Barns tidiga lärande: En tvärsnittsstudie om förskolan som miljö för barns lärande.

The objective of this study is to gain knowledge about what
characterizes the preschool as a learning environment through studies of variations in learning environments in relation to children’s abilities and experience within different aspects of language/communication, mathematics and interaction. Furthermore, the study has a significant methodology-development objective.

The study shows a clear connection between the preschools’ assessed quality and data from the questionnaires. The connection between learning and quality is less obvious, which should be seen in relation to the size of the data material. The study also points at methodological relationships in relation to studying quality and learning in preschool.

This study is a cross-sectional study, which partly measures the quality of the Swedish preschools taking part, and partly studies children’s abilities within the areas mentioned above. Using a revised version of the ECERS scale, the quality of preschools is measured. The study develops methodologies to assess children’s linguistic/communicative and mathematical skills, as well as to assess the children’s interaction. Moreover, data from questionnaires handed out to the children’s parents and employees at the daycare centres is included in the study.

Sheridan, S.; Samuelsson, I. P.; Johansson, E. (2009). Barns tidiga lärande: En tvärsnittsstudie om förskolan som miljö för barns lärande. Göteborg: Göteborg Universitet.

Sheridan, S.; Samuelsson, I. P.; Johansson, E.; Doverborg, E.; Claesdotter, A. (2010). Förskolan : arena för barns lärande. Stockholm: Liber