Purpose
The purpose of the study is to gain knowledge about children’s participation in kindergarten with focus on a community perspective. The research question is: What conditions for participation emerge from the staff’s descriptions of participation in the kindergarten’s community?
Result
The results show the following conditions for joint participation: 1) unity, 2) children’s initiatives and perspectives, 3) acceptance/tolerance of inequality and 4) kindergarten’s institutional structures and rules. The intentions behind the staff’s actions were of importance regarding a democratic orientation towards creating conditions for joint participation.
Design
The source data are based on six individual semi-structured interviews of staff (one kindergarten teacher and one assistant in three kindergartens). All were participants in the Good Kindergartens for Children in Norway (GoBaN) project. The kindergartens were strategically selected in terms of variation in geographical location, ownership (municipal/private), group size and organisational form (department, base/flexible). The interviews with the kindergarten staff lasted between 30 and 50 minutes and were audio recorded.
References
Ree, M. (2020). «Personalets beskrivelser av medvirkning fortolket ut fra et fellesskapsperspektiv». Barn, 38(2):75-87.