A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo compreender o desenvolvimento da infância no Brasil em sua relação com a educação escolar, ao longo do século XX. Trata-se de estudo bibliográfico-documental fundamentado em tese do sociólogo dinamarquês Jens Qvortrup que propõe examinar como a infância, quanto categoria geracional na estrutura social, se modifica ao longo do tempo e como se relaciona com as demais categorias. Ao considerar a amplitude do que se pode pesquisar sobre o desenvolvimento da infância, optou-se por definir o recorte infância-escola como foco, a legislação como objeto de análise e o século XX como período de investigação. As modificações sociais, ser criança ou ser menor, o acesso ou não à escola, os princípios de obrigatoriedade e gratuidade são elementos que foram se destacando ao longo do exame das leis. A pesquisa conclui que a relação entre infância e escola é bastante complexa, mas, do ponto de vista legal, após a redemocratização e as novas conquistas que foram alcançadas por meio e após a Constituição de 1988 ser promulgada, houve algum avanço no que se refere ao acesso à educação escolar e à condição das crianças como sujeito de direitos, concluindo um processo de estreitamento da relação entre infância e escola que se concretizou, dentre outras formas, por meio da de inserção das crianças na escola, reforçando os princípios de gratuidade e obrigatoriedade, na perspectiva do direito à educação escolar. / This research aimed to understand the development of childhood in Brazil in its relation to the school education throughout the 20th century. It is a bibliographic and documental study inspired by the thesis of the Danish sociologist Jens Qvortrup which proposes the exam of childhood as a generational category in social structure, how it changes through time and how it relates to the other generational categories. Considering the length of what one can research on the development of childhood the relation between childhood and school was defined as the focus of the research, the legislation as the object of the analysis and the 20th century as the period of this investigation. The social changes, being a child or being a minor, the access or not to schooling and compulsory and public education had been highlighted during the legislation exam. The research concludes that the relation between childhood and school is very complex but from the legal point of view after the re-democratization and the new achievements reached through and after the Constitution of 1988 there were some progresses regarding the access to school and the condition of children as subjects of rights. It concluded a process of forging closer ties in the relation between childhood and schooling in the perspective of the right of education, particularly through the mass-schooling process that re-affirmed the compulsory and public education, among others.

Magister Artium - MA (Child and Family Studies) / Early childhood centres play a profound role in shaping the behaviour of children. Research indicates that early childhood centres contribute to the holistic development of children, encompassing their motor, congnitive and behavioural skills. Research has further shown that the South African authorities have an early childhood policy which spans various aspects of childhood development. To establish the nexus between early childhood centres and the behaviour of children, this study explored the role of practitioners in early childhood development centres in shaping the behaviour of children. The study uses the Ecological Systems Theory to interrogate its tenets of the theory and the research findings. The study engaged a qualitative approach to explore this phenomenon. Semi-structured interviews, field notes and observations were used to obtain data from parents, principals and practitioners at early childhood centres. Data was analysed thematically and as such, three main themes emerged from the research: the behaviour of children in early childhood development centres; practitioners' perceptions of their own roles in early childhood development centres; and the attitudes of practitioners towards their roles in early development centres.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 2004. / Title from title page screen, viewed Jan. 6, 2005. Dissertation Committee: Dent M. Rhodes (chair), Cathy Toll, Donna Adair Breault. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 199-213) and abstract. Also available in print.