Varhaiskasvatuksen ja teknologian kehittäminen Varsinais-Suomessa (Varpe 2)

Siirretty Doriast

Towards inclusive teaching : Finnish teachers' justifications for co-teaching

Published in Volume 29(1) For students by studentsPeer reviewe

Enhancing peer interaction during guided play in Finnish integrated special groups

This article focused on the pedagogy that enhances peer interaction in integrated special groups. In Finland, most children identified as having special educational needs (SEN) attend day-care in mainstream kindergarten groups; the rest are in integrated or segregated early childhood special education (ECSE) groups in public day-care centres [National Institute of Health and Welfare. 2013. "Child Day Care 2013 - Municipal Survey." Accessed March 15, 2016. https://www.julkari.fi/bitstream/handle/10024 /116231/Tr16_14.pdf?sequence=4]. An integrated group, which typically consists of seven children without and five with SEN, is supposed to be an inclusive environment that provides an atmosphere in which every child can feel togetherness and be scaffolded [Pihlaja, P. 2009. "Erityisen tuen kaytannot varhaiskasvatuksessa - nakokulmana inkluusio." [The Special Education Practices in Early Childhood Education - Inclusion as Viewpoint.] Kasvatus 2: 146-156]. Our aim was to examine how ECSE professionals' pedagogical practices were used to enhance peer interaction in interactive play. We analysed 14 videotaped sessions of guided play and conceptualized the studied phenomenon by portraying five guidance types in which the identified pedagogical practices were used in different ways.Peer reviewe

Factors affecting early childhood educators’ views and practices of parental involvement

Past research has shown the significant role of parental involvement in children’s academic achievements as well as their healthy development and well-being. For effective parental involvement, it is imperative to understand the views of early childhood educators and the factors affecting their parental involvement practices. The present study investigates Finnish early childhood educators’ views on parental involvement and uncovers the relationship between their parental involvement practices and their education level and backgrounds, the age groups of pupils they work with and their experience in the field of early childhood education. A quantitative method was employed, and a representative sample of 287 educators from one of the biggest municipalities of Finland completed a questionnaire. Their views of parental involvement and the types of parental involvement they employ are certainly impacted by their experience in the field. Our findings show that while the educational level of the participants and the age groups they work with impact their views and practices of parental involvement, their educational background did not have any effect on this

Describing the play of three-year-old children in the home context

This study examines play in the Finnish home context by specifically concentrating on the forms of play, quality factors of play and social nature of play. It is of particular interest to study play especially of three-year-olds, because the research on play for this group, in home environment is scarce especially in the Finnish context. This study is part of longitudinal, multidisciplinary study (STEPS) and is based on the responses from 921 families who answered the questionnaires both at the study recruitment point and at three years. The data were gathered during the years 2011–2013 for the first time ever from the Finnish home context and are a basis for research to be done later. There is a need for this kind of descriptive and identifying study to understand play in the home context. The results suggest that play, and especially playing outdoors, had a strong position in children’s lives. Some forms of play were clearly gender-based and some demographic factors had a connection to the social nature of play. In addition, the level of participation in early childhood education and care was associated with play. No earlier studies have been conducted on the associations between participating in ECE and an increase in the sociability of play in the home context. Participating in ECE expands children´s social network and promotes possibilities to form friendships. In public discourse, the need to increase children's participation in ECEC has been strongly emphasized. This research supports these views

Erityispedagogiset sisällöt varhaiskasvatuksen opettajaopintojen opetussuunnitelmissa

Lapsen kehityksen, oppimisen ja hyvinvoinnin tuen säädöspohjaa suomalaisessa varhaiskasvatuksessa on hiljattain uudistettu. Elokuussa 2022 astuivat voimaan uusi Varhaiskasvatussuunnitelman perusteet (Opetushallitus, 2022) ja uudistettu varhaiskasvatuslaki (540/2018), joihin on kirjattu yleinen, tehostettu ja erityinen tuki. Tuen toteuttaminen edellyttää varhaiskasvatuksen henkilöstön erityispedagogista osaamista. Tässä artikkelissa tarkastellaan erityispedagogisia sisältöjä varhaiskasvatuksen opettajankoulutuksen opetussuunnitelmissa lukuvuonna 2021–2022. Tutkimus toteutettiin määrällisenä ja laadullisena sisällönanalyysina, joissa analysoitiin varhaiskasvatuksen opettajan (KK) tutkintojen pakollisten opintojaksojen osaamistavoitteita ja sisältöjä. Tulokset osoittavat, että varhaiskasvatuksen opettajan 180 opintopisteen tutkinnoista kukin sisälsi enintään kaksi erityispedagogiikan opintojaksoa, joiden yhteenlaskettu laajuus oli 0–11 opintopistettä. Lisäksi tutkintoihin sisältyi opintojaksoja, joissa erityispedagoginen sisältö joko muodosti osan jakson sisällöistä ja tavoitteista tai sitä oli vain maininnan tasolla. Jatkossa varhaiskasvatuksen opettajien erityispedagogista osaamista on syytä vahvistaa ja kiinnittää huomiota lisäksi monialaisen yhteistyön taitojen kehittämiseen opettajankoulutuksessa. Tutkinnon tulisi tarjota myös mahdollisuuksia erityisesti varhaiskasvatuksen opettajan ja erityisopettajan välisen yhteistyön käytäntöjen harjoittelemiselle.The legislative basis of support for child’s development, learning and wellbeing in the Finnish early childhood education has recently been renewed (Law 13.7.2018/540). Also, the National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care was renewed. The law and the national core curriculum came into force in August 2022. The law (540/2018) introduces the concepts of general, intensified and special support. To implement the support, early childhood education personnel need special educational knowledge and skills. This article focuses on special educational content in early childhood teacher education curricula during the academic year of 2021–2022. The study was conducted as quantitative and qualitative content analysis in which the learning objectives and content of compulsory courses were analyzed. The results indicate that out of the total of 180 ECTS of the degree, each degree program included at most two special education courses with total credits between 0 and 11 ECTS. Additionally, the programs included courses in which special educational content forms either a part of the objectives and content or is mentioned in them. In the future, the special educational knowledge and skills of early childhood teachers should be further strengthened. Attention should also be paid to developing the skills of multiprofessional cooperation in teacher education. The degree programs should offer opportunities especially for early childhood teachers and special teachers to practice their cooperative practices.

Towards inclusive teaching : Finnish teachers' justifications for co-teaching

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Cooperation Between Home and School in the Finnish Core Curriculum 2014

This article examines, with the help of document analysis, how cooperation between home and school is presented in the Finnish National Core Curriculum for Basic Education 2014, which was implemented in autumn 2016. It was found that references to home-school cooperation comprise four themes: cooperation based on values, cooperation as a cultural meeting-point, cooperation to prepare for the future and support through cooperation. The precise guidance provided by the Curriculum on cooperation concentrates on actions performed at the individual level, which in turn steers the focus of cooperation towards the individual. Questions of communality are avoided, and the school as an institution is assumed to have endless resources to act. The multiple faces of cooperation between home and school and the effects and possibilities at the individual and community levels should be discussed more versatilely.</p

Associations between social emotional and language domains in toddlerhood - the Steps Study

This research has highlighted a risk for social-emotional and behavioural (SEB) problems in children with developmental language disorder. Associations with delays in social-emotional competencies and language development have been found in both children with language delays and children with language disorders, but findings on the association between SEB problems and language delay in very young children are mixed. The purpose of this study was to explore whether there is an association between social-emotional competencies and SEB problems measured at 18 months and language skills measured at 2 years of age. In addition, background factors often related to language development were controlled statistically. The data were gathered from parents of 591 children with questionnaires in a Finnish cohort study (the STEPS study). Social-emotional competencies and SEB problems were assessed with Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA) and language skills with MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (CDI-T). The data were analysed with forced entry multiple linear regression analyses with three language variables (expressive vocabulary, grammar and M3L) as outcome variables and SEB problems, social-emotional competencies and background variables as independent variables. Children with delay in social-emotional competencies in early toddlerhood according to the BITSEA cut-off scores had significantly smaller expressive vocabularies measured half a year later at 24 months of age than children with no delay in social-emotional competencies. SEB problems were not associated with weaker language skills. Child’s sex was the most important background factor contributing to all of the language variables in favour of girls. Findings indicate that a delay in social-emotional competencies in early toddlerhood can be associated with a delay in development of expressive vocabulary in later toddlerhood. Language development of young toddlers with a delay or deficit in social-emotional competencies should be examined as early as possible to support language development when needed.Peer reviewe