Classroom Community and Peer Culture in Kindergarten

Abstract

This study reflects a naturalistic, interpretive 5-month study in a public school morning kindergarten regarding the children's social development and creation of a peer culture during the transitional months into public education. The main focus of the research was the children's perspectives on these transitions and their evolving classroom community and peer culture in response to the teacher, classroom and school environment. This study captures the dynamic and complex flow of activity that occurs in classrooms, the give and take of relationships, and the agency that children take in developing peer culture as one piece of community. Elements of the peer culture that are foregrounded include secondary adjustments as realized in clean-up strategies, protecting play materials over time, and hypothetical competition with the afternoon kindergarten class.

The Kindergarten Child: What Teachers and Administrators Need to Know to Promote Academic Success in all Children

“…The members of the classroom form a classroom community by voicing their identities, expressing their individuality, and exerting agency over their environment (Lash 2008). Thus, as children work and play together, they create their own culture.…”

“…For example, Rudasil and Konold's (2008) findings indicated that shyer children or children with greater self-control at kindergarten entrance were rated by their teachers to be more cooperative and to have higher levels of self-control. These kinds of skills and temperamental traits also will contribute to the part of kindergarten culture that involves joint recognition of classroom rules (Lash 2008). Children create strategies for building their social unit based on mutual understanding of the limits set by the teacher.…”

Is Learning Only a Cognitive Process? Or Does It Occur in a Sociocultural Environment?: “Constructivism” in the Eyes of Preschool Teachers

“…This view supports peer culture and peer learning. As shown by previous studies, when children sit in a classroom with their peers, discuss in groups, make jokes with each other and compete, they can both construct their knowledge and form a stronger identity (Lash, 2008;Hatch, 1989).…”

A Systematic Literature Review: Constructivism in Multidisciplinary Learning Environments

“…Higher education has the second most usage of constructivism in the classroom. There are not many articles especially about constructivism in the kindergarten, however, it is highly recommended as social interaction has great importance in terms of "peer culture" which occurs when the little learner build and share information through activities in the created learning environment by the teacher (Lash, 2008). 3.3. How can constructivist approach be applied in multidisciplinary learning environments?…”