Children’s Initiatives in the Finnish Early Childhood Education Context

Abstract

Pedagogical practices in early childhood education, which embrace children's initiatives and agency, have been found to have an effect on children's learning and competence skills. These initiatives can be seen crucial for children's wellbeing and self-motivation; however, children's initiatives are sometimes considered only wants, and children incapable to express meaningful initiatives in educational settings. In this paper we introduce children's initiatives in their educational society and examine the gap between children's experiences and teachers' observations. Children' initiatives exist in many different occasions with the daily practices and through the processes that nourish motivation and create meaning-making through actions, it is essential to focus on children's participation aiming to promote children's agency and motivation

Changing Transitions from Early Childhood Education to Primary Education in Finland

“…However, some findings exist. Kangas and Lastikka (2019) showed in their research about children's initiatives that children in ECE do not refer to their everyday activities and experiences as 'learning. ' However, the pre-primary class children referred in interviews to their new role as students whose role is to learn about new knowledge and things.…”

“…The role of children in Finnish legislation, education, and guiding documents has also changed during the past decade. The Nordic discourses in childhood especially emphasise the competent and active child, who has perceptions and interests, and who is an active agent of learning and wellbeing in their everyday life (Kangas and Lastikka 2019;Corsaro 2011). In the Nordic curricula, children are seen as active, competent, developing, and learning members of the educational society (Alasuutari, Markström, and Vallberg-Roth 2014).…”

“…More generally, participation is related to a contextual social environment and culture of the ECE centre, including interaction, shared meaning-making, and everyday experiences in children's lives (Weckström et al 2020). The new image of the child and discourse of a competent child in education results in practices where children are pushed to be more active, more competent, and more everything (Kangas and Lastikka 2019).…”

Studies of Child Perspectives in Methodology and Practice with ‘Osallisuus’ as a Finnish Approach to Children’s Reciprocal Cultural Participation

“…In this reciprocal participatory culture, adults see children as interesting persons who show initiative and have ideas, knowledge, views, and specific ways of acting that are considered worthy of examination. In this context, children have an influence on daily activities (see also Turja, 2016;Kangas, 2016;Kangas & Lastikka, 2019;Weckström et al, 2017). The supervising adult's views of an active child have an impact on the ideas and actions of the whole community.…”

Creating a culture of participation: Early childhood education and care educators in the face of change

“…Structures and practices in Finnish ECEC centres are deeply entrenched (Kangas, Venninen, & Ojala, 2016; Virkki, 2015). This creates challenges in promoting children's participation and including children's initiatives and interests (Kangas & Lastikka, 2019; Kirby, 2020). Furthermore, international research has shown that official documents and law do not automatically guarantee participation in ECEC practices (Connors & Morris, 2015; Kangas, 2016; Sargeant, 2018; Webb, 2015).…”