A multi-dimensional approach to quality in preschool teachers' teaching and children's learning

• The aim is to deepen understanding about learning contents by empirically investigating relations between preschool teachers’ teaching and child ren’s content learning. The aim is also to present an analysis method that facilitates these investigations. Research has shown that early childhood science education is based on education and care, sometimes stressed as a dichotomy. Additionally, ECE rese arch seldom concerns teachers and their teaching activities, i.e. what they do when they teach. There is therefore a need for more research into what teaching in early childhood education actually entails. The approach is informed by John Dewey’s pragmatic philosophy and his use of transactions. A transactional analysing tool called SLQA (Substantive Learning Quality Analysis) is developed and used to facilitate investigations of specific learning qualities in terms of which learning content the teacher gui des towards. The empirical material consists of video - recorded situations where preschool children (1 - 3 years of age) experience nature together with their teachers In this study the preschool teachers and the parents gave their written approval and the pa rticipants were told that they could withdraw at any time during the recordings. The analyses show that the relations between teaching and learning processes and content are intertwined and include education and care. The teachers guide towards aesthetical , moral, cognitive and physical qualities in learning. A multi - dimensional approach on quality can be useful for teachers as a tool for reflections about teaching and learning content in preschool in their work within the area of pedagogical documentation.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Pedagogik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Pedagogy (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

preschool teaching

transactional approach

learning qualities

educare

Lärarutbildning och pedagogisk yrkesverksamhet

Teacher Education and Education Work

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)