Browsing by Author "Varis, Terhi"

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the early childhood education and care (ECEC) experiences of children with school attendance problems (SAP), and to identify factors that may lead to SAP. Prior research on SAP has focused largely on individual perspectives, with little consideration given to the combined effect of these factors (Gottfried & Gee, 2017; Lyon & Cotler, 2009). Additionally, previous research has primarily focused on adolescents. This study aims to draw attention to younger children and to the factors that predispose them to SAP. The aim of this study is to pro-vide a comprehensive understanding of the factors and their interrelationships that influence SAP. Methods: A phenomenological approach and narrative research sample were used in this study. Parents of children who had stopped attending school during lower primary school were invited to participate through a research invitation published on Facebook. Data was collected through interviews with two participants and anonymous free-form essays from 16 additional participants. Analysis of the data focused on identifying unifying meanings, meaning structures, and themes in the narratives of the parents. Results and conclusions: The study identified several unifying factors in the preschool and school years of children with SAP. Challenges faced by the children were a clear unifying factor; however, the differentiating factor was how these challenges had affected the child’s ECEC. Based on the parents’ narratives, the ECEC could be divided into four profiles: carefree, survivors, unsatisfied, and passive. The study also found connecting factors in the diagnoses received and the start of school absenteeism. The most significant individual unifying factors were challenges in transitional situations, sensory regulation, separation from parents, and regulation skills. The central unifying themes were overload, withdrawal, and operational control problems. The study concludes that SAP often arises from a combination of risk factors related to the child and unfavorable environmental factors. Additionally, the triggering factor can sometimes play a role in SAP. Play was found to reduce the load experienced by the child and balance the demands placed on child.