Den føyelige pedagogen – kartlegging som disiplinering av pedagogisk praksis

Language screening is understood differently (testing, observation, screening), practiced differently and used for different purposes. The article investigates the general language screening of multilingual kindergarten children in Norway and how this screening affects educators and pedagogical practice. The research question is: How are educators and pedagogical practice affected by the language screening of multilingual children in kindergarten?

The analysis of the empirical material shows that the attitudes of the educators are rooted in the discourse on the Norwegian kindergarten model. At the same time, they are positive about language screening. The interaction in several of the observations during the screening is characterised by little dialogue, and the educators seem to set aside their professional judgement. Furthermore, there are big differences between the screening tools. The empirical material also shows examples of a less rigid screening practice, where the child and the educator have greater room for manoeuvre.

The data collection was conducted through observations and interviews in five kindergartens. The observations took place in screening situations involving five educators and five children aged 5–6 years. The educators were also interviewed (semi-structured interviews). The conversations during the observations and the interviews were both recorded and transcribed. The screening tools used in these kindergartens were also reviewed. 

Essahli Vik, N. (2019). “Den føyelige pedagogen – kartlegging som disiplinering av pedagogisk praksis”. Journal of Nordic Early Childhood Education Research, 18(12):1–14.