Förskolechefer i en svensk kommun skriver årligen kvalitetsrapporter som bl.a. utgör under­lag för återkoppling till överliggande nivå om det gångna årets lokala skolutveck­ling. I beskrivningarna av arbetet med pedagogisk dokumentation har variationer av be­skriv­ningarna pekat på angelägenheten av att analysera beskrivningarna med hjälp av några teoretiska utgångspunkter som pedagogisk dokumentation vilar på. Studiens syfte är att undersöka olika diskurser om lärande som framträder när förskole­chefer i kvalitetsrapporter beskriver arbetet med pedagogisk dokumentation. Frågeställ­ningarna är: Vilka diskurser om barns lärande framträder? Vilka diskurser om pedagogers lärande framträder? Vilka perspektiv på kvalitet synliggörs i de identifierade diskurserna? Vilka maktdimensioner kan urskiljas i de identifierade diskurserna? Kritisk diskursteori har använts som teoretisk utgångspunkt. I analysen har också diskursen om menings­skapande, diskursen om ett förutbestämt lärandeobjekt, perspektiv på demokrati och makt samt docu­men­tality använts som teoretiska utgångspunkter. De perspektiv på kvalitet som har använts är det relativa, det intersubjektiva och det marknadsanpassade. Fem förskolors kvalitets­rapporter har analyserats med Faircloughs kritiska diskursanalys (CDA) som metod. Resultatet visar att de beskrivningar av barns lärande som finns i kvalitetsrapporterna håller sig inom diskursen om meningsskapande, dock olika starkt. Beskrivningarna av de vuxnas lärande rör sig däremot både inom diskursen om meningsskapande och diskursen om det förutbestämda lärandeobjektet. Diskursen om meningsskapande kan kopplas till det relativa eller det intersubjektiva perspektivet om kvalitet. Diskursen om det förutbestämda lärandeobjektet är kopplat till det marknadsanpassade perspektivet av kvalitet. I diskursen om meningsskapande synliggörs barnens makt över de vuxna och verksamheten, de vuxnas makt över dokumentet och politiken samt pedagogernas makt över pedagogisk dokumentation som verktyg. I diskursen om det förutbestämda lärandeobjektet synliggörs dokumentets och politikens makt över professionen. / Each year the principals of preschools in an unnamed Swedish municipality write quality reports about the past year´s local school development. The documents are read and analysed by different levels of the educational administration. In the descriptions of how the preschools work with pedagogical documentation, variations have been identified, which indicate the necessity of analysing the descriptions using some of the theoretical aspects of pedagogical documentation. The purpose of this thesis is to examine different discourses of learning that appear in the quality reports. Four research questions have been used: Which discourses of children´s learning can be identified? Which discourses of adults´ learning can be identified? Which perspectives of quality are visible in the identified discourses? What aspects of power can be distinguished in the identified discourses? Critical discourse theory has been used as theoretical framework, along with the discourse of meaning making, the discourse of predetermined learning, perspectives on democracy and power as well as documentality. The perspectives of quality that have been used are the relative, the intersubjective and the market-adapted perspectives. Five preschool quality reports have been analysed using Fairclough´s critical discourse analysis (CDA). The results show that the descriptions of children´s learning are within the discourse of meaning making, although more or less strongly. The descriptions of the adults´ learning are however both within the discourse of meaning making and the discourse of predetermined learning. The discourse of meaning making can be connected with the relative or intersubjective perspective of quality while the discourse of predetermined learning can be connected with the market-adapted perspective of quality. The following aspects of power are visible in the discourse of meaning making: children´s power over adults and the institution, the adults´ power over the document and the level of policy and finally, the teachers´ power over pedagogical documentation as a tool for school development. The power, which the document and the level of policy have over the teachers, is visible within the discourse of predetermined learning.

Background: Risky play is defined as thrilling and challenging forms of play that have the potential for physical injury and has been linked to development and health benefits for children in the early years such as risk-assessment skills, increased physical activity (PA) and well-being, and promoting social competencies and resilience. Currently, in a Western context, children’s opportunities for risky play is decreasing. At the same time, childhood inactivity and coinciding health concerns, as well as adolescent mental health issues such as anxiety, are on the rise. Risky play may serve as an antidote to some current health problems for children. Purpose: This research aimed to increase understanding of affordances (environmental factors that intersect with and influence human behaviors) for risky play. Social and physical environmental factors have been found to influence children’s affordances for risky play. The study was designed to identify some of the social factors and environmental features that may provide children with greater opportunity for risky play. Alongside researching affordances for children’s risky play, this research also inquired into children’s emotional and behavioural expressions during risky play, and how children’s engagement in risky play impacts PA. Methodology: Research was conducted with children ages 3 to 4 years, at a kindergarten in Levanger Norway. A mixed-methods approach was employed. Methods of data collection and analysis consisted of coding and statistical analysis of focused-video observations, as well as thematic analysis of field notes and semi-structured interviews. Findings/conclusions: Findings include the identification of themes pertaining to social factors that may influence children’s opportunity for risky play, including childhood assumptions, practitioner and parent attitudes towards risk, and pedagogical practice. This research generated a taxonomy of environmental features affording risky play, as well as findings that suggest risky play is positively correlated with levels of PA and outdoor settings. / Graduate

Over past decades, the face of Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC)has changed substantially. It has been shaped by two dominant policy discourses: the discourse of market theory, and, more recently, the discourse of parent and community participation. The intertwining of these two seemingly opposing discourses has led to the positioning of parents both as consumers of ECEC and as participants in ECEC. Each of these perspectives promotes a particular way of fulfilling the role of parent in ECEC. Reflecting general marketing principles, the primary role of parent as consumer is seen as selecting the right service for their child and family. In contrast, while arguably more ambiguous in meaning, the role of parent as participant promotes a partnership approach, and, increasingly, parental involvement in decision making at both service and public policy levels. Each of these roles has been constructed for parents by governments and policymakers, with little reference to the views and experiences of parents using ECEC. Seeking to address this gap in the ECEC knowledge base, the present study investigated the qualitatively different ways in which parents constitute their role in Australian ECEC. The study focused on two related aspects of the role of parents: (1) the role of parents in using ECEC services; and (2) the role of parents in shaping ECEC public policy. To describe these roles, as viewed and experienced by parents, and to reveal possible variation therein, the study engaged a phenomenographic research approach (Bowden & Walsh, 2000; Marton & Booth, 1997). Twenty-six parents participated in the study. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews with individual parents and subjected to a rigorous process of phenomenographic analysis. The study results are presented in two parts. With respect to the role of parents using ECEC, the study led to the construction of five categories of description, denoting five distinctly different ways of seeing and experiencing this role. The role of parents was seen as: (1) selecting and using the best service for their child (the service user conception); (2) knowing what's happening for their child in the service (the informed user conception); (3) paying for a service, and, thereby, enacting certain consumer rights (the consumer conception); (4) supporting their selected service and having some say in what happens for their child at the service (the partnership conception); and (5) working as a member of the service community for the benefit of all concerned, which includes participating in decision making (the member of a service community conception). Taking a broader perspective, the study again revealed variation in how parents constituted their role in shaping ECEC policy, leading to the construction of four categories of description. The role of parents was seen as: (1) no role in shaping ECEC public policy (the no role conception); (2) being informed about policy that affects their child and family, raising any concerns and/or seeking a change to current or proposed policy (the raising concerns conception); (3) having some say in policy matters that affect their child and family (the having some say conception); and (4) participating in policy decision making, particularly where this is likely to affect their child and family (the participating in policy decision making conception). The study highlights variation in how these roles are constituted by parents, inclusive of the basic concepts of parent as consumer and parent as participant. In addition, the study offers an insider perspective on these two "dominant common-sense understandings" (Vincent & Martin, 2000, p. 2) of the role of parents, prompting questions about their future in ECEC policy. As an example of "developmental phenomenography" (Bowden, 2000b, p. 3), the study also identifies factors perceived by parents as influencing their participation at various levels, and discusses implications for both policy and practice. Finally, the study extends the general phenomenographic area of interest, from education to public policy research. Within this area, phenomenography is seen to offer a useful and pragmatic research tool, facilitating the identification and consideration of different constituent views and experiences, and, thereby, signifying more possible options for action.

The introduction of a universal, full-time Preparatory Year in all Queensland schools from 2007 is a significant reform in early childhood education and care (ECEC) in that state. Rapidly increasing enrolment of children in full-time Preparatory Year programs in non-government schools has been a feature of the Queensland context over the past decade. These trends, along with efforts towards consistency of services and universal school starting ages across Australian states and territories have prompted this important reform to early education in Queensland. Constructions of the role of parents as consumers of early childhood services and/or partners in their children's early education suggest that consideration of parent views of this reform is both timely and strategic. This thesis reports the findings of a research project investigating parent conceptions of a Preparatory Year in a non-government school in outer urban Queensland. The research used a phenomenographic approach to elicit and describe the qualitatively different ways in which a group of 26 parents viewed the Preparatory Year. Analysis revealed that the range of parent conceptions of the Preparatory Year demonstrated varying emphasis on parent needs, child needs and preparation for future success in school and beyond. The study led to the construction of five categories of description outlining five different ways of understanding the Preparatory Year. The Preparatory Year was viewed in relation to (1) the current needs of the parents, (2) the current needs of the child, (3) preparation for Year One, (4) providing an advantage in primary school, and (5) preparation for future success beyond school. These five categories were linked and differentiated from each other by two central themes, or dimensions of variation: (1) a beneficiary dimension in which either the parent or the child were seen to benefit from the program, and (2) a temporal dimension in which the program was viewed in relation to meeting current needs or preparing for the future. The results of the study suggest that variation exists in the ways that parents may conceptualise the phenomenon of the Preparatory Year in Queensland. Analysis of the data further suggests that tensions exist around whether the Preparatory Year ought to emphasise preparation for the future and/or meet current needs of children; and whether those programs should meet the needs of the parent and/or the needs of the child. This thesis opens up the possibility of future tensions, with the potential for parent preferences for a formal interpretation of the Preparatory Year curriculum being at odds with the new play-based Early Years Curriculum Guidelines. Results of the study suggest that more attention be given to engaging parents and eliciting their views of the early childhood programs experienced by their children. Moreover, it provides an approach for ways in which parent views might be generated, analysed and incorporated into future policy developments and reforms.

From previous experiences, different perceptions of risky play have been noticed. This study therefore aims to shed light on the early childhood education center (ECEC) teachers’ approach to and perceptions of risky play in ECEC outdoor environment. In order to make approaches and perceptions visible, nine semistructured interviews have been conducted with ECEC teachers. The semistructured interviews and the study are based on the socio-cultural perspectivewhere the concepts of proximal development zone, scaffolding and mediating tools are of importance.The result shows that risky play is seen from two different perspectives: risk of injury or as a chance for challenging the children. The risky plays occur in the ECEC’s outdoor environment; however, the possibility of scaffolding varies, though on the other hand, the children encourage each other to participation.Caregivers and the outdoor environment are the external factors that influence the children’s opportunities for risky play, though they do not influence the ECEC teachers’ attitude. Throughout the result, the risk of the play is an underlying focus, though despite this, several advantages are described.The conclusion is that risky play is significant for children’s development. The lack of risky play inhibits the children and can lead to negative consequences in the long term. / Från tidigare erfarenheter har olika uppfattningar om riskfylld lek uppmärksammats. Denna studie har därför som syfte att belysa förskollärares förhållningssätt till och uppfattning av riskfylld lek i förskolans utomhusmiljö. För att kunna synliggöra förhållningssättet och uppfattningarna har nio semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med förskollärare. De semistrukturerade intervjuerna och studien i helhet utgår från det sociokulturella perspektivet där begreppen proximal utvecklingszon, stöttning och medierande redskap är av betydelse.I resultatet framkommer att riskfylld lek ses från två olika perspektiv; risk för skador eller chans till utmaning. De riskfyllda lekarna sker i förskolans utomhusmiljö, men möjligheten till stöttning varierar, däremot uppmuntrar barnen varandra till deltagande. Vårdnadshavare och utomhusmiljön är de yttre faktorer som påverkar barnens möjligheter till riskfylld lek, men de påverkar inte förskollärarnas inställning. Genom hela resultatet ligger lekens risk som ett underliggande fokus, men trots detta beskrivs flera fördelar. Den slutsats som kunde dras är hur betydelsefull den riskfyllda leken är för barnens utveckling då bristen av riskfylld lek hämmar barnen och kan leda till negativa konsekvenser på lång sikt.

Play is the primary activity of childhood. It is connected to other areas of child’s development, therefore through play, children improve skills and abilities. The most common categorization of play is into the developmental and social aspect of play. The highest level of play is achieved when the true social play occurs. The ideal setting for social play to occur is early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions. ECEC in Croatia is striving for inclusion of children with difficulties/special needs, as stated in Croatian ECEC leading documents. In this study, these children will be referred to as children in need of special support since is perceived that name reflects the bio-psycho-social model of disability that recognizes issues in child´s functioning, apart from the child itself, coming from the environment. All the services, for children in need of special support, including ECEC are disability-based. It has been found that children in need of special support experience problems during play which affects other domains of development. The purpose of the study is to investigate play of children in need of special support and the factors, i.e., facilitators and barriers for their play. Play of the children in need of special support is chosen to be explored through the perception of their parents and educators with the use of the grounded theory approach. After collecting data through interviews and preformed data analysis, characteristics of play children in need of special support display together with the factors that affect play positively or negatively emerged. Factors were found to affect children’s play directly or indirectly. The most outstanding facilitators for children’s play were found to be the parents’ and educators’ actions and attitudes regarding the importance of play. The most substantial barriers were found to lie in the children’s characteristics concerning play which were tended to be perceived as consequences of their difficulties and diagnosis-based educational and social systems. Furthermore, the schooling system forcing ECEC institutions to focus on early preparedness for academic success, putting play aside emerged as a notable barrier for the play.

I förskolan finns det barn som av olika anledningar har svårt i leken. Denna studie har i syfte att belysa hur ett organiserat arbetssätt kan främja och stötta de barn som har svårigheter i lek. Det arbetssättet är speciella lekgrupper. För att synliggöra hur arbetet med speciella lekgrupper kan organiseras har en kvalitativ studie genomförts. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med sex pedagoger i två olika kommuner för att få pedagogernas uppfattningar om arbetet, samt urskilja eventuella möjligheter och utmaningar. Med hjälp av det sociokulturella perspektivet och de centrala begreppen; proximal utvecklingszon, medierande redskap och scaffolding, analyserades resultaten. I resultatet framkommer att leken har en väsentlig roll för barns utveckling samt att redskap och lekmaterial bidrar till samspel och en inkluderande lek. Pedagogerna har en närvarande roll som stöttar och stärker barnen i det sociala samspelet. Resultatet synliggör att arbetet med lekgrupper har sina utmaningar, såsom tid- och personalbrist. Pedagogerna lyfter flera fördelar och möjligheter med sitt arbete kring speciella lekgrupper. En slutsats är att det är av stor vikt att barn med svårigheter i lek får tillgång till en miljö där de med hjälp av omgivningen kan få stöttning i sin lekutveckling. / In Early Childhood Education and care (ECEC), there are children who, for various reasons, find it difficult to play. The purpose of this study is to highlight how an organized way of working can promote and support children who have difficulties in play. That way of working is special play groups. In order to make it visible how the work with special playgroups can be organized, a qualitative study has been carried out. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six pedagogues in two different municipalities to get the pedagogues' perception of the work and to see any opportunities and challenges. Using the socio-cultural perspective and the central concepts; proximal development zone, mediating tools and scaffolding, the results were analyzed. The results show that play has an essential role in children's development and that tools and play materials contribute to interaction and inclusive play. The educators have a present role that supports and strengthens the children in the social interaction. The result makes visible that work with playgroups has its challenges, such as a lack of time and staff. The educators highlight several advantages and opportunities with their work around special playgroups. One conclusion is that it is of great importance that children with play difficulties have access to an environment where they can receive support in their play development with the help of the environment.

Children have the by law regulated right to an equal education and they also have the right to equivalence in their education. Furthermore, it is also important that their education should lead to equity. Equal, equivalence and equity are different words used in the same context. They stand for somewhat different meanings, but they are used as an important objective of the educational system. Equivalence is a word with a wide meaning and how you define the word might impact your educational practice of equivalence somewhat differently. Although the meaning of equivalence as a concept have differed during the past decades, it is an important part of the school policies in Sweden. This means that although the School law and the Curriculum regulating the Early Childhood Education and Care regards equivalence as an important part of our children’s education, the people implementing the concept might actualize equivalence differently. The purpose of our study is to explore how four principals' and four assistant principals' reasons about their implementation of the equivalent education in preschools from eight different catchment areas. We also wish to study if there are any significant variation in the implementation strategies between the two municipalities (equable in their population) regarding an equal education for the youngest children in the educational system. In our study we used qualitative interviews with prepared questions as a method for gathering our empiric material. After transcribing the interviews, we used specific keywords to search through the material as a preparation for a content analysis of the transcribed interviews. Our theoretical basis used in our results is selected models of implementation strategies, including the aspects that may influence the process of implementation. Our result points to both similarities and variations in our respondents reasoning. We also found that different strategies are used in separate stages of the implementation process. These different strategies also use variations in the distribution of accountability within the chain of implementation participants.