Kulturen som speiles i dialogene–betydningen av en felles barnehagekultur i flerkulturelle barnehager

The study investigates the importance of a common kindergarten culture in multicultural kindergartens in Norway. The study focuses in particular on how such a culture can contribute to the interpretation of children’s utterances, as well as compensate for the lack of vocabulary in children who learn Norwegian as a second language. The research question is: How can common cultural references in kindergarten provide a basis for children’s participation in dialogues?

The study shows that a common culture in kindergarten can be important in helping children communicate, even when they have limited language skills. The children’s ability to find their place in conversations and use creative ways of expressing themselves enabled them to participate, despite the fact that they didn’t know so many Norwegian words. This shows how important it is for kindergartens to create a common foundation that all children can relate to, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate in conversations.

The researcher observed the children and actively participated in the daily activities to gain insight into the children’s communication. The study was conducted over a period of six months in two kindergartens, located in areas characterised by hyperdiversity. Most of the kindergarten children spoke one or more languages in addition to, or instead of, Norwegian at home.

Giæver, K. (2023). Kulturen som speiles i dialogene–betydningen av en felles barnehagekultur i flerkulturelle barnehager. Nordisk tidsskrift for pedagogikk og kritikk, 9.