What do the children really think about a day-care centre – the 5–7-year-old Finnish children speak out

The aim of the study on which this paper is based was to explore in which situations and contexts Norwegian 1-3-year-olds experience subjective wellbeing in day care. The data in this study was collected through qualitative phenomenological observations of 18 children, and an inductive process of analysis was conducted. The results show that 1-3-year-olds express clear wellbeing and pleasure when devoting themselves to social interaction and play, and exploration alone or with other children and staff members. Staff members creating an intersubjective space dominated by high sensitivity and responsivity is also an important factor for toddlers' wellbeing. Wellbeing is expressed in situations where the child is seen, understood and recognized as a subject with own intentions, needs and preferences, which may be understood as a relational way of participation in everyday life. This study may contribute to developing knowledge about the wellbeing of toddlers by listening to their voices, and enables a better understanding of the content of the wellbeing concept in an educational context for very young children.

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“…This has also been confirmed by interview studies with older children in day care (Kyrönlampi-Kylmänen and Määttä, 2011).…”

Section: What Do We Know That Promotes Children's Subjective Wellbeing?supporting

confidence: 56%

One- to three-year-old children’s experience of subjective wellbeing in day care

Seland

Sandseter

Bratterud

2015

Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood

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“…Creating this trustful and confidential relationship is also an important prerequisite for children to show emotions (Kyrönlampi-Kylmänen & Määttä, 2011) and to share difficult life situations. Our study indicated that although a researcher may have designed or modified the research tools and possess socially imposed power (Kuchah & Pinter, 2012), it is still possible to reach an equal relationship in which children want to share their experiences.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethical Reflections of Interviewing Young Children:Opportunities and Challenges for PromotingChildren’s Inclusion and Participation

Lastikka¹,

Kangas²

2017

Pac Early Child Educ Res Assoc

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This qualitative research synthesis aims to describe and identify ethical opportunities and challenges in interviewing young children in early childhood education and to explore interviewing as a means to bring forward children's experiences of participation and inclusion. These objectives have been studied through two different research cases in the Finnish early childhood education and care settings with active learning approach. The identified opportunities were supporting to show emotions, respecting diversity and special needs, enhancing the competence and agency of children, stimulating humor, playfulness and imagination, and generating meaningful encounters and feelings of empowerment. The challenges were building trust, identifying experiences from imaginary stories, listening attentively, responding to difficult life situations of children, and addressing power distribution. The paper highlights the possibilities for promoting children's inclusion and participation through ethically considered interviewing and seeing research process as a chance to give them experiences about competence, involvement and becoming listened to by adults.Keywords: early childhood education, ethics, qualitative methodology, social learning Corresponding author, 1) anna-leena.lastikka@helsinki.fiLastikka Anna-Leena & Kangas Jonna 86Research on small children's lives has involved a lack of equality between adult and child participants. It is common to study children exclusively through adults' perceptions, treat children as objects of research, and exclude them from the research process (Christensen & James, 2008). Einarsdóttir (2007) argues that earlier research on children was carried out through assessing and observing children's competencies and development. James and James (2012) suggest that if children are not included in the research focusing on their everyday life, it will result in an obfuscation of the relationship between adult and child.Moreover, this approach will make it more challenging to ascertain the diversity and multivoiced aspects of childhood, as well as individual perceptions and experiences that help children build their understanding of their environment and interactions.Recently, it has become evident that the present research methodology of early childhood education cannot dismiss the interaction and relationships between researchers and children.The focus has shifted from regarding children as objects (Christensen & James, 2008) progress in developing suitable research methods (Crivello, Camfield & Woodhead, 2009;Fattore et al., 2012;Karlsson, 2012), there is still a need for research to explore and develop substantive research ethics, methodologies, and methods towards democracy and participation (Mockler & Groundwater-Smith, 2015). Clark (2011) 87dominated by reflections on informed consent and protection of participants. Therefore, there is an obvious need in research to explore and discuss ethical issues more deeply throughout the research processes. Moreover, the interview method has...

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“…Young children enjoy themselves and create meaning through participating in social activities and by playing with caring employees and peers (Corsaro, 2011;Kyrönlampi-Kylmänen & Määttä, 2011;Löfdahl, 2014). Children actively seek social contact with a variety of peers, and a significant part of inclusion in ECEC institutions takes place in children's peer cultures, through the children's constant efforts to position themselves in the social life (Löfdahl, 2007;Skånfors, 2010).…”

Section: Children's Social Relationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Interview studies with children in ECEC institutions indicate that some children are often harassed and excluded by other children (Kvistad & Søbstad, 2005;Kyrönlampi-Kylmänen & Määttä, 2011;Nordahl et al, 2012). This shows the importance of listening to children's voices in research on well-being in day care institutions.…”

Section: Children's Social Relationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Caution must be taken to problematize this result, as we know that behaviour such as pushing and hitting also can be a natural part of children's social life and their way of solving conflict situations in play. Still, taking children's subjective experiences seriously, these numbers are surprisingly high and would be interpreted as a sign of a negative social climate in the ECEC, where exclusion and misrecognition between children occurs (Kyrönlampi-Kylmänen & Määttä, 2011;Nelson, Robinson, & Hart, 2005;Nordahl et al, 2012;Stoor-Grenner & Kirves, 2011).…”

Section: Relations: Child -Childmentioning

confidence: 99%

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4-6 year-Old Children’s Experience of Subjective Well-Being and Social Relations in ECEC Institutions

Sandseter

Seland

2017

Child Ind Res

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There is a need for research about children's perspectives on their everyday lives in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) institutions, using methods that involves the children themselves and takes their voices seriously. This study aims at exploring what promotes and constrains children's wellbeing in light of their social relations to other children and staff in ECEC institutions. Research on children's own perspectives about their well-being has mainly been conducted among children older than those of preschool age, and therefore this study aimed at highlighting the voices of 4-6-year-old children regarding how they experience their lives in ECEC institutions. Quantitative data was collected through conversations with 171 Norwegian 4-6-year-old children based on an electronic questionnaire. The results indicate that relations, both with other children and with the practitioners, are important for children's well-being -particularly, liking the other children and experiencing that the children are kind to each other in the ECEC.

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What do the children really think about a day-care centre – the 5–7-year-old Finnish children speak out

Cited by 19 publications

References 35 publications

One- to three-year-old children’s experience of subjective wellbeing in day care

One- to three-year-old children’s experience of subjective wellbeing in day care

Ethical Reflections of Interviewing Young Children:Opportunities and Challenges for PromotingChildren’s Inclusion and Participation

4-6 year-Old Children’s Experience of Subjective Well-Being and Social Relations in ECEC Institutions

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