The Scottish Curriculum for Excellence is framed, without visible theory, in language embedding the value of children’s experiences. In association with a policy encouraging practitioners to develop healthy home/school links, early childhood practitioners develop pedagogical practices in support of this curricular language of experience. One aspect coming into focus is children’s experiences in general rather than only those which take place within institutional walls. One way children introduce their out-of-school experiences into classrooms is by voluntarily bringing treasured objects from home to early childhood setting doors. By jointly engaging with John Dewey’s view that worthwhile educational experiences are developed through interactions and continuities, the pedagogic practices of twelve early childhood practitioners and the view that each child-initiated object episode could be viewed as part of a child’s experience this research aims to better understand practitioners’ development of educational experiences through their responses to the objects forty children voluntarily brought to school. In support of this aim three research questions focused on 1) what objects children brought? 2) what practitioners said and did with the objects? and 3) what practice similarities and differences were visible across two consecutive age groups: 3-5 year olds in a nursery (preschool) and 5-7 year olds in a composite Primary 1/2 class (formal schooling)? During an eight month period in 2009 data were collected by classroom observations, collection of photographic images and practitioner interviews in a government-funded, denominational, early childhood setting in a Scottish village school. Data were analysed for the physical and social properties of children’s objects, practitioner’s pedagogic practices when engaging with the brought-in objects and similarities and differences in object-related classroom behaviours as epitomised in the relationships in each classroom. The findings were that practitioners made use of three main pedagogical practices when engaging with children’s brought-in objects: transforming objects into educational resources, shaping in-school object experiences and building a range of relationships around these objects. While the broad patterns of practice used in both classrooms were similar the details of practice showed underlying framings of children and their futures were different in each classroom. It is argued that what Dewey’s views offer, in the context of these findings, is a theoretical framing of experience that opens new possibilities for practitioner’s individual and group reflections on their current practices and collaborative practice development. His is one of the languages of experience available as practitioners and policy makers around the world grapple with educational questions.

L’enseignement et l’apprentissage de l’écriture est un sujet très discuté mais on parle moins d’autres formes de représentation permettant de véhiculer aussi des savoirs. Lorsque l’individu apprend à représenter (créer et/ou se servir de la représentation) il peut s’approprier un outil indispensable pour construire une pensée critique, accéder aux savoirs institués et résoudre ses problèmes.Nous étudions le cas, à l’école maternelle, d’une mise en œuvre renouvelée de l’ingénierie didactique le « jeu des trésors » (Brousseau, 2004) au sein d’une ingénierie coopérative à l’ESPE de Bretagne.Cette étude longitudinale s’appuie notamment sur des séquences de vidéo. Nous décrivons la façon dont des élèves de cinq ans apprennent, sur une durée de huit mois , à construire et développer des pratiques de production et de déchiffrage des représentations, orales et graphiques, dans un contexte de communication, et à ajuster et à coordonner leurs actions avec celles d’autrui en vue d’aboutir à résoudre en commun le problème posé. Nous reconstruisons la généalogie didactique de leurs pratiques pour répondre à la question : « comment et dans quelles circonstances leurs pratiques ont-elles été apprises ? ». Ici, le rôle du professeur est essentiel. Il agit sur la construction d’un arrière-plan contractuel, associé au processus de représentation, donnant un cadre de repères qui façonne la perception des élèves.Nos outils sont issus du jeu didactique (dialectiques contrat didactique/milieu ; réticence/expression), et nous explorons la dimension affective de ce modèle au sein de la théorie de l’action conjointe en didactique. / Teaching and learning how to write is a heavily discussed topic but discussion is not so frequent when it comes to other forms of representation conveying knowledge as well. When individuals learn how to represent (that is, how to create and/or make use of representation), they can appropriate an essential tool to build critical thought, get into institued knowledge and solve their problems.We are studying the case of a renewed implementation of didactic engineering called « The treasure game » (Brousseau, 2004), within cooperative engineering at the ESPE in Brittany.This longitudinal study notably leans upon video sequences. We describe how pupils aged five, on an eight months period, learn to build and develop practices of production an d deciphering representations, both oral and graphic, in a context of communication. We describe also how they adjust and coordinate their actions with other pupils’, so as to solve a problem in common. We reconstruct the didactic genealogy of their practices in order to answer the following question : « How and in what circumstances have they learnt their practices ? ». There, the teacher’s part is essential. He/She will act upon the construction of a contractual background, associated with the process of representation, providing a framework meant to shape the pupils’perception.Our tools take their roots in the theoretical framework of didactic game ( dialectics didactic contract/ milieu ; reluctance/expression), and we explore the affective dimension of this framework within the Joint Action Theory in Didactics.

Βασικός σκοπός της παρούσας εργασίας είναι η ανίχνευση και αποτύπωση των στοιχείων που συγκροτούν το ελεύθερο παιχνίδι των παιδιών στο διάλειμμα, σύμφωνα με τις θεωρητικές αρχές και τα μεθοδολογικά εργαλεία (παρατήρηση, καταγραφή και συνέντευξη) της εθνογραφίας. Συγκεκριμένα, μετά την παρατήρηση και καταγραφή των ελεύθερων δράσεων των παιδιών μιας ομάδας νηπιαγωγείου κατά τη διάρκεια του διαλείμματος, αναλύονται οι κατηγορίες και υποκατηγορίες παιχνιδιών όπως αυτές προέκυψαν από τα δεδομένα του υλικού μας και οι παράγοντες που επηρεάζουν αυτούς τους τύπους παιχνιδιών. Η έρευνά μας επιπρόσθετα εστιάζει και στις δυνατότητες εισαγωγής του παραδοσιακού ομαδικού παιχνιδιού ή στοιχείων αυτού στο ελεύθερο παιχνίδι των παιδιών στο διάλειμμα μετά την υλοποίηση μιας οργανωμένης από την εκπαιδευτικό-ερευνήτρια διδακτικής συνθήκης. Όπως προέκυψε από την ανάλυση της παρατήρησης που ακολούθησε την διεξαγωγή της διδακτικής παρέμβασης και των αποτελεσμάτων που αφορούν στη διεξαγωγή συνεντεύξεων από την εκπαιδευτικό-ερευνήτρια στα παιδιά, η αδυναμία εισαγωγής οργανωμένου παραδοσιακού ομαδικού παιχνιδιού ή στοιχείων αυτού στις ελεύθερες δράσεις των παιδιών είναι απόρροια ποικίλων παραγόντων που χρήζουν περαιτέρω διερεύνηση η οποία δεν μπορεί να εξαντληθεί στα όρια της παρούσας μελέτης. Σε κάθε περίπτωση η αξιοποίηση της εθνογραφίας για τη μελέτη του φαινομένου του παιχνιδιού σε σχέση με μία συγκεκριμένη ομάδα παιδιών νηπιαγωγείου θεωρούμε ότι προσφέρει πολύτιμα στοιχεία τόσο για την ίδια την εκπαιδευτικό-ερευνήτρια (αποκάλυψη πτυχών της εκπαιδευτικής πραγματικότητας), όσο γενικότερα και για τη μελέτη ενός σύνθετου φαινομένου, του παιδικού παιχνιδιού. / The main objective of this study is to detect and identify the components of children free play during break, according to the theoretical principles and methodological tools (observation, recording and interview) of ethnography. Specifically, after observation and recording of the free actions of a group of kindergarten children, during school break, the categories and subcategories of games that emerged and the factors that affect these types of games are being analyzed. The research also focuses on the possibility of introducing traditional team play or elements of it in children free play during the break within a set didactic project by the teacher - researcher. As resulted from the analysis of observation that followed the didactic intervention and outcomes related to interviews to children conducted by the teacher - researcher, the impossibility to introduce traditional team play or elements of it in the free activities of children is due to various factors that require further investigation which can not be exhausted within the limits of this study. In any case, the use of ethnography in the study of the phenomenon of play in relation to a specific group of kindergarten children is believed to provide valuable information both for the teacher - researcher (revealing aspects of the educational reality), as well as for the study of the complex phenomenon of children play.

This research builds on previous studies that have documented evidence of Professor Anna Craft’s concept of ‘Possibility Thinking’ (PT) as at the heart of creativity which involves children transitioning from ‘what is this?’ to ‘what can I or we do with this?’ as well as imagining ‘as if’ they were in a different role. My thesis titled “Communicating Possibilities” examines English nursery children's emergent creativity, exploring the three to four-year-old child as an artistic communicator and possibility thinker through a case study approach situated in one primary school in South West England. Three main research questions were posed concerning the ‘what, how, and why’ of creativity when children communicated through art; as well as exploring the nurturing role of others, and identity manifest through voice and learning experience. This doctoral study is essentially interpretivist in nature seeking to explain how people make sense of their social worlds, and is an exploration framed by culturally negotiated, shared meanings, and complex social relations. Data was collected over one school year, in three nine-week research phases by the following ethnographic methods: naturalistic observations; researcher diary; children’s creative journals; and practitioner interviews. These methods were repeated for each phase. Inductive and deductive data analysis was conducted. Undertaken over time as the project unfolded, a grounded theory approach was applied in total to 27 episodes. Micro event analysis of creative behaviours in action and narrative discourses of two kinds: peer-to-peer, and child-to-adult (teacher, early years practitioner, and my researcher dialogue) revealed four broad critical themes: Observing and documenting children’s creativity; What children can do together- recognising differences; Pedagogy of possibilities- developing a role; and The value of artistic communication in the nursery classroom. Each is discussed in terms of the key implications these themes hold for theory, policy, and early years practice.

The research study was determined by the fact that child development is important and that teachers/caregivers must acknowledge every child's level of development, age, individuality, social and cultural background when planning a program. Children are complex beings and therefore the literature study focused on pre-schooler, three to five years, child development during this stage and domains and principles of development. Semi-structured interviews were based on literature study and used to guide the interviews. After analyzing the data themes and sub-themes was identified and verified with literature. The teachers/caregivers were able to share knowledge, experiences, needs and concerns. To conclude recommendations were made to help teacher/caregivers to plan how to include child development in their daily program. / Social Work / M.Diac (Play Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / The researcher is qualified as a pre-school teacher and experiences that pre-schoolers behave negatively at times. The researcher was exposed to playtherapy techniques in post-graduate studies . These techniques could be used by pre-school teachers to handle negative behavior. The question arises if pre-school teachers are already applying these techniques . This question is researched in this study by using research questionnaires . The study was done in and Tshwane. The dissertation consists of five chapters. In the first chapter the research proposal is discussed. The second chapter covers terms like play and playtherapy with reference to the pre-schooler . Chapter three looks at the pre-schooler, pre-school education and negative behavior. In chapter four the results of the research are presented and discussed. In the last chapter, chapter five, conclusions, recommendations, a general conclusion and a closing remark are made. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Theraphy)

The study contributed to preschool education by highlighting the attitudes and perceptions of parents and preschool teachers and practitioners concerning preschool education in general, and the teaching of thinking skills in particular. Furthermore, information with regard to developing guidelines for a preschool learning programme to assist unqualified and underqualified preschool practitioners in predominantly rural areas was generated. The literature study revealed that all areas of development, that is, cognitive, physical, social, moral and emotional are interrelated. Therefore, development in cognition is influenced by, and influences the other areas. Cognitive development in particular, is most rapid during the preschool years and should be stimulated at this stage. A qualitative study was undertaken to determine the attitudes and perceptions of preschool teachers/practitioners and parents with regard to preschool education in general, and the teaching of thinking skills to enhance cognitive development in particular. Four preschools in Region 3 of the Northern Province were observed to investigate the teaching of thinking skills and also the learning programmes used in these institutions. The findings from the literature and research studies led to the following conclusions: * Parents are uninformed concerning their role in stimulating the cognitive development of their children. * Preschool education is regarded as being very important for children. * There are no prescribed learning programmes or explicitly stated guidelines underlying preschool education. * Thinking skills are taught to a greater or lesser extent in preschools, although the intentional mediation is missing. *The training of preschool practitioners is a neglected area. In view of the conclusions, the following recommendations were made: * Underqualified and unqualified preschool practitioners should receive training. * Partnership between parents and preschool practitioners should be encouraged to ensure continuity between the home and the preschool. * Parents' support programmes should be developed to empower them as their children's most significant mediators. * Thinking skills should be infused in preschool learning programmes and activities. * Remote, rural areas should be supported by the goverment and NGOs with the provision of preschool education. * Prescribed guidelines and learning programmes should be developed to assist unqualified and underqualified practitioners in rural and disadvantaged areas in the Northern Province. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Η συγκεκριμένη εργασία διερευνά τη δυνατότητα εκπονήσεως ενός πραξιοκεντρικού προγράμματος για το Νηπιαγωγείο. Αρχικά, μελετάται η εξελικτική πορεία των προγραμμάτων προσχολικής αγωγής μέχρι και σήμερα. Στη συνέχεια, διερευνάται η δυνατότητα και ο τρόπος εκπονήσεως ενός τέτοιου αυτενεργητικού προγράμματος στα πλαίσια του σύγχρονου Νηπιαγωγείου. Ο συγγραφέας, συγκεκριμένα, επικεντρώνεται στην προσπάθεια διαμόρφωσης προγραμμάτων προσχολικής αγωγής προκειμένου να βοηθηθούν τα νήπια να γίνουν παραγωγικά και υπεύθυνα μέλη της κοινωνίας. Άλλωστε με την εισαγωγή του παιδιού στο Νηπιαγωγείο, παρατηρείται μετάβασή απ’ το οικογενειακό περιβάλλον, στο άγνωστο περιβάλλον του κοινωνικού πλαισίου. Κατά συνέπεια, αρχίζει να προγεύεται τους κανόνες της κοινωνικής ή ηθικής συμβίωσης και να σχηματοποιεί τις βάσεις της προσωπικότητάς του. Επιπροσθέτως, επισημαίνεται ότι οι παιδαγωγικώς κατάλληλες ευκαιρίες για σκέψη, μάθηση, δράση και συμμετοχή εξασφαλίζονται μόνο σε ένα καλώς οργανωμένο και σκοπίμως διαρθρωμένο παιδαγωγικό περιβάλλον. Έτσι, προϋπόθεση των παραπάνω αποτελεί η εφαρμογή ενός προγράμματος στο Νηπιαγωγείο, που «αναδύεται και βιώνεται», «συν- δημιουργείται» από τα νήπια και τη νηπιαγωγό, με τις πράξεις τους και τις επιδράσεις τους καθώς και με την αλληλοεμπλοκή της ζωής τους. Κατά την άποψή μας, όποιο πρόγραμμα και αν επιλέξει μια νηπιαγωγός να εφαρμόσει, πρέπει να θέτει ως βασική αρχή τη δυνατότητα να αναλαμβάνουν τα νήπια πρωτοβουλίες, καθώς και να έχουν την ευθύνη για τη μάθησή τους. Τέλος, κρίνεται σκόπιμο να επισημανθεί ότι η κρισιμότητα της πρώιμης αυτής ηλικίας των παιδιών «απαιτεί» ιδιαίτερη προσοχή και έμφαση στα εφαρμοζόμενα προσχολικά προγράμματα, διότι αυτά θα «αναδείξουν» τους πολίτες του 21ου αιώνα. / The particular work investigates the possibility of development of an action- central program for the Kindergarten. Initially, is studied the evolutionary course of programs of preschool education until today. Afterwards, are investigated the possibility and the way of development of such auto- energetic program in the frames of modern Kindergarten. The writer, concretely, is focused in the effort of configuration of programs of preschool education so that they be helped the infants become productive and responsible members of society. Moreover, with the import of child in the Kindergarten, is observed passage by the familial environment, in the unknown environment of social frame. Accordingly, it begins tasting the rules the social or moral living together and it shapes the bases of his personality. Besides, it is pointed out that the pedagogically suitable occasions for thought, learning, action and attendance are ensured only in a well organised and deliberately structured pedagogic environment. Thus, condition more constitutes the application of program in the Kindergarten, that “emerges and experiences”, “plus is created” by the infants and the nursery teacher, with their action and their effects as well as with the entanglement of their lives. At our opinion, any program if a nursery teacher selects to applying, it should it places as basic beginning the possibility of undertaking the children’s initiatives, as well as of having the responsibility for their learning. Finally, it’s judged advisable that the gravity of this precocious age of children “requires” particular attention and accent in the applied preschool programs, because these would “elect” the citizens of 21st century.

The research study was determined by the fact that child development is important and that teachers/caregivers must acknowledge every child's level of development, age, individuality, social and cultural background when planning a program. Children are complex beings and therefore the literature study focused on pre-schooler, three to five years, child development during this stage and domains and principles of development. Semi-structured interviews were based on literature study and used to guide the interviews. After analyzing the data themes and sub-themes was identified and verified with literature. The teachers/caregivers were able to share knowledge, experiences, needs and concerns. To conclude recommendations were made to help teacher/caregivers to plan how to include child development in their daily program. / Social Work / M.Diac (Play Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / The researcher is qualified as a pre-school teacher and experiences that pre-schoolers behave negatively at times. The researcher was exposed to playtherapy techniques in post-graduate studies . These techniques could be used by pre-school teachers to handle negative behavior. The question arises if pre-school teachers are already applying these techniques . This question is researched in this study by using research questionnaires . The study was done in and Tshwane. The dissertation consists of five chapters. In the first chapter the research proposal is discussed. The second chapter covers terms like play and playtherapy with reference to the pre-schooler . Chapter three looks at the pre-schooler, pre-school education and negative behavior. In chapter four the results of the research are presented and discussed. In the last chapter, chapter five, conclusions, recommendations, a general conclusion and a closing remark are made. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Theraphy)