Formålet med denne studien er å få økt innsikt i barns initiativ i samtale med barnehagelærer ved å studere forekomst av og samtalekonteksten rundt initiativene deres, og hvorvidt disse forholdene varierer for enspråklige og flerspråklige norske barn. I studien analyseres samtaler knyttet til en bildebok i 14 par med barnehagelærer og fem år gamle barn ved hjelp av initiativ–respons-analyse (IR-analyse) (Linell & Gustavsson, 1987). Resultatene viser at de enspråklige barna tar flere initiativ enn de flerspråklige, og at barnehagelærerne i større grad stiller spørsmål til de flerspråklige barna etter initiativene deres. Felles for alle barna er at det ser ut til at spørsmål fra barnehagelærer begrenser barnas muligheter til å påvirke samtalen. En samtalestrategi der barnehagelærer i mindre grad stiller spørsmål og i større grad følger barnets initiativ, kan bidra til å åpne opp for barnets bidrag og påvirkning, noe som kan være positivt både for barnets deltagelse og for dets språklige utvikling. ENGLISH ABSTRACT Children’s Initiatives in Dialogue with Early Childhood Education and Care Teachers The aim of this study is to gain deeper insight into children’s initiatives in dialogue with early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers, examining both their frequency and conversational context, as well as potential differences between monolingual and multilingual Norwegian children. In this study, book conversations between ECEC teachers and five-years-olds are analysed by using Initiative-Response (IR) (Linell & Gustavsson, 1987) analysis. The results show that the monolingual children more frequently have initiatives than their multilingual peers, and that ECEC teachers more often use questions after the initiatives of the multilingual children. A common finding across both groups is that questions from the teacher appears to limit the children’s opportunity to influence the conversation. A conversational strategy in which the teacher asks fewer questions and more actively follows the child’s initiative may create greater space for children’s contributions, supporting both participation and language development.
I en dansk kontekst har børnehaven og skolen, som led i et samarbejde for en mere inkluderende skolestart indført tre årlige datoer for skolestart, som forældre kan vælge imellem. Børn fra børnehaven, hvis forældre indskriver dem i den pågældende skole, kan begynde i skole om foråret, sommeren eller efteråret. Forfatterne af artiklen begrebsliggør den opdelte skolestart som en ”blød opdeling”. En term hentet fra skolevalgsforskning. Artiklens formål er at se nærmere på den valgproces, der indføres med den opdelte skolestart. Hvordan forholder forældrene sig til beslutningen om, hvad der er det bedste tidspunkt at starte i skole for deres barn? Og hvilke forskelle og kategoriseringer af børn fremkalder valget af skolestart? Artiklen er baseret på etnografisk feltarbejde. Specifikt analyseres forældremøder og børnehavens overgangssamtaler med forældre. I artiklen fremkommer det, at valget aktiverer en risikologik, hvori forældre benytter forskellige strategier, samt at der skabes kategorier af børn, som i høj grad handler om det individuelle barn. Samtidig er der hierarki og grænsedragninger på spil, som snarere end noget isoleret og individuelt handler om, hvem man ikke eller gerne vil, at ens barn skal være som. Disse fund diskuteres videre i forhold til forskning om skolevalg og den fremherskende inklusionsforståelse. ENGLISH ABSTRACT Divided school start – a small choice? The Danish kindergarten and school have introduced three annual school start dates as part of a collaboration for a more inclusive school start, allowing parents to choose between the dates. Children from the kindergarten whose parents enroll them in the given school can start school in spring, summer or autumn. The article conceptualizes the divided school start as ”soft streams,” a term borrowed from school choice research. The aim of the article is to explore the decision-making process. How do parents approach the decision about what is the best time to start school for their child? And what categorizations of children are produced through the choice of school start? The article is based on ethnographic fieldwork. More specifically, parent meetings and the kindergarten’s transition meetings with parents are analyzed. The article shows that the choice activates a risk logic in which parents employ different strategies, and that categories of children are created that largely concern the individual child. Simultaneously, hierarchies an boundary-drawing are at play, concerning who one does or does not want one’s child to resemble. These findings are discussed in relation to previous research on school choice and the prevailing understanding of inclusion.
Barnehagelærerutdanningen (BLU) i Norge er satt under press, grunnet reduserte søkertall og synkende popularitet. Samtidig skjer det endringer i statlige krav til utdanningskvalitet som utfordrer barnehagelærer-utdanneres verdiprioriteringer i deres daglige arbeid. Dermed er det relevant å undersøke; Hvilke verdier ligger til grunn for ønsket om å være barnehagelærerutdannere, og hvordan blir disse verdiene utfordret i arbeidshverdagen? Målet er å bidra med kunnskap om barnehagelærerutdanneres verdier og arbeidssituasjon, for å drøfte forhold som kan bidra til å styrke BLU. Studiens teoriramme er kulturhistorisk aktivitetsteori. Det innebærer at barnehagelærerutdanneres utvikling, meningskonstruksjoner og sosiale praksiser fortolkes i et systemisk perspektiv. Forskningsmetoden er kollaborativ autoetnografi, hvor 15 barnehagelærerutdannere har samlet inn felles data om egen utdanningspraksis. Datamaterialet utgjør 14 transkriberte flip-grip videoer, 15 dagslogger og 6 gruppeeintervjuer. Verdiene som framtrer er relasjoner og samarbeid, gjensidige danningsprosesser, medvirkning og autonomi. Disse verdiene utfordres av administrativt arbeid, krysspress mellom ulike oppgaver og økt byråkratisering. Forfatterne argumenterer for viktigheten av at barnehagelærerutdannere tar en aktiv rolle som medkonstruktører for å videreutvikle en verdibasert utdanningspraksis med realistiske rammer. English abstract Teacher educators’ values—a source of strengthening kindergarten teacher education Early Childhood Teacher Education (ECTE) in Norway is under pressure due to a decline in applicants and declining popularity. At the same time, changes in state requirements for educational quality challenge kindergarten teacher educators’ value priorities in their daily work. It is therefore relevant to investigate what values underlie the desire to be kindergarten teacher educators and how these values are challenged in everyday work. The aim is to contribute knowledge about kindergarten teacher educators’ values and work situations to discuss factors that can strengthen ECTE. The study’s theoretical framework is cultural-historical activity theory. This means that kindergarten teacher educators’ development, meaning-making, and social practices are interpreted through a systemic perspective. The research method is collaborative autoethnography, in which 15 kindergarten teacher educators have collected data about their own educational practice. The data material consists of 14 transcribed flip-grip videos, 15 daily logs and 6 group interviews. The values that emerge are relationships and collaboration, mutual formation processes, participation and autonomy. These values are challenged by administrative work, cross-pressure between different tasks and increased bureaucratisation. The authors argue that kindergarten teacher educators should take an active role as co-constructors to further develop a value-based educational practice with realistic frameworks.
Flere kommuner har valgt å slå sammen barnehager til større virksomheter. Det har resultert i en endret ledelsesstruktur. Hvilken betydning har denne endringen for rollen som pedagogisk leder i barnehagen? Spørsmålet belyses ut fra intervjuer med pedagogiske ledere i Stavanger kommune om deres erfaringer med en ny organisasjons- og ledelsesstruktur innenfor de kommunale barnehagene. Studien viser at pedagogiske ledere opplever betydelige endringer som følge av organisering i større barnehagevirksomheter. Funnene både støtter opp om og supplerer tidligere studier. De pedagogiske lederne opplever at det legges større vekt på fag, og at de har fått et større faglig miljø å spille på. De opplever imidlertid at de blir styrt mer ovenfra, og at de ut over egen avdeling er mindre involvert i beslutningsprosesser og ulike sider ved barnehagens drift. Rollen til de pedagogiske lederne framstår dermed som mer avgrenset til avdelingsnivå, og slik sett kan det sies at rollen har blitt mer innsnevret. Funnene fra studien drøftes med utgangspunkt i profesjonsteori og ledelsesteori, inkludert perspektiver på myndiggjøring og umyndiggjøring. English abstract Merging kindergartens into larger enterprises: Implications for the role of pedagogical leaders Several municipalities have merged smaller kindergartens into larger enterprises. This has resulted in a more hierarchical management structure. What significance does this have for the role of pedagogical leaders in kindergartens? The question is elucidated based on interviews with pedagogical leaders in the Municipality of Stavanger in Norway about their experiences with a new organizational management structure within the municipal kindergartens. The study shows that pedagogical leaders experience significant changes caused by the organization of kindergarten into larger enterprises. The findings both support and supplement previous studies. The pedagogical leaders experience increased professional focus and a larger professional environment. However, they experience more top-down management and that they beyond their own department are less involved in decision-making processes and various aspects of the kindergarten’s operations. The role of pedagogical leaders thus appears to have become more limited to the department level, and in this sense the role can be said to have become narrower. The study’s findings are analysed through the lens of professional and leadership theory, including perspectives on empowerment and disempowerment.
Studiens syfte är att beskriva och kritiskt granska hur den svenska förskolans uppdrag relaterat till rörelse har förändrats över tid. Styrdokument och läroplaner har analyserats för att se hur språk och innehåll förändrats utifrån principen att statliga policytexter är formulerade för att lösa problem. Resultaten visar att även om språk och begrepp i läroplaner över tid till stor del är samma så har en förskjutning skett i hur uppdraget skrivs fram. Förskollärares ansvar har förtydligats, bland annat i relation till fysisk aktivitet. Förskolans uppdrag gällande rörelse har i allt högre grad kommit att beskrivas med liknande begreppsapparat som grundskolans. Förskjutningen kan förstås som skolarisering, en avlägsnande policyprocess från förskolans historiska tradition och ett närmande mot skolans utbildning som norm. Resultatet visar också att innehållet i policytexter från OECD och WHO har påverkat framskrivningen av uppdraget, exempelvis genom att lyfta fram den globala ökningen av barns vikt som ett samhällsekonomiskt hälsoproblem. Tidiga insatser, med fokus på att etablera rörelsevanor redan i ung ålder, framhålls av WHO och OECD som den mest kostnadseffektiva lösningen. Formuleringar i läroplaner blir därmed ett centralt styrinstrument, genom vilket kroppar och beteenden kan påverkas för att främja fysisk aktivitet. English abstract Movement in Swedish early childhood education policydocuments from 1987 to 2025 The purpose of this study is to describe and critically examine how the Swedish preschool’s mission related to movement physical has changed over time. Policy documents and curricula have been analysed to see how language and content have changed based on the principle that government policy texts are formulated to solve problems. The results show that although the language and concepts in curricula have remained largely the same over time, there has been a shift in how the mission is formulated. The responsibilities of preschool teachers have been clarified, including in relation to movement. The preschool’s mission regarding movement has increasingly come to be described using similar concepts to those used in primary schools. This shift can be understood as schoolification, a policy process that distances itself from the historical tradition of preschool and moves closer to school education as the norm. The results also show that the content of policy texts from the OECD and WHO has influenced how the mission is articulated, for example by highlighting the global increase in children’s weight as a socio-economic health problem. Early intervention, with a focus on establishing exercise habits at a young age, is highlighted by the WHO and OECD as the most cost-effective solution. Phrases in curricula thus becomes a key steering instrument through which bodies and behaviours can be influenced to promote physical activity.
Denne artikkelen retter søkelys mot dilemmaer barnehageansatte erfarer i arbeidet med inkludering. Artikkelen er basert på en analyse av datamateriale fra intervjuer av seks pedagogiske ledere fra ulike småbarnsavdelinger. Analysen viser fire ulike dilemmaer i inkluderingsarbeidet: vern om pågående lek, tilrettelegging for individuelle behov, tilgang på lekemateriell og dilemmaer med prioritering av å jobbe med barn–voksen- eller barn–barn-relasjon. Funnene synliggjør hvor viktig holdningsarbeid og kunnskap om de ulike dynamikkene som oppstår i inkluderende samspill er for de ansatte i barnehagen. Arbeid med disse faktorene på systemnivå kan bidra til å heve den inkluderende praksisen blant de ansatte. ENGLISH ABSTRACT The Dilemma of Inclusion – Working with Inclusion in Toddler Department This article is focusing on the challenges that employees in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) face when working with inclusion. The analysis draws on data from interviews with six educational leaders from various ECECs. The analysis identifies four key dilemmas associated with inclusion efforts: maintaining ongoing play, accommodating individual needs, ensuring access to play materials, and prioritizing interactions between children and adults or among children. The findings emphasize the importance of attitudes and knowledge regarding the diverse dynamics in inclusion interactions in ECEC. By addressing these factors at a systemic level, we can enhance the inclusive practices of employees.
Denne studien undersøker hvordan barnehagelærerstudenter opplever mobilapplikasjoner som verktøy for artsbestemmelse, og hvordan de vurderer bruken av slike apper i sitt fremtidige arbeid med naturfag i barnehagen. Tidligere forskning viser at stadig flere barn og unge har lav artskunnskap. Kjennskap til noen vanlige arter i naturen er en forutsetning for å kunne møte deler av dagens miljøutfordringer. For at barnehageansatte skal lykkes i å øke naturgleden og artskompetansen hos barn i barnehagen, slik overordnet planverk for barnehager i Norge vektlegger, må ansatte selv ha et visst kunnskapsnivå om temaet. Dersom barnehagelærer selv har begrenset kjennskap til artsmangfoldet, er det nærliggende å tro at det vil være krevende å formidle denne kunnskapen videre til barna. Empirien omfatter skriftlige svar fra 57 barnehagelærerstudenter. Datamaterialet er analysert med bruk av induktiv tematisk innholdsanalyse. Funn tyder på at digitale artsapplikasjoner kan støtte det pedagogiske arbeidet med artskunnskap. En forutsetning synes likevel å være at barnehagelærerstudenten utvikler grunnleggende naturfaglig og digital kompetanse, for kritisk å kunne vurdere applikasjonenes resultater. ENGLISH ABSTRACT “It Doesn’t Require a Lot of Work, It’s Done in an Instant!”: Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Teacher Students’ Experiences With the Use of Digital Mobile Applications in Work With Species Knowledge The purpose of this study is to investigate how Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) teacher students experience using digital applications for species identification, and how they evaluate the use of such applications in their future work with natural science in ECEC. Previous research shows that many children and youth lack knowledge about common species. Knowledge of common species in nature is a prerequisite for meeting some of today’s environmental challenges. If ECEC teachers are to succeed in increasing their enjoyment of nature and species expertise, as required by the Norwegian framework plan for ECEC, the teachers themselves must have a certain level of knowledge about the topic. Limited knowledge of species diversity among ECEC teachers could make it challenging for them to effectively support children’s learning in this area. This study includes written responses from 57 ECEC teacher students. The data were analyzed using an inductive thematic content analysis approach. The results suggest that digital species determination applications can support educational work with species knowledge. A prerequisite seems to be that ECEC teacher students develop fundamental knowledge of natural science and digital competencies to critically evaluate the results provided by the applications.
Denna studie undersöker praktiken ”att vakna till en bok”, en högläsningsform för barn i åldern 2–3 år. Med ett barncentrerat perspektiv integrerar praktiken omsorg och lärande genom temporära och flexibla miljöer som stödjer barns gradvisa övergångar från vila till aktivitet. Resultaten visar att affordanser – fysiska, sociala och emotionella – spelar en avgörande roll för att främja barns agens, kreativitet och deltagande. Pedagogernas lyhördhet är central för att möta individuella behov och skapa en trygg, inkluderande miljö. Praktiken framhålls som en helhetsorienterad metod som kombinerar tidig språkutveckling med social inkludering och demokratiska värderingar. ENGLISH ABSTRACT Waking Up to a Book: Educare and Affordances in a Specific Type of Read-Aloud Practice for the Youngest Children in Preschool This study explores the practice of “waking up to a book”, a guided reading activity for children aged 2–3 years. Adopting a child- centered approach, the practice integrates care and learning through temporary and flexible environments that support children’s gradual transitions from rest to activity. The findings reveal that affordances – physical, social, and emotional – are pivotal in fostering children’s agency, creativity, and participation. Pedagogues’ responsiveness is key to addressing individual needs and creating a safe, inclusive environment. The practice is highlighted as a holistic method that combines early literacy development with social inclusion and democratic values.
EQUAL Child is a conversational tool designed to assess the subjective, self-reported well-being of 4- to 6-year-old children in early childhood education and care (ECEC). The tool consists of 35 items and is a revised version of the Norwegian ECEC Well-Being Monitor (WBM). The revision involved rephrasing selected questions and reducing the total number of questions from 50 to 35. This study aims to validate the 35 items in EQUAL Child through explorative factor analysis. Data from 404 children’s self-reports were collected by 20 coresearchers in 16 different ECEC institutions. The exploratory factor analysis revealed that EQUAL Child had an underlying five-factor structure that meaningfully explained the shared variance in 18 of the 35 items. EQUAL Child showed acceptable internal consistency for the 18 items identified through factor analysis and for three of the five underlying factors. Our findings suggest that EQUAL Child is a valid tool for measuring the subjective self-reported well-being of 4- to 6-year-old children in ECEC institutions when using the 18 items identified in this study. Conducting conversations with children using EQUAL Child may enhance staff’s understanding of how children experience ECEC, thereby contributing to improvements in their well-being.
The study presented in this article adresses teachers’ continuous learning in Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC), focusing on how teachers talk about continuous learning. The issue is considered important because it has been identified that the competence and learning of ECEC teachers has an impact on children’s development, the quality of ECEC and the wellbeing of teachers. Data were collected through thematic interviews with 13 ECEC teachers and analyzed using discourse analysis to explore how meanings are constructed around continuous learning. Five discourses were identified: the discourse of change, the discourse of multiplicity, the discourse of professional competence, the discourse of a learning community and the discourse of the primacy of practice. The findings suggest that teachers are committed to continuous learning. However, the relationships between the discourses illustrate how ECEC teachers navigate competing demands. The multiplicity of ECEC practices, the lack of a collaborative learning-oriented atmosphere and a practical approach were found to challenge continuous learning. Based on the findings, opportunities for continuous professional learning appear to be closely linked to teachers’ wellbeing as well as to the attractiveness and retention of the ECEC sector. It is suggested that continuous learning is strengthened through structured collaboration and professional learning communities.
Overgangen fra hjem til barnehage er en viktig milepæl i små barns liv, og organiseringen av denne prosessen kan ha stor betydning for barnets trivsel og utvikling. Det finnes begrenset forskning på foreldreaktiv overgang og hvordan kontinuitet og tilhørighet i mindre grupper kan støtte barna i denne overgangen. I denne studien undersøker vi hvordan barnehagelærere beskriver sitt arbeid med barns overgang fra hjem til barnehage når barn og foreldre starter sammen i en liten gruppe. Videre undersøkes deres erfaringer med en gruppeorientert og foreldreaktiv overgang i lys av hva teoretiske antakelser og tidligere forskning viser er av betydning for å fremme barnas opplevelse av kontinuitet og tilhørighet i denne overgangen. Det første spørsmålet besvares gjennom analyse av barnehagelærernes beskrivelser, mens det andre diskuteres i lys av teoretiske antakelser og forskning. Studien bygger på to fokusgruppeintervjuer med ti barnehagelærere. Funnene viser at barnehagelærerne erfarer at foreldrene fungerer som viktige bindeledd i overgangen. Når disse erfaringene ses i lys av studiens teoretiske rammeverk og tidligere forskning, fremkommer det at en foreldreaktiv overgang i mindre grupper kan bidra til barns opplevelse av kontinuitet og tilhørighet. ENGLISH ABSTRACT The transition from home to ECEC – continuity and belonging in transition groups The transition from home to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is a significant milestone for young children, and the way this process is organized may influence their well-being and development. Research on parent-active transition models and how continuity and belonging support children in transitions is limited. This present study explores how ECEC teachers describe their work with a parent active transition model when one- and two-year-old children start ECEC together with their parents, in a small group. Furthermore, the teachers experience with a group-oriented and parent-active transition are explored light of what theoretical assumptions and previous research indicate is important for promoting the children’s sense of continuity and belonging during this transition. The first question is addressed through analysis of teachers’ descriptions of the transition, while the second is discussed in relation to theoretical assumptions and prior research. Based on two focus group interviews with ten teachers, the findings show that the teachers experience parents as important links in the transition. When these experiences are viewed in light of the study’s theoretical framework and previous research, it appears that a parent-active transition in smaller groups can contribute to children’s sense of continuity and belonging.
Swedish preschool teacher education is finalised by a degree project, resulting in a thesis at bachelor level. This study focuses on student preschool teachers’ expressed experiences of thematic teaching, including science, during their degree projects involving both the older and the youngest children in preschool. Student preschool teachers were interviewed, and the analysis presented here was guided by the concepts ‘child perspective’/‘children’s perspectives’ and ‘being/becoming’. Results point to three qualitatively different categories, named child perspective, children’s perspectives and a combination of child perspective and children’s perspectives. We argue that a way to interpret a combination of child perspective and children’s perspectives is that the student preschool teachers strive to understand, approach, and make use of children’s own experiences, perceptions and prior understandings during thematic teaching, including science. Each category includes subcategories, and the description of each subcategory is contrasted with the perspectives being and becoming. The findings support further discussions about thematic teaching, including science, in teacher education and preschool.
I Sverige har alla barn enligt barnkonventionen rätt att fritt delta i det konstnärliga livet där musik ingår som en del. Med förskolor som ofta saknar musikkunnig personal blir det konstnärliga livet i förskolan begränsat. Därför är det av stor vikt att morgondagens förskollärare redan i sin utbildning får möjlighet att utvidga sin kompetens inom musik. Det saknas studier som synliggör vad som kan känneteckna nytänkande musikundervisning genomförd av förskollärarstudenter och musiker under verksamhetsförlagd utbildning. Syftet med studien är därför att ur ett didaktiskt perspektiv bidra med kunskap om vad som kan känneteckna musikundervisning genomförd av förskollärarstudenter och musiker i förskolan. Genom observation av samundervisande studenter och musiker visar huvudresultatet i föreliggande studie hur samverkan mellan studenter och musiker öppnar upp för ett ökat instrumentanvändande i undervisningen med barnen. Det handlar om lyssnande till och prövande av instrumentspel, verbaliserande i form av samtalande, klargörande och instruerande samt komponerande. Studenter och musiker öppnar tillsammans upp för deltagande i ett konstnärligt liv i förskolekontext. ENGLISH ABSTRACT An opening for Artistic Teaching Practice: Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Teacher Students and Musicians Teaching Together in ECEC In Sweden, according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, all children have the right to freely participate in artistic life where music is included as a part. With Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) that often lack music-savvy staff, the artistic life in ECEC is limited. Therefore, it is of great importance thaT tomorrow’s ECEC teachers already in their education have the opportunity to expand their competence in music. There is a lack of studies that make visible what can characterize innovative music teaching carried out by ECEC teacher students and musicians during activity-based training. The purpose of the study is therefore, from a didactic perspective, to contribute with knowledge about what can characterize music teaching carried out by ECEC teacher students and musicians in ECEC. Through observation of co-teaching students and musicians, the main result in the present study shows how collaboration between students and musicians opens up for an increased use of instruments in teaching the children. It involves listening to and trying to play instruments, verbalization in the form of conversation, clarifying and instructing, as well as composing. Students and musicians together open up for participation in an artistic life in an ECEC context.
Denne artikkelen tar utgangspunkt i et samskapingsprosjekt mellom en forsker ved barnehagelærerutdanningen og ansatte i to barnehager. Erfaringene fra dette samarbeidet brukes som datagrunnlag for å drøfte likeverdighet i samskapende prosesser. I artikkelen retter forfatteren oppmerksomheten mot etiske og metodiske utfordringer og muligheter, med utgangspunkt i spørsmålet: Hvordan kan likeverdig samarbeid forstås og virkeliggjøres i samskapende forskningsprosesser mellom forsker og barnehager? Likeverdighet forstås både som et etisk ideal og som et mål forskere bør strebe mot. Med utgangspunkt i teorier om deltakelsesnivåer (Arnstein, 1969) og makt (Foucault) diskuteres hvordan likeverdig samskaping kan realiseres i praksis. Forfatteren argumenterer for at slike prosesser krever kontinuerlig refleksjon og bevissthet om skiftende maktbalanser og deltakelsesgrad gjennom prosjektets ulike faser. ENGLISH ABSTRACT The road towards equitable collaboration: Co-creative processes, power (im)balance, and research ethics This article is based on a co-creation project between a researcher from the kindergarten teacher education and staff from two kindergartens. Experiences from this collaboration are used as empirical material to discuss equity in co-creative processes. The article focuses on ethical and methodological challenges and opportunities, guided by the question: How can equitable collaboration be understood and realized in co-creative research processes between researchers and kindergartens? Equity is understood both as an ethical ideal and as a goal that researchers should strive toward. Drawing on theories of participation levels (Arnstein, 1969) and power (Foucault), the author discusses how equitable co-creation can be put into practice. The author argues that such processes require continuous reflection and awareness of shifting power relations and degrees of participation throughout the different phases of the project.
Med teoretiske perspektiver fra Tim Ingold og soundscape-forskning – og fra en a/r/tografi-inspirert forskerposisjon, utforsker forfatteren i denne artikkelen hva som kan identifisere barnehageansattes oppmerksomme lytting. Det empiriske materialet i artikkelen består av samtaledata fra et samarbeidsprosjekt mellom forsker og personalet i to barnehager. Det er barnehagepersonalets uttalelser om lyd- og lyttehendelser som analyseres. I artikkelen løftes det frem at den oppmerksomme lyttingen rommer spisskompetanse på visse kontekstlyder, at de ansatte orienterer seg gjennom estetiske og kroppslige relasjoner, og at lyttingen preges av differensiering og nyansering. Funnene forstås i artikkelen som del av det forfatteren kaller lydlandskap(ing)skompetanse. ENGLISH ABSTRACT Attentive Listening as Soundscaping in Early Childhood Education Drawing on theoretical perspectives from Tim Ingold and soundscape research—and from a researcher position inspired by a/r/tography—the author of this article explores what may characterize attentive listening among early childhood education staff. The empirical material consists of conversational data from a collaborative project between the researcher and staff at two kindergartens. The analysis focuses on the staff’s statements about sound and listening events. The article highlights that attentive listening involves specialized competence in recognizing certain contextual sounds, that staff orient themselves through aesthetic and embodied relations, and that their listening is marked by differentiation and nuance. The findings are understood in the article as part of what the author refers to as soundscaping competence.
Denne artikkelen bygger på erfaringer fra en nasjonal ordning for kompetanseutvikling (Rekomp). Ordningen er ment å føre til kompetanseutvikling og nyskaping både i barnehagesektoren og sektoren for universiteter og høyskoler. I artikkelen belyser vi pedagogiske lederes og styreres erfaringer med Rekomp som utviklingsarena innenfor en nettverksstruktur. Materialet er hentet fra en undersøkelse blant pedagogiske ledere og styrere i 15 barnehager i Agder. Teoretisk bygger artikkelen på Antonovskys modell for opplevelse av sammenheng, som videre danner grunnlag for en vurdering av ordningens bærekraft. Resultatene viser at til tross for en del utfordringer med håndterbarhet og begripelighet, er barnehagenes opplevelse av meningsfullhet relativt høy. Det ser ut til at begripelighet er mindre påvirket av en forståelse av hva selve ordningen er, enn det å skape sammenheng mellom innholdet i ordningen og eget utviklingsarbeid i barnehagen. Det er det kun noen barnehager som lykkes med. Deltakerne fremhever særlig erfaringsdeling på tvers av barnehager som et positivt element i nettverksstrukturen. Det er likevel en fare for at opplevelse av lav håndterbarhet og høy meningsfullhet vil føre til slitasje på de ansatte, og dermed svekke ordningens bærekraft. Det anbefales likevel ikke å avskaffe nettverksstrukturen, men det er behov for økt støtte for barnehager som strever med å forankre utviklingsprosjektet i personalet, og det er behov for å redusere antall satsinger som pågår parallelt. ENGLISH ABSTRACT Meaningful, yet Demanding Competence Development This article builds on experiences from a national strategy for competence development (Rekomp). The strategy intends to lead to competence development and innovation in both kindergarten and higher education. The article sheds light on the experiences of pedagogues and kindergarten leaders with networkbased Rekomp as a development arena. The material is taken from interviews with pedagogues and kindergarten leaders in 15 kindergartens. Theoretically, the article is based on Antonovsky’s model for sense of coherence, which forms the basis for an assessment of the social sustainability of Rekomp. The results show that despite challenges with manageability and comprehensibility, kindergartens’ experience of meaningfulness is relatively high. Comprehensibility seems less influenced by an understanding of what the competence strategy itself is than by creating a connection between the content of the strategy and the kindergarten’s own development work. Only a few kindergartens succeed in this. The participants particularly highlight sharing experiences across kindergartens as a positive element in the network structure. There is, however, a risk that the sense of low manageability and high meaningfulness will lead to burnout among employees, thereby weakening the sustainability of Rekomp. Whilst not recommending to abolish the network structure, increased support for kindergartens struggling to anchor the development work in the staff, as well shielding from other initiatives may be necessary.
I denne artikkelen utforskes barns medvirkning med utgangspunkt i samspill mellom barn og forsker i barnehagen. Basert på erfaringer fra feltarbeid i to barnehager rettes oppmerksomheten mot hvordan forskningskonteksten og forskerens bakgrunn påvirker utøvelse av forskerrollen, tilganger til situasjoner og hvilke forståelser av og om medvirkning som skapes. Forskerens barnehagelærererfaring og en opplevd usikkerhet i forskerrollen trekkes fram som vesentlig for hvordan forskeren handler i samspill med barna og i møter med ulike spenningsfelt i en kompleks barnehagehverdag. Ved å åpne opp for hva som kan skje i relasjonelle møter i barnehageforskning, viser forfatteren hvordan forskning og pedagogisk arbeid møtes, og løfter fram barna som sentrale aktører når både forskerrollen og rom for barns medvirkning skapes. Det kan se ut til at forskerens tilstedeværelse og respons på barnas innspill bidrar til å utvide mulighetene for medvirkning og skape handlingsrom som kan gi plass til enkeltbarnets uttrykk samtidig som fellesskapets beste ivaretas. Det argumenteres for at forskerrollen, barns medvirkning og empirien samskapes gjennom komplekse prosesser hvor flere aktører er involvert. Slik bidrar artikkelen med nye forståelser om både forskerrollen og barns medvirkning i barnehagen. ENGLISH ABSTRACT The Researcher Role and Co-Creation of Children’s Participation in Early Childhood Education and Care In this article, children’s participation is explored through interactions between children and researcher in an Eary Childhood Education and Care setting. Drawing on experiences from fieldwork in two ECEC institutions, attention is directed towards how the research context and the researcher’s background influence the enactment of the researcher’s role, access to situations, and subsequently the understandings of and about participation that are created. The researcher’s experience as an ECEC teacher and a perceived uncertainty in the researcher role are highlighted as significant for how the researcher acts in interaction with the children and navigates various tensions in a complex ECEC environment. By opening up to what may occur in relational encounters in ECEC research, the author demonstrates how research and pedagogical practice intersect, and emphasizes children as central agents in the co-creation of both the researcher role and the space for children’s participation. It appears that the researcher’s presence and responsiveness to the children’s contributions help expand opportunities for participation and create spaces for action that accommodate individual children’s expressions while also attending to the common good. The article argues that the researcher role, children’s participation, and the empirical material are co-created through complex processes involving multiple actors. In this way, the article contributes new understandings of both the researcher role and children’s participation in ECEC.
I artikkelen undersøkes muligheter og utfordringer for likeverdige forskningspartnerskap mellom lærerutdanningsinstitusjoner og barnehagefeltet. Målet er å forstå hvordan partnerskap kan bidra til felles kunnskapsutvikling i skjæringspunktet mellom teori og praksis. Studien bygger på teoretiske perspektiver om symbolske grenser og benytter begrepene grensearbeid, grensekryssing, grenseobjekt og tredje rom for å analysere samarbeid. Det empiriske grunnlaget er et forskningssamarbeid mellom OsloMet og en universitetsbarnehage. Studien følger et kollektivt design med vekt på å forske med barnehagen. Det synliggjør hvordan kollektiv kvalitativ metode kan fungere som forskningsstrategi og samarbeidende praksis. Ved å konkret vise hvordan felles analyse av data, og bruk av praksisfortellinger i den felles analyseprosessen, gir mulighet for likeverdig grensekryssing, gir studien innsikt i hvordan slike partnerskap kan organiseres. Samtidig tydeliggjøres det hvordan symbolske og institusjonelle forskjeller utfordrer samarbeidet. I artikkelen diskuteres også dikotomien mellom teori og praksis og hvordan forskningspartnerskap utfordrer tradisjonelle kunnskapshierarkier. ENGLISH ABSTRACT Opportunities and Challenges for Equity in Research Partnerships In this article, I explore the opportunities and challenges of an equitable research partnership between teacher education institutions and the early childhood education field. The aim is to understand how such partnerships can contribute to joint knowledge development at the intersection of theory and practice. The study draws on theoretical perspectives on symbolic boundaries and employs the concepts of boundary work, boundary crossing, boundary objects, and third space to analyze the collaboration. The empirical basis is a research partnership between OsloMet and a university-affiliated early childhood education and care (ECEC) centre. The study follows a collective design with an emphasis on conducting research with the ECEC centre. It highlights how collective qualitative methods can function both as research strategy and collaborative practice. By concretely demonstrating how joint data analysis and the use of practice narratives in the shared analytical process enable equitable boundary crossing, the study provides insight into how such partnerships can be organized. At the same time, it clarifies how symbolic and institutional differences challenge the collaboration. In the article I also discuss the dichotomy between theory and practice and how research partnerships challenge traditional knowledge hierarchies.
Fra et socio-materielt perspektiv kan materialer i børns leg ikke forstås som neutrale; de træder snarere frem som medskabere, der er med til at forme både konteksten og interaktionerne i legen (Barad, 2007; Lenz Taguchi, 2010) I Artikkelen er basert på en undersøgelse af, hvordan materialer får betydning i pædagogisk praksis i danske dagtilbud, når de bevidst bruges til at åbne for legen. Med afsæt i stemningsperspektivet (Skovbjerg, 2021) og socio-materielle teorier, herunder Barads (2007) begreb intra-aktion, Lenz Taguchis (2010) forståelse af co-agens og Kind og Argents (2019) fokus på materialers æstetiske og sensoriske dimensioner, udforsker vi materialers rolle og samspil med deltagerne i at bidrage til udforskning, særlige legeøjeblikke og inklusion. Empirisk materiale fra et dansk dagtilbud viser tre fund: (1) Materialer som halmballer og lagner faciliterer udforskning ved at invitere til fantasifulde og samarbejdsorienterede lege; (2) materialers sensoriske og rumlige kvaliteter fremmer særlige legeøjeblikke, der styrker bånd mellem børn og pædagoger; og (3) materialer som deltagelsesankre, for eksempel en sofa i en spøgelsesleg, giver inklusionsmuligheder for børn, der har svært ved at engagere sig. Studiet fremhæver materialers aktive rolle i legedynamikker og understreger, hvordan strategisk og reflekteret brug af materialer kan skabe rige, inkluderende legemiljøer, der kan understøtte pædagogisk praksis og børns deltagelse. ENGLISH ABSTRACT Play with materials in pedagocial practice in kindergarten From a socio-material perspective, materials in children’s play cannot be understood as neutral; rather, they emerge as co-creators that help shape both the context and the interactions of play (Barad, 2007; Lenz Taguchi, 2010). This article examines how materials gain significance in pedagogical practices in Danish daycare centers when consciously used to support play. Through the Play Mood Perspective (Skovbjerg, 2021) and socio-material theories, including Barad’s (2007) concept of intra-action, Lenz Taguchi’s (2010) notion of co-agency, and Kind and Argent’s (2019) emphasis on the aesthetic and sensory dimensions of materials, we investigate materials’ roles in fostering exploration, enabling meaningful play moments, and supporting inclusion. Empirical data from a Danish daycare center reveals three findings: (1) materials like hay bales and bedsheets facilitate exploration, offering opportunities for imaginative and collaborative play; (2) sensory and spatial qualities of materials enhance special play moments, strengthening bonds between children and educators; and (3) materials configured as participation anchors, like a sofa in a ghost game, provide inclusion opportunities for children struggling to engage. This study highlights how materials act as co-creators in play dynamics and how their strategic and reflective use can enrich and include all participants. By considering materials as dynamic actors, the article underlines their role in creating rich, inclusive play environments, supporting the argument that materials are integral to children’s play and pedagogical practices.
Lovgivningen i Norge, Sverige og Danmark er fælles om at se børnehaven som arena for børns trivsel, og daginstitutionsforskere og -pædagoger har søgt at skabe viden om det pædagogiske arbejde med trivsel i en årrække. Trivsel er dog et komplekst fænomen, og den massive politiske interesse påvirker såvel forståelsen som den trivselspædagogiske praksis. I styringsdokumenterne konceptualiseres trivsel ikke, hvorfor det som udgangspunkt er til åben fortolkning at omsætte de politiske trivselsintentioner til pædagogisk praksis. Trivsel defineres heller ikke i en stor del af forskningslitteraturen, men optræder her som et uekspliciteret ideal. Artiklen handler om, hvad trivsel er, hvordan de professionelles ansvar for børns trivsel vægtes og konceptualiseres i lovgivning og pædagogisk praksis – og hvordan vi kan udvikle en forskningsmetode til undersøgelse og kvalificering af et pædagogisk og børnesensitivt perspektiv på trivsel. Børnehavestudier peger på sammenhænge mellem trivsel, leg, venskaber og deltagelse. Forfatterne argumenterer for, at pædagoger og forskere gennem en Design-Based Research-tilgang med brug af legeeksperimenter som metode – sammen kan skabe viden om børns trivsel i dagtilbud. Ved at gøre legen til et mødested og slippe rutiner, mål og forestillinger kan vi udvikle ny viden om børns trivsel i dialog mellem forskningsviden, praksisviden og børns viden. ENGLISH ABSTRACT Trivsel in early childhood education and care: Play experiments as a method for co-creation of new knowledge Legislation and research in Norway, Denmark and Sweden agree on the importance of the ECEC sector in ensuring trivsel for all children. The Scandinavian word trivsel translates to thriving, flourishing and wellbeing in English. The concept is complex and multifaceted but is rarely defined explicitly, which is why both policy and research on trivsel have been difficult to translate into daily pedagogical practice. The article concerns what trivsel implies, how pedagogues’ responsibility for children’s trivsel is valued and conceptualized in legislation and pedagogical practice, and how to develop a research method for exploration and qualification of a pedagogical and child-sensitive perspective on trivsel – based on research that connect trivsel and play, friendships and participation. Playful encounters provide children with opportunities for agency and participation in knowledge generation processes. The authors suggest play experiments and a Design-Based Research to promote interdisciplinary knowledge-building processes and generate child-sensitive knowledge about trivsel in ECEC.
