Browsing by Subject "lapsuudentutkimus"
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(2015)Finnish elementary school has been the solid foundation for Finnish education for decades. While the elementary school's name has stayed the same it has still been in a continuous process of change. Our elementary school is a time-related institution that changes and evolves together with the curriculum, teachers and pupils, and the prevailing culture. The environment and the people living in it are always interacting with each other and together they create a social or relational space. The school building and its surroundings are a special social space. The relation between people and the school makes the building a school and turns the people into teachers and pupils. Despite the fact that the school is an important social institution that has been created especially for children and their learning, there have been few studies about school from the children's perspective. This study aims to find out what is the social space of school like for pupils. How do the pupils display physical or social space in their photographs and texts? How does power divide between teachers and pupils? What kinds of feelings do the pupils attach to the photographs and texts they produced? The study involved seven sixth-grade pupils. They photographed their own school days for four consecutive days. After each photograph the pupils filled out a questionnaire in which they reported things regarding the photograph such as who was in charge at the time and how did the pupil feel at the moment. The study consisted of 122 photographs and texts related to the photographs. The material was analysed with the Collier & Collier visual content analysis. The study showed that the pupils photographed the school's physical rather than social space. Most pupils took photographs of different teaching aids such as text books on their desks. Social space was displayed in photographs taken during recesses when the pupils were playing with their friends. The pupils took very few photographs of the teachers. The most common answer to the questionnaire's question about who is in charge was "the teacher" though in many cases said question was left unanswered. This means that the pupils did not really pay attention to the teachers' use of power. The most common feelings of pupils during school hours were joy and tiredness.
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(2014)The aim of this study was to understand the process by which children produce meanings with adults and in peer groups. Courage was selected as the theme of the study, as it is an abstract concept that is concretely present in a six-year-old's life. In the interview, the children were asked to explain in their own words what courage means. Explanatory questions examined the different kinds of meanings of the word courage that children have, as well as what kind of narrative method results in children telling stories that can be interacted with by their peer group as well as adults and children. The theoretical framework is based on a socio-cultural point of view and narrative research methods. The study outlines the narrative as well as the methodology and pedagogical methods. The study involved 15 preschool-age children at a day-care center. They were interviewed both individually and in groups, which was the setting used to examine the storytelling method. The study encompasses qualitative research; it is a case study that examines and describes the meanings of children produced by a group of children. The data were classified by means of content analysis and narrative research methods. The study also focuses on ethnographic features in order to understand and explore the phenomenon from the children's point of view, as well as from that of the teacher and researcher. The results of the study indicate that the children produced meanings of courage that can be divided into three categories: courage portrayed in images, courage that can be translated into concrete acts, and courage presented in the fairytale world. The meanings the children produced were directly related to their own experiences. The interviews contained numerous narrative moments, in which children told little stories that described an important experience of courage. The children's collective narrative was marked by spontaneous verbal description, as well as by playing with the worlds of media effects and the disorder of civilizations. This study demonstrates that the use of narrative methods can assist with understanding children's ways of communicating and forming meanings.
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(2020)The purpose of this study is to examine children's experiences of participation in everyday preschool life. Children’s participation is considered as an important part in legal documents regulating the field of early childhood education in Finland. However, previous studies show that child participation is poorly implemented in early childhood education. Barriers to participation have been seen as a various understanding of the concept of participation, and the lack of policies that support children's participation. Children's participation is best realized in play and small everyday moments. Instead, in situations involving children’s basic functions, routines take precedence over children’s participation. (Turja & Vuorisalo 2017; Virkki 2015; Fabric 2016) Methods. The study was conducted as a qualitative case study of one pre-school group. The study involved 19 children aged 6-7 years. The research material was collected using method triangulation. The data were collected through five group discussions of 4-5 children and observations of the group´s daily life. The children also took pictures of things they like in preschool. They shared a reason for the pictures they took. The analysis was guided by abductive reasoning. The study followed the basic principle of childhood studies; Children have their own important self-worth and a wealth of information that can only be obtained by asking the children directly (Alanen 2009). Turja's (2011) model of multidimensionality of participation was used in the analysis. Results and conclusions. Children see adults in a pre-school as limiting their activities. They believe that adults decide almost everything in preschool. In addition to supervised activities and daily routines, adult control extends also to children's free playtime. The children had useful and sensible suggestions for activities they felt needed change. The children thought that the daily rest was a function that needs to be changed. Preferably, they would remove it altogether and exchange it for play. Play was an area where children felt participated. In the play, they were allowed to decide who to play with and what to play with. The nice thing about the play is "That you can do whatever you want." The play and friends gained a lot of importance in the children’s speeches and the photos they took. The activities of pre-school education were strongly planned by adults. However, the consideration of the children's interests and the children's ideas fit within the framework of the plans. These children’s ideas, which strengthen children’s participation, engaged them noticeably. Supervised pre-school activities were fun for many children. However, it should be considered how to enable the full participation of children in early childhood education so that it also goes beyond the planning of activities.
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(2011)Nonstandard hour child care is a subject rarely studied. From an adult's perspective it is commonly associated with a concern for child's wellbeing. The aim of this study was to view nonstandard hour child care and its everyday routines from children's perspective. Three research questions were set. The first question dealt with structuring of physical environment and time in a kindergarten providing nonstandard hour child care. The second and third questions handled children's agency and social interaction with adults and peers. The research design was qualitative, and the study was carried out as a case study. Research material was mainly obtained through observation, but interviews, photography and written documents were used as well. The material was analysed by means of content analysis. The study suggests that the physical environment and schedule of a kindergarten providing nonstandard hour child care are similar to those of kindergartens in general. The kindergarten's daily routine enabled children's active agency especially during free play sessions for which there was plenty of time. During free play children were able to interact with both adults and peers. Children's individual day care schedules challenged interaction between children. These special features should be considered in developing and planning nonstandard hour child care. In other word, children's agency and opportunities to social interaction should be kept in mind in organising the environment of early childhood education in kindergartens providing nonstandard hour child care.
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(2018)Objectives. The aim of this study is to examine sixth graders’ perceptions of economic inequality and its different forms in children’s everyday life. Furthermore, the aim is to gain an understanding of children’s agency in relation to economic inequality. Only a few Finnish studies consider the issue from a child’s viewpoint, namely the studies of Hakovirta and Rantalaiho (2011, 2012), Hakovirta and Kallio (2014) and reports conducted by the organizations Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (2010) and Save the Children (2015). More research has been done in Sweden (e.g. Olsson, 2007; Harju, 2008), Great Britain (e.g. Ridge, 2002) and the United States (e.g. Pugh, 2009). Economic inequality has increased in Finland over the past three decades and since it can affect the population in several ways, for instance through unequal distribution of health and education, children’s points of view in relation to the issue should not be disregarded. Methods. The material for this thesis was obtained through 29 empathy-based stories and 9 focused interviews conducted in two sixth grades in the Helsinki Metropolitan area. The study was conducted in the frameworks of childhood studies and phenomenography. Both narrative and thematic strategies were applied in the process of analysis. Results and conclusions. According to the sixth graders, economic inequality is connected to children’s everyday life through consumption and peer relationships. Challenges in consumption caused by deprivation could have a negative effect on peer relationships and result in discrimination and feelings of shame. Children understood economic inequality mainly through outward appearances, like clothing and other materia. It was more challenging for the participants to consider the effects on inward characteristics, such as mood and behavior followed by it. The sixth graders believed that children can endeavor to better situations of economic inequality by saving money, helping a friend economically and showing support to people who suffer of deprivation. In the end, however, relationships with friends and family were seen as the most important buffer against economic inequality. Children’s conceptions of inequality as a social issue varied: some believed it is an unfair phenomenon which divides people, while others saw it as a normal part of society. As economic inequality seems to appear and have a profound effect in children’s lives, awareness of the issue should be raised. Adults working with children should also be able to recognize the issue, the complexities behind it and discuss it with children.
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(2017)Objectives. The main purpose of this study is to describe, analyze and interpret what children in first grade play in school context. This study was interested what kind plays children were playing and who they were playing with. Aim was to find out what factors in school are affecting play, for example how schools physical surroundings affect what children play. It was also examined what motivate children to play: how children come to play certain types of plays and why children want to play in general. Methods. This study was conducted as qualitative research. Material was collected from one class in metropolitan area school. There were 22 children in that specific class. All the pupils took part of drawing assignment were the purpose was to draw a picture about play that they play in school. Half of the pupils were then interviewed based on pictures using theme interviews. Both the children's drawings about play and the interviews were used as materials of this study. The drawings were analyzed based on semiotic theory and the aim was to find different representations that were further examined. The interview material was analyzed in five phases that were reading, examination, thematize, expansion and summarizing. Results and conclusions. Children that took part of this study played in school surroundings agon, mimicry and ilinx plays. Usually all the children were approved in plays and play was more fun in a big group. Children wanted to play with other children that were not rude to them. A good playmate in a context of this study is someone who is nice and kind for everyone. Children chose to play with children that were the same sex as themselves and children that who were in the same class. It seems that if children can choose their playmate, they prefer close friends that are the same sex. Play was influenced by the school yard, weather and season, different rules and structure of the day. These things affect the play and give children different possibilities to express play. Children also liked to play in school and play was motivated by their interests, the fun in it and the fact the got spend time with other children. In a context of this study play is meaningful for children and it gives them possibilities to spend time together.
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(2012)Goals: This study examines different meanings of preschool environment through pictures children have taken, and by children's stories associated to these pictures. The study committed to multidisciplinary childhood study approach which sees children as competent active actor in their own right and as a constructor of their own childhood. Theoretically the study focuses on studies of child perspective, children's geographies, and meanings. The study assumes that preschool environment appears differently to children that it does to adults, and that adults should pay more attention to how the preschool environment appears to children. Methods: The study is a part of Academy of Finland research project "Children tell of their well-being - who listens? Listening to children's voices and receiving their stories" (TelLis project number 1134911) The project is led by Adjunct professor Liisa Karlsson in University of Helsinki. Material for the study is collected from a Kouvola-area child safety project. The project focused on children's point of view. As part of the project children photographed places they considered nice or boring in their preschool environment. The children were then asked to tell about the pictures using a method called Storycrafting. The pictures and stories were used as information source by the experts from different fields who participated in this project. Pictures and narration materials produced by 28 preschoolers are analysed in this study. The material consisted of 40 picture and story combinations. Method of the study was a qualitative study and the material was analysed using content analysis. Results and conclusions: Four significant dimensions were found from the material: operation, social interaction, play, and aesthetic character. The study found that meaningful environment for children is cosy, and offers different activities, social interactions, and also possibility to play. The pictures taken by the children and the stories they relate to them contain information which helps to understand how children react to their environment and how they take advantage of affordances environment produce. The results of this study can be utilized by the experts who are working among children and design environments for children.
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(2023)Objectives. The aim of the thesis is to find out fifth and sixth graders' perceptions of economic inequality. The focus of the thesis is children's perceptions of economic inequality, the thoughts it evokes, and the meanings children attach to it. Inequality has increased in Finland over the past three decades, especially among families with children, and since the effects of the phenomenon extend not only to adults but also to children, it is worth looking at it from their perspective as well. Methods. The material for the thesis was collected from the fifth and sixth grades of an elementary school located in Helsinki with the help of life stories and thematic interviews. There were 28 life stories and 7 themed interviews. The material has been analyzed by means of material-based content analysis using a phenomenographic approach. Results and conclusions. The fifth and sixth graders linked economic inequality to family life, going to school and spending free time, among other things. The children most clearly identified differences in financial resources based on external signs, such as clothing and goods. The poor had the necessities, but their clothes and belongings did not meet the norms prevailing among children. In peer relationships, economic inequality was most clearly manifested as differences in financial resources. Similar consumption opportunities were seen to create cohesion in peer relationships, but on the other hand, to produce inequality with children. Among the consequences of economic inequality, the children brought up bullying. Being bullied almost always affected children, the financial resources were especially weaker than others. The bully's role was strongly associated with a well-off child. The reasons explaining economic inequality that appeared in the research material were largely realistic. Economic inequality was seen to be caused by wage differences and unemployment. The importance of studying in order to achieve a good profession and thus a better financial result.
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