Browsing by Author "Maisa, Junkkari"

This Bachelor's Thesis examines how kindergarten teachers understand the concept of participation and how they support children's participation in early childhood education. The aim was to find out the views and notions of kindergarten teachers as well as practical experiences about supporting children's participation. An inspiration for the study was the new Early Childhood Education and Care Act, which for the first time mentions child´s right to participate in the planning and implementation of early childhood education. This can be seen as a part of a bigger development in which the child's participation and the right to decide on matters concerning himself is considered increasingly important. Therefore, the study also examined whether the kindergarten teachers have noticed a change in a way child´s participation is taken into account. The research material consisted of five interviews with teachers working in kindergarten in Helsinki. The interviews were conducted as semi-structured theme interviews which lasted about a half an hour. The interviews were recorded and transcribed for analysis. Responses to the interviews were sought by conceptualizing and typing similar views and approaches. The types found in the material were compared to the theoretical framework of the study. The research revealed that even though the concept of participation was very familiar to all interviewees, they felt that it was challenging to define it. However, the responses were very similar and in all of them the participation was defined to mean children´s ability to influence his or her own life. The most important methods for supporting participation were consulting children, taking account of their needs and giving the opportunity to influence. All interviews revealed that the participation of children in early childhood education has increased steadily over the years. Therefore, the entry into force of the new Early Childhood Education and Care Act has not caused a radical change in the practices. The law can therefore be seen as a development product rather than its launcher.