Seksåringenes klasseromsaktiviteter. En kvalitativ studie av norske førsteklasser og svenske förskoleklasser.

The objective of this dissertation is to elucidate and identify features in pedagogical facilities/offers for six-year-olds in the 2nd year of primary school in Norway and in the 1st year of primary school in Sweden. The study aims to address the following overall issue: What characterises the pedagogical activities in the classroom of six-year-olds after the transition between kindergarten and primary school? Including the following sub-issues:
1. What types of work and teaching are used in the classroom of six-year-olds?
2. What characterises teachers’ interaction with pupils in the class?
3. Has the classroom practice of six-year-olds become “cemented in the school” or is it characterised by a mixed practice?

The study finds that traditions from kindergarten and school are carried on in the pedagogical facility for six-year-olds. Much of the teaching takes place on the floor, the day is characterised by transition activities, and the teacher dominates a relatively small part of the teaching period. Conversation patterns are different depending on the content of the conversations. The design of the facility is characterised by both kindergarten and school traditions.

One-week observation studies have been carried out in four Norwegian 2nd-year classes and four Swedish 1st-year classes, respectively. Through the use of point observation forms alternating with unstructured field notes, data was collected from eight classes and analysed together.

Bjørnestad, E. (2009). Seksåringenes klasseromsaktiviteter. En kvalitativ studie av norske førsteklasser og svenske förskoleklasser. Oslo: Pedagogisk forskningsinstitutt, Det utdanningsvitenskapelige fakultet, Universitetet i Oslo.