Journal of Early Childhood Education Research

LukiMat ja Mavalka: Matemaattisten taitojen tuen tarpeen tunnistaminen esiopetuksessa

Anna-Mari Jäntti, Riikka Mononen — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0200

In Finland, there are only a few mathematical assessment tools suitable for pre-primary education. There is still very little research on their effectiveness and reliability. This study examined two of the most common pre-primary school mathematics assessment tools in Finland: the LukiMat pre-primary school mathematics - Identifying need of support and the Mathematical Skills Inventory (Mavalka) 2. The aim of the study was to find out what kind of mathematical skills children have at the beginning of the pre-primary school year, whether these assessment tools find the children whose mathematical skills are weak, that is below the 25th percentile, and what kind of math performance profiles low-performing children have. In addition, the study looked at the self-concept and interest in mathematics of pre-primary school children and their relationship with mathematical performance. Seventy-two pre-primary school-age children participated in the study. They were given the LukiMat and Mavalka assessments and a questionnaire measuring their self-concept and interest in mathematics at the beginning of the pre-primary school year. The correlation between LukiMat and Mavalka was found to be strong, with 15 (65.2%) of the same children found to have weak skills. The performance profile of each child in need of support was individual, highlighting the importance of assessing mathematical subskills to guide teaching and support. Regression analysis showed that self-concept and interest were not related to mathematical skills. The study showed that LukiMat and Mavalka are reliable assessment tools for assessing pre-primary school children's mathematical skills.

Varhaiskasvatuksen aloitus vuorohoidossa: Pienen lapsen suru ja sen kohtaaminen vaihtelevassa sosiaalisessa ympäristössä

Eija Salonen, Annukka Pursi, Lasse Lipponen — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The start of early childhood education and care (ECEC) and the related separation from the guardian sometimes arouses grief in young children. In this study, we examine the start of ECEC in the context of flexibly scheduled ECEC and investigate what a young child’s grief is like and how it is faced in a changing social environment. We use observational data collected in groups for children under three years in a round-the-clock ECEC center. Our analysis focuses on the first months of ECEC for three 9–16-month-old children. Based on our study, both the changes of adults who take care of children and the changes that take place in the peer group are significant in terms of the child’s grief and how it is faced. These changes can on one hand intensify the child’s grief, and on the other hand calm the grieving child and create opportunities for compassionate encounters. In a large team of adults, cooperation and sharing of information related to the child’s grief are emphasized. By taking into account the special features of flexibly scheduled ECEC, the study expands the understanding of grief related to the start of ECEC.

Early childhood education and care teachers’ narratives of their professional identity

Essi Hanhikoski, Eija Sevón — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The purpose of this narrative study was to examine early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers' narratives of their professional identity. The aim was to use six narrative interviews to find out how ECEC teachers narrate their professional identity and which experiences are relevant in shaping their professional identity. In the study, identity is seen as a social construction and a narratively structured process that takes shape throughout life. As a result of the narrative analysis, three types of stories describing teachers' professional identity emerged: Biographical stories, Value stories and Interaction stories. Based on the findings, the core value of acting in the best interests of the child is an integral part of ECEC teachers' professional identity, while scarce organizational resources and interactional conflicts challenge ECEC teachers' professional identity. Professional agency, that is, the opportunity to act in accordance with professional ethics and one's values in collaboration with a multiprofessional team and colleagues, plays an important role.

“Creating security and a good relationship with the student” – Exploring ECEC teachers’ relational professionalism during mentor training

Anna Buss, Linda Eriksson, Ann-Christin Furu — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Previous research on mentor training in early childhood education and care (ECEC) teacher education has shown that relationships are at the core of mentoring (Kupila et al., 2017; Ukkonen-Mikkola et al., 2021). This article presents findings from a qualitative study that aims to explore ECEC teachers’ relational professionalism (Furu & Sandvik, 2019) during mentor training. Our research material consisted of essays (n = 77) from the final reflective essay of a mentor training course for ECEC teachers, which were analysed through narrative analysis (Clandinin et al., 2016). The results show that ECEC teachers’ relational professionalism is built in three types of entangled relationships: (1) relation to oneself, (2) relation to the student and (3) relation to colleagues. The results imply that relationally professional mentors are a key factor that contributes to students continuing in the profession after graduation. This requires that the university engages in cooperation and relationships with the ECEC centres that receive students in the practicum. The university needs to offer mentor training and develop rich opportunities for mentors, their colleagues, and leaders in ECEC to establish relationships with all parties involved on all levels.

Varhaiskasvatuksen erityisopettajien kuvaukset vaativan monialaisen tuen toimijaverkostosta lapsen tukea koskevassa yhteistyössä

Kaisa Tervonen, Noora Heiskanen, Aino Äikäs — Sun, 24 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0200

This study examines the early childhood special education teachers views about significant interprofessional support and related collaboration. Significant interprofessional support as a practice arouses discussions in the context of early childhood education and there is no joint definition of the concept. The material, which has been collected using the method of empathy-based stories (MEBS), consists of the writings of early childhood education special teachers (N = 128). The frame stories to which the participants responded were about a positive or negative situation related to the context of significant interprofessional support. The target of support was either a behaviorally reactive child or a child with intellectual or developmental disabilities and autism. The data was analyzed using discourse analysis, to find out which actors early childhood special education teachers associate with significant interprofessional support, and how early childhood special education teachers position themselves and others in the collaboration. Ten different actors were found, which were positioned in eleven different ways. Four position categories were formulated: active supporters, experts, enablers and recipients. Based on the results, the practices of significant interprofessional support should be clarified. The results help in the planning of significant interprofessional support practices and collaboration.

Lasten varhaiskasvatussuunnitelmakeskustelut ihmissuhteiden kutoumina

Paula Loukkola, Anna-Maija Puroila, Minna Uitto — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The article focuses on the discussions between parents and early childhood education (ECE) teachers about children's individual early childhood education plans (IEP). The study asks: what kind of relationships are narrated in the IEP discussions between parents and early childhood education teachers? In the study of IEP discussions, Buber’s dialogue-philosophical theory and narrativity are applied. The research material consists of three videorecorded discussions between parents and ECE teachers. The research shows that IEP discussions are arenas for narrating diverse relationships, and they are not just about relationships between parents and teachers or about the child. The study reveals the layeredness and diversity of discussions. The results raise Buber's I–Thou and I–It -relationships, as well as the movement between relationships on the axles of distance and closeness. The study challenges to acknowledge that in IEP discussions, children are narrated as part of the weaving of multiple relationships.

The challenges of mathematizing in Swedish early childhood education

Camilla Björklund, Hanna Palmér — Sat, 13 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Even though there today is a solid view on early childhood mathematics education being of importance, there is a quite diverse view on how this education is to be realized. In many countries, both teaching and play are emphasized in the early childhood education curricula why the question of how to conduct play-oriented mathematics education is relevant. In this study, we empirically elaborate on mathematizing as a possible cross between play and mathematics education. Mathematizing, as developed by the Dutch mathematician Hans Freudenthal, implies seeing the world in the light of mathematics and being able to identify how mathematics contribute to solving everyday problems. In this study we empirically investigate the theoretical construct of mathematizing in a preschool setting, aiming to clarify when and how mathematizing is made possible, and what seem to be the constraints on it. Based on 15 observations of preschool teachers’ attempts to implement play-oriented mathematics education, the presence of a true problem and character of teachers’ questions stand out as the keys to making mathematizing, as a merge of play and teaching, possible.

Varhaiskasvatuksen johtajien työhyvinvointia tukevat ja haastavat tekijät pandemia-aikana

Salla Rinta-Paavola, Raisa Ahtiainen, Lauri Heikonen, Elina Fonsén — Sat, 13 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The study mapped the work well-being of early childhood education leaders during the corona pandemic (COVID-19). The issue was addressed in the responses of the leaders (N = 476) to open-ended questions, in which they described their experiences of supportive and challenging factors in their work. The data were collected with an electronic questionnaire in February 2021 as part of a larger survey study by [name of the university] [name of the study]. The data were analysed by means of theory-based content analysis. A resource-based work well-being model was used in the classification. The results show that the increase in workload and the challenges of human resource management most often burdened leaders' well-being. Support from the work community and colleagues was most often perceived as a factor supporting work well-being. The early childhood education organiser's efforts to provide work-related resources and clear guidelines supported leaders' well-being. The uncertain conditions in the society due to the pandemic emerged as a factor challenging leaders’ experienced work well-being and was added as a new dimension to the used well-being model. Based on the results of the research, work designing should focus on job content, peer support practices and resources provided by the organization.