Käsityksiä yhteistoimijuudesta varhaiskasvatuksen toimintaympäristössä
Keywords:
community-based rehabilitation, shared agency, early educationAbstract
The co-operation between rehabilitation and education has long been described as being in transition, in which action models based on individual expertise are aimed at joint collaboration and community-based rehabilitative work. This newly implemented approach is aimed to offer timely needed pedagogical and developmental support so that the whole community can benefit. The aim of this study was to explore professionals and parents’ conceptions of shared agency related to community-based rehabilitation in early education settings. The qualitative data were collected by individual interviews with ten participants: four early childhood educators, four parents and two therapists (one occupational therapist and one speech and language therapist). The data were analysed using the phenomenographic methodology. Based on the data the conceptions were divided into four categories of description. In these categories shared agency was perceived as sharing knowledge, connecting different aspects, working towards shared goals and doing things together in everyday life situations. Three themes that varied within the categories were identified: roles, methods and the end results of shared agency. The results of the study reflect the same trend that is seen in previous studies of shared agency related to the categories of sharing information, working towards shared goals and doing things together in everyday life situations. The study brings out the qualitatively different conceptions of the professionals and parents. To deepen the agency of the parents, new strategies are needed. Also, the current models of the rehabilitation needs to be developed to suit community-based rehabilitation in early education.
