The roots and founding of Finland’s first university-owned ECEC centre

Authors

• Meri Pihanperä University of Turku
• Jaana Lepistö University of Turku
• Jarmo Kinos University of Turku
• Inkeri Ruokonen University of Turku

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.125726

Keywords:

early childhood education and care, early childhood teacher education, teacher education, tearcher training, training ECEC centre

Abstract

This article examines the development of training in Finnish early childhood (EC) teacher education from 1863, when the training schools and training kindergartens started operating, until 2020. Next year, a university-owned early childhood education and care (ECEC) centre, Early Childhood and Teacher Education Centre (ECTEC) Rauman pikkunorssi, started operating on the Rauma campus of the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Turku. This article includes two research tasks: first, to examine the historical background of ECTEC Rauman pikkunorssi, and second, to study what kind of concept Rauman pikkunorssi developed into. The data include historical research articles, reports and administrative and legislative documents regarding the development of the training system of Finnish teacher education, as well as meeting memos (N = 21) of expert groups that were developing ECTEC Rauman pikkunorssi between 2017 and 2020. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis. As a result, the training systems of EC teacher education and class teacher education are compared, and ECTEC Rauman pikkunorssi is examined in an attempt to unify the teacher education training system at the University of Turku. Additionally, the development of ECTEC Rauman pikkunorssi is presented by defining its facilities, functions and activities. Finally, the milestones in the development of the Finnish EC teacher training system and the establishment of a university-owned ECEC centre as part of it will be discussed.