| 1. |
- Catucci, Ester, et al.
(author)
-
A case study on the impact of preschool teachers' habits on children's opportunities for outdoor learning
- 2018
-
In: International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research. - : Society for Research and Knowledge Management. - 1694-2493 .- 1694-2116. ; 17:3, s. 65-81
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this article is to explore, through John Dewey's concept of habit, the potentialities and limitations of outdoor activities for children's learning. Previous research has shown that being outdoors is beneficial for children's wellbeing and learning. It has also stressed teachers' attitudes and believes to be important for how beneficial outdoor activity can be. The study was designed as a case study and was conducted with a toddler group of 12 children and three preschool teachers. Data were collected through video filming and field notes. Episodes involving preschool teachers and children during sand play were chosen for in-depth analysis. The main finding shows that the preschool teachers express similar habits among children during sand play, approaching it mainly as baking. This result has implications for preschool teacher students and educators of young children, who are invited to reflect on how shared habits at the local preschool might affect children's learning outdoors, and thus the realisation of the curriculum.
|
|
| 2. |
- Catucci, Ester, 1973-
(author)
-
De yngsta barnens meningsskapande : om undervisningspraktiker i förskolan
- 2017
-
In: Barn och Unga i Skola och Samhälle. - Västerås : Mälardalen University. - 9789174853261 ; , s. 52-85
-
Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Undervisningsbegreppet är ett nytt begrepp inom förskolan. Som ett första steg inom utbildningssystemet räknas förskola som en egen skolform och om- fattas av skollagens definition av undervisningsbegreppet. Däremot förekom- mer inte begreppet i förskolans läroplan och inte heller används den i större utsträckning inom verksamheten. Med stöd i en pragmatisk ansats undersöks i denna studie ett möjligt sätt att konceptualisera undervisning i förskola samt vilka didaktiska konsekvenser som följer med olika undervisningsstrategier. En observationsstudie genomfördes under en termin på en avdelning för yngre barn och omfattade tre förskollärare och tolv barn i åldrarna 1 till 3. Ett urval av observerade tillfällen analyserades med hjälp av ett analysverktyg som ti- digare utvecklats inom en pragmatiskt inspirerad ansats. Resultaten pekar på att förskollärare använder sig av olika undervisningsstrategier i olika sammanhang och att detta bidrar till olika möjligheter för lärande för de involverade barnen.
|
|
| 3. |
- Catucci, Ester
(author)
-
“It is not that we decide that now we do that” : A case study on preschool teachers´ didactical leadership as expressed during collegial meetings
- 2022
-
In: Early years. - : Routledge. - 0957-5146 .- 1472-4421.
-
Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- During the last few years, the Swedish preschool curriculum has undertaken several changes. Among those changes is the introduction of the concept of teaching as a goal-oriented activity. Preschool teachers have been appointed a specific responsibility for leading the teaching in preschool. This study aims to explore how preschool teachers’ didactical leadership can be understood in relation to the didactical questions expressed during collegial meetings. The empirical data consist of audio recordings of seventeen meetings. The participants were five qualified preschool teachers, a pre-service preschool teacher, and an unqualified preschool teacher. The audio recordings were transcribed and analysed through some of the key concepts of Bernstein’s theory of the pedagogical practice. The results show that preschool teachers’ didactical leadership is established in a pedagogical discourse where children’s social development and learning is at the foreground while content knowledge is often implicit. Furthermore, the child as a guide is expressed as a core idea, whilst preschool teachers position themselves mostly in the background. The results of the study point to a weak didactical leadership embedded in an invisible pedagogy.
|
|
| 4. |
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
- Catucci, Ester, 1973-
(author)
-
Responsability for teaching : a missed opportunity?
- 2021
-
In: Journal of Early Childhood Education Research. - 2323-7414. ; 10:2, s. 120-139
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In recent years the concept of teaching has been introduced in the Swedish preschool curriculum. A specific responsibility for teaching hasbeen appointed to preschool teachers. This study aims to increase the knowledge of how responsibility for teaching can be understood in a preschool context. The empirical data consist of audio recordings of seventeen staff meetings. One of the meetings´ explicit goals was to strengthen the role of preschool teachers as responsible pedagogical leaders for teaching in preschool. The audio recordings were transcribed and analysed through some of the key concepts of Bernstein´s theory of the pedagogical practice: classification, framing, horizontal and vertical discourse. The results show that preschool teachers in this study more often address responsibility for leading preschool as a pedagogical practicerather than a specific responsibility for teaching. The collective responsibilityof the work team is seen as auspicious although different understandings of the educational mission are addressed as problematic. When responsibility for teaching is more clearly addressed, feelings of pressure and uncertainty are expressed as well as the need for more support.
|
|
| 7. |
- Catucci, Ester, 1973-
(author)
-
Undervisningsuppdraget i förskolan ur ett didaktiskt perspektiv
- 2021
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The overall aim of this thesis is to increase knowledge of how the teaching mission can be understood and realised in preschool as an educational practice. The main research questions are: 1. How can teaching be realised in preschool daily practice? 2. How is preschool teachers’ specific responsibility for teaching expressed during collegial meetings? 3. In what way does preschool teachers’ didactical leadership emerge during collegial meetings? The thesis is based on four articles. Each one of the articles answers specific research questions. The data for study 1 and 2 were gathered through observations, video filming and field notes. Three preschool teachers and 12 children participated in substudies 1 and 2. The observations focused on preschool teachers’ actions and how these influenced children’s meaning making. Substudy 1 focused on preschool teachers’ teaching in relation to three different activities. It shows different didactical consequences that teaching leads to in relation to children’s meaning making. Substudy 2 explored how preschool teachers’ habits influenced and limited teaching in relation to preschool curriculum goals. The analysed activities were outdoor activities, with a specific focus on sand play. The theoretical perspective used for the data analysis in substudies 1 and 2 was John Dewey’s pragmatism. The data in substudies 3 and 4 were gathered through non-participant observation and audio recording of seventeen collegial meetings. Five qualified preschool teachers, one unqualified preschool teacher and one preservice preschool teacher participated in substudies 3 and 4. Some of the collegial meetings were led by the principal and a pedagogical mentor. The focus for substudy 3 was on the challenges expressed by the preschool teachers in relation to their own teaching responsibility. Substudy 4 explored what didactical questions the preschool teachers discussed during the collegial meetings and how these could be related to preschool teachers’ didactical leadership. Basil Bernstein’s theory of pedagogic practice was used to analyse the results of substudies 3 and 4. The results of the four substudies show how preschool teachers’ actions create both possibilities and constraints for children’s meaning making. The opportunities for meaning making were limited when children’s actions were only confirmed or when the purpose of an activity was unclear for the participating children. On the other hand, when preschool teachers’ actions expanded ongoing activities by introducing new elements, children’s opportunities for meaning making increased. Furthermore, the results show how preschool teachers’ specific responsibility for teaching is toned down by the preschool teachers themselves. Instead, a shared pedagogical responsibility in the team is considered most important. Nevertheless, preschool teachers express challenges in relation to a shared pedagogical responsibility, especially when a common understanding for the pedagogical practice is missing in the team as a whole. Furthermore, they express a lack of full legitimacy to lead other colleagues. A conclusion that can be drawn from the study’s result is that preschool is embedded in what Bernstein describes as an invisible pedagogy. As a result of this, it may be challenging for preschool teachers to establish didactical leadership and subsequently take on their own specific responsibility for teaching.
|
|
| 8. |
|
|
