My main question in this essay has been: why does the preschool advocate being outdoors? How should we respond to parents who have a different view on this? Children's right to participation and influence is also a question that I raise. How should we preschool teachers do when we stand between the child's desire to be out and the parents wish that their child should be indoors? By reading what is written in the preschool curriculum on children's influence, I have come to the conclusion that we preschool teachers must listen to what the children express that they wish to do, otherwise we go against our policy documents. My dilemma is about how to respond to parents who have a different opinion on being outdoors than we have. Many parents express an aversionagainst their children having to be outdoors. Us preschool teachers have to explain to them why it is important to be outdoors. Through literature, I have come to the conclusion that the only way for the children to get an understanding about natural science, is to be outdoors. In order to acquire knowledge of nature and the environment, you have to experience it with your senses. Cultural clashes between preschool teachers and parents can occur because many of the parents come from different cultures than we do. You must therefore have an interest in learning about other cultures and also have an open approach towards the cultural differences that may arise between the teachers and the parents. What I have learned by writing this essay is, that it is important to have the ability to understand what other people think and also show an interest in their culture, norms and values. By taking the time to listen to the parent’s feelings and explain to them why we believe it is important to be outdoors, I think that the parents can get a better understanding of why it is good to be outdoors. By explaining to them that it is about giving their child a natural science learning, which is useful in their future life, I believe that they can see this from a different point of view. I also discuss, from a historical perspective, how the idea of the “competent child” has developed in Sweden.

A phenomenological interview study on preschool teachers approach to children´s conflicts Our intention was to study six preschool teachers approach to child conflicts in preschool and the strategies they use to deal with conflicts. The aim of the study is to provide knowledge about how the values of the preschool teachers express themselves in the educational environment and how they relate to children's conflicts. The following two inquiries are examined in this study: What strategies does the preschool teacher describe that she applies in different conflict management situations? What values are expressed in the preschool teacher's strategies in conflict between children?                                   This study follows a quantitative method with a phenomenological research approach. It is based on material from interviews with six different preschool teachers who work in the preschool and preschool class. The theoretical starting point for the study is Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which proceeds from children learning by social interactions. The result shows that preschool teachers use different strategies depending on the nature of the conflict. It furthermore shows that all preschool teachers perceive children as competent and they emphasise the importance of letting the children be a part of the conflict management. Their experience is that the environment plays a determinant part in children’s interactions. All preschool teachers had a view of children with the purpose of always acting in their best interests. All pointed out the important part the presence of a pedagogue has to get the conflict management to work.

Creating a preschool environment for learning and interaction. The purpose of this study was to investigate how preschool teachers describe the practical work that they do to design the preschool environments and how the children's learning and interaction come to be part of that process. The questions addressed in the study were: How do the preschool teachers describe their workplace learning environments? How do the preschool teachers reason about their way of developing their workplace learning environments? How does your preschool environment promote children's interests, learning, and interaction? The study is of qualitative nature and both interviews and observations have been carried out at two Reggio Emilia-inspired preschools in the southern part of Stockholm. The analysis has been examined from a design-oriented perspective. The results show that the preschool teacher's thoughts about children are important for how they shape the preschool learning environment. By continually observing how the children use the environment to interact and what they are interested in, they can, together with the children reflect and start up new projects and further develop the learning environment. The preschool teachers seek to create an inspiring, accessible and transparent environment but also one that can change long-term or short-term at any time. The preschool teachers' perceptions of children as competent and unique individuals who can be helped to reach their own special potential allows for the children to explore and become co-creators of their learning environment.

Studiens övergripande syfte är att generera insikt i förskollärares uppfattningar av omsorgens roll i det dagliga arbetet med de yngsta barnen i förskolan. Utifrån en fenomenografisk metodansats har sju semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med förskollärare verksamma på en småbarnsavdelning. I studien beskrivs tidigare forskning kring fenomenet omsorg och dess roll i förskolan och olika forskares uppfattningar av dess betydelse för de yngsta barnen. Informanternas utsagor är sammanställda utifrån en fenomenografisk analysmetod där sex beskrivningskategorier utkristalliserats, i kategorierna inryms en bred variation av uppfattningar av omsorgens betydelse. Dessa sex beskrivningskategorier leder fram till studien utfallsrum, dvs. studiens resultat. I resultatet framträder förskollärarnas uppfattningar av omsorgen som både en viktig faktor för de yngsta barnens välbefinnande, men även som en grund för deras lärande inom förskolekontexten. / The overall aim is to generate insights into preschool teachers' perceptions of the care role in the daily work with the youngest children in preschool. Based on a phenomenographic research approach has seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with preschool teachers operate in a toddler department. In the study described earlier research on the phenomenon of care and its role in nursery and various researchers' perceptions of its importance for the youngest children . The informants' statements are compiled based on a phenomenographic analysis where six descriptive categories emerged , in the categories contained a wide variety of perceptions of care significance. These six categories of description leads to the study sample space , in the study's results . This result emerges preschool teachers ' conceptions of care as both an important factor for the youngest children's well-being , but also as a basis for their learning in early childhood context.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka förskollärares syn på delaktighet i förskolan. Vi har även undersökt hur vuxnas makt kan påverka barnens delaktighet på förskolan. Media framställer ibland barns ökade makt och delaktighet som något negativt. Vi ville se hur barns delaktighet kan uppfattas av pedagoger och i vilka situationer delaktigheten syns på förskolan. Vi har utgått ifrån en kvalitativ ansats där vi använt oss av intervjuer för att ta del av förskollärarnas erfarenheter. I studien använder vi oss av Steven Lukes (2008) maktteori och Harry Shiers (2001) delaktighetsstege och vill med hjälp av dem undersöka hur pedagogerna arbetar för att nå delaktighet på förskolan och om eventuellt maktaspekter kan påverka barns inflytande. I resultatet presenterar vi hur förskollärare skapar delaktighet utifrån den delaktighetsstege som Shiers lyfter fram, samt behandlar för- och nackdelar med delaktighet på förskolan. I förskolans läroplan står det att barnen på förskolan ska ges möjlighet till att påverka sin situation på förskolan och delta i olika former av samarbete och beslutsfattande. Resultatet kopplas även till Steven Lukes teori om maktens olika dimensioner. Resultatet visar att förskollärarna ser delaktighet som något positivt. De var dock alla eniga om att för mycket delaktighet inte är bra för barnen då det skapar oro och vilsenhet. Både tidigare forskning och våra informanter anser att barn mår bra av struktur och tydliga regler. Att ge barnen för många val passar inte alla och vi kan därför se att det är svårt att ge barn full delaktighet. Vi kan i vårt resultat se att förskollärare dagligen arbetar för att göra barnen delaktiga men vissa pedagoger menar att stora barngrupper och brist på personal inskränker på möjligheterna. Synen på delaktighet skiljer sig åt mellan olika pedagoger, men ledordet för att skapa delaktighet enligt pedagogerna har varit att lyssna på barnen / The purpose of this study is to investigate preschool teacher’s views of participation in preschool. We examined how adults' power can affect children's participation in preschool. Media produces sometimes children's increased power and empowerment as something negative. We wanted to see how children's participation can be perceived by preschool teachers and the situations in which participation can be seen at the preschool and we have assumed a qualitative approach in which we used interviews to take part in pre-school teachers' experiences. In this study, we use Steven Lukes (2008) power theori and Harry Shiers (2001) ladder of participation and used it to examine how preschool teachers are working to achieve participation in preschool and if any power aspects can affect children's influence. In the result we present how preschool fosters participation based on the needs of the ladder as Shier highlights, and discusses the pros and cons of participation in preschool. The preschool curriculum states that children in preschool should be given the opportunity to influence their situation at the preschool and participate in various forms of collaboration and decision making. The result is also coupled to Steven Lukes theory of power and the different dimensions. The result shows that preschool teachers see participation as something positive. However, they were all agreed that too much involvement is not good for children as it creates anxiety and disorientation. Both previous research and our informants believe that children thrive on structure and clear rules. To give children too many choices does not fit all and we can therefore see that it is difficult to give children full participation. We can from our results see that that the preschool teachers work daily to make the children involved but some educators argue that large groups of children and lack of staff restricts the possibilities. The view of participation differs among different teachers, but the key word for creating participation according to the educators has been to listen to the children

Children’s literature is written by adults, who have assumed a child’s perspective to understand their world. In other words, adults have a great impact with their subjective views and perspectives about what childhood is, in their presentation of literature. The purpose of this thesis is to attempt to identify what children’s literature mediates and how the concept of the competent child presents itself within relevant books. This term is well sought after in the Swedish preschool curriculum and heavily discussed between preschool teachers. With this thesis, our goal has been to examine the Swedish curriculum referencing the competent child, utilizing current children’s literature from preschools. With the help of the Reggio Emilia pedagogy we have acquired results that indicate factors such as age and the physical size of a child, amongst others, provide a negative obstacle that hinders a child to appear sufficiently competent from the perspective of adults. Therefore, we deem it important to analyze children’s literature and determine if it portrays a modern childhood and an accurate concept of the competent child, or if it fails to do so.

Purpose: The purpose of thestudy is to analyzehowdifferenteducatorsworking attwo different preschools, perceiveand reflect onthe conceptofthe competent child. Questionat issue:Howis the concept of the competent child perceived bythe participating preschool teachers? What is the concept loaded with and what meaning is given to the concept by the teachers? Method:The method used for this study is a phenomenographicone where qualitative interviews were conducted with eight teachers from two different preschools. Main theories:The theoretical framework used in this text is phenomenography where focus is on the study of perceptions, and on analysis of how people perceive phenomenon as well as analysis of how people create content and meaning in the relationship between the self and the surrounding world. Summarized conclusion:The results from the eight interviews show that the concept of the competent child is a complex one. However, the analysis of the empirical data shows that the concept can be described through five different perspectives; the perspectives of the child, thepedagogical approach, knowledge, care and education. The study shows that these different perspectives are based on personal experience which forms the basis for how they perceive the child and how they relate to the child. Therefore, we believe it is important that all educators in preschools together reflect on the concept of the competent child to create an equal preschool for all.

The objective of this study is to examine how some preschool teachers working with recycling materials in Reggio Emilia inspired preschools. The study questions are "Why do educators in Reggio Emilia inspire preschools to use recycling materials in their preschools?" And "What is the purpose of educators with recycling materials?"   This research was done in the form of qualified interviews with five pre-school teachers and a studio carving. The qualified interviews were done in three kindergartens located in the same unit in a town outside Stockholm. These kindergartens are inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy and they use the recycling materials in its operations.   The study is based on theories Vygotskijs both socio-cultural perspective and internalizing and Reggio Emilia philosophy. Vygotskijs point out that children learn through interaction with others. Reggio Emilia philosophy is based on a democratic thought, a deep respect for children and a believer in the ability of children to explore the world.   Data collection for the study were analyzed and reported after dividing it into different categories. The categories are under the heading of "Educators knowledge of the Reggio Emilia philosophy," "The compelling perspectives of Reggio Emilia," "Educators awareness of recycling materials," "Educators approach to recycling materials" and "Responsive educators". Findings show that all the participating preschool teachers are aware of what the term means recycling materials. They also have a full understanding of how they should relate to recycling materials and they have an underlying purpose to reuse materials in their operations.

The purpose of this study has been to find out the educators' perception of children's participation and influence in preschool. The study has focused on making a comparison between the teachers' perception and their way of working. The purpose has also been to find out whether the children's age has any influence on the extent to which the children are given the opportunity to participate and influence. The results of the study are analyzed and presented on the basis of the perspectives of participation and influence, power, the competent child and age. The study report also presents a comparison between the teachers' answers and their working methods. Studies results have shown that the educators work equally with their interview responses and that the children were given the opportunity to participate and influence to a very large extent. The age influence on the children’s opportunities for participation and influence has also been an aspect that has been focused on in this study. On the basis of the collected material, no difference has been observed, however, the teachers emphasized that the verbal language was an advantage and that different approaches were required depending on their age.

<p> </p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The purpose with this study is to investigate how preschool teachers understand the concept <em>the competent child and in what ways this understanding affects their role in children’s learning. </em></p><p><strong>Question at issue:<em> </em></strong>What perspective on children do the contributing educationalists have? How do they define a competent child? Do such children exist and if so, are they always competent in all situations? What is the educationalists perspective on learning and knowledge? What is the preschool teacher’s view of their role as educationalists? What do they consider as their most important tasks?</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>To execute this study I have made a qualitative research based on interviews with eight teachers from four different preschools.</p><p><strong>Main theories: </strong>I have built the theoretical part of this study based on four different perspectives on the concept the competent child according to the philosophies of Dion Summer, Jesper Juul and Reggio Emalia. I also describe different theories about learning, knowledge and educationalists as well as the preschools role in the development of child according to different well-known scientists and researchers.</p><p><strong>Summarized conclusion: </strong>The study shows that the interviewed preschool teachers chose to interpret the concept the competent child in three ways. The individual choice affects their expectations of the child and as such the way that they treat it. This shows that it´s important for all preschool teachers to constantly reflect on how they see and treat the children since this shapes them as they grow.</p><p> </p>