Jyrki Reunamo

Doing Research on Education for Sustainable Development.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the research preferences and differences of education for sustainable development (ESD) researchers. A model with the continuums assimilation‐accommodation and adaptation‐agency was applied resulting in quantitative, qualitative, theoretic and participative research orientations.Design/methodology/approach – Reunamos general model of agentive perception was used to design the 32‐item questionnaire, Research for ESD so as to reveal the degree to which the researchers are accommodating their thoughts and actions to real phenomenon, and considering their research as having theoretical or practical agency. The questionnaire was administered to 83 ESD researchers, mainly from European countries.Findings – The most valuable discovery was the desire of ESD researchers to contribute to societal development. The results describe the first continuum of research activity with the need for opening up to the requisites and possibilities of environmental change while ...

Adaptation and Agency in Early Childhood Education.

This article condenses the milestones of a long project. The ambition of the project has been to seek a balanced view of early childhood education, where both the adaptive and agentive nature of action is considered. A model based on the relationships between perception and environmental change serves as the project’s theoretical foundation. The theory has been operationalised with 73 kindergarten children as research participants. Children’s differing views about educational settings produce environmental change, in which they not only perceive agency, but where the perception has an agentive property in and of itself. This brings children forward as producers of learning content. The agency of perception applies also to the early childhood educator. Teachers and children of 284 kindergartens in Helsinki have been taking part in the production and refinement of the pedagogical tools, two of which are presented in the article. Cet article présente les pierres angulaires d’un long projet de recherche auquel beaucoup de monde a pris part, dont les enseignants et les enfants de 284 jardins d’enfants d’Helsinski. Le but du projet était la recherche d’une conception équilibrée de l’éducation, prenant en compte la nature à la fois adaptative et ‘agentive’ de l’action. Les objectifs sont nécessaires pour guider le processus éducatif mais on y insiste parfois un peu trop de telle sorte qu’il est difficile d’évaluer le présent. Les possibilités sont énormes en éducation de la petite enfance, mais une ouverture infinie de possibilities peut nous interdire de terminer une quelconque enterprise. Les avantages que nous avons avec les enfants devraient être perçus et maintenus, mais ils peuvent entraver le nécessaire changement. Le chaos est souvent considéré comme destructeur, mais il peut aussi avoir des effets porteurs. Dans cet article, nous proposons un modèle pour une théorie et une éducation équilibrée de la petite enfance. In diesem Artikel werden die Meilensteine eines langjährigen Projektes kondensiert. Viele Personen waren an dem Projekt beteiligt, einschließlich die Lehrer und Kinder von 284 Kindergärten in Helsinki. Anliegen des Projektes war es, eine ausgewogene Sichtweise von frühkindlicher Bildung zu suchen, bei der sowohl die Natur der Adaptation als auch des Akteurs von Handlung in Betracht gezogen werden. Die Ziele sind zur Führung des Bildungsprozesses notwendig, aber sie können überbetont werden und damit eine Bewertung des Gegenwärtigen erschweren. Die Möglichkeiten für frühkindliche Bildung sind enorm, aber ein endloses Eröffnen immer neuer Möglichkeiten kann uns davon abhalten, jemals etwas zu abzuschließen. Die existierenden Vorteile, die wir mit Kindern haben, sollten wahrgenommen und aufrechterhalten werden, aber sie können auch nötige Veränderungen behindern. Chaos wird oft als destruktiv angesehen, es kann aber auch einen erfrischenden, entwirrenden Effekt haben. In diesem Papier wird ein Vorschlag für eine ausgewogene frühkindliche Theorie und Bildung gemacht. En este artículo se describen de forma resumida los resultados centrales de un proyecto de investigación en curso. El objetivo del proyecto ha sido el de aportar a la educación infantil una visión equilibrada que tenga en cuenta las dos facetas de la acción, la adaptativa y la agentiva. El marco teórico del proyecto consiste en un modelo sobre la interacción entre la percepción y la transformación del entorno. El modelo fue operacionalizado, y en la fase empírica de la investigación participaron 73 niños de diversas guarderías infantiles. Los puntos de vista expresados por los niños generan diferentes cambios en el entorno. Los niños no sólo perciben estos cambios, sino que su propia percepción también tiene el efecto de producirlos. Por lo tanto, el niño emerge como agente en la producción de contenidos de aprendizaje. De la misma manera, la percepción del propio educador influye en la actividad educativa. Educadores y niños de 284 guarderías infantiles de Helsinki contribuyeron a producir y perfeccionar los instrumentos pedagógicos necesarios, dos de los cuales son descritos en este artículo.

Documenting with parents and toddlers: a Finnish case study

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in pedagogical documentation and the way in which it can be applied to advance pedagogical practices in early childhood education. This study is a case analysis which focuses on the transition phase from home to kindergarten of a toddler, Leo, and his family. Documentation was performed by the educators and parents with a tool called the Fan. Our analysis sought to demonstrate how the traces and inscriptions were created during the documentation process, and how they were applied and shared between Leo’s family and the educators. This was done by utilizing the idea of documentality, and in relation to the concepts of traces, registrations, inscriptions, and documents. Our analyses demonstrated that pedagogical documentation with the Fan not only served as a tool for the registration of facts but also offered institutional value. The Fan mediated information about Leo’s life between home and kindergarten, making his interests and feelings visible.

Children's creativity in day care

In this research, childrens creativity in pretend play and the conditions for creativity during high involvement are studied from four points of view: as a zone for proximal development, as a skill, as a personal orientation and as a culturally shared environment creation. The theoretical model is influenced by Vygotskys ideas of creativity as cultural mediation. The research methods are systematic observation and skill evaluation. The participants are 280 Finnish four- to five-year-old children in day care. The results highlight the importance of play both by sheer volume and also by childrens involvement in it. Childrens internalised skills result in personal choices and a personal network of peer contacts. The different choices result in different creative culture production environments. Creative children attract each other and they meet in creative social processes. However, less creative children get excluded from the creative core. Thus, children who need creative scaffolding the most get it the least. The possibilities of involving children in creative processes are discussed.

Vygotsky and agency in language development

The Vygotskian perspective concerning the functions of language can be seen in two continuums. First there is a continuum from the interpsychological to the intrapsychological, which means that development of the language functions is initiated firstly between people and only thereafter does it occur inside the child. The second continuum originates from language consisting of signs opposed to language as a tool, that is, from that of semiotic towards that of an instrument for social and cultural change. The mediating role of language manifests itself in the social process, either to be influenced or to influence others. The two continuums generate a fourfold table that places children’s language functions on four distinct planes of reference. They are: 1) the signs, semantics and syntax as a manifestation of intrapsychological and non‐agentive language; 2) the zone of proximal development as a manifestation of interpsychological and non‐agentive language; 3) children’s instrumental language tools for environmental change as intrapsychological and agentive language; 4) producing new tools for cultural change together with others as interpsychological and agentive language. The research question is: what kind of educational consequences do the four different views of language have on pedagogy? Eighty student teachers were presented with the same excerpts of children’s talk, but different students were asked to consider children’s talk from only one of the four different perspectives. Different perspectives produce different outcomes even in the same educational setting. A model of the different orientations is presented. La conception vygotskienne des fonctions du langage peut être considérée selon deux continuums. Tout d’abord, le continum de l’interpsychologique à l’intrapsychologique: le développement des fonctions langagières débute entre les personnes et apparaît ensuite seulement chez l’enfant. Ensuite, le continuum du langage comme signes au langage comme outil, c’est‐à‐dire de la sémiotique à l’instrument de changment culturel et social. Le rôle de médiation du langage se manifeste lui‐même dans le processus social aussi bien pour influencer les autres que pour être influencé. Les deux continuum génèrent un tableau qui place les fonctions langagières de l’enfant sur quatre différents plans de référence. Ce sont: 1) les signes, la sémantique et la syntaxe, comme manifestation du langage intrapsychologique et non‐‘agentif’; 2) la zone de développement proximal, comme manifestation du langage interpsychologique et non‐‘agentif’; 3) les outils langagiers de changement environnemental, comme langage interpsychologique et ‘agentif’; 4) la production de nouveaux outils de changement culturel avec les autres, comme langage interpsychologique et ‘agentif’. La question de la recherche est la suivante: quelles sont les conséquences éducatives de ces quatre conceptions du langage sur la pédagogie? Les mêmes extraits de discours d’enfants ont été présentés à 80 futurs enseignants à qui l’on a demandé de les considérer selon l’une ou l’autre des quatre conceptions. Les différentes conceptions ont donné lieu à différentes réponses. Un modèle des différentes orientations est présenté. Vykotskis Perspektive in Hinsicht auf die Funktionen der Sprache kann in zwei Kontinuen gesehen werden. Erstens gibt es ein Kontinuum vom interpsychischen zum intrapsychischen, was bedeutet, dass die Entwicklung der Sprachfunktionen zuerst zwischen Personen initiiert wird und erst danach innerhalb des Kindes selbst auftritt. Das zweite Kontinuum entsteht von der Sprache, die aus Zeichen besteht, einerseits, zur Sprache als Werkzeug andererseits, es spannt sich also vom Semiotischen zum Instrument für soziale und kulturelle Veränderung. Die vermittelnde Rolle von Sprache manifestiert sich mithin im sozialen Prozess, entweder beeinflusst von anderen oder andere beeinflussend. Die beiden Kontinua generieren eine Vierfeldertafel, in der die kindlichen Sprachfunktionen in vier distinkten Feldern abgebildet werden: 1) Die Zeichen, Semantiken und Syntax als Manifestation der intrapsychischen und nicht‐handelnden Sprache; 2) die Zone der proximalen Entwicklung als eine Manifestation der interpsychischen und nicht‐handelnden Sprache; 3) die instrumentellen sprachlichen Werkzeuge des Kindes für die Veränderung der Umgebung als intrapsychische, handelnde Sprache; und 4) das Produzieren neuer Werkzeuge für kulturelle Veränderung zusammen mit anderen als interpsychische und handelnde Sprache. Die Forschungsfrage lautet: Welche edukativen Konsequenzen haben die vier verschiedenen Sichten von Sprache für die Pädagogik? 80 Studierenden für das Lehrfach wurden dieselben Auszüge kindlichen Sprechens präsentiert, aber unterschiedliche Studierende sollten diese kindlichen Aussagen jeweils aus einer der vier Perspektiven betrachten. Die unterschiedlichen Perspektiven produzieren unterschiedliche Ergebnisse sogar im selben edukativen Setting. Es wird ein Modell der unterschiedlichen Orientierungen vorgestellt. La perspectiva Vygotskiana referente a las funciones del lenguaje se puede ver en dos continuos. Primero, hay un continuo que va de los interpsicológico a lo intrapsicológico, lo que significa que el desarrollo de las funciones del lenguaje se inicia en primer lugar entre las personas y solamente después el niño las interioriza. El segundo continuo se origina en los signos del lenguaje y termina en el lenguaje como herramienta, es decir, de lo semiótico hacia el lenguaje como instrumento para el cambio social y cultural. El papel mediador del lenguaje se manifiesta en el proceso social, influenciado o para influenciar a otros. Los dos continuos generan una tabla cuádruple que da lugar a las funciones del lenguaje en los niños en cuatro planos diferentes de referencia. Son: 1) Los signos, la semántica y la sintaxis como manifestación del lenguaje intrapsicológico y sin agencia; 2) la zona del desarrollo próximo como manifestación del lenguaje interpsicológico y sin agencia; 3) herramientas instrumentales del lenguaje de los niños para el cambio ambiental como lenguaje intrapsicológico y con agencia; 4) producir nuevas herramientas para el cambio cultural junto con otros como lenguaje interpsicológico y con agencia. La pregunta de investigación es: Qué clase de consecuencias educativas tienen las cuatro visiones del lenguaje en la pedagogía? 80 estudiantes para profesor fueron expuestos a los mismos extractos de charlas de niños, pero se les pidió que consideraran cada extracto desde solo una de las cuatro perspectivas. Diversas perspectivas aparecían como resultado incluso en el mismo nivel educativo. Se presenta un modelo de las diversas orientaciones.

Children’s physical activity in day care and preschool

The purpose of the study was to investigate the dynamics of physical activity (PA) in day care and preschool. The participants were 823 Finnish 1–7-year-old children from 50 day care centres and preschools. The research methods were systematic observation, evaluation of children’s skills and interviews with children. Altogether 18,366 observations were collected. Vygotsky’s concept of the ‘zone of proximal development’ is redefined in relation to PA. The results of the study show that environmental factors, and specifically peers, do indeed play a significant role in enhancing PA among children. There are cogent reasons for paying more attention to the dynamics of children’s PA. Furthermore, there is reason to ponder extensively how to provide opportunities for PA and, more precisely, the development of motor competence in the day care and preschool context.

Children's agentive orientations in play-based and academically focused preschools in Hong Kong

The article describes a comparative case study on childrens agentive orientations in two Hong Kong preschools, one is play-based and the other is academically focused. Agentive orientations were measured using Reunamos interview tool, which focuses on childrens uses of accommodative and agentive orientations in everyday situations. The findings show that children in the academically oriented preschool had more uncertain and less participative orientations than those in the play-based preschool. Boys in the academically oriented setting were found to be more vulnerable than both girls and their counterparts in the play-based preschool when confronted with a conflict setting. The results indicate that the play-based environment stimulated childrens capacities for agentive and participative social engagement, suggesting that play provides children with the opportunity to develop more versatile social tools and strategies. These competences are of vital importance for successful engagement in collective settings such as classrooms and schools.

Perceptions of Research in Education for Sustainable Development: An International Perspective.

Abstract This paper reports on a study undertaken to investigate international perspectives of what constitutes research in education for sustainable development (ESD). By employing inductive thematic content analysis, the authors sought to examine the perceptions of 66 ESD researchers from 19 countries. The findings reveal a concern with the methodological aspects of research and an emergent need for synergy between the methodology of educational research and specific themes relevant to ESD research. The significant overlap of themes and aspects of ESD research apparent across the different contexts within which the researchers were embedded indicates a unified core of ESD research, although there is also evidence of contextual factors influencing the research agenda. Based on the findings of this study, the paper concludes that there is an overlap between educational research and ESD research, but that the latter has its own specific aims, themes and political supporters. In an endeavour to develop a shared understanding about ESD research across disciplines and research context, a common language has to be developed to facilitate a constructive dialogue and research capacity building in this novel field.

Education for sustainable development in early childhood education in Finland

Abstract In the Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC) curriculum, there is no specific content for education for sustainable development (ESD). Thus, it is not possible to get direct guidelines on how to conduct ESD in ECEC from the curriculum. We seek to look at the preferences of Finnish early childhood educators through the model of extended environmental education. Behind this model is Palmers tree model and an emphasis on empirical, social and ethical components of ECEC. The research method employed a survey. Altogether 924 teams in Southern Finland evaluated their learning environments. By using a factor and reliability analysis, we extracted three factors relevant to the extended Palmers model. The teachers primarily emphasised the understanding (learning) aspects of ECEC. The second most important aspect comprised the social aspects of education. The third most important aspect included the ethical and participant aspects of ECEC. Potential implications and indications to the practice of ESD are discussed

Education for Sustainable Development Research from the Researchers’ Point of View

Research is not just a simple application of research methods. It is undertaken by human beings who hold personal views on the environment. The way in which the researcher sees environmental changes may have an impact on the research questions and the choice of research practices. The researcher may be a contributor to cultural development either through influential research results, powerful theories or models, or through the choices of research orientations or personal preferences. These contributions are especially important in the research for education for sustainable development (ESD), where it is hard to avoid a stance on environmental change. In this article, the researchers of ESD describe their preferences for research. The descriptions are evaluated in reference to four research orientations to get a full-bodied perspective on research preferences and practices. The article gives a glimpse of the researchers’ own ideas about their work and its relation to environmental change.