The purpose of this study was to gain knowledge of what preschool teachers think that mathematics in kindergarten is, and if the revised curriculum which came in July 2010 changed their approach. The survey consists of interviews of five preschool teacher and an aspiring preschool teacher. They have shared their experiences and knowledge about what they regard as mathematics in kindergarten. I asked how they interpret the new curriculum for math and if it has made them work in a different way or if they do as the used to. The results that came up where that they felt that their views on mathematics have changed. One of my informants said "I have put on the mathematics glasses now". They felt that they worked more deliberately now, that it is mathematics they are doing and they have gained a greater understanding of what mathematics is. Now they can see the mathematics in everyday life and in everything they do with the kids. And they felt that the new curriculum has become clearer, it is easier to read and they now sees their obligations received from the Government.

Små barn visar tidigt intresse för naturkunskap och det är förskolans uppdrag att fånga upp och ta tillvara detta intresse. Examensarbetet syftar till att undersöka hur förskollärare arbetar för att stimulera barns intresse för naturkunskap. Studien baseras på sex kvalitativa intervjuer med förskollärare från tre olika förskolor i en medelstor svensk stad. Studien behandlar hur förskollärare ser på innebörden av ett utforskande arbetssätt samt hur de tar barns intresse för naturkunskap vidare. Resultatet är att förskollärarna stimulerar barns intresse för naturkunskap genom att vara närvarande, ställa framåtsträvande frågor, fotografera händelser, diskutera i arbetslaget och genom att arbeta efter ett temainriktat arbetssätt. Slutsatsen är att förskollärarna i studien, till stor del, har en god vilja och ett engagemang att stimulera barns intresse för naturkunskap och de delger oss många goda och konkreta exempel på hur detta kan göras. / Young children show early interest in science and it is the preschool’s mission to capture and exploit this interest. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how preschool teachers work to stimulate children’s interest in science. The study is based on six qualitative interviews with preschool teachers from three different preschools in a medium-sized Swedish city. The study addresses what an exploratory approach means to the preschool teachers and how they work to take the children’s interest in science further. The result is that preschool teachers stimulate children’s interest in science by being present, asking ambitious questions, photographing events, discussing in the team and by working theme oriented. The conclusion is that preschool teachers in the study largely has a good will and commitment to stimulate children’s interest in science, and they provide us many good and concrete examples of how this can be done.

This surveys purpose is to find out how educators work with science and technology in preschool, what effects occur if the teaching does not take place and if there’s any difference with the science and technology class in preschool depending on what education the staff has. Four preschool teachers and three childcare workers in six preschools in a small municipality has been interviewed by qualitative interviews. The result shows that the interviewed used activities, experiments, theme work and the free game to teach the children science and technology. Biology is the topic in science that is being worked the most with. Lack of knowledge, interest, time and staff are factors that are seen as obstacles to the work of science and technology. My conclusion is that all educators working with science and technology in preschool but in different ways. One can see the difference between childcare workers and preschool teachers because of their knowledge of the subject. More knowledge results in better teaching.

The aim of this study is to investigate similarities and dissimilarities in the preschools work to prevent infections through hygiene in a municipality. The study was done through a survey of handhygiene among preschool-pedagogues and by analysing written instructions in the preschools and how these are being followed. The results from the survey show that both similarities and dissimilarities exist, both between and within preschools in the municipality. Most pedagogues wash their hands after changing diapers and before eating meals, but not before eating fruits. There is a considerable variation both within and between preschools in their use of handdesinfection and handglowes. Handhygiene instructions for pedagogues and children are missing in many preschools. The response from preschool headmasters to written hygiene instructions was low. Current written instructions in handhygiene could be more detailed. The education in handhygiene among pedagogues has shortages. / Syftet med studien är att undersöka likheter och olikheter i hur handhygien används i det smittförebyggande arbetet på förskolor inom en kommun. Studien görs genom en enkätundersökning om handhygien bland pedagoger samt genom att undersöka vad som står i de skriftliga hygienanvisningarna på förskolorna och hur dessa efterföljs. Resultatet från enkätundersökningen visar att både likheter och olikheter finns såväl mellan som inom förskolorna i kommunen. De flesta pedagoger tvättar händerna efter blöjbyten och före mat, detta gäller dock inte handtvätt då frukt ska ätas. Det föreligger stora skillnader både inom och mellan förskolorna då handdesinfektion och användning av handskar är aktuella. En tredjedel av pedagogerna anser att skriftliga anvisningar om handhygien saknas. 38 % av förskoleavdelningarna anser att det saknas skriftliga rutiner för barnens handhygien. Svarsfrekvensen från förskolecheferna på skriftliga hygienanvisningar var låg. Aktuella anvisningarna om handhygien kunde vara mer utförliga. Utbildning inom handhygien bland pedagogerna har brister.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 236-261). / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / xii, 261 leaves, bound 29 cm

The study of preschool children's peer relations has primarily employed sociometric interviews and observations of children's social participation during free-play situations as methods of assessment. These assessments of peer relations have traditionally demonstrated lack of fit between attitude (as measured by sociometry) and behavior (observation of social participation). Often, sociometric peer preference and acceptance does not correspond to children's observation of social participation during freeplay. The present study was designed to improve this attitude-behavior fit by developing the Crystallized Sociometric Scales which employed post stratification of opinion responses. Subjects consisted of 65 preschool children between three- to five- years- of age, divided into two preschool groups of 45 and 20 subjects. Interviews on both the traditional sociometric scales and the crystallized sociometric (weighted with questions on peer exclusivity and friendship concept) were obtained. Observation of social participation used Parten's category of play with interval time sampling. Sociometric analyses of data provided a child by child picture of the social structure of the peer group. The discrepancy scores between social participation and the traditional and crystallized sociometric variables were compared using t-tests. Results indicated that peer exclusivity provided the best attitude-behavior fit and was significantly better than the traditional nomination score. The level of the friendship concept did not affect the social participation of children. Crystallized ratings were not significantly different from the traditional ratings. The stability of the Crystallized Sociometric Scales was moderate, although it was significantly better than the traditional sociometric scales. It was concluded that crystallized sociometric nominations provide a methodology to improve the attitude-behavior fit. Although correlated, sociometry and social participation measure different aspects of peer relations whose relationship can be influenced by measurement procedures. / Graduation date: 1992

Thesis (MEd)--University of South Australia, 1995

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2007. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Mar. 3, 2008). Directed by Linda L. Hestenes; submitted to the School of Human Environmental Sciences. Includes bibliographical references (p. 114-123).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Australia, 2006.

Thesis(M.S.)--Auburn University, 2005. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references (p.74-81).