Creating a culture of participation: Early childhood education and care educators in the face of change

Abstract

This study reports on critical participatory research in an early childhood education and care centre in Finland. The objective was to study which elements are critical in the development and construction of a culture of participation. The data comprise conversations, team meetings and educators' diaries. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The results indicated that a culture of participation requires four elements: (a) a shared understanding of the image of the child, (b) a shared understanding of professional development, (c) leadership and (d) a shared we‐narrative that enables the comprehensive understanding, promotion and maintenance of a culture of participation.

The Image of a Modern Child in the Psychological and Pedagogical Approaches toward Education and Upbringing of Preschool Children

“…Рассмотрим, как это понимается, например, в Финляндии. Здесь изучалось, какие элементы педагогического процесса имеют решающее значение для развития культуры участия (партиципаторности), основываясь на данных бесед, групповых встреч и дневников преподавателей [9]. В соответствии с Конституцией страны, где говорится о том, что мнение ребенка учитывается всегда, когда это возможно, Национальная базовая учебная программа по дошкольному образованию и уходу за детьми (Финское национальное агентство по образованию, 2018 г.)…”

Understanding Different Approaches to ECE Pedagogy through Tensions

“…However, in ECE, children are younger and their development and learning are more intertwined with well-being and social aspects [10,23]. In ECE, the didactic triangle visualizes the basic relationships between teachers and children, which eventually leads to the development of pedagogical actions of the teaching staff [29,30]. Pedagogy is implemented through the pedagogical process, in which the elements are the driving force and purpose, starting point, functional part, and process outcomes [19].…”

“…When implemented to practice, a framework requires contextualization and critical reflection to support the holistic learning concepts of ECE. For example, this framework focuses on the interaction between an individual child and a teacher, which is rather a dualistic model in Finland, where togetherness, belonging, and shared meaningmaking processes in a peer group are essential elements of ECE [29,30]. This interplay has been critical in Nordic ECE practices that are also entwined with play, education, and learning [23].…”

Changing Transitions from Early Childhood Education to Primary Education in Finland

“…Participation is considered as a dynamic and evolving concept of individual and shared competence, rather than a child's property or a stable status quo (Kangas and Reunamo 2019). More generally, participation is related to a contextual social environment and culture of the ECE centre, including interaction, shared meaning-making, and everyday experiences in children's lives (Weckström et al 2020). The new image of the child and discourse of a competent child in education results in practices where children are pushed to be more active, more competent, and more everything (Kangas and Lastikka 2019).…”