Nerve-wracking or rewarding? : A multidisciplinary approach to investigating work-related well-being, stress regulation and quality of pedagogical work among early childhood professionals

The aim of this thesis was to investigate early childhood professionals (ECP) stress regulation, work-related well-being and pedagogical work in kindergartens, as well as to determine whether these factors were connected. The demands that ECPs encounter at work and the resources available to them as well as the extent to which they experience engagement or burnout were analysed in order to increase understanding of the challenges involved in work that is simultaneously demanding and rewarding. In this thesis pedagogical work was seen as an indicator of ECP s job performance and quality of the early childhood education service. Furthermore, the focus was on physiological aspects relating to stress regulation. The goal was to enhance knowledge of working life in the field of early childhood education by utilising an interdisciplinary, integrative approach and multiple methodologies. The study was part of two larger projects undertaken by the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Helsinki and involved two separate data sets. The first set was collected in 2009 from 117 ECPs in 24 kindergartens in the Helsinki metropolitan area. Participants in the second study (2012) were 89 ECPs from 21 integrated special kindergarten groups in the city of Helsinki. Data were collected through salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase measurements, observational assessments of pedagogical work and surveys measuring work-related well-being. The results indicated that the ECPs generally found their work resources to be adequate, and, on average, their stress regulation was balanced. On average, the ECPs experienced high levels of work engagement, yet there were also participants who were less positive and showed moderate signs of burnout. In addition, the results demonstrated the importance of social support, especially the role of the supervisor, which proved to be one of the key factors positively enhancing well-being at work. The main findings demonstrated the close relationship between ECPs stress regulation and the quality of pedagogical work in teams. However, no associations between different biomarkers and work engagement and burnout were found. This study is novel in that it combines approaches from different disciplines to investigate work-related well-being among ECPs. The study highlights the importance of teamwork not only as fundamental to high-quality early childhood education, but also in supporting the well-being of ECPs. The findings can be applied in future studies and used to inform interventions intended to enhance working conditions in kindergartens.Tutkimuksen tarkoitus oli selvittää päiväkodin kasvattajien työssä jaksamista, stressin säätelyä ja pedagogisen työn laatua, ja miten ne ovat yhteydessä toisiinsa. Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin kasvattajien kokemuksia varhaiskasvatustyön kuormittavista ja kannattelevista tekijöistä, ja millä tavoin he kokevat työssään työn imua tai uupumusta. Kasvattajien työssä suoriutumista lähestyttiin pedagogisen työn laadun kautta. Lisäksi kasvattajien stressin säätelyä tutkittiin selvittämällä heidän fysiologisia stressivasteitaan. Monitieteellisellä ja menetelmällisellä lähestymistavalla pyrittiin selvittämään moniulotteisesti päiväkodin kasvattajien kokemuksia varhaiskasvatustyöstä ja millaisia edellytyksiä heillä on tehdä pedagogisesti laadukasta työtä. Tutkimus oli osa kahta suurempaa tutkimushanketta, jotka toteutettiin Helsingin yliopiston Opettajankoulutuslaitoksella vuosina 2009 ja 2012. Ensimmäisen osatutkimuksen osallistujat (n=117) olivat päiväkodin kasvattajia kahdesta kunnasta pääkaupunkiseudulta. Toiseen osatutkimukseen osallistui päiväkodin integroitujen erityisryhmien kasvattajia (n=89) 21 päiväkodista Helsingistä. Aineisto kerättiin työn vaatimuksia ja voimavaroja sekä työn imua ja uupumusta mittaavilla kyselyillä, stressin säätelyä mittaavilla syljen kortisoli ja alfa-amylaasinäytteillä sekä havainnoimalla päiväkotiryhmien pedagogista laatua. Tulosten mukaan päiväkodin kasvattajat kokivat huomattavan paljon työssään työn imua ja he pitivät työnsä voimavaroja hyvinä. Keskimäärin kasvattajien stressin säätely oli tasapainossa, ja vain pienellä joukolla stressitasot olivat poikkeavat. Kuitenkin joukossa oli kasvattajia, jotka kokivat työssään kuormitusta ja lievää työuupumusoireilua. Voimavaroilla, erityisesti sosiaalisella tuella esimieheltä ja kollegoilta näytti olevan positiivinen yhteys kasvattajien stressin säätelyyn sekä pedagogisen työn laatuun. Myös työn imulla oli yhteyttä pedagogiseen työhön tiimeissä. Vaikka stressin säätely oli yhteydessä pedagogiseen työhön, sillä ei kuitenkaan ollut yhteyttä työn imuun tai uupumukseen. Tutkimus vahvistaa käsitystä työyhteisön merkityksestä työssä jaksamiselle ja stressin säätelylle. Erityisesti esiin nousee tiimityöskentely, jolla ei ole ainoastaan merkitys laadukkaan pedagogisen työn kannalta vaan myös kasvattajien tiimin jäsenten hyvinvointia vahvistavana tekijänä. Tutkimuksen tuloksia voidaan hyödyntää jatkotutkimuksissa, joissa pyritään selvittämään työyhteisön hyvinvointia vahvistavia mekanismeja. Lisäksi tuloksia voidaan soveltaa suunniteltaessa kehittämistoimenpiteitä varhaiskasvatuksen alalla työskentelevien työolojen parantamiseksi

Enhancing Peer Interaction : An Aspect of a High Quality Learning Environment in Finnish Early Childhood Special Education

The aim of this article is to investigate the pedagogical learning environment in early childhood special education (ECSE). The theoretical framework is based on a conception of interaction being as well a basic human need as, according to sociocultural theories, the basis of learning. Our study was conducted in ECSE kindergarten groups (N = 17) in the area of Helsinki, Finland. We were interested in the overall quality of the pedagogical environment, the quality of enhancing peer interaction (EPI) and the pedagogy for EPI amongst children with diverse characteristics and needs. Quality was evaluated using the quantitative Learning Environment Assessment, completed with qualitative data, which consisted of the researcher's observations and interviews. The quantitative data were presented with descriptive statistics. Qualitative content analysis was used to make a closer examination of EPI pedagogy. The study indicated good pedagogical quality. EPI quality was predictably good due to high overall quality. Our findings highlighted ECSE professionals' versatile pedagogical modes in structuring activities and space and intensive methods in EPI and participation, especially in scaffolding communication (with augmentative or alternative communication systems when needed) and supporting social competence.Peer reviewe

Children's biological givens, stress responses, language and cognitive abilities and family background after entering kindergarten in toddlerhood

We aimed to investigate stress response regulation, temperament, cognitive and language abilities and family SES in children who entered kindergarten before two years of age. Whilst childrens stress regulatory systems are vulnerable to environmental influences little is known about how temperament and family characteristics impact on stress regulation in early years. Participants were 129 children (age 7 to 23 months) from 29 kindergartens. Stress response regulation was assessed by measuring salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase activity. Cognitive and language abilities were assessed using Bayley-III and children temperament with ECBQ-questionnaire. Family characteristics were assessed with surveys. Results suggest that children are alerted during kindergarten day, but their stress response regulation is balanced. Girls and boys differed in cognitive and language abilities. We propose that childrens individual needs should be better acknowledged in kindergartens.Peer reviewe

Pedagogiset toiminnat erityisryhmissä ja oppimisympäristön laatu

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Work Demands and Resources, Stress Regulation and Quality of Pedagogical Work Among Professionals in Finnish Early Childhood Education Settings

This study examined early childhood professionals’ (ECPs) stress regulation and the demands and resources they encounter at work, and considered how these factors are associated with the quality of pedagogical work in daycare. The participants were 117 ECPs from 24 daycare centers in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland, with data collected using surveys, cortisol measurements, and observational assessments. The results indicated that the professionals generally found their work resources to be adequate and, on average, their stress regulation measured through cortisol activity showed a typical diurnal pattern. Highly important resources at work proved to be support from supervisors, which was associated with stress regulation and the quality of pedagogical work in teams. Although we found only minor associations between cortisol activity and job demands and resources, cortisol activity did relate to pedagogical work, particularly to teamwork; the higher the quality of the teamwork, the lower the ECPs morning cortisol values. Our multidisciplinary study highlights important findings regarding the resources and demands ECPs experience at work, and supports existing literature. In addition, the results demonstrate the importance of social support, especially the role of the supervisor, which proved to be one of the key factors positively enhancing well-being at work. These findings are applicable in planning interventions regarding workrelated well-being among ECPs.Peer reviewe

Infant and Toddler Educare : a Challenge to Neoliberalism

We contend that the conventions, practices and philosophies underpinning working with infants and toddlers provide an alternative way of viewing early childhood work, and such a perspective may well help to challenge the 'wicked problem' of neoliberalism. It is in this context that we propose that a deeper understanding of the perspectives of those professionals working with our youngest children in a range of different countries may inform a wider resistance to neoliberalism across all of early childhood. We seek, in this article, to share the voices of early childhood professionals reflecting on the manner in which they understand work with infants and toddlers, and how this relates to their understanding of issues related to education and care. We hope this exploration will lead us into further refining our argument that infant and toddler pedagogy has the potential to challenge the hegemony of neoliberalism in early childhood. Our dream is to steer early childhood away from the tyranny of standardisation, accountability and economic rationality into a space where children are valued for being, where individuality and diversity flourish, where learning academics is one (relatively unimportant) element amongst many others and where relationships and participation (and dare we say, happiness) reign supreme.Peer reviewe

Occupational well-being and stress among early childhood professionals : the use of an innovative strategy to measure stress reactivity in the workplace

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Children's physical activity and the preschool physical environment:The moderating role of gender

The physical environment in preschool, covering all indoor and outdoor equipment, and the surfaces of the preschool yard, may have a large potential for increasing children's physical activity (PA). However, it is less clear which specific physical environmental factors are associated with children's PA. Cross-sectional associations between the individual observed items (e.g. fixed and portable equipment, surfaces, terrain in the grounds) as well as composite scores for the PA equipment on the one hand, and children's PA, measured by accelerometers, on the other, were investigated in a sample of 3-6 year old children (N = 778) attending preschool in Finland. Having balance equipment and trampolines in group facilities, having balance equipment, gym mats and sticks in the gym and having skipping ropes, sand and mostly hilly terrain on the outdoor playground were associated with children's higher PA, regardless of gender. On the contrary, having gravel as the terrain in the playground and having a seesaw outdoors were associated with lower PA levels, regardless of gender. Four significant interactions with gender were found, but none of the environmental predictors remained significant in the post-hoc gender-stratified analyses. Variety in PA equipment and playground terrain may be beneficial for increasing children's PA in preschools. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.</p

Savant-lahjakkuus ja yleisen älykkyyden käsite

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