Many Christian faith-based preschools in the Oyo State of Nigeria are realising that spiritual development is an essential part of young children’s natural growth and should be given due attention. Accordingly, activities at preschools should be geared to support young children’s spiritual development. In conjunction with the administrators, the preschool teachers at Christian faith-based schools are charged with the responsibility of attending to the spiritual development of young children in their care. This research study examined factors affecting the spiritual development of young children in the Oyo State of Nigeria by employing a qualitative method with phenomenological research design. The research highlighted realities via developmental theories regarding the spiritual development of young children; government’s stand on the spiritual development of young children; how spiritual development of young children is facilitated in an early childhood setting; the benefits of spiritual development during early childhood; and the implications of spiritual development for practice in the Oyo State of Nigeria. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, observation of practices and document analyses of the records of four preschools. All were purposefully selected, including the twenty teachers and four administrators. The results of the research revealed that all the pre-school teachers who showed interest in fostering spirituality in young children should gain experience, understanding and training in best practices. It was also found that although the Nigerian government has policies and curricula for early childhood education (ECE), these do not include spirituality or faith-based teaching. Further, to exacerbate the situation, the government does not monitor and evaluate the implementation of policies and ECE curricula. This study discovered that preschool teachers have a general understanding of how to enhance the spiritual development of young children by drawing on their own (i.e. the preschool teachers’) personal spiritual development processes, which should be complemented by formal training. The benefits of spiritual development in young children include the inculcation of sound moral values, feelings of joy, academic excellence, unity and development in the community, the development of committed future leaders and the promotion of national peace. The research study recommends that the government of Nigeria intervene in early childhood education by providing financial support and formal training for preschool teachers in the area of spiritual development of young children and by motivating administrators and preschool teachers to be more cooperative and creative in including spiritual development in their school’s curriculum. / Early Childhood Education

Syftet med uppgiften är att få kunskap om hur pedagoger uppfattar och ser på teknik i förskolan. För att undersöka detta har jag formulerat följande övergripande frågeställningar: Hur resonerar, uppfattar och ser pedagoger på begreppet teknik?, samt Hur arbetar pedagogerna med teknik i förskolan? Som metod har jag valt semistrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer som tolkas utifrån fenomenologisk teori och sex pedagoger vid sex olika verksamheter i en kommun har intervjuats. Pedagogerna i studien ser teknikämnet som något positivt och tycker det är kul, men framför att många i deras arbetslag finner en viss rädsla för ämnet. Teknik behöver inte vara svårt och går att fånga i vardagen på förskolan, men det svåra är att medvetandegöra för barnen att de arbetar med teknik. Av studiens resultat framkommer att teknik på förskolorna framför allt är bygg- och konstruktion med olika strukturerade och ostrukturerade material, och att aktiviteter sker främst spontant och äger rum året runt både inomhus och utomhus.

Cultural play songs are a world wide phenomenon in which children participate. The current research explored settings where such cultural play songs occur; both in and outside of pre-schools. Despite the availability of play songs in most cultural contexts, combined with children's natural inclination to be actively involved in playing and singing games, these cultural assets are generally not considered as a pedagogical tool in Early Childhood Education (ECE). Therefore, the aim of this research was to investigate the pedagogical significance of cultural play songs found in and outside of pre-schools for ECE. In this study, I investigated how play songs take place in both settings in order to reveal commonalities and differences so that, when taken together, this knowledge would enhance the understanding of how educators could optimally use play songs in ECE contexts. An ethnographic research design was conducted within a qualitative paradigm, incorporating non-participant observation, complete participant observation, video recordings, and face-to-face interviews. For the first part of data collection within pre-school settings, participants included thirty teachers from twenty pre-schools in seven provinces of Zambia. During the second part of data collection in a simulated out of school setting, participants included eighteen pre-school children and an expert on cultural play songs. This resource person facilitated sixteen cultural play song sessions in which the children and I actively participated. Video recordings were made of all cultural play song activities in both settings, supporting non-participant as well as complete participant observasions. This empirical data provided evidence regarding the pedagogical value of play songs as a cultural resource. As a result, play songs were collected in order to be preserved and promoted for future use in ECE, thus defying the simplistic view that they are mere entertainment. By drawing on Vygotsky's socio-cultural learning theory and African traditional education perspectives as theoretical framework, the study equally makes a scholary contribution towards play songs as a valuable indigenous tool for teaching and learning in ECE. The results of the study indicate the following concerning cultural play songs: Firstly, there is limited to non use of these songs in Zambian pre-schools compared to English rhymes and Sunday school songs; secondly, they are not currently considered as valid resources for teaching and learning; and thirdly, their use in ECE depends on the teacher's knowledge, skills and perceptions, as well as on the attitudes of school administration and parents. Recommendations are made for flexible methodologies which nurture linkages between music practice in and outside of school settings. Play songs as cultural resources support teacher and learner interactions in musically and playfully stimulated environments. / Thesis (DMus)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Music / DMus / Unrestricted

Magister Educationis - MEd / This thesis is a record and analysis of as well as a commentary on an emancipatory.educational action research project in which I participated at three educare centres serving 0 - 6 year old children in Nyanga, Philippi and Old Crossroads of Cape Town, South Africa. The study sprang from my need to examine closely the work I was doing as a volunteer in the hope of maximizing my efforts to bring about sustainable change in these challenging settings. . Ultimately my goal was safe, healthy and stimulating educare. I chose what I perceived to be a few important areas for improvement which reflected both the teachers' prior educare training as offered in several non-governmental organizations in Cape Town as well as ideas which I contributed from my own readings and studies. Room arrangement to ease flow and promote independent, individual learning was one area. Establishing routines in a daily programme that encouraged children to become interested and responsible members of the educare community, that fairly divided teacher tasks and that increased child/teacher interactions was another area for improvement. The thesis includes a discussion in Chapter 3 of emancipatory educational action research as a good vehicle for the work I undertook with all the teachers in each of the three centres. Central to this choice was my participation in change including change within myself as a volunteer in-service field worker. Flexibility in timing, including delays and many repetitions, were a feature of my work with women whose lives of grinding poverty were at the mercy of tragedy and disaster as well as time-consuming tasks making for absenteeism. The main benefit of this form of research was its potential for growth in self-esteem and empowerment in individual teachers as they witnessed the benefits of their planned work multiply at the centres. I divided the work at each centre into three phases. The first included getting to know the centre, its teachers and children and making decisions around what tasks to undertake. In the same phase the teachers and I began to work on the identified areas. In the second phase, I introduced the teachers to teachers at other successful educare centres so that linkages could be established that would strengthen the work we were doing and broaden their base of support. Ultimately, I intended that this would allow me to decrease my presence and input gradually while change continued at the three centres. The third phase involved the teachers at a centre plowing back their new skills into the wider network of Mustadafin Foundation educare centres in which they were involved and which needed similar assistance. I have presented a new understanding for sustainable change resulting from this study and it is my hope that donors and others involved in community upliftment will understand that continued input and follow-up involvement need to accompany material gifts and intensive upgrading. Finally, I have written what I hope is a very readable thesis so that the teachers involved can read their own and each others' stories as I have done my best to record and interpret them.

This study aims to gain deeper insights in digital technology supported teaching in Swedish early childhood education (ECE) settings. Introduction of digital goals in Swedish ECE curriculum obliges preschool teachers to integrate digital technologies into educational practices and calls for a relevant definition and a defined content for this teaching area. By examining teachers’ perspectives, this thesis contributes to obtaining valuable experience-based knowledge that can eventually fill the existing research gap.   In a curriculum context, digital technologies have traditionally been associated with technology as a teaching tool, while digital goals (i.e., training children’s digital competence) redefine technology as a teaching content. However, integrating digital technologies in educational practices is still reported to be a challenge, and preschool teachers demonstrate ambivalent attitudes towards use of digital technologies in play-based pedagogy. Previous research has shown that to embed technologies in preschool practices, teachers need to enhance their technological knowledge, which involves a complex coupling between technical knowledge and pedagogical expertise. In the study, eleven preschool teachers were interviewed. A phenomenographic approach was used to identify and analyze the teachers’ conceptions. As a result, several categories related to digital technology use were discerned in teachers’ descriptions. Teaching situations were identified within both planned and spontaneous activities whilst activities for entertainment, relaxation and staff relief were referred to as mere “media consumption”. Paradoxically, nearly all teachers define digital technology supported teaching as a goal-directed, planned and adult-led activity. However, plenty of examples given by the teachers show that situations originating from spontaneous use of digital technology, particularly tablets, play an essential role in everyday teaching practices. Such a rigid understanding of the teaching concept on a definition level may have a counterproductive effect on ECE task with a traditional focus on child-initiated, spontaneous activities.  Other findings show that various combinations of hard- and software (apps) may offer teachers multiple teaching options. However, lack of time and technical knowledge in one group of teachers is reported to lead to a scarce use of technologies. In most examples, digital technology is described as a teaching tool for training language, science, mathematics, or arts, while technology as a content is seen as a challenging task and focuses mainly on introducing programmable toys. The teachers describe several examples where technology does not align with their didactic intentions. However, tablet with Google Search is the technology that demonstrates both frequent and organic use. Providing immediate answers on the screen, tablets enable to capture children’s spontaneous questions and, at the same time, support teachers’ educational goals. The preschool teachers’ critical observations and didactic value judgements can contribute with a more nuanced view on what a particular digital technology makes possible in a certain teaching situation.   Key words: early childhood education (ECE), preschool, digital technology supported teaching, digital competence, tablet, phenomenography, teachers’ beliefs. / Studiens syfte är att bidra med fördjupad kunskap om undervisning relaterad till digitala tekniker i förskolan. Två uppdrag i den reviderade läroplanen Lpfö18 – undervisningsuppdraget och digitaliseringsuppdraget ­­- innebär att alla förskollärare har ansvar för att organisera undervisning som inkluderar digitala tekniker. Vad som ingår i denna undervisning och hur den ska bedrivas är dock inte självklart. Genom att undersöka förskollärares perspektiv kan studien bidra med att mejsla ut professionskunskap i detta innehållområde och ge viktiga insikter för både praktiken och den fortsatta forskningen.     Den digitala teknikens funktioner i förskolans läroplan formuleras på två skilda kvalitativa sätt: som ett verktyg för att nå ett visst mål eller som ett mål i sig, i syfte att utveckla barns digitala kompetens. Förskolan och digitala tekniker kan beskrivas ha en ”problematisk relation” där många förskollärare fortfarande känner sig oförberedda och tveksamma inför integreringen av digital teknik i lekbaserad pedagogik. Tidigare forskning visar att förskollärare behöver både teknisk och didaktisk kompetens kring användandet av en viss teknik.  Studien utgår från den fenomenografiska ansatsen som ett sätt att närma sig fenomenet undervisning relaterad till digitala tekniker i förskolan och baseras på intervjuer med 11 förskollärare. Flera kategorier har urskilts som representerar hur undervisning och andra aktiviteter relaterade till digitala tekniker beskrivs av förskollärarna på kvalitativt olika sätt.  Undervisningssituationer identifierades inom både planerade och spontana aktiviteter medan underhållande, avkopplande och avlastande aktiviteter uppfattades endast som tidsfördrift och ”konsumtion” av digital teknik. Förskollärares definition av undervisning relaterad till digitala tekniker som en målstyrd, planerad och vuxenledd aktivitet står i stark konstrast till många exempel där det återkommande lyfts spontana aktiviteter. En sådan rigid förståelse av begreppet undervisning i förskolan kan verka kontraproduktivt och bidra till en skolifiering av förskolan.  Ett annat resultat visar att olika kombinationer av hård- och mjukvaror (appar) i olika sammanhang erbjuder varierande, multipla användningsområden i undervisningen. Samtidigt uppges brist på tid och teknisk kunskap orsaka en begränsad användning av teknik i en grupp lärare. Medan digitala tekniker som ett verktyg beskrivs med fördel användas i naturvetenskapliga projekt, skapande och språkarbete, refererar de flesta förskollärare endast till programmerbara robotar som exempel på digitala tekniker som ett mål, vilket endast utgör en del i det arbetet. Studiens resultat visar att digitala tekniker inte alltid lyckas ge stöd åt förskollärarnas didaktiska målsättningar. Samtidigt är datorplatta med sökmotor Google ett exempel på teknik som både används frekvent och organiskt, dvs. i harmoni med barnens idéer och förskollärarens didaktiska intentioner. Med hjälp av sökmotorn får förskollärare och barn en omedelbar tillgång till information vilket skapar ett konstant flöde av barnens spontana frågor och svar från datorplattan som kan läsas eller visas direkt. Studiens resultat innebär att förskollärares observationer och kritiskt didaktiska reflektioner kan ligga till grund för vad som faktiskt blir möjligt att erbjuda barn i undervisning.

Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / The fostering of self-regulation is of great importance in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) phase, because it leads to future self-discipline. The aim of the study was to understand the participants’ ways of fostering self-regulation during free play in three primary schools in Zimbabwe. The theoretical frameworks of the study, namely positive psychology and Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory (SDT), as well as the Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT), regarded the learners’ support for autonomy, competence and relatedness as key characteristics of positive discipline that support the development of self-regulation. Benner’s interpretive phenomenology method was used with the aim of describing and interpreting participants’ experiences of the phenomenon under study. The social constructivism paradigm underpinned the study and the approach was qualitative. Data collection and analysis were guided by Benner’s interpretive phenomenological method. A paradigm case, themes and exemplars were used in data presentation, discussion and interpretation. Findings showed that free-play activities consisted of, for instance, socio-dramatic play, indoor play in play corners and outdoor play. The common practices used by the participants to foster self-regulation through positive discipline were co-regulation, positive reinforcement, time-out and logical consequences. Teachers and learners often perceived the teachers’ use of time-out and logical consequences as punishment rather than positive discipline, because of the rigidity of its application without considering psychosocial needs. The findings, however, were consistent with an understanding of fostering self-regulation through positive discipline during free play by nurturing the learners’ psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness, as well as mindfulness. Research proposed mindfulness as a possible fourth basic psychological need. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for achieving a better and sustainable future for all people by 2030, participants perceived the fostering of self-regulation through positive discipline as part of gender education for eradicating gender-based violence and to foster resilience. / Selfregulering moet in die vroeë kinderjare reeds by klein kinders gekweek word sodat hulle later in die lewe in staat sal wees om selfdissipline aan die dag te lê. Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel hoe die deelnemers by drie laerskole in Zimbabwe gedurende vrye spel selfregulering by leerders gekweek het. Die drie teoretiese raamwerke waarop hierdie studie berus, is die positiewe sielkunde, Deci en Ryan se selfbeskikkingsteorie (SBT) en die teorie van basiese psigososiale behoeftes (TBSB). Hiervolgens is die bevrediging van kinders se behoefte aan outonomie, bedrewenheid (‘competence’) en verhoudings (‘relatedness’) voorvereistes vir die positiewe dissiplinering waarmee selfregulering by hulle gekweek word. Benner se metode van interpretatiewe fenomenologie is gevolg om deelnemers se belewing van die fenomeen te beskryf en te vertolk. Die sosiale konstruktivisme het die grondslag van hierdie studie gevorm, en die benadering was kwalitatief. Data is volgens Benner se metode van interpretatiewe fenomenologie ingewin en ontleed. ʼn Paradigmageval, temas en voorbeelde (‘exemplars’) is in die aanbieding, bespreking en interpretasie van data gebruik. Volgens die bevindings het vryespelaktiwiteite bestaan uit onder meer sosiaal-dramatiese spel, binnenshuise spel in speelhoekies, en buitelugspel. Die praktyke waarvolgens deelnemers selfregulering deur positiewe dissiplinering gekweek het, was onderlinge regulering, positiewe versterking, afkoeltyd en logiese gevolge. Onderwysers en leerders het afkoeltyd en logiese gevolge nie as positiewe dissiplinering nie, maar eerder as straf belewe aangesien dit streng toegepas word en nie met die kind se psigososiale behoeftes rekening hou nie. Die bevindings strook egter met ons siening van die kweek van selfregulering deur positiewe dissiplinering tydens vrye spel deur leerders se psigososiale behoefte aan outonomie, bedrewenheid (‘comptetence’), verhoudings (‘relatedness’) en bewustheid (‘mindfulness’) te bevredig. Navorsers stel bewustheid (‘mindfulness’) as ʼn vierde basiese psigososiale behoefte voor. In ooreenstemming met die Doelwitte vir Volhoubare Ontwikkeling (DVO’s) vir ʼn beter en volhoubare toekoms vir alle mense teen 2030, het deelnemers gevind dat die kweek van selfregulering deur positiewe dissiplinering deel uitmaak van genderopvoeding as teenvoeter vir geslagsgeweld, en vindingrykheid aanwakker. / Ukukhuthaza ukuzilawula kubaluleke kakhulu esigabeni sokuThuthukiswa Kwabantwana Abasebancane (i-ECD phase), ngoba kuholela ekuzikhalimeni esikhathini esizayo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo bekuwukuqonda izindlela zababambiqhaza zokukhuthaza ukuzilawula ngesikhathi sokudlala ngokukhululeka ezikoleni ezintathu zamabanga aphansi eZimbabwe. Izinhlaka zombono wezinzululwazi zalolu cwaningo, ezaziwa ngokuthi okuhle kwengqondo kanye noMbono Wenzululwazi kaDeci noRyan Wokuzimisela (i-SDT), kanye noMbono Wenzululwazi Wezidingo Eziyisisekelo Zokuphathelene Nenggqondo (i-BPNT), zithathe ukwesekwa kwabafundi njengokuzimele, ikhono kanye nokuhlobana njengezimpawu ezisemqoka zokukwazi ukuzikhalima okuhle okusekela ukuthuthukiswa kokuzilawula. Kusetshenziswe indlela kaBenner yokuhumusha okwenzekile ngenhloso yokuchaza nokuhumusha okwenzeke kubabambiqhaza kulokho okufundwa ngako. Inqubo yokwakhiwa kwezenhlalakahle iyona esekele ucwaningo kanti futhi indlela yokwenza ibibheka amaqiniso. Ukuqoqwa kwemininingo nokuhlaziywa bekuncike endleleni kaBenner yokuhumusha okwenzekile. Kwasetshenziswa izimo semiqondo, izingqikithi kanye nezibonelo ukwethula imininingo, izingxoxo nokuhumusha. Okutholakele kukhombisile ukuthi ukudlala ngokukhululeka kubandakanya, ngokwesibonelo, ukudlala ngokulingisa ezenhlalo, ukudlala endlini emakhoneni okudlala kanye nokudlala ngaphandle. Imikhuba ejwayelekile esetshenziswa ngababambiqhaza ukukhuthaza ukuzilawula ngokusebenzisa ukukhalima okukahle kwakungukulawula ngokubambisana, ukukhuthaza okuhle, ukuqedwa komdlalo kanye nemiphumela eyenza umqondo. Othisha nabafundi babevame ukubona ukuqedwa komdlalo nemiphumela eyenza umqondo njengento esetshenziswa ngothisha njengesijeziso kunokukhalima okuhle, ngenxa yobukhuni bokusetshenziswa kwako ngaphandle kokubheka izidingo zomqondo. Okutholakele, nokho, bekuhambisana nokuqonda kokukhuthaza ukuzilawula ngokukhalima okukahle ngesikhathi sokudlala ngokukhululeka ngokunakekela izidingo zabafundi zokuphathelene nengqondo ekuzimeleni, ikhono kanye nokuhlobana, kanye nokuqaphela izinto. Ucwaningo luhlongoze ukuqaphela izinto njengesidingo sesine esiyisisekelo kokuphathelene nengqondo. Ngokuhambisanayo neziNjongo Zokuthuthukiswa Okusinokusimama (ama-SDG) ukuze kufezeke ikusasa elingcono nelinokusimama kubantu bonke ngonyaka ka- 2030, ababambiqhaza babona ukukhuthaza ukuzilawula ngokuzikhalima okukahle njengengxenye yemfundo yobulili ukuze kuncishiswe udlame oluncike ebulilini futhi kukhuthazwe ukuqina. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)