Browsing by Subject "early childhood education"

This study examines how Day Care personnel can develop together they work and skills with this research project. This study was part of VKK-Metros research project 2009. The research included inquiries in all research day cares and in addition there was a discussion the in the beginning and in the end of process. The development process was successful. Personnel.s professional.s skills increased and they got new methods and ways to do they work. The day care personnel discussed and thought more professional subjects than before. The collaboration increased also among day care personnel.

The different forms of creating, sharing and analysing information have globally evolved and expanded in meaning. Previous research suggests that teachers have found it challenging to integrate these new forms of communication into their teaching practices. The pedagogy of multiliteracy, which the new Finnish core curriculum emphasizes, has been one of the measures taken towards meeting these changes. The role of the teacher is central in promoting multiliteracy, as the given support and guidance affect the child's motivation, attitudes and interest in the learning process. The aim of the study is to explore how teachers in early childhood education, pre-primary and primary education (Year 1-2) define multiliteracy and how their understanding is reflected in different teaching practices, which aim to promote children's learning opportunities in the area of multiliteracy. The need for this study is important as little research exists on teachers' understanding of the concept of multiliteracy in their teaching. This study draws upon a research and development program The joy of learning multiliteracies (MOI), at the University of Helsinki. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the pedagogy of multiliteracy and the dynamic literacy theory. The qualitative research design was selected to get an insight into teachers' experiences and thoughts. The study has been conducted by using semi-structured interviews based on video-stimulated recall and a group interview to investigate seven teachers' definition on multiliteracy. The results of the study suggest that the teachers have formed their own views of the concept multiliteracy and that these interpretations are visible in their teaching practices. Multiliteracy was defined by the teachers as a wide multimodal ability to express oneself, which requires children to be able to analyse, interpret and apply diverse forms of information and communication. The children's curiosity and joy are perceived as the foundation for promoting multiliteracy. The teachers' own commitment and enthusiasm were considered crucial. Digital tools and implementing of media education were emphasized as one of the development areas regarding multiliteracy. The ability to take into account the cultural contexts of texts, were in accordance with the Finnish curriculum, yet the teachers did not recognise it as a part of multiliteracy. Cultural literacy is however an important part of the pedagogy of multiliteracy. The results of the study confirm that further reinforcement of teachers' expertise in developing multiliteracy is essential both in working life and in teacher education, especially regarding how to include and promote cultural literacy.

Objectives. The purpose of the study was to describe, analyse and interpret the views of Finnish kindergarten leaders on the opportunities, challenges and meanings of pedagogical management during the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. Methods. The study is based on qualitative theory-based content analysis. I analysed deductively using a broad-based pedagogical leadership framework. The material consisted of answers from ECE leaders (n=492) to an electronic survey conducted in February 2021. The survey had several sections, of which in this study I focused on two open questions related to pedagogical leadership. Results and conclusions. Among the dimensions of broad-based pedagogical leadership, ECE leaders raised the most issues related to indirect pedagogical leadership. These include technical leadership (leading structures and conditions for daily operations) and human leadership (leading human resources). Distance working, meetings and professional education courses were possible through the extensive use of digital devices and programs, affecting the operations of daycare centres. ECE leaders highlight the importance of leading the staff to ensure their wellbeing, professional competency, and capacity building. Leaders found fewer opportunities and challenges related to the broad-based pedagogical leadership dimension of direct pedagogical leadership. Direct pedagogical leadership is one of the critical areas of ECE leadership in leading educational and learning processes. Professional and competent leaders promoted the activities of ECE centres. The success of direct pedagogical leadership promoted the development of practices and pedagogy. Many leaders noted that children's absences made it possible to achieve early childhood education goals. High-quality ECE leadership requires a qualified leader who masters all dimensions of broad-based pedagogical leadership. In Finland, ECE leaders' pedagogical competence and professional development should be studied, and leadership education should be planned, considering the diverse needs of work communities and child groups in pedagogical leadership. The article is published in the book Early Childhood Education Leadership in Times of Crisis: International Studies During the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2023, edited by Elina Fonsén, Raisa Ahtiainen, Kirsi-Marja Heikkinen, Lauri Heikonen, Petra Strehmel, and Emanuel Tamir.

Perinteisen ydinperheen rinnalle on noussut yhteiskunnan ja kulttuurin muuttuessa erilaisia perhetyyppejä. Aiemman tutkimustiedon mukaan nämä erilaiset perhetyypit ovat vähitellen siirtyneet myös lastenkirjallisuuteen. Lastenkirjallisuuden avulla lapset voivat oppia ja kohdata erilaisia asioita. Perheiden monimuotoisuus tavoittaa varmasti jokaisen lapsen viimeistään peruskoulussa. Lastenkirjallisuus on yksi muoto, jonka kautta lapset voivat saada tietoa perheiden monimuotoisuudesta. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on tarkastella lastenkirjallisuudessa esiintyviä perheitä ja erilaisia perhetyyppejä. Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan ja vertaillaan kahden eri murroskauden aikana julkaistujen realististen lasten kuvakirjojen perheiden ja perhetyyppien eroja. Tutkimuksen avulla halutaan selvittää, miten perhetyypit eroavat 1910–1950-lukujen ja 2010-luvun lastenkirjoista. Tutkimus toteutettiin kvalitatiivisena tutkimuksena. Tutkimusmenetelmänä käytettiin teoriaohjaavaa sisällönanalyysia. Tutkimukseen valittiin kirjoja kahdelta eri lastenkirjallisuudessa tapahtuneelta murroskaudelta. Analysoitaviksi kirjoiksi valittiin kuusi kirjaa, kolme molemmilta murroskausilta. Kirjoiksi valittiin Jalmari Finnen Kiljusen herrasväki, Laura Ingalls Wilderin Pieni talo suuressa metsässä, Astrid Lindgrenin Melukylän lapset, Anneli Kanton Vilma Virtanen ja uimataito, Elisa Niemisen Lotta Torvinen ja salaperäisen käärön arvoitus ja Katriina Rosavaaran Villiina ja isosiskopakkaus. Kirjoista löytyi neljää eri perhetyyppiä: ydinperhe, suurperhe, ”aviopari ilman lapsia, puolisot eri sukupuolta” ja sateenkaariperhe. Lähes kaikki kirjan perheistä voitiin tyypitellä useammaksi kuin yhdeksi perheeksi. Eniten kirjoissa oli ydinperheitä. Eri murroskausilla julkaistujen kirjojen perhetyypeissä oli jonkin verran eroja. Kirjan perhetyyppeihin ja murroskausien eroihin vaikuttavat yhteiskunnassa vallitsevat olosuhteet ja tilanteet sekä mielipiteet ja käsitykset perheistä. Tutkimuksen avulla voidaan löytää lapsille hyviä kirjoja, jotka käsittelevät erilaisia aikakausia ja perheitä. Näiden kirjojen avulla lapsi voi tarkastella omaa perhettään suhteessa muiden perheisiin. Esimerkiksi varhaiskasvatuksessa tutkimukseen valittuja kirjoja ja kirjojen perheitä voidaan tarkastella esimerkiksi keskustelun, leikin ja kuvataiteen avulla.

The study examines sensitivity in the everyday interactive situations with multicultural children under 3 years of age in early childhood educational context. The research problem focuses on figuring out in which ways sensitivity occurs and what are the contextual factors related to sensitive and non-sensitive situations. Sensitivity refers to early childhood educator’s ability to detect and take into account the emotional needs of the child (Laevers according to Kalliala, 2008). The study was conducted in collaboration with the University of Helsinki LASSO project and a kindergarten in Helsinki, where the research material was collected by videorecording three early childhood educators and two children in their everyday life at the kindergarten. The research material was colleted between the late autumn 2014 to early spring 2015. The qualitative data were analysed by utilizing theory-driven approach. The basis of the analysis is in AES (adult engagement scale) and especially the sensitivity part of the scale, as well as EA (emotional availability) scale. LIS-YC scale was also used in observation of children (Kalliala, 2008). The results showed that sensitivity is a small part of everyday interactive situations. Differences in results were seen in the quality of the interaction. The majority of the interaction with the first participant was neutral, and more than half of the interactions were sensitive. In contrast, only half of the other participant’s interaction was neutral, and also half was non-sensitive. The differences were also found in the ways in which the sensitive and non-sensitive situations appeared in the participants' everyday life. For the first participant, the sensitivity was constructive, and adults made huge efforts to interact with the child. The insensitive moments were not numerous, but they could not be classified as accidental. The second one’s sensitive moments were supportive in nature but relatively rare. Insensitive situations were somewhat accidental, and for some reason, educators failed to notice the child’s needs. Based on the results, a study related to sensitivity between educators and children comparing Finnish and multicultural children would be important to conduct.

The purpose of this Bachelor’s Thesis is to study different opinions of worldview education among those who work on the field of early childhood education or study the domain of science. These opinions are divided into five different approaches to worldview education (antireligious, monoreligious, multireligious, interreligious and intrareligious approach) which are based on Ubani’s (2015 & 2013) and Sterkens’ (2001) studies of religious and worldview education in primary school and early childhood education. The data of the study were collected by internet survey which was shared to three different Facebook-groups. All the groups are intended for early childhood educators and students regardless of their duty on the field or educational background. The survey consisted of both quantitative and qualitative questions but only the qualitative ones are included in this study. The qualitative part of the survey consists of six optional questions. The data of the study consists of forty-two respondents (n=42) and a total of 203 (n=203) responds to optional questions. This study is a case study of those respondents. The data were analysed with theory-based qualitative content analysis based on Ubani’s (2015 & 2013) and Sterkens’ (2001) studies. All the responses were classified to separate groups based on five different approaches to worldview education. If the responses had opinions which belong to several different approaches, these responses were classified into several groups. The purpose of the study is not to classify respondents into different approaches of worldview education but to examine how the different opinions of the approaches of worldview education are appeared in the responses. In addition to that, study is a case study of these respondents without aspirations to generalize the results of the study. Results of the study show that all the approaches to worldview education appeared on the respondents’ opinions of worldview education. However, all the opinions within one approach to worldview education did not appear and all the approaches and opinions were not as common as others. Results of the study show that opinions that point toward a multireligious approach opinions were most general among responses.

Even though imagination is recognised in research to be an important part of children’s learning and thinking, there is little research on the role of the teacher in supporting and enriching children’s imagination. Therefore, this study focuses on investigating teachers’ understandings of pedagogical practices that support children’s imagination in Finnish early childhood education. Drawing on the sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 2004) and Donna Haraway’s theory of speculative fabulations (2016), imagination is seen as a socially, materially, and culturally constructed practice in this study. The qualitative study was conducted by using focus group discussions to investigate teachers’ understandings of supporting children’s imagination. Three teachers in early childhood education participated in this study. The data of the study were collected at the University of Helsinki in the workshop Unruly and Embodied Storying – Ecological Imagination Workshop for ECEC Teachers. Speculative fabulation was used to research the socially, materially, and culturally formed understandings that the teachers created on supporting children’s imagination. Reflexive thematic analysis (Clarke & Brown, 2006) was used to conduct the data analysis. The results reveal three main themes that characterise the teachers’ understandings about supporting children’s imagination, illustrating the potential of speculative fabulations as a useful approach to research and conceptualise imagination as a collective endeavour between children and adults. The theme Relating highlighted the importance of being present in and caring for interpersonal relationships. The theme Creating Spaces focused on mental and physical spaces that teachers can intentionally create for children to express their imaginative ideas. The theme Helping showcased how teachers can help children develop their imaginative ideas by accompanying children in their play and providing diverse materials for children to play and story with. The results echo previous findings that teachers can support children’s imagination by joining in imagining and becoming co-learners alongside children. However, further research is needed to investigate if time or space for such shared imagining exists in current Finnish early childhood education and care.

Some previous findings suggest the effectiveness of physical activity (PA) on children's cognitive outcomes. Studying preschool PA enables to understand children’s considerable part of daily PA and to examine its relation to other skills specifically within preschool context. Early numeracy (EN) refers to young children’s mathematical proficiency, including relational and counting skills, as in understanding and operating with quantities, number relation, classification, and the concept of numbers. EN skills are shown to strongly predict later mathematical competence and academic achievements. Thus, it is important to study and support the development of children’s EN skills. However, previous research has mainly focused on school-age children, while research in early ages is scarce. No previous studies have used device-based measurement of PA with an individual test of EN to understand the associations between young children’s preschool PA and EN performance. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between PA during preschool hours and EN performance in children aged 4 to 5 years. More specifically, the following research questions are addressed: 1) How are PA intensity levels during preschool hours associated with EN performance in 4- to 5-year-old children? 2) What kind of profiles regarding PA intensity levels during preschool hours and EN performance can be identified among 4- to 5-year-old children? The sample consisted of children (N = 95, Mage = 4.6) attending preschools in Helsinki, Finland. PA was measured during 5 consecutive preschool days using hip-worn accelerometers, while EN performance was assessed using Van Luit and colleagues’ (2006) Finnish Early Numeracy Test. The data is analysed using quantitative research analysis. To answer the first research question, correlation matrix is performed to reveal relation between the variables of interest. For the second research question, latent profile analysis is used to identify children’s profiles according to their PA data and EN test scores, while the differences in profiles are compared using ANOVA. The results of the correlation analysis revealed no significant correlation between PA level during preschool hours and EN scores in children of ages 4 to 5 years. Latent profile analysis identified three profiles of children with high, medium, and low PA, whereas EN performance did not significantly differ among the profiles. In conclusion, while the results show significantly different amounts of PA among children during preschool, the main finding of the current study is in line with previous research, suggesting no direct relation between preschool PA and EN performance. Further research controlling for other factors that may influence the results is needed to examine how variation in PA level is related to EN performance in preschool.

Objectives. The purpose of this article- based master´s thesis is to study the connection between the years children spent in early childhood education and care (ECEC) and their social behaviour. The research problems were formed based on the fourfold table of social orientations by Jyrki Reunamo (2020) and the research material. In this research I decided to concentrate on the years children spent in ECEC because earlier research concerning children´s social behaviour is often focused on the quality of ECEC. This research presents one perspective to the social debate about how ECEC affects children´s growth and development by describing how the years spent in ECEC affect children´s social orientations and their main object of attention and contact. Methods. The data used in this research is a part of already existing research material collected within the Progressive Feedback project. The data was collected by observing children in ECEC units in 2017- 2021. About 200 specially trained ECEC professionals performed the observations. The research data includes 20 457 observations of 972 six-year-olds from 360 child groups in 18 municipalities in Finland. The material was analysed with IBM SPSS Statistics 27 programme with crosstabulation function using the years of attendance in ECEC, social orientation, child´s main object of attention and contact, closest social child contact and child´s gender as variables. Results and conclusions. According to this research, the years children spent in ECEC have a connection to their social orientations and their main object of attention and contact. The longer the children had been in ECEC, the less adaptive behaviour was observed. The children that had been in ECEC for under a year were observed to be less participative than other children. Dominant orientation increased the longer the children had been in ECEC. The children that had been in ECEC for over four years aimed their attention more rarely to non-social objects and adults. These same children aimed their attention more often to several children than their peers that had spent fewer years in ECEC. The years spent in ECEC seem to affect girls´ and boys´ social orientations and main object of attention and contact differently. The results could be useful when political decisions concerning ECEC, for example the two year-long pre-primary education, are made. The article The years children spent in early education in relation to their social relations and objects of attention is supposed to be published in European Early Childhood Education Research Journal (EECERJ)

Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää varhaiskasvatuksen opettajien kokemuksia työhyvin-voinnista. Varhaiskasvatus on ollut paljon esillä mediassa ja keskustelussa on ollut muun muassa alalla vallitsevat epäkohdat ja haasteet, sekä huoli niin lasten kuin aikuistenkin turvallisuudesta. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää miten varhaiskasvatuksen opettajat kokevat oman sekä yleisesti varhaiskasva-tuksen opettajien keskuudessa vallitsevan työhyvinvoinnin tilan tällä hetkellä. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa kartoitettiin millaiset tekijät edistävät ja heikentävät varhaiskasvatuksen opettajien työhyvinvointia ja millainen merkitys niillä on työnteossa varhaiskasvatustyössä. Tutkimus toteutettiin laadullisena tutkimuksena keväällä 2023. Tutkimuksen aineisto kerättiin e-kyse-lylomakkeella. E-kysely jaettiin ammattiryhmän Facebook-ryhmässä nimeltä ”Varhaiskasvatuksen opettajat”. Kyselyyn vastasi 14 varhaiskasvatuksen opettajana työskentelevää henkilöä. Aineiston avulla vastattiin tutkimuskysymyksiin, joiden tavoitteena oli selvittää miten varhaiskasvatuksen opet-tajat kokevat oman työhyvinvointinsa tilan tällä hetkellä, sekä millainen kokemus heillä on yleisesti varhaiskasvatuksen opettajien keskuudessa vallitsevasta työhyvinvoinnin tilasta tällä. Lisäksi tutki-muksessa selvitettiin mitkä tekijät edistävät ja heikentävät varhaiskasvatuksen opettajien työhyvinvoin-tia ja millainen merkitys niillä on työntekoon varhaiskasvatustyössä. Tutkimuksessa selvisi, että varhaiskasvatuksen opettajat arvioivat yleisen alalla vallitsevan työhyvinvoinnin tilan selvästi heikommaksi kuin omansa. Yksilöiden työhyvinvoinnin tilan arviot näyttäytyivät moninaisena, osalla heikompana ja osalla lähelle erinomaista. Yleisellä tasolla työhyvinvointi nähtiin suhteellisen heikkona. Vastausten perusteella päiväkotikohtaisia eroja varhaiskasvatuksen laadussa ja toiminnassa on suuresti, mutta epäkohtia sekä haasteita kuitenkin voidaan löytää lähes kaikkialta. Vastaajat kokevat, että työhyvinvointi vaikuttaa työhön varhaiskasvatuksessa monella tapaa. Työssään viihtyvät iloitsivat esimerkiksi toimivasta tiimistä ja kannustavasta ilmapiiristä, kun taas työstään väsyneet nostivat esiin muun muassa epäammattimaisen tiimin ja haasteet palautumisessa. Merkittävimpinä työhyvinvointia edistävinä tekijöinä pidettiin työkavereita, hyvää esimiestyötä ja työyhteisön yleistä ilmapiiriä. Merkittävimmiksi työhyvinvointia heikentäviksi tekijöiksi taas nostettiin henkilöstövaje, vähäinen esimiehen tuki ja suuret ryhmäkoot. Tutkimus antoi todenmukaista tietoa kyselyyn vastanneiden kokemuksista työhyvinvoinnista. Vaikka tulokset olivatkin yksilöiden vastauksia, niistä voidaan päätellä varhaiskasvatuksen työhyvinvoinnin tilaa myös laajemmin.