Abstract
The study explores Finnish mothers’ and educators’ perceptions on young children’s experiences and child-responsive practices related to flexibly scheduled early childhood education and care (ECEC). Data were gathered by ethnography-based interviews with mothers and educators of 1- to 3-year-old children attending this form of ECEC and qualitatively analysed using the method of inductive content analysis. According to the interviewees, young children experienced a multitude of feelings related to flexibly scheduled ECEC, ranging from the undesirable, such as strain, distress and confusion, to the desirable, such as comfort, satisfaction and understanding. The children’s feelings were associated with different kinds of nonstandard ECEC schedules and the effects of these on their daily activities and social interactions. Child-responsive practices described by the interviewees included adjusting daily schedules, activities and social interactions at home and in ECEC to children’s daily rhythms and needs. The findings point to the importance of taking young children’s perspectives into account when seeking to enhance their well-being in the context of flexibly scheduled ECEC.
Résumé
Cette recherche explore les perceptions de mères et d’éducateurs finlandais relativement aux expériences des jeunes enfants et aux pratiques sensibles aux enfants en lien avec des services de garde et d’éducation à la petite enfance à horaire flexible. Les données ont été recueillies par des interviews de type ethnographique des mères et des éducateurs d’enfants de un à trois ans, fréquentant ce type de services et ont été analysées qualitativement avec la méthode d’analyse inductive de contenu. Selon les personnes interrogées, les jeunes enfants ont ressenti une multitude de sentiments liés à ces services à horaire flexible, allant de sentiments indésirables de tension, détresse et confusion, à des sentiments désirables de confort, satisfaction et compréhension. Les sentiments des enfants étaient liés à différentes sortes d’horaires atypiques de services et les effets de ces derniers sur leurs activités quotidiennes et leurs interactions sociales. Parmi les pratiques sensibles aux enfants décrites par les personnes interrogées se trouve l’ajustement quotidien des horaires, des activités et des interactions sociales à la maison et au service aux rythmes et besoins quotidiens des enfants. Les résultats soulignent l’importance de tenir compte des perspectives des enfants lorsqu’on cherche à améliorer leur bien-être dans le contexte des services de garde et d’éducation à la petite enfance à horaire flexible.
Resumen
El presente estudio explora las percepciones de madres y educadores finlandeses acerca de las experiencias de niños pequeños y prácticas ajustadas a la respuesta de los niños relacionadas con una educación y atención infantil temprana flexible. Por medio de entrevistas etnográficas a madres y educadores de niños de uno a tres años de edad, que asistían a programas de educación y atención infantil temprana, se recolectó información que fue luego analizada cualitativamente utilizando el método de análisis de contenido inductivo. Con base en las repuestas de los entrevistados, los niños pequeños experimentaron varios sentimientos relacionados con prácticas flexibles en la educación y atención infantil: desde sentimientos indeseables tales como tensión, estrés y confusión, hasta aquellos deseables como comodidad, satisfacción y comprensión. Los sentimientos de los niños estuvieron asociados con diferentes tipos de programas de educación infantil temprana flexible y sus efectos sobre sus actividades e interacciones sociales diarias. Las prácticas ajustadas a la perspectiva de los niños que fueron mencionadas por los entrevistados incluyeron ajuste de rutinas diarias, actividades e interacciones sociales en casa y en la escuela, para las necesidades diarias de los niños y sus ritmos. Los resultados resaltan la importancia de tener en cuenta la perspectiva de niños pequeños en pos del mejoramiento de su bienestar en el contexto de programas flexibles de educación y atención infantil temprana.
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Funding
The study was funded by the Academy of Finland (Grant Number 251410) and Emil Aaltonen Foundation (Grant Number 160243 N1).
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the principles of the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Informed consent was obtained from all the individuals participating in the interviews.
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Salonen, E., Sevón, E. & Laakso, ML. Flexibly Scheduled Early Childhood Education and Care: Finnish Mothers’ and Educators’ Perceptions on Young Children’s Experiences and Child-Responsive Practices. IJEC 50, 193–209 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-018-0221-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-018-0221-0