Lapset varhaiskasvatuksen arvioijina  – Lasten mukavina pitämät asiat päiväkodissa ja perhepäivähoidossa

Authors

• Kaisa Pihlainen Itä-Suomen yliopisto, Finland
• Jyrki Reunamo Helsingin yliopisto, Finland
• Eija Kärnä Itä-Suomen yliopisto, Finland

Keywords:

quality, laatu, evaluation, arviointi, participation, osallisuus, day care centre, päiväkoti, family day care, perhepäivähoito

Abstract

In Finland early childhood education (ECE) is mainly provided in day care centres and family day care. The purpose of ECE is to support children´s growth, development and learning with high-quality services. Various methods and tools have been developed for evaluating quality in ECE but children have participated in evaluation only a little. In this article we present how ECE in Finland appears when children (1−8 year-old-children, 49,3 % girls) in family day care (N = 371) and day care centres (N = 371) are included in evaluation by telling about their pleasant things in ECE. Children´s interviews were implemented by their parents. Data was analysed using qualitative and quantitative methods. According to the results, children mentioned several positive aspects in ECE settings. Children in day care centres emphasized children´s own and organized activities in ECE. Children in family day care, in turn, mentioned more topics concerning human relations and everyday life situations. The youngest children in day care centres stated persons more in their names and six-year-old children special days and trips. Results indicate that children’s evaluations are a valuable part of the multi-method quality evaluation of early education. Results can be used to develop ECE practices by paying attention to children´s participation and positive aspects that children mention about ECE.