrôle. L’influence des enfants augmente quand le contrôle de l’enseignant sur les aspects «quoi» et «comment» des communications est faible, et il est caractérisé par la proximité de l’enseignant du monde de l’enfant et une approche communicative. Dans le but de stimuler l’influence des enfants il semble être important de développer la perspicacité de L’enseignant et le respect mutuel entre l’enseignant et l’enfant.ResumenEl objetivo de este estudio ex examinar de qué forma los niños y niñas pequeños pueden influenciar su vida cotidiana en el sistema preescolar, en relación con el control ejercido por la docente o enseñante. Las preguntas especificas del estudio eran: ¿En cuáles ocasiones los niños /as pueden hacer sus elecciones y tomar la iniciativa? ¿Cómo se manifiesta el control ejercido por la enseñante? ¿Cuáles son las formas estructuradas permanentes tales como normas y rutinas?Los resultados muestran que los niños /as hacen sus elecciones de entre alternativas fijadas previamente. y que ellos /as toman iniciativas, sea para expresar una opinión o ejercer un derecho o para hacer aquello que desean en el contexto de una reunión. Se demuestra también que la cantidad de influencia que los niños /as pueden ejercer varia con el carácter del control ejercido por la enseñante. Es evidente que el control ejercido adopta formas diferentes, particularmente en las comunicaciones, en el empleo de la voz, en la sensibilidad y posible reproche a las perspectivas de los infantes. Asi, las comunicaciones dirigidas por la enseñante aparecen como reglas explicitas de buena conducta y educación. En estas situaciones los niño /as no son capaces de ejercer su influencia.Cuando la enseñante mantiene el control pero se aproxima a la perspectiva de los infantes, les responde de una manera sensible y acogedora, empleando una voz apropiada y las reglas son implicitas y las reprimendas no son necesarias. En estas situaciones los niños /as están mas libres para hacer elecciones y tomar la iniciativa. La conclusión es que un control cerrado no limita necesariamente la iniciativa de os infantes. Depende del carácter del control. La influencia de los infantes aumenta cuando el control de la enseñante respecto del “qué” y el “cómo” es débil y se caracteriza por la proximidad de la enseñante al mundo del niño/a, en una aproximación comunicativa acogedora. Con el objeto de estimular la influencia de los infantes, parece ser importante desarrollar la perspicacia de la enseñante y el respeto mutuo infante-enseñante.

Democracy, caring and competence: values perspectives in ECEC curricula in the Nordic countries

The aim of the study is to explore how Nordic Early Childhood Education and Care policies frame values education in preschools with a special focus on the values of democracy, caring and competence. The study is part of a larger Nordic project, Values education in Nordic preschools: Basis of education for tomorrow, the aim of which is to explore values education from various perspectives, policy levels, institutional levels and personal levels. The study applies Habermas’s theoretical ideas of communicative actions, lifeworld, and the system. Here the focus is on the system level, namely, values in national curriculum guidelines that serve as the basis of pedagogical practices in preschools in the Nordic countries. Thematic research analysis described by Braun and Clarke inspired the qualitative analysis of the documents. In addition, a quantitative language-based approach was applied to the study. Keywords related with democratic, caring and competence values were selected. The findings reveal different dimensions and meanings of the three value fields, such as democracy as being and/or becoming; care as fulfilment of basic needs and an ethical relationship; and competence values as learning for sociality and academic skills.

Documentation and communication in Swedish preschools

The aim of this study is to investigate communication between preschool teachers and children in documentation situations. The focus is also on what preschool teachers actually document. The research questions are: What characterizes the communication between teachers and children when these teachers are documenting at the same time? What is the focus of the documentation? To interpret this communication, Habermas’ concepts of communicative and strategic action are used. Data consist of video observations, where 157 min of recordings have been analysed. The study participants are 30 children, 1–3-years old and their 7 preschool teachers. The results show that the preschool teachers either become silent observers or eager advocates of a particular discovery and that it is mainly children’s achievements that are documented. What is communicated and documented by the teachers has a high degree of abstraction, and the communication is of a strategic character.

Conflicts and resistance: potentials for democracy learning in preschool

ABSTRACT The study aims to develop knowledge about learning for democracy in ECEC, through investigating acts of resistance in conflicts and examine these as potentials for democracy learning. The study is informed by Mouffes theoretical ideas about conflicts as a prerequisite for democracy. The research questions are: What kind of conflicts can be identified in everyday interactions in preschool? How do children and teachers express and maintain resistance in conflicts? What potentials for democracy learning are there in such acts? Data consist of video observations of interactions in four Swedish preschools. The analyses of the interactions comprised various readings to identify expressions of conflicts and ways to communicate resistance. Ethical considerations were paramount to ensure that the studies met the ethical requirements. Identified conflicts are described in terms of qualities of space: (a) Space for diversity illustrates openness for different opinions to be articulated and heard: (b) Space for unity illustrates how alliance-building and authority create conditions and restrictions for opinions to be articulated, heard and/or neglected. Playfulness, courage and emotions are important traits for resistance and both agonism and antagonism appear to be at play. The conflicts identified offer both possibilities and obstacles in learning for democracy.

Democracy Learning in a Preschool context

The aim of this chapter is to discuss democracy learning as expressed in everyday interactions between teachers and young children in Swedish preschools. The discussion is based on three empirical studies and concerns how a communicative action, characterized by specific qualities, might move hierarchical structures of power in teacher and child interactions and also how these qualities can support children’s democracy learning. These qualities are conceptualized as closeness to the child’s perspective, emotional presence and playfulness. A conclusion is that these qualities contribute with important aspects for democracy learning, i.e. equality, respect and mutual understanding. The chapter also recounts the conditions under which these qualities appear in data related to the contrasting concepts asymmetry versus symmetry, employed in Habermas’ (1995) theory of the communicative action. The purpose is to highlight this theoretical framework from a critical point of view and scrutinize the how-aspect of the communication as a didactic issue.

Values in Nordic Preschools: Setting the Scene

This book addresses the field of values education in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. In a globalizing world, and especially in an age of pluralism, the acknowledgment of values has become increasingly important. A genuine pluralistic community requires institutions and open spaces for a multiplicity of values to be pronounced and communicated. The communication of values, in a broad and diverse sense, is central in any pedagogy and in all ECEC settings throughout the world.

A Dual Perspective and a Communicative Approach to Values Education in Early Childhood Education

The overall aim of this chapter is to outline and discuss the use of Jurgen Habermas’ theory in a Nordic participatory research project about values education in early childhood education and care. Two main issues are in the forefront. One issue is of an ontological character and concerns the choice of Habermas’ theory to explore values education. The borrowed concepts, for example, lifeworld and system, are presented and problematized in relation to how they have been applied in the Nordic project. Another issue is of an epistemological and methodological character and refers to the relationship between theory, method and findings when investigating values. The emphasis is on the theoretical impact on data constructions and the conclusions that can possibly be drawn. By highlighting both opportunities and limitations in the use of Habermas’ theory in the research on values education in early childhood education and care (ECEC), this chapter can assist readers in their own research considerations. Another contribution is the theoretical contextualization of the ECEC practice, showing the utility of the theory for understanding a pedagogical practice and also the utility of empirical analyses for developing the theory.

Mapping the Field: What Are Values and Values Education About?

Drawing on previous international research and a Nordic research project, this chapter focuses on the theoretical and conceptual approaches to values education in early childhood education contexts. The aim is twofold: to map the research field of values education as a background for the studies presented in this volume and to extract from the Nordic project some core elements of importance for values and values education in early childhood education. Values education appears to be a multifaceted concept with different understandings. We suggest a broad and pluralistic way of addressing values education in the early years of education and care. This chapter contributes to the conceptualization of values education and educators’ professional language.

Values in Nordic Early Childhood Education: Democracy and the Child’s Perspective

The aim of this chapter is to outline and discuss the development of Nordic research on democracy in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC). We will show how research over a relatively short time has altered from normative and political arguments for democracy in ECEC via an interest in how to implement and operationalize democratic ideas into practice, leading towards a more critical approach addressing complexity to democracy. Through this process a new concept of democracy connected with shared life and pluralism appears to emerge. Communication becomes important. In turn, ambiguity and even conflicting ideas appears to be accepted as a base for democracy.