Emphases and power relations in cooperation of educators and parents in preschools

Niðurstöður fjölda rannsókna benda til þess að samstarf starfsfólks leikskóla og foreldra auki öryggi og vellíðan barnanna og efli nám þeirra. Í Aðalnámskrá leikskóla frá 2011 er lögð áhersla á lýðræðislegt samstarf á jafnréttisgrundvelli milli foreldra, starfsfólks og barna um þátttöku í gerð skólanámskrár, starfsáætlun og mati. Jafnframt kemur fram að leikskólakennarar skuli vera leiðandi við mótun leikskólastarfsins. Markmiðið með rannsókninni sem hér er greint frá var að skoða áherslur og valdatengsl í samstarfi foreldra og starfsfólks og bera það saman við hugmyndir um fagmennsku leikskólakennara. Jafnframt var stefnt að því að skoða samstarf við foreldra af erlendum uppruna. Gögnum var safnað með rýnihópaviðtölum við foreldra barna í fimm leikskólum og í kjölfarið ræddu leikskólakennarar og leikskólastjórar álit og upplifun foreldranna í rýnihópi. Niðurstöður benda til þess að samstarf starfsfólks og foreldra fari fram eftir bæði lóðréttum og láréttum brautum. Áherslur í fagmennsku leikskólakennara virðast því bæði vera hefðbundnar, þar sem leikskólakennarinn lítur á sig sem sérfræðing við mótun leikskólastarfs og skólanámskrár, og lýðræðislegar, þar sem meira er horft til þekkingar foreldranna þegar einstök börn eiga í hlut. Foreldrarnir sögðu að ef allt gengi vel og ekki kæmu upp vandamál skiptu þeir sér lítið af starfinu. Þeir mátu sérfræðiþekkingu leikskólakennara mikils en sögðu að tíð starfsmannaskipti hefðu veruleg áhrif á samstarfið. Starf foreldraráðs var fremur óljóst í hugum samstarfsaðila og það virtist vera látið nægja að skólanámskráin væri þar til umfjöllunar. Rafræn samskipti milli leikskóla og foreldra höfðu aukist og þar var leikskólakennarinn í hlutverki þess sem upplýsir og miðlar. Þegar horft er sérstaklega til samstarfs starfsfólks leikskóla og foreldra af erlendum uppruna, þá virtust þeir oft vera einangraðir og skorta þekkingu á ýmsu því sem íslenskir foreldrar þekktu nokkuð vel. Leikskólakennarar leituðu árangursríkra leiða til að vinna með þeim en sögðu að tungumálakunnátta stæði oft samstarfi fyrir þrifum.The aim of this research was to shed light on priorities and power relations in cooperation between parents and educators. Furthermore, emphases in cooperation and relations were explored with the concept of professionalism of preschool teachers in mind. Special focus was also placed on parents of foreign origin. The partnerships between educators and parents in preschools and how these are constructed are among the elements expected to predict the quality of preschool activities, and thus seen as highly important (Urban, Vandenbroeck, Peeters, Lazzari and Van Laere, 2011). In a partnership, trust and respect are embedded, as are two-way communication, an equilibrium in regard to power, and shared decision-making (Chan and Ritchie, 2016). Both partners in the relationship are seen as experts, although each type of expertise is different, and both partners have responsibilities. The findings of numerous researches reveal that cooperation between parents and educators enhances children’s sense of security, their well-being, and their learning. The 2011 Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Preschools (Aðalnámskrá leikskóla, 2011), emphasises democratic cooperation built on terms of equality for parents, educators, and children; all of whom participate in developing the school curriculum, planning, and evaluating learning. Furthermore, it is noted that preschool teachers should lead the development of pedagogy and education. These concepts can possibly be seen as contradictory. When findings of Icelandic research are explored, it can be seen that parents value numerous daily conversations regarding their child when they deliver him or her to school in the morning and pick their child up in the afternoon. They are also highly satisfied with parent–teacher interviews once or twice a year (Anna Magnea Hreinsdóttir and Jóhanna Einarsdóttir, 2011; Bryndís Garðarsdóttir and Jóhanna Einarsdóttir, 2007). Moreover, they seemed to be content with their child’s preschool in general. Their partnership with teachers has thus been implemented through various events and meetings organised by the preschools. In Finland, Alasuutari (2010) found that partnerships with parents could be seen both in vertical and horizontal frames. The former was rather traditional, where the expertise of the professional’s knowledge was estimated to be more meaningful than the parents’ knowledge. The latter was considered to be more on an equal basis, and knowledge about the child was seen to stem from both partners in the relationship. In the Finnish curriculum, this partnership is intended to be on equal terms, but a clear definition of what that means is needed. Data were collected on partnerships between parents and educators of the oldest children in the preschools. Partnership was discussed in focus groups with parents in five preschools, and subsequently focus groups of preschool teachers and head teachers discussed the views and perceptions of the parents. The findings reveal that cooperation of parents and educators can be found in both vertical and horizontal frames and the emphases are similar to those in Finland. The professionals saw themselves as experts relating to the school curriculum and the organisation of the preschool activities, but when the issues were connected to the individual child, the professionals listened to the parents and respected their knowledge about their child. The emphases regarding preschool teachers’ professionalism can thus be seen both as traditional, where they see themselves as experts in constructing the activities and the curriculum for the school, and democratic where there is a stronger focus on the knowledge of the parents when a question about an individual child arises. The parents thought that if everything went well and there were no problems they did not have to act. They thought highly of the expertise of preschool teachers and perceived that constant enrolment of new staff was affecting the cooperation. The operation of the Parents’ council was not clear enough and it seemed that both partners were satisfied that discussions on school curricula were only conducted there. Providing information to parents via the Internet (Facebook, emails, Instagram, etc.) was common in all the preschools, but parents and educators had different opinions about the best way to reach parents via the net. In a way, the preschool teachers seemed a little insecure, wondering when enough information had been provided, but they continued to inform parents since they had been criticised for not doing so. As for parents of foreign origin, they appeared to appreciate daily cooperation and contact. They seemed isolated and lacked knowledge of procedures which Icelandic parents readily understood. The preschool teachers tried to find successful ways of cooperating with them, but often the language was a hindrance.Peer Reviewe

Parent-preschool partnership: many levels of power

This study aims to examine the meaning-making of parents in five Icelandic preschools concerning the collaboration between preschools and families. Further, the perspectives of educators on the views of the parents were also sought. The theoretical background was Moss’s ideas of democratic early childhood education and MacNaughton’s ideas of power relationships between parents and educators. Data were gathered in two steps: first, focus-group interviews were conducted with parents; and second, focus group interviews were conducted with a group of preschool educators who reflected upon the parent interviews. The parents and educators seemed to have similar experiences and views of the parent-professional collaboration, and of the division of power and knowledge between the two groups. The type of collaboration the parents and the educators described is not in line with democratic preschool pedagogy as explained by Moss (2007). They did not seem to believe that parents should be involved in decision making concerning the purposes, practices, and environment of the preschool. The parents from other cultures who participated in the study were in a marginalized position, and the educators seemed to be unsure about how to communicate with and accommodate families from cultures different from their own. The study reveals power relationships on many levels in the preschool community.European Union Comenius Life Long Learning program. Strengthening activity-oriented Interaction and Growth in the early years and in transitions. SIGNALS [538783-LLP-1-2013-1-DE-Comenius-CMP]Peer Reviewe

The economic collapse and school practice in Reykjavik

Í þessari rannsókn voru könnuð áhrif efnahagshrunsins á Íslandi árið 2008 á skóla í Reykjavík. Gagnaöflun fór fram á árunum 2013 og 2014. Tekin voru viðtöl við einstaklinga og í rýnihópum. Rætt var við fulltrúa hjá Reykjavíkurborg og í menntaog menningarmálaráðuneyti, skólastjórnendur, kennara, foreldra og nemendur í völdum leik-, grunn- og framhaldsskólum. Niðurstöður benda til þess að tekist hafi að vernda kjarnann í skólastarfinu fyrir niðurskurði en þó í meira mæli í grunnskólum en í leik- og framhaldsskólum. Niðurskurðurinn olli því ekki skólakreppu í þeim skilningi að grunngildum skólanna væri ógnað. Öðru máli kann þó að gegna um leikskólana sem urðu fyrir þyngri áföllum en skólarnir á hinum skólastigunum. Þótt ekki kæmi til skólakreppu í framangreindum skilningi þá hafði niðurskurður margvísleg áhrif á skólastarfið. Stjórnunarstöðum fækkaði umtalsvert, einkum millistjórnendum, forfallakennsla var unnin af skólastjórnendum, annað starfsfólk var ráðið í hlutastörf og framlög til tómstundastarfs og náms- og starfsráðgjafar skert. Yfirvinna starfsfólks var ekki leyfð, minna fé var veitt til samstarfs, bekkir urðu fjölmennari og dregið úr fjárveitingum til kaupa á efniviði og námsgögnum og til viðhalds tækja og húsa. Loks voru skólar á leik- og grunnskólastigi sameinaðir. Fram kom að sú aðgerð hefði aukið mjög á þá erfiðleika sem af niðurskurðinum hlaust. Ekki voru nefnd dæmi um að fólk missti vinnuna þótt talsvert væri um uppsagnir, starfsmönnum var þá boðin vinna að nýju en stundum í skertu starfshlutfalli. Þótt viðmælendur teldu að ekki kæmi til frekari niðurskurðar sögðust þeir ekki vongóðir um bjartari tíma framundan. Að mörgu leyti voru áherslur hagsmunaaðila skóla í samræmi við ráðleggingar fræðimanna um fagleg viðbrögð við efnahags- þrenginum. Sú áhersla sem lögð var á að vernda nám og kennslu og standa vörð um velferð nemenda eru dæmi um slík viðbrögð. Á hinn bóginn komu upp mál þar sem bæði starfsmenn skóla og foreldrar kvörtuðu yfir þeim skorti á samráði sem yfirvöld hefðu viðhaft við ákvarðanir um mikilvæg málefni skólanna. Rannsóknin var unnin af fimm fræðimönnum Rannsóknarstofu í menntastjórnun, nýsköpun og matsfræði við Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands.This paper explores the impact of the economic collapse in 2008 on schools in one Icelandic municipality, Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. Earlier, a similar study was conducted by the same research team in two Icelandic municipalities, one in an agricultural area, and one in a fishing and service community. Information about staff and school costs was gathered for the years of 2013 and 2014. Interviews with individuals and in focus groups were carried out with represenatives at the ministry of culture and education, the Local Education Authorities in Reykjavík, school administrators, teachers, other staff, parents and pupils of six selected schools: two preschools, two primary and lowersecondary schools and two upper-secondary schools. Information about staff and school costs was also gathered. The research was qualitative in nature, primarily based on interviews and documentary data. Interviews were conducted with individuals and in focus groups with representatives of the municipalities and the state, school administrators, teachers, parents and pupils of selected pre-, primary-, and upper-secondary schools. The research sought answers to the following questions: How did educational authorities and school professionals respond to budget cut requirements? Did the reductions cause a school crisis and did they have different consequences depending on the school level? The findings suggest that the core functions of the schools, teaching and learning, were to a large extent protected as stipulated by school authorities. Reduction in expenditure, therefore, did not cause a school crisis in the sense, that the basic values of the schools were threatened. This, however, may not apply to the preschools and the schools at the upper secondary level, which were harder hit by the cut-backs than the other school levels. Even if the schools were able to protect the core school activities, finanicial cutbacks had serious implications for the schools. Various cutbacks were made at all school levels; administrative positions, especially at the middle levels, were cut considerably, principals served as substitute teachers, classes became bigger, no overtime was paid, extracurricular activities and specialist work, such as counseling, and maintenance of equipment and buildings were all cut. Finally, at the preschool level, and primary and lower-secondary school levels, schools were amalgamated. Interviewees in these schools agreed that the merges had been an additional challenge to deal with while trying to come to terms with reduced funding. Findings, moreover, indicate, that while all school members were affected by the bad economy, school principals at all school levels carried the heaviest burdens. While interviewees agreed that further cutbacks were unlikely, they did not envision better times ahead. In many ways school stakeholders, within and outside of the schools, responded to the cutbacks in a manner recommended by experts on school crisis, such as by protecting the core activities of teaching and learning. There were, however, instances when school personnell and parents complained, that school authorities had failed to consult them on relevant matters. The discussion highlights the impact of values on policy and decision making in general, but in times of austerity in particular. The research was carried out by five academics at the School of Education, University of Iceland and sponsored by the by the Center for Research on School Administration, Innovation and Evaluation at the School of Education, University of Iceland and carried out by five of its members.Rannsóknarstofa í menntastjórnun, nýsköpun og matsfræðiPublisher's Prin

Kvenlægur arfur og karllægur valdapíramídi : sérstaða leikskólans og hin eilífu átök

Fyrsta ritið í röð ráðstefnurita sem komið hafa út í kjölfar árlegs málþings á vegum Menntavísindasviðs. Heitir Ráðstefnurit Netlu : Menntakvika ásamt viðeigandi ártali frá árinu 2010Í greininni er fjallað um rannsókn frá 2008 sem er hluti af doktorsnámi höfundar við Institute of Education, University of London. Þar var míkrópólitísk nálgun notuð við að varpa ljósi á þau vandamál sem upp koma í starfsmannahópi leikskóla. Athugað var hvernig hin míkrópólitíska vídd birtist í samskiptum leikskólastjóra og starfsfólks og leikskólakennara og samstarfsfólks, og hvort hún væri með einhverjum hætti kynjuð. Jafnframt var skoðað hvaða aðferðir leikskólastjóri notaði til að takast á við hina míkrópólitísku vídd í leikskólastarfinu. Rannsóknarniðurstöður gefa til kynna að innan leikskólans séu viðvarandi átök á milli ólíkra menningarafla og stjórnunaraðferða þeim tengdum og að þau átök valdi nokkurs konar menningarárekstri (e. culture clash). Annars vegar er um að ræða kvenlæga umhyggju- og samskiptastjórnun (arfinn) en hins vegar karllæga píramída- og skrifræðisstjórnun, og á stundum yfirráðamiðaða forystu sem segja má að hafi verið „flutt inn“ í leikskólann. Báðum aðferðum fylgir stýring (e. manipulation); þeim umhyggju- og samskiptamiðaða fylgir þöggun umræðna og bæling átaka og þeim karllæga vannýting á sérfræðiþekkingu og upplifun á valdaleysi. Hvorugur stjórnunarstíllinn er góður einn og sér, og notaðir saman virðast þeir kalla fram átök og viðvarandi vandamál í starfsmannahópnum. Gerð er nánari grein fyrir þessum niðurstöðum og varpað fram þeirri spurningu hvort ekki sé ástæða til að þróa forystustjórnun innan leikskóla sem tekur mið af sérstöðu hans

Leadership is not a dirty word : exploring and embracing leadership in ECEC

Leadership continues to be an energetically debated and contentious concept. In many contexts it elicits heated and robust discussion and illustrates a degree of disenchantment with the enactment of leadership by corporate moguls, politicians and others in positions of leadership responsibility (Wheatley, M. 2005. Finding Our Way: Leadership for Uncertain Times. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Inc; Sinclair, A. 2007. Leadership for the Disillusioned: Moving Beyond Myths and Heroes to Leading that Liberates. Sydney: Allen and Unwin; Preskill, S., and D. Brookfield. 2009. Learning as a Way of Leading: Lessons from the Struggle for Social Justice. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons). This was clearly illustrated in the 2008 Icelandic economic context where the community was turned upside down due to adventurous ‘entrepreneurs’, who, within a defective surveillance system, caused the collapse of the bank and financial system. In contrast leadership in the field of early childhood education could be expected to reflect aspects connected to the stereotypically feminine leadership style and demonstrate a collaborative or team approach, participation and power sharing (Shakeshaft, C. 1989. Women in Educational Administration. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE; Strachan, J. 1993. “Including the Personal and the Professional: Researching Women in Educational Leadership.” Gender and Education 5 (1): 71–80). However, this article explores two studies of leadership in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC), one conducted in Iceland and the other in Australia and findings illustrate aspects such as micro-politics and horizontal violence which emerge as powerful influences on leadership aspirations and enactment

Professional role and identity of Icelandic preschool teachers : effects of stakeholders’ views

In this article, we explore the reality of Icelandic preschool teachers who are, as in most other countries, predominantly female. The gendered nature of the role and the current identity adopted by preschool teachers appear to impact on their perceived status and professionalism. In this process, stakeholders in early childhood education (ECE), as well as the preschool teachers themselves, play important parts. The question that underlies the paper is: ‘How do the views of preschool teachers and stakeholders in ECE affect the preschool teachers’ professional identity?’ The data used to answer the question are from focus group research carried out with preschool teachers and stakeholders in ECE in one community in Iceland. These stakeholders, besides preschool teachers and staff within the preschools, were parents, professionals at the municipal preschool office and politicians. The theoretical perspective informing the methodology of the research was ‘symbolic interactionism’ and the concept of ‘democratic professionalism’ was used as an aspirational framework to analyse the data. The findings reveal connections between the ideology relating to the preschool teachers’ educational role, their limited leadership and the gendered views of stakeholders. At the end of the paper, implications and recommendations for preschool teachers are suggested

Leikskólabyrjun og lengd dvalartíma : sjónarmið leikskólakennara og leiðbeinenda

Markmið rannsóknarinnar sem sagt er frá í greininni er að varpa ljósi á viðhorf leikskólakennara og leiðbeinenda til þess á hvaða aldri sé best fyrir börn að byrja í leikskóla og hversu marga tíma sé æskilegt að þau dvelji þar dag hvern. Greinin byggir á tveimur spurningum af 30 sem lagðar voru fyrir í könnun sem send var til allra leikskóla landsins veturinn 2011–2012. Notaður var listi, þýddur og staðfærður, sem áður hafði verið lagður fyrir kennara og leiðbeinendur í norskum leikskólum. Rannsóknin er samvinnuverkefni Menntavísindasviðs Háskóla Íslands (RannUng), Háskólans í Volda og Háskólans í Ósló. Fram kemur í svörum við spurningunum tveimur að lítill munur er á viðhorfum íslenskra leikskólakennara og leiðbeinenda til leikskólabyrjunar og lengdar dvalartíma barna. Þegar niðurstöður eru bornar saman við hvernig staðan er í raun sést annars vegar að samræmi er á milli viðhorfs starfsfólks til þess hvenær best sé fyrir börn að hefja leikskólagöngu og hvenær þau hefja hana í raun en hins vegar dvelja eins og tveggja ára börn mun lengur daglega í leikskólum en starfsfólkið telur æskilegt. Niðurstöðurnar eru meðal annars ræddar í ljósi af erlendum rannsóknum á langtímaáhrifum leikskóladvalar á þroska og nám barna og niðurstöðum í svörum við sömu spurningum í norsku spurningakönnuninniIn Iceland, 83 percent of children from one to five years of age attend preschools, and the percentage has never been higher. Further, the number of hours each day that children stay at preschool has been gradually rising (Statistics Iceland, 2013). This reality has activated a discussion, not least within preschools, in which the focus has been on the children’s well-being, both because of the long days they spend there as well as the large number of children in preschool age divisions or groups. The aim of this study is to examine and compare the views of preschool teachers and preschool assistants about the age at which children should start their pre-school education and how long they should stay there each day. The study is part of a collaborative project with the University of Iceland, the University of Volda, and the University of Oslo, with both Icelandic and Norwegian preschool teachers and assistants participating in the survey. Data were gathered through a questionnaire sent to all preschools in Iceland during the 2011–2012 school year. Two questionnaires were used, one for the preschool teachers and another for the assistants. Staff members without preschool teacher education were categorized as assistants. The questionnaires, which were translated from Norwegian, had the same questions, aside from those relat-ing to background information. The article is based on two out of 30 questions in the questionnaire. The answers of the preschool teachers and those of the assistants were compared. The findings indicate that preschool teachers and assistants have similar views about when children should begin to attend preschool. About 30 percent thought that children should be one year old when they start preschool. When compared to the findings of the Norwegian study, 53 percent of Norwegian preschool teachers and assistants thought that children should start preschool at one year old. Most of the Icelandic and Norwegian participants thought that children should have started preschool by the age of two years. About 77 percent of Icelandic preschool teachers and 84 percent of assistants thought that children up to three years old should stay 4 to 6 hours or less in preschool. There the difference between teachers and assistants was statistically significant, although it was small. Similarly, 23 percent of preschool teachers and 16 percent of assistants thought that the children should stay 6 to 8 hours or longer. When compared to the findings of the Norwegian study, the percentage of those who thought that children should stay 4 to 6 hours or less was higher, or 52 percent, and the percentage of those who thought the children should stay 6 to 8 hours was lower, or 42 percent. When focusing on the Icelandic participants, it is obvious that there is consistency between the opinions of the preschool teachers and those of the assistants. When comparing the answers to the reality, it can be seen that there is consistency in the views regarding the age to start preschool, but the number of hours children spend a day in preschools is much longer than preschool staff consider desirable. According to Løvgren and Gulbrandsen (2012), the preschool staff in the Nor-wegian study were apparently more skeptical of the present supply of day cares than were the parents who use these services. The findings of the study are discussed further in light of research findings on the longterm effects of staying at preschool and the quality of preschools on children’s development and education

Sjónarmið leikskólakennara og leiðbeinenda : áherslur og verkaskipting í leikskólastarfi

Markmiðið með þeirri rannsókn, sem hér er kynnt, er að skoða sýn, hlutverk og starfshætti leikskólakennara og leiðbeinenda. Rannsóknin er samvinnuverkefni milli Rannsóknarstofu í menntunarfræðum ungra barna (RannUng) hjá Menntavísindasviði Háskóla Íslands, Háskólans í Volda og Háskólans í Ósló. Gögnum fyrir íslenskan hluta rannsóknarinnar var safnað með spurningakönnun sem send var í alla leikskóla hér á landi veturinn 2011–2012. Í þessari grein er leitast við að varpa ljósi á hvort munur er á því hvernig leikskólakennarar annars vegar og leiðbeinendur hins vegar lýsa áherslum sínum og daglegum verkum í leikskólanum. Niðurstöður leiða í ljós að óljós verkaskipting virðist vera milli leikskólakennara og leiðbeinenda í íslenskum leikskólum hvað varðar dagleg störf. Báðir hópar segjast sinna jafnt daglegri umönnun barnanna og taka þátt í leik þeirra og hreyfingu. Báðir hópar segjast leggja mikla áherslu á virka þátttöku, tjáningu, félagsfærni, leik og uppeldi barnanna. Hins vegar sögðust fleiri leikskólakennarar en leiðbeinendur leggja áherslu á nám og afmarkaða þætti tengda námssviðum leikskólans. Það sem einkum greindi hópana að voru samskipti við foreldra og umönnun og menntun barna með sérþarfir sem leikskólakennarar báru á ábyrgð í ríkari mæli. Niðurstöður eru ræddar í ljósi fagmennsku leikskólakennara og menntastefnu sem sett er fram í Aðalnámskrá leikskóla.Roughly 96% of Icelandic children between the ages of two and five attend preschool, and approximately 28% of them are two years old (Statistics Iceland, 2013). Despite the law that stipulates that educated preschool teachers should account for at least two-thirds of the staff that handle the care and education of children in each preschool (Laws on Education and Appointment of Teachers and Principals in Preschool, Elementary School and Secondary School nr. 87/2008), only 38% of the preschool staff had received preschool teacher education in the year 2011. The aim of this study is to examine the views, roles, and pedagogy of preschool teachers and preschool assistants in Iceland. This is a part of a collaborative study between the University of Iceland, the University of Volda and the University of Oslo. Research that compares the work of preschool teachers and assistants is rare, and the present study is the first of its kind in Iceland. In order to ensure the quality education of preschool children, it is important to gain insight into how those working in preschools view their own work. This research examined the ways in which preschool teachers and preschool assistants described their daily work and emphases. This article seeks to answer the following questions: 1. Is there a difference in how preschool teachers and preschool assistants describe what they emphasize in their work with preschool children? 2. Is there a difference in how preschool teachers and preschool assistants describe their daily work with preschool children? Data were gathered through a questionnaire sent to all preschools in Iceland during the 2011–2012 school year. Two questionnaires were used, one for the preschool teachers and another for the assistants. Staff without preschool teacher education were categorized as assistants. The questionnaires that were translated from Norwegian had the same questions, aside from those relating to background information. The questions were ranked on the Likert scale including 5–7 values. The answers of the preschool teachers and assistants were compared. The findings indicate a vague division of labour between the two groups, which suggests that the specialized knowledge of preschool teachers faces considerable difficulties, as has been corroborated in other Nordic research (Aasen, 2000; Arna H. Jónsdóttir, 2012; Grimsæth, Nordvik and Bergsvik, 2008; Haug, 2010; Lövgren, 2012; Olsen, 2011). Both preschool teachers and preschool assistants emphasized play, caregiving, movement, social development, and the active participation of all children. However, the preschool teachers indicated to a greater extent that they emphasized learning, specifically those learning areas presented in the National Curriculum Guidelines (Mennta- og menningarráðuneytið, 2012). Mathematical concepts and nature and science, among other areas, fall under the field sustainability and science. More preschool teachers than assistants claimed to emphasize these areas. Preschool teachers also placed more stress upon aspects categorized as culture and arts. They indicated more frequently that they supervised arts, music and creative expression and generally emphasized culture and arts to a higher degree than the assistants. Concerning literacy and communication, the preschool teachers also reported teaching the children about numbers and letters and read for them on a more frequent basis than the assistant teachers did. There was also a noticeable difference between the groups in relation to the supervision of circle-time or group-activities, which the preschool teachers attended to more frequently. The main difference between the groups, however, was that preschool teachers were more responsible for cooperating with parents and working with children with special needs. The preschool national curriculum (Mennta- og menningarráðuneytið, 2012) states that preschool teachers should take on a leadership position in guiding and strengthening the role of the preschool by, among other things, becoming exemplary in their work with children and bolstering the professional role of the preschool. The findings of the research pose questions concerning the extent to which preschool teachers are able to fulfil this obligation. Further research is required in order to investigate further the work and division of labour of preschool teachers and assistant teachers. It is important to shed light on how and where the preschool teachers’ specialized knowledge is fruitfully applied and what aspects prevent them from utilizing their professional knowledge

Efnahagshrunið og skólastarf í Reykjavík

Í þessari rannsókn voru könnuð áhrif efnahagshrunsins á Íslandi árið 2008 á skóla í Reykjavík. Gagnaöflun fór fram á árunum 2013 og 2014. Tekin voru viðtöl við einstaklinga og í rýnihópum. Rætt var við fulltrúa hjá Reykjavíkurborg og í mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneyti, skólastjórnendur, kennara, foreldra og nemendur í völdum leik-, grunn- og framhaldsskólum. Niðurstöður benda til þess að tekist hafi að vernda kjarnann í skólastarfinu fyrir niðurskurði en þó í meira mæli í grunnskólum en í leik- og framhaldsskólum. Niðurskurðurinn olli því ekki skólakreppu í þeim skilningi að grunngildum skólanna væri ógnað. Öðru máli kann þó að gegna um leikskólana sem urðu fyrir þyngri áföllum en skólarnir á hinum skólastigunum. Þótt ekki kæmi til skólakreppu í framangreindum skilningi þá hafði niðurskurður margvísleg áhrif á skólastarfið. Stjórnunarstöðum fækkaði umtalsvert, einkum millistjórnendum, forfallakennsla var unnin af skólastjórnendum, annað starfsfólk var ráðið í hlutastörf og framlög til tómstundastarfs og náms- og starfsráðgjafar skert. Yfirvinna starfsfólks var ekki leyfð, minna fé var veitt til samstarfs, bekkir urðu fjölmennari og dregið úr fjárveitingum til kaupa á efniviði og námsgögnum og til viðhalds tækja og húsa. Loks voru skólar á leik- og grunnskólastigi sameinaðir. Fram kom að sú aðgerð hefði aukið mjög á þá erfiðleika sem af niðurskurðinum hlaust. Ekki voru nefnd dæmi um að fólk missti vinnuna þótt talsvert væri um uppsagnir, starfsmönnum var þá boðin vinna að nýju en stundum í skertu starfshlutfalli. Þótt viðmælendur teldu að ekki kæmi til frekari niðurskurðar sögðust þeir ekki vongóðir um bjartari tíma framundan. Að mörgu leyti voru áherslur hagsmunaaðila skóla í samræmi við ráðleggingar fræðimanna um fagleg viðbrögð við efnahagsþrenginum. Sú áhersla sem lögð var á að vernda nám og kennslu og standa vörð um velferð nemenda eru dæmi um slík viðbrögð. Á hinn bóginn komu upp mál þar sem bæði starfsmenn skóla og foreldrar kvörtuðu yfir þeim skorti á samráði sem yfirvöld hefðu viðhaft við ákvarðanir um mikilvæg málefni skólanna. Rannsóknin var unnin af fimm fræðimönnum Rannsóknarstofu í menntastjórnun, nýsköpun og matsfræði við Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands.This paper explores the impact of the economic collapse in 2008 on schools in one Icelandic municipality, Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. Earlier, a similar study was conducted by the same research team in two Icelandic municipalities, one in an agricultural area, and one in a fishing and service community. Information about staff and school costs was gathered for the years of 2013 and 2014. Interviews with individuals and in focus groups were carried out with represenatives at the ministry of culture and education, the Local Education Authorities in Reykjavík, school administrators, teachers, other staff, parents and pupils of six selected schools: two preschools, two primary and lowersecondary schools and two upper-secondary schools. Information about staff and school costs was also gathered. The research was qualitative in nature, primarily based on interviews and documentary data. Interviews were conducted with individuals and in focus groups with representatives of the municipalities and the state, school administrators, teachers, parents and pupils of selected pre-, primary-, and upper-secondary schools. The research sought answers to the following questions: How did educational authorities and school professionals respond to budget cut requirements? Did the reductions cause a school crisis and did they have different consequences depending on the school level? The findings suggest that the core functions of the schools, teaching and learning, were to a large extent protected as stipulated by school authorities. Reduction in expenditure, therefore, did not cause a school crisis in the sense, that the basic values of the schools were threatened. This, however, may not apply to the preschools and the schools at the upper secondary level, which were harder hit by the cut-backs than the other school levels. Even if the schools were able to protect the core school activities, finanicial cutbacks had serious implications for the schools. Various cutbacks were made at all school levels; administrative positions, especially at the middle levels, were cut considerably, principals served as substitute teachers, classes became bigger, no overtime was paid, extracurricular activities and specialist work, such as counseling, and maintenance of equipment and buildings were all cut. Finally, at the preschool level, and primary and lower-secondary school levels, schools were amalgamated. Interviewees in these schools agreed that the merges had been an additional challenge to deal with while trying to come to terms with reduced funding. Findings, moreover, indicate, that while all school members were affected by the bad economy, school principals at all school levels carried the heaviest burdens. While interviewees agreed that further cutbacks were unlikely, they did not envision better times ahead. In many ways school stakeholders, within and outside of the schools, responded to the cutbacks in a manner recommended by experts on school crisis, such as by protecting the core activities of teaching and learning. There were, however, instances when school personnell and parents complained, that school authorities had failed to consult them on relevant matters. The discussion highlights the impact of values on policy and decision making in general, but in times of austerity in particular. The research was carried out by five academics at the School of Education, University of Iceland and sponsored by the by the Center for Research on School Administration, Innovation and Evaluation at the School of Education, University of Iceland and carried out by five of its members

Efnahagshrunið og skólastarf í tveimur íslenskum sveitarfélögum : skólakreppa?

Rannsókn þessi var unnin á vegum Rannsóknarstofu í menntastjórnun, nýsköpun og matsfræði, til að kanna áhrif efnahagshrunsins 2008 á skólastarf í tveimur sveitarfélögum, annað er landbúnaðarhérað, hitt fiskveiða- og þjónustusamfélag. Upplýsinga um starfsmannahald og kostnað við skólastarfið var aflað fyrir árin 2005 og 2007–2010/11. Viðtöl og rýnihópar voru notuð til að afla gagna frá fræðslustjórnum, skólastjórnendum, kennurum, öðru starfsfólki og foreldrum í völdum leik-, grunn- og framhaldsskólum í þessum sveitarfélögum. Rætt var við nemendur í grunn- og framhaldsskólum. Forystumenn annars sveitarfélagsins höfðu brugðist við fjárhagsþrengingum árið 2006. Það var því betur undirbúið fyrir efnahagshrunið en hitt þar sem viðbrögð vegna fyrirsjáanlegs samdráttar hófust síðar. Grunnstarfsemi skólanna hefur þó verið haldið í horfinu í báðum sveitarfélögunum, í meira mæli í grunnskólum en í leik- og framhaldsskólum. Almenn yfirvinna starfsfólks er ekki lengur í boði, bekkir eru fjölmennari, skólastjórnendur annast forfallakennslu, stjórnendastöðum og öðrum stöðugildum hefur fækkað, sums staðar verulega. Minna fjármagni er veitt til sérkennslu og faglegs samstarfs, annað starfsfólk en kennarar er ráðið í hlutastarf, tómstundastarf og sértæk störf, svo sem náms- og starfsráðgjöf, hafa verið skorin niður. Dregið hefur verið úr fjárveitingum til kaupa á búnaði og námsgögnum og til viðhalds tækja og húsa. Helstu tækifærin sem viðmælendur telja að hafi skapast við þessar aðstæður felast m.a. í samvinnu milli leikskóla og heimila, endurskipulagningu sértækrar kennslu í grunnskólanum og samvinnu milli nærliggjandi framhaldsskóla. Skólakreppur má skilgreina sem atburð eða atburði sem ógna grunnforsendum skólastarfsins og stjórnendanna. Hér var kreppan af ytri orsökum og samdrátt mátti sjá fyrir, þannig að stjórnendur skóla og sveitarfélaga gátu minnkað áhrifin á starfsemi skólanna og forðast skólakreppu.This study was sponsored by the Center for Research on School Administration, Innovation and Evaluation at the School of Education, University of Iceland. Effects of the economic meltdown in 2008 on schools in two municipalities were studied, one in an agricultural area and one in a fishing and service community. Information about staff and school costs was gathered for the years of 2005 and 2007–2010/11. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with super-intend-ants, school administrators, teachers, other staff, parents and pupils of selected preschools, primary schools and upper-secondary schools. In one of the communities retrenchment began in 2006, softening the hit. Core school activities were protected by law, to a greater extent for the compulsory schools than pre-schools and upper-secondary schools. However, no overtime work was done; classes became bigger; administrators became substitute teachers; administrative positions were cut; support staff was hired on a part-time basis; extracurricular activities and specialist work, such as counseling, and maintenance of equipment and buildings were all cut. The main opportunities for improvement following the crisis lie for example in more cooperation between preschools and homes, reorganization of special education in the compulsory schools and co-operation between upper-secondary schools. A school crisis can be defined as an event or events that threaten the basic values of the school and its administration. In this case the economic crisis was external and foreseen, making it possible for the school and municipal leaders to reduce its impact on the schools and avoiding a school crisis