Browsing by study line "Varhaiskasvatus + Specialisation studies leading to the qualification of early childhood special education teacher"
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(2020)The purpose of this research was to find out what kind of views daycare managers have on the pedagogical team leadership of early childhood education teachers, In addition, the study examined how daycare managers support and enable early childhood education teachers in working as the pedagogical team leader and what kind of possibilities and challenges are related to it. The theoretical framework was formed around describing pedagogical leadership in the context of early childhood education. The framework became more precise by examining the concepts of coaching and multiprofessional team, and the job description and work assignments of early childhood education teachers. This research is a qualitative interview survey based on content analysis. The interviews were executed as group interviews. In total there were four groups and twelve interviewees. The interviewees were part of the research and evaluation unit of the EduLeaders project. The project aims at studying and evaluating the basic-level studies in leadership in education, and based on this information, developing the above-mentioned studies and advanced-level studies of teacher education. Based on the data of this research it seems that early childhood education teachers work as pedagogical team leaders, which shows among other things in their job description. Daycare managers supported pedagogical team leadership for example by methods of coaching. The shortage of teachers and especially the shortage of qualified early childhood education teachers and matters associated with the change of culture were seen as challenges by the interviewees.
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(2020)The Act on Early Childhood Education and care, 540/2018, obliges that early childhood education is systematic, target-oriented and pedagogically focused. The updated law determines for the first time of the principles regarding the organizing of the round-the-clock kindergartens. Previous studies show that it is necessary to study nonstandard childcare both nationally and internationally. During this study, data is collected for the first time, by using the Progressive Feedback-tool in an observation study carried out in the evening hours. Objectives. In Finland, 7% of all children participating in early childhood education are placed in round-the-clock kindergartens. The aim of this study is to find out what happens in the round-the-clock kindergartens during the day. The second aim of the study is to find out how much and what kind of activities are carried out in the round-the clock kindergartens at evenings. The third aim is to find out how it would be possible to increase children's commitment to activities in the round-the-clock kindergartens at evenings. Methods. The dissertation was conducted as a part of the Progressive Feedback-method. The data were collected in five round-the clock kindergartens in Kouvola, during the autumn of year 2019. The data collection method was observation. Five trained observers participated in the data collection. 1146 observational data were collected. The data were analyzed with statistical methods by using the SPSS 25 for MacOS software. Outcomes and conclusions. The study indicated that in the evenings, the children mainly play with different items and they are committed to these activities. The proportion of target-oriented activities in the round-the-clock kindergartens was small (5,8%) in the evening and the adults functioned mainly neutrally. Commitment to various tasks in the evening was intensive, but there were only few tasks occurring in the evenings. Children engage in activities more intensively when also adults participate in them. In learning´s perspective the most valuable activity in the kindergarten appears to be playing that is supported by an adult. Evening activities differ from the activities carried out in the mornings.
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(2020)Aims. The aim of this study was to investigate how two special needs teachers who had completed an equine-assisted social pedagogy instructor® training experienced the implementation of equine-assisted social pedagogy activities as a school intervention. Social pedagogy combined with animal and equine assisted activities served as the theoretical frame guiding this study. The research questions were: (1) What are equine-assisted social pedagogy activities from a special needs teacher's perspective, (2) What impacts have the equine activities by a special needs teacher had on individual pupils or pupil groups, and (3) Which factors emerge at the core of the implementation of the equine activities? Methods. This study was implemented using a qualitative approach applying a semi-structured interview. The data comprised the experiences of two special needs teachers. The collected data were processed using dialogical thematization. Four main themes emerged from the analysed data and were used as the basis for presenting the findings. Results and conclusions. The equine-assisted social pedagogy activities were well-suited as a school intervention and as part of special needs education, as the curriculum supports the implementation of the activities in all levels of the three-tier support model. The equine-assisted activities were perceived as a comprehensive form of social rehabilitation that promotes issues such as building a pedagogical relationship between the pupil and the teacher, and the emergence of interpersonal relationships between pupils. The teachers felt that the success of the activities was supported by the experiential features of the stable environment, opportunities for collaboration provided by the stable community, and peer support. The stable environment was perceived as a learning environment different from the traditional school environment that improves pupils’ motivation, concentration and obedience. Highlighting the interactive relationship between the pupil and horse also emerged as a significant feature of the equine-assisted social pedagogy activities. The horse was perceived as a mirror of the pupil’s emotional expression and behaviour. The pupils were observed to learn to understand their own emotions and behaviour through the horse and adapt their new behaviours from the stable to the school environment. The study revealed what sorts of experiences special needs teachers had of implementing equine-assisted activities as a school intervention. In turn, this raises awareness of the potential of using equine-assisted social pedagogy activities as part of school activities and special needs education.
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(2020)The development of a child’s eating habits is influenced by the individual characteristics of the child but also by the feeding practices used by adults during mealtimes. Feeding practices are behavioral approaches by which adults try to control what and how much children eat. Health and Joy from food – meal recommendations for early childhood education and care (VRN 2018) provides recommended feeding practices for early childhood education personnel to be used during preschool mealtimes. The purpose of this study is to determine how personnel’s background factors relate to the implementation of these mealtime recommendations. In addition, we look at how guidance related to mealtimes given from outside of the preschool affects this relationship. The study was conducted as a quantitative study. Data comprised of questionnaires filled in by preschool personnel in the cross-sectional study of the DAGIS project in 2015–2016. 379 preschool staff members from 66 preschools returned the questionnaire. Four mealtime recommendations were identified: modelling healthy eating, encouraging children to eat vegetables and fruit, helping children to recognize feelings of hunger and satiety and avoiding using food as a reward. The associations between personnel’s background factors and the implementation of mealtime recommendations was examined using logistic regression analysis. The background factors examined were level of education in early childhood education, age group, work experience in early childhood education, and knowledge of the recommended intake of vegetables, fruits, and berries for children. Respondent’s gender and municipality were used as confounding factors. The effect of guidance from outside the preschool was analyzed by including an interaction term. The results showed that respondents who did not have a degree in early childhood education were less likely to implement several mealtime recommendations than those with a preschool teacher university degree. Respondents aged 40-49 were more likely to implement more mealtime recommendations than those under 30. Other background factors were not related to the number of recommendations implemented. Guidance given from outside the preschool did not affect the association between background factors and the implementation of mealtime recommendations. The research reveals the importance of education in the fulfillment of early childhood mealtime recommendations.
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(2020)Tiivistelmä - Referat - Abstract Children grow among digital media and its importance needs to be notified also in early education (Chaudron 2015). When young children engage with digital media, adult support and mediation in crucial to adequately balance positive and negative effects of media use (Kardefelt-Winther 2017).The motivation of this study is to research views of parents and early education professionals on children’s digital media use, its mediation and support and co-operation between home and early education environments. The three research questions were: (1) What are the views of parents and early education professionals on (1) children’s digital media use? (2) on mediation and support of children’s digital media use? (3) on collaboration between home and early year education setting? The study was conducted as an online survey in three out of ten early education districts in Helsinki, Finland in November 2019. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected in separate surveys for parents and early education professionals. Surveys were distributed through daycare unit managers to professionals and parents. The research data consists of 189 parents’ and 40 early education professionals’ answers. The quantitative analysis was conducted mainly non-parametric statistical tests. Qualitative analysis proceeded using data-oriented content analysis. The results show parents have diverse views on and attitudes towards children digital media use and that children’s media use is variable. Most children use digital media in moderation, some in considerable amount and a fraction not at all. Early education professionals see digital media use as natural part of children’s world and that parents balance well the media use of their children. Both see potential effects of digital media use on children’s self-regulation and emotional skills. Parent attitude towards digital media use by their children significantly differed by child gender, and parents of the boys had more concerns. Digital media use by adults and concern on adequate personal interaction were discerned from the results. Amount of time used on digital media and transitions from digital media use to other activities were identified as primary causes of conflict at home. Parents would like to receive more information on child-appropriate content, suitable time limits and research-based knowledge on positive and negative effects of digital media use. Early education professionals would need research-based recommendations and information on effects of media use on child development. Furthermore, they wish for clear guidelines and agreed practices for digital media use in daycare and preschool setting, as well as for digital media use -related collaboration with families. Parents had a positive view on collaboration, although experience on it was limited. Early education and preschool professionals, together with parents, would have a unique position to build moderate and many-voiced discourse on children digital media use during early years - a possibility not yet materialized to a full extent.
Now showing items 1-5 of 5