Browsing by Author "Pelander, Anni"

Every year children with intensified or special support transition to school. Usually, these children transition to general education classes. According to previous studies the transition between preschool and primary education is a significant moment for all children which affects future school success. Also, according to previous studies collaboration between teachers during the transition is important for the successful transition. For the children with special needs the transition often appears to be more challenging than to others, so they need special attention during the transition. The purpose of this master’s thesis was to examine the collaboration between preschool teachers and primary school teachers when children with special needs transition from preschool to first grade. The aim of this study is to find out what views and experiences preschool teachers and primary school teachers have about collaboration in the transition phase of children with intensified or special support. The research data was collected by interviewing eights teachers and using theme interviews. The data consisted of interviews with four preschool teachers and with four primary school teachers. This study was a qualitative study, and it was based on phenomenography. The interviews were analyzed using content analysis. According to the results the teachers implemented collaboration differently. However, the collaboration often increased when a child with special needs transitioned to school, in which case the teachers held an information transition meeting. The visit to school was the second most used form of collaboration. The teachers recognized the importance of collaboration for the teacher, the child with special needs and the child’s family. The desire and activity of the teachers, resources, instructions, management support and the physical location of the preschool and primary school were significant factors that influenced the implementation of the collaboration. Collaboration was usually implemented rarely, and its implementation varied between teachers and cities. The varying implementation of collaboration sets children with special needs in an unequal position during the school transition.