The Finnish day-care centre as an environment for learning social-emotional well-being

Authors

• Tiina Kirvesniemi City of Kouvola, Kouvola, Finland
• Jaana Poikolainen Youth Research and Development Centre Juvenia, Mikkeli, Finland and South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, Kouvola, Finland
• Kati Honkanen University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland

Keywords:

social-emotional well-being, knowledge-creation space, educator, day-care centre

Abstract

Social-emotional well-being and its support are important for young children. In this research we describe how the educators of day-care centres meet the children’s social-emotional needs during the everyday practices. The following question will be answered: How and where do the educators encounter children and how do they support children’s social-emotional well-being? The participants of the research were from four day-care centres in Kymenlaakso county and three in Päijät-Häme county. The data were gathered from the day-care centres through photographs and diaries written by the educators in Kymenlaakso and by the researchers’ observations in Päijät-Häme. The data was analysed using phenomenological and content analysis. The reflected knowledge contains information about phases of social-emotional development, feelings and needs. The educators created knowledge in several places where they observe and monitor the children and are in interaction with them. According to results, there are still visible moments or longer periods when the educators do not encounter the needs of children. Quiet children may remain invisible and all the participants of the day-care centres do not always identify categorized gender norms.