Stig Broström

Critical Perspectives on Danish Early Childhood Education and Care: Between the Technical and the Political.

This paper discusses trends in contemporary Danish early childhood education and care (ECEC). Data are sourced from various policy documents, along with material from ongoing research projects in which the authors are involved. It is claimed that contemporary policy on Danish day care services has a tendency to emphasize narrow curriculum improvements and standardized testing. The democratic dimensions are still relatively strong, but at the moment these dimensions are interpreted within a skills‐and‐testing framework, which is leading to a situation where the political masquerades as the technical.

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.

Preschool teachers' view on learning in preschool in Sweden and Denmark

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to examine how preschool teachers in Sweden and Denmark perceive childrens learning in preschool. The study aimed to answer the following questions: What is ‘learning’? How do children learn? What are the best conditions for childrens learning? What is the role of participation in childrens learning? The results show that from the teachers perspectives, childrens learning is connected to childrens social interaction and development in which the childrens initiatives are crucial. Learning, to a great extent, results from childrens active involvement. There are many similarities between how Danish and Swedish preschool teachers think of learning and participation. This supports earlier assumption about the coherence of Nordic preschool beliefs which unites education and care.

Curriculum in preschool

SummaryThe author introduces and discusses the new Danish preschool curriculum for children ages 1/2 to 6 years from a oritical point of view and calls for a more extensive perspective embracing the German Bildung theory. The author advocates a currioulum emphasising a critical content, which in a much more emphatic way gives the future generation a chance to cope with future challenges.RésuméL’auteur présente et critique le nouveau programme préscolaire danois pour les enfants de 6 mois à 6 ans et fait appel à une perspective plus large incluant la thèorie allemande de la formation (bildung). L’auteur prend la défense d’un programme mettant l’accent sur un contenu critique qui donne de façon beaucoup plus importante une chance à la fulure généralion de faire face aux défis de l’avenir.ResumenEl autor nos presenta y discute el nuevo curriculo danés para la escuela infantil (que abarca niños de 1/2 hasta 6 años de edad) desde un punto de vista critico insistiendo en la necesidad de dotarlo de una perspectiva más amplia que incluya los postulados germánicos de la teoría de la formación. El autor defiende un currculo que enfatice la perspectiva critica que es la que via màs clara de preparar a las futuras generaciones para aftontar los retos que les esperan.

Children's participation in research

Abstract In (post) modern society children are seen as active subjects and participants who have a legitimate basis in the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child. As a consequence of this, children are able to play an active role in the planning of/and participation in both education and research in their own preschool settings. This article offers an argument based on theory and practical examples for the inclusion of children in education and educational research. It also introduces some of the problems which warrant consideration if researchers are to understand and cooperate with children as co-researchers. The author portrays the educational process and the research process as a possible way for the democratisation of children.

Frame Play with 6-Year-Old Children.

SUMMARY Role play has a crucial role in early childhood education. Through play important changes take place in the childrens psyche. During the age of 6 the role play changes. The children become more conscious of the imaginary play situation and a growing awareness of the purpose of play comes into existence. The development of this new level of play makes it possible to introduce a new type of play: frame play. Here children and educators together decide a general theme and formulate some dimensions of content, they plan the setting, they discuss the different roles, the rules within the roles, and possible actions attached to some specific roles. Through this shared planning gradually the context or frame of play manifests itself. The problem is whether this more planned play will spoil the characteristics of role play and with that the childs experiences of meaningfulness and flow.

Kindergarten in Denmark and the USA

Abstract On the basis of ethnological research methods, the everyday life of one Danish and one US kindergarten class in school is described. In the US kindergarten class, teaching of the three Rs (reading, writing and arithmetic) was predominant, whereas play constituted the life in the Danish classroom. This study shows that US teacher‐controlled ‘academic’ practice and the childrens concrete cultural background contributed to the development of motivation for learning at the age of six. On the other hand, the US children were egocentric and had difficulties participating in group activities. In contrast, the more ‘child‐controlled’ practice in the Danish kindergarten developed social competence but neglected the development of motivation for learning. If the educational aim is comprehensive development, neither the American teacher‐controlled ‘academic’ practice nor the Danish child‐controlled ‘play’ approach is quite adequate.

A dynamic learning concept in early years’ education: a possible way to prevent schoolification

ABSTRACT In early childhood education and care, Nordic social pedagogy approach is challenged by a learning orientation that often results in unproductive ‘either/or’ thinking. Therefore, based on the two approaches and by analysing several dimensions of Froebel’s ideas and prevailing social-historical activity (play) theory, the author deduces four generally accepted play criteria that form the basis for the construction of a dynamic and play-based learning concept that has the three following cornerstones as focal points: (1) learning happens in activities where the child is an active participant and interacts and communicates with other people; (2) meaningful activities pave the way for children’s learning; these are activities where the child’s motive aligns with the goal of the activity; and (3) learning is seen as a productive and creative activity characterised by imagination.

Frame Play in Early Childhood Education.

RésuméS’inspirant de nombrex exemples, l’auteur considère le concept de “Frame Play” dans des centres de la petite enfance danois. Différentes approches du jeu sont analysées et leur valeur dans le développement de l’enfant discuteé. L’auteur se concentre sur les manières dont Jes enfants utilisent Jes outils, Jes signes et Jes symboles pour faire voir la complexité de leur apprentissage et de leur pensée pendant les séances de jeu. Après avoir regardé de près le concept du “Frame Play”, il s’est avéré qu’en introduisant des situations de “Frame Play” dans la classe, les éducateurs peuvent soutenir le développement de themes appropriés et avoir un rôle clé dans le jeu des enfants.ResumenDibujando una extensa variedad de ejemplos practicos, el author mira al concepto en un marco de estructura al Centro de Enseñanza de Infancia Danesa. Varlas formas se analizan y valoran hablando el desarrollo de los niños. El articulo se enfoca en varias formas que los niños usan instrumentos, signos y simbolos para revelar la complexidad en su enseñanza y manera de pensar durante este acto infantil. Despues de haber mirado de cerca el concepto de este acto, se discute que introduciendo este metodo, los profesores tienen el soporte que esta forma de enseñanza tiene mucha importancia en el juego o acto del niño.

Education, motivation for learning, and social competence of 6-year-olds in kindergarten in Denmark and the United States

On the basis of ethnological research methods, the everyday life of one Danish and one American kindergarten class in school is described. In the American kindergarten class teaching of the three Rs (reading, writing and arithmetic) is predominant, whereas play constitutes the life in the Danish classroom. The study shows that the American teacher-controlled ‘academic’ practice and the childrens concrete cultural background contribute to the development of motivation for learning at the age of 6 years. On the other hand, the American children are very egocentric and have difficulties in participating in group activities. In contrast, the more ‘child-controlled’ practice in the Danish kindergarten develops social competence but neglects the development of motivation for learning. With comprehensive development as the educational aim, neither the American teacher-controlled ‘academic’ practice nor the Danish child-controlled ‘play’ approach is quite adequate, which calls for a new paradigm in early childhood education.