The transitional resources in relations and changes of transitional space in early childhood education and care

Authors

• Jasemin Can Jyväskylän yliopisto
• Johanna Kiili Jyväskylän yliopisto
• Mari Vuorisalo Jyväskylän yliopisto
• Niina Rutanen Jyväskylän yliopisto

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.115156

Keywords:

resources, transitional resources, transitions, space, early schilhood education and care

Abstract

In this article, we examine child’s transitional resources in early childhood education and care (ECEC) transitions in the Finnish ECEC system. The ethnographic, longitudinal data is based on one child’s educational path, which consists of five diverse transitions. Our research questions are what kind of resources does the child utilize in transitional spaces and what kind of changes occur in utilizing these resources during transitions? In this article, we understand transitions as socio-spatial spaces, which emerge in situ and related to broader social environment and its relations. Furthermore, we use the concept of transitional resources, to refer to skills, knowledge, and material objects with which we refer to skills, knowledge and material objects that enable the child to participate and define transitional space. The results indicate that space of transition is shaped by social, cultural, material, and embodied resources. The transitional resources support child’s action and participation during transitions. The concept of transitional resources also illustrates the changes that occur in different transitions. The implications of the research are linked to how professionals can utilize the results while they coordinate transition practices, to support child’s opportunity to utilize situational resources during transition processes.