<p>Tidigare forskning behandlar vad och hur mycket barn äter samt hur mycket och på vilket sätt barn är fysiskt aktiva. Syftet med studien var därför att beskriva förskolepersonals syn på små barns rörelse- och matvanor samt på hur de kan stötta föräldrar till att skapa hälsosamma vanor för sina barn. Sex semistrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer genomfördes med personer som arbetat inom förskola i minst 15 år. Intervjuerna spelades in med hjälp av diktafon vartefter de transkriberades och analyserades. Resultatet kunde delas in i tre kategorier: <em>Små barns rörelse- och matvanor på och utanför förskola</em>, <em>Faktorer som påverkar små barns rörelse- och matvanor</em> samt <em>Kommunikation som stöd till föräldrar</em>. Informanterna ansåg att små barn främst rör på sig genom organiserade aktiviteter utanför förskola. Informanterna ansåg att små barn äter mer på förskola än utanför, vilket kan förklaras av bekanta rutiner i kombination med en positiv och social kontext. Informanterna ansåg att de kan stötta föräldrar till att skapa hälsosamma vanor för sina barn genom kommunikation, samtidigt som de försöker få föräldrar att känna sig självständiga i sin föräldraroll genom att inte påpeka vad de anser är rätt eller fel. Då det framkom att informanterna upplever att många föräldrar är osäkra i sin roll och att de anser att det påverkar små barns rörelse- och matvanor, så vore det intressant att intervjua föräldrar om deras uppfattning av hur de kan stärkas i sin föräldraroll.</p> / <p>Previous studies have focused on what and how much children eat and also how much and in what way children are physical active. Therefore the aim of this study was to describe preschool teachers’ view of young children’s physical activity and eating habits and of how they can support parents to create healthy habits for their children. Six semi structured interviews were conducted with persons that have been working within preschool for at least 15 years. The interviews were recorded with a dictating machine and then transcribed and analyzed. The results were divided into three categories: <em>Young children’s physical activity and eating habits in and outside of preschool</em>, <em>Factors that affects young children’s physical activity and eating habits</em> and <em>Communication as support to parents</em>. The informant’s believed that young children are mainly physical active through organized activities outside of preschool. The informant’s believed that young children eat more at preschool because of familiar routines and a positive and social context. The informant’s try to support parents to create healthy habits for their children by communicating with them, and at the same time they try to make parents feel independent in their role as parents by not pointing out right from wrong. Since the study showed that the informants believed that many parents are insecure in their role as parents and that it affects young children’s physical activity and eating habits, it would be interesting to interview parents about how they believe that they can be strengthened in their role as parents.</p>

Tidigare forskning behandlar vad och hur mycket barn äter samt hur mycket och på vilket sätt barn är fysiskt aktiva. Syftet med studien var därför att beskriva förskolepersonals syn på små barns rörelse- och matvanor samt på hur de kan stötta föräldrar till att skapa hälsosamma vanor för sina barn. Sex semistrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer genomfördes med personer som arbetat inom förskola i minst 15 år. Intervjuerna spelades in med hjälp av diktafon vartefter de transkriberades och analyserades. Resultatet kunde delas in i tre kategorier: Små barns rörelse- och matvanor på och utanför förskola, Faktorer som påverkar små barns rörelse- och matvanor samt Kommunikation som stöd till föräldrar. Informanterna ansåg att små barn främst rör på sig genom organiserade aktiviteter utanför förskola. Informanterna ansåg att små barn äter mer på förskola än utanför, vilket kan förklaras av bekanta rutiner i kombination med en positiv och social kontext. Informanterna ansåg att de kan stötta föräldrar till att skapa hälsosamma vanor för sina barn genom kommunikation, samtidigt som de försöker få föräldrar att känna sig självständiga i sin föräldraroll genom att inte påpeka vad de anser är rätt eller fel. Då det framkom att informanterna upplever att många föräldrar är osäkra i sin roll och att de anser att det påverkar små barns rörelse- och matvanor, så vore det intressant att intervjua föräldrar om deras uppfattning av hur de kan stärkas i sin föräldraroll. / Previous studies have focused on what and how much children eat and also how much and in what way children are physical active. Therefore the aim of this study was to describe preschool teachers’ view of young children’s physical activity and eating habits and of how they can support parents to create healthy habits for their children. Six semi structured interviews were conducted with persons that have been working within preschool for at least 15 years. The interviews were recorded with a dictating machine and then transcribed and analyzed. The results were divided into three categories: Young children’s physical activity and eating habits in and outside of preschool, Factors that affects young children’s physical activity and eating habits and Communication as support to parents. The informant’s believed that young children are mainly physical active through organized activities outside of preschool. The informant’s believed that young children eat more at preschool because of familiar routines and a positive and social context. The informant’s try to support parents to create healthy habits for their children by communicating with them, and at the same time they try to make parents feel independent in their role as parents by not pointing out right from wrong. Since the study showed that the informants believed that many parents are insecure in their role as parents and that it affects young children’s physical activity and eating habits, it would be interesting to interview parents about how they believe that they can be strengthened in their role as parents.

No description available.

Den fria leken på förskolan är ett ämne som vi upplever har diskuterats mycket på senare tid. Studiens utgångspunkt har varit sex förskollärares uppfattningar om den fria lekens betydelse på förskolan. Metoden som använts har varit kvalitativ och utgått från öppna och ostrukturerade intervjuer med förskollärare på sex olika förskolor, i en kommun i Västra Götalands län. Genom intervjuerna har vi studerat på vilket sätt den fria leken används i verksamheten samt hur stort utrymme den får i relation till styrda aktiviteter. Vi har även undersökt vilken roll förskollärare har i leken samt vilka positiva effekter den har. Resultatet av studien visar att förskollärarna ser fri lek som en viktig del i förskoleverksamheten då den utvecklar många förmågor hos barnen, vilket även många författare belyser. De upplever dock att det är svårt att få tiden att räcka till då de har som åsikt att även de styrda aktiviteterna är betydelsefulla för barnen och verksamheten. Förskollärarna är av olika åsikter vad gäller hur de ska agera då barnen leker, några anser att de vuxna ska vara delaktiga medan andra menar att barnen bör få leka ostört. Studien tar även upp hur förskollärarna upplever föräldrars syn på fri lek samt vikten av att kunna motivera för föräldrar vad den fria leken har för betydelse. / The free play at preschool is a topic that we feel has been much discussed recently. Starting point for the study was the six preschool teachers' perceptions of the importance of free play in preschool. The method used has been qualitative and assumed open and unstructured interviews with preschool teachers in six different preschools, in a municipality in Västra Götalands län, Sweden. Through interviews, we have studied the manner in which free play is used in preschool and how much space it gets in relation to controlled activities. We examined the preschool teachers’ role in the play and its positive impact. The results of this study show that preschool teachers see free play as an important part in early childhood education as it develops many abilities of children, as many authors highlight. They feel that it is difficult to make time enough when they have the opinion that even the controlled activities are important for children and preschool. Early childhood educators are in different opinions regarding how to act when children play, some believe that the adults should be involved while others believe that children should play undisturbed. The study also discusses how preschool teachers perceive parents' views on free play and the importance of being able to explain to parents what the play means for the children.

Abstract The aim of this study is to retrieve knowledge about how teachers in the preschool talk about children’s participation and influence in the work of pedagogical documentation, and what they think about children’s integrity associated whit it. I have used qualitative interview as method, and I have interviewed five teachers from four different preschools. The result from my study shows that the teachers don’t see so much of children’s participations and influence in the work of pedagogical documentation. One contributor to that they think is the less of time. The teachers however, would like to let the children take more part of and have more influence in the documentation. They also believe that documentation cannot be pedagogical until you’ve done something whit it. When it comes to children’s integrity in the pedagogical documentation, the teachers feel like they don’t see to it as much as they should do. The teachers have a clear view on what pedagogical documentation is and how children’s participation and integrity should be in it, but they aren’t there just yet. / Sammanfattning Syftet med denna studie är att bidra med mer kunskap om hur förskollärare tänker om barns delaktighet och inflytande i den pedagogiska dokumentationen, samt hur de tänker om barns integritet i samband med den. Jag har använt mig av en kvalitativ intervjustudie, där jag har intervjuat fem stycken förskollärare från fyra olika förskolor. Resultatet av min studie visar att förskollärarna inte ser så mycket av barns delaktighet och inflytande i dagens dokumentation, en bidragande faktor till det anser de vara bristen på tid. Förskollärarna skulle däremot vilja låta barnen vara mer delaktiga och ha ett större inflytande i dokumentationen, då de anser att en dokumentation inte blir pedagogisk förrän man gjort något med den. När det kommer till barns integritet i den pedagogiska dokumentationen, känner förskollärarna att de inte ser till den lika mycket som de kanske borde. Förskollärarna har en tydlig syn på vad pedagogisk dokumentation är och hur barns delaktighet och integritet i den borde vara, men de är inte riktigt där än.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

Research literature indicates that ongoing professional development makes a difference in enhancing the knowledge, abilities, and necessary skills for early intervention providers of preschoolers with moderate and severe disabilities (MSD). The purpose of this study was to assess the professional development needs of early intervention providers of preschoolers with MSD in Saudi Arabia. This research implemented a descriptive survey design to provide quantitative research findings. The study included a sample size of 92 early intervention providers (EIPs). The researcher used descriptive statistics to analyze the demographic characteristics of the participants and to determine participants’ responses towards the basic characteristics, objectives, and standards of professional development programs at the Disabled Children’s Association (DCA) in Saudi Arabia as well as their perceived teaching abilities. The Somers' D tests were conducted to compare several proportions among the items. ANOVA also was used to determine whether a significant difference existed among all independent and dependent variables. The research results discovered that the basic characteristics, objectives, and standards of professional development programs at the DCA in Saudi Arabia that provide early intervention providers with the knowledge, skills, and abilities were in the high level of quality. The findings also indicated that perceived teaching abilities of EIPs were in the high level, while “teaching Self-Help skills” was in the moderate level. There was a significant difference between perceived teaching abilities and the number of hours spent in a professional development course, at p<.05. Providers who spent five or more hours of professional development during the past year had higher means and influences in teaching the five achievement skills researched in this study. Overall, there was agreement between the criteria of the programs offered in the centers of the DCA and the perceptions of the early intervention providers about their professional development needs, which were both at the high level. The researcher recommends that stakeholders in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries should develop appropriate and effective early intervention programs like the ones offered at the DCA centers, which will contribute to enhancing the quality of education for providers and their students with disabilities, including preschoolers with MSD. / Department of Special Education

Since 1960s, preschools have been important parts both of Swedish welfare and of labour market policies. The preschool thus constitutes a very important site for rearing and educating young children. Reforms of the Swedish preschool in the 1990s concerning both accessibility and quality were introduced at a time when the economy of the municipalities dramatically deteriorated because of reductions in State subsidies. The strained economy of the State and the municipalities, has resulted, among other things, in a growing number of children in preschool groups and pressure to change organization and pedagogical content. These changes took place in a time of decentralization where the responsibility for organization of preschools was given to the municipalities. Changes in economy, organization and curriculum form the background for this study. The purpose of the study is to examine and understand how preschool working teams shape and realize the pedagogical practice and how working conditions affect this process. The approach of the study is interpretative, where the interpretative perspective is mainly represented by activity theory and theories of cultural reproduction. Three aspects of the actions are observed: the object of the actions, the instruments mediating the actions and the content of mediating actions. Bernstein’s concepts classification and framing are used as tools in analysing the empirical data. The interpretative, empirical study is based on qualitative data collected mainly by observations and interviews. Three preschools are chosen for the study. The preschools in the study are located in two municipalities in the north of Sweden, representing three different environments. All preschools receive children one to five years old. The personnel consist of preschool teachers and childminders working in teams. Eleven of them where interviewed. The study shows that daily routines both shape and restrict practices in preschools. The work is mainly focused on care giving, where the children are supposed to adapt to and subordinate themselves to the norms and to the existing routines. The children’s influence varies between organized activities, where they have little influence, and play time, where they can choose what to do. It also varies between the preschools, where the preschool with children from more affluent families have more freedom than children from the multicultural, lower-income environment do. The work is collectively oriented toward training adaptation, but also, to a certain extent, training for autonomy and responsibility taking. Organization of learning activities often takes the form of transmitting information. The informants regard themselves as caregivers with the main purpose to mediate security and create conditions for the children to develop socially. The changes in conditions emanating from political decisions have brought new working tasks to the preschools and have reduced the level of resources at the same time as the demands made are experienced as being harder. This creates frustration and tends to result in lower levels of ambition.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Mississippi State University. Department of Curriculum and Instruction. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.