This research builds on previous studies that have documented evidence of Professor Anna Craft’s concept of ‘Possibility Thinking’ (PT) as at the heart of creativity which involves children transitioning from ‘what is this?’ to ‘what can I or we do with this?’ as well as imagining ‘as if’ they were in a different role. My thesis titled “Communicating Possibilities” examines English nursery children's emergent creativity, exploring the three to four-year-old child as an artistic communicator and possibility thinker through a case study approach situated in one primary school in South West England. Three main research questions were posed concerning the ‘what, how, and why’ of creativity when children communicated through art; as well as exploring the nurturing role of others, and identity manifest through voice and learning experience. This doctoral study is essentially interpretivist in nature seeking to explain how people make sense of their social worlds, and is an exploration framed by culturally negotiated, shared meanings, and complex social relations. Data was collected over one school year, in three nine-week research phases by the following ethnographic methods: naturalistic observations; researcher diary; children’s creative journals; and practitioner interviews. These methods were repeated for each phase. Inductive and deductive data analysis was conducted. Undertaken over time as the project unfolded, a grounded theory approach was applied in total to 27 episodes. Micro event analysis of creative behaviours in action and narrative discourses of two kinds: peer-to-peer, and child-to-adult (teacher, early years practitioner, and my researcher dialogue) revealed four broad critical themes: Observing and documenting children’s creativity; What children can do together- recognising differences; Pedagogy of possibilities- developing a role; and The value of artistic communication in the nursery classroom. Each is discussed in terms of the key implications these themes hold for theory, policy, and early years practice.

Den här studien går ut på att undersöka vilka arbetssätt lärare använder sig av när det gäller undervisningen i läsutveckling i skolans tidigaste åldrar, samt varför de väljer just dessa. Studien bygger på kvalitativa intervjuer med fyra verksamma lärare i förskoleklass och årskurs 1. Resultatet av undersökningen är att lärarna blandar flera olika metoder, och arbetssätt, för att individanpassa sin undervisning och nå varje enskild elev. / This study aims to examine the working methods that teachers use in reading development in the early years education, as well as why they choose these methods. The study is based on qualitative interviews with four active teachers in preschool-class and first grade. The result of the study says that teachers mix different methods, and approaches, to individualize their teaching and reach each individual student at their level.

Recent studies have shown that there may be evidence that children with reading difficulties have particular compensatory spatial ability, although the exact spatial ability has not been identified. This study used qualitative and quantitative methods to examine closely two spatial abilities, spatial visualisation (mental rotation from memory) and visual realism (three-dimensional drawing and construction ability) in students with reading problems and students with no problems. The aim was also to explore the question of whether students with spatial ability and reading problems were encouraged to use these strengths either in or out of school and whether such abilities could be identified in the early years environment. Equally, the question of motivational failure related to possible unrecognised potential, particularly in the area of non-verbal/spatial ability was also examined. This study used longitudinal case studies with five children and their mothers over a period of ten years. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using a grounded theory approach. Researcher observations as the teacher of the five children in their primary years provided additional evidence of their reading and spatial abilities at an early age. In addition, the study uses a Further Education College survey that examines spatial ability and reading problems in 133 post-16 year olds that provides the quantitative element of the study providing evidence about students with spatial abilities and their career choices. The data analysis revealed that the five case studies had largely overcome their reading problems due to early intervention strategies for reading together with encouragement and support outside school for their spatial abilities. Additionally, they have pursued careers, which for the most part, uses their spatial skills. The data analysis of the College survey showed that the link between spatial ability and reading problems was less secure, although there were a number of students with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) who had high spatial abilities and this proved to be important from the point of view of identifying strengths alongside weakness in literacy, particularly in the early years at school. Early identification and acknowledgement of spatial ability as a perceived strength and used to support learning, as opposed to identification of reading problems, a perceived deficit, proved to be a key finding of the research.

What is the nature and purpose of Family Learning? The discourses relating to how a strong home-school relationship affects attitudes to Lifelong Learning and the impact of paternal involvement in young children's development have been well researched and document clear links and positive, enduring benefits for families and professionals. In spite, or perhaps because of this focus, the means by which these connections are achieved and maintained remains less well explored. The issues that need addressing now are more tangible challenges, such as: what does good practice look like, who decides which notions are consolidated, when and why? Coupled with questions such as how do we get more fathers more involved and what will enable these relationships to flourish, this research reports on the initial findings from a small-scale exploratory inquiry, conducted as part of a professional doctorate, which considers a possible approach to these issues. It is an illuminative case study, located within an interpretive research paradigm, based on ontological assumptions of empowerment and emancipation for participants. A sociocultural epistemology informs and frames the work. The study sets out to explore the value and potential of Family Learning as a means of focused intervention in response to the questions raised, whilst also examining and increasing awareness of the issues involved, as seen by participants, to facilitate the expression of paternal agency and voice within the research process. The data collection, conducted over a period of six months, focuses on an existing Fathers’ Group, as they participate in a Family Learning project. It seeks to establish the nature and purpose of this type of provision, by clarifying the processes, outcomes and determinants of involvement through the eyes of the fathers, as they define and ultimately come to terms with their own identity and roles, in relation to their young children's development. The research centres on two workshops supported by several participant-led focus meetings. Two semi-structured staff interviews offer insight into the role that both professional and personal cultural and historical understandings of Family Learning play in the process, whilst the data analysis illuminates and describes the relationships between parents and practitioners, policy and pedagogy. The research observations could be used to inform approaches to both the establishment and the development of individual, personalised family frameworks for Lifelong Learning. The findings may also contribute towards a fresh perspective and offer creative approaches for professionals, in which pedagogical practice is not pre-determined but constantly evolving, on an equal and collaborative basis, between professionals and participants. This study offers a critical examination of grassroots Family Learning in practice. It is firmly embedded within and responsive to the needs of its local community. It aims to provide independent evidence to reinforce and extend the current knowledge base and ultimately, to maintain, strengthen and expand the connections between Family and Lifelong Learning.

Resumo: Em um contexto ainda marcado pela falta de clareza pedagógica acerca de "o que ensinar" e "como ensinar" a criança menor de seis anos, a presente investigação teve como objetivo sistematizar princípios para a organização do ensino na educação infantil a partir da perspectiva Histórico-Cultural. Partindo-se do entendimento de que pensar o problema da organização do ensino implica compreender a natureza da prática do professor de educação infantil, tomou-se essa prática social como objeto da investigação. Realizou-se, assim, uma análise teórica da prática do ensino na educação infantil, buscando apreendê-la para além da aparência pseudoconcreta e de suas expressões singulares e particulares, identificando-se o produto almejado e as relações essenciais que constituem e definem essa prática social na qual os professores de educação infantil se engajam como agentes. Dados empíricos para a análise da prática foram coletados por meio de observações em salas de aula das turmas do maternal, jardim I e jardim II e questionários respondidos por dez professoras de uma escola municipal de educação infantil localizada em um bairro da periferia de uma cidade de médio porte no interior do Estado de São Paulo. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida paralelamente a um processo de formação continuada com os professores e a diretora da instituição, o qual também funcionou como fonte de dados. Os fundamentos filosóficos e metodológicos da investigação derivam do Materialismo Histórico-Dialético, com ênfase às categorias de concreticidade, universalidade, historicidade e totalidade e ao conceito de pensamento teórico. A partir da análise dos dados, buscou-se apreender o produto almejado pela prática singular-concreta tomada como referente empírico da investigação e elaborou-se um modelo teórico da prática do ensino na educação infantil, que constituiu ...(Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In the Brazilian context, still marked by the lack of clear pedagogical understanding about "what to teach" and "how to teach" children under six years old, the present investigation had the goal of systematizing principles to the organization of teaching in early years education from the Culturalhistorical perspective. Starting from the understanding that discussing the problem of teaching organization implies to understand the nature of the early years teacher's practice, this societal practice was taken as the object of our investigation. Thus, a theoretical analysis of the teaching practice in early years education was carried out, seeking to apprehend it to beyond the pseudoconcrete transparence and its singular and particular expressions. In that sense, the analysis sought to identify the (desired) product and the essential relations of this societal practice to which early years teachers engage as agents. Experimental data to the analysis of the practice were gathered through observation in classrooms of a public early years school and also through questionnaires answered by ten teachers of that school, which was located in the suburbs of a medium city in the country side of São Paulo State - Brazil. The study was developed simultaneously with a process of continuous formation for the teachers and the school's director, which also worked as a data source. The methodological and philosophical fundamentals of the investigation derive from the Historical-dialect materialism, with emphasis on the categories of concreteness, universality, historicity and totality and on the theoretical thinking concept. From data analysis, we sought to apprehend the desired product through concrete-singular practice taken as empirical reference of the investigation and we elaborated a theoretical modeling of the teaching practice in early years education, which constituted the study ...(Complete abstract click electronic address below) / Orientador: Newton Duarte / Coorientador: Lígia M. Martins / Banca: José Luís Vieira de Almeida / Banca: Márcia Regina Goulart Stemmer / Banca: Marilda Gonçalves Dias Facci / Banca: Sueli Terezinha Ferreira Martins / Doutor

This is a research study about children who develop learning difficulties during the early years of schooling, and how teachers can help them best learn. The focus will be on learning methods, which help students with learning disabilities, learn to read. I decided to make this an international study, by comparing a Swedish teachers observation, to teachers from five different English-speaking countries (USA; England; Canada; Australia; New Zealand). I made a lot of international contacts through my work as a volunteer for Karlstad University international office, host program. Through these contacts, I got in contact with different international participants for my research study. I conducted interviews with my participants on Skype. The end result of what I learned from these interviews was very interesting and educational, especially how the different school systems function and how the teachers work with children with learning disabilities in their elementary schools. For example, most of the teachers work a lot, with sounding out letters and personalized schedules. A few of the teachers work a lot with inclusion and specialized curriculums for the students with learning disabilities, which their department of education pressed a lot on, while other teachers department of education did not. / Det här är en undersökning om barn som utvecklar inlärningssvårigheter under de tidiga skolåren och hur lärare kan hjälpa dem att lära sig bäst. Fokus kommer att vara på inlärningsmetoder som hjälper studenter med inlärningssvårigheter att lära sig läsa. Jag bestämde mig för att göra detta till en internationell studie genom att jämföra en svensk lärare erfarenheter med olika lärare från fem engelsktalande länder (USA, England, Kanada, Australien, Nya Zeeland). Jag har många internationella kontakter genom mitt arbete som volontär för Karlstads universitets internationella kontors värdprogram. Genom dessa personer kom jag i kontakt med olika internationella deltagare för min forskningsstudie. Jag genomförde intervjuer med de flesta av mina respondenter via Skype. Slutresultatet av det jag lärde mig av dessa intervjuer var mycket intressant och pedagogiskt, särskilt hur de olika skolsystemen fungerar och hur lärarna arbetar med barn med inlärningssvårigheter. Det visade sig att det fanns flera likheter men även skillnader i hur de olika lärarna arbetade med elever som hade inlärningssvårigheter, till exempel arbetar de flesta lärarna mycket med ljudträning och personliga scheman. Några av lärarna arbetade dessutom med integrering och specialiserade läroplaner för elever med inlärningssvårigheter.

A área de pesquisa que trata da Educação em Ciências no Ensino Fundamental tem apontado para a importância do Ensino por Investigação, que traz em seu bojo a possibilidade da mediação docente na condução das aulas. Nessa via, o presente estudo buscou investigar como a mediação da professora, realizada através de perguntas, vincula-se com o processo de apropriação dos conceitos científicos relacionados a bactérias, durante aulas de Ciências da Natureza em uma turma do 2º ano. Fundamentamos nossa pesquisa na perspectiva históricocultural. A metodologia utilizada foi de caráter qualitativo, intitulada estudo de caso, com foco na observação participante. Utilizamos observações e gravações em áudios das aulas. Consideramos a mediação docente significadora enquanto unidade de análise. Consubstanciamos analisar o processo de apropriação de conceitos científicos relacionados a bactérias por meio de uma sequência didática composta por cinco aulas, que buscou problematizar os conceitos, inicialmente ancorados nos conceitos espontâneos que os alunos possuíam. A organização da análise transcorreu por meio das aulas, as quais fragmentamos em episódios, definidos de acordo com as premissas convergentes para o processo de apropriação do conceito científico, tais como: Zona de Desenvolvimento Proximal, Nível de Desenvolvimento Real, Conceitos Espontâneos, Perguntas da professora, Cognição Distribuída. Os resultados indicaram que a mediação docente significadora, materializada através das perguntas realizadas pela professora, potencializou a ascensão dos conceitos espontâneos para os conceitos científicos. Apreendemos que os movimentos discursivos ocorridos no percurso das aulas, promovidos pelas perguntas da professora, são elementos fundamentais para a abordagem de Ensino por Investigação. Além disso, tais implicações apontam que a prática docente dialógica contribui para o protagonismo dos alunos, e, em consequência, para a sua aprendizagem. / The research area that deals with Science Education in Elementary Education has been pointing out to the importance of Research Teaching, which brings the possibility of teaching mediation in conducting classes in its scope. This way, this study sought to investigate how the teachers mediation, performed through questions, is linked to the process of appropriation of scientific concepts related to bacteria during Natural Sciences classes in the 2nd grade. Our research is based in the socio-cultural perspective. The used methodology was qualitative, named case study, focusing in the participant observation. We used classes notes and audio recordings. We considered the teachers mediaton significant while unit of analysis. We substantiated analyzing the process of appropriation of scientific concepts related to bacteria through a didactic sequence composed of five classes, which sought to problematize the concepts, initially tied to the spontaneous concepts that the students had. The analysis organization occurred through the classes, which were divided into episodes, defined according to the converging assumptions to the process of appropriation of scientific concept, such as: Proximal Development Zone, Real Development Level, Spontaneous Concepts, Teachers questions, Distributed Cognition. The results indicated that the significant mediation, materialized through the teachers questions, enhanced the rise of spontaneous concepts to scientific concepts. We learned that the speech activities occurred during the classes, encouraged by the teachers questions, are key elements for the research teaching approach. Moreover, such implications point out that the dialogical teaching activity contributes to the students ownership and, therefore, to their learning.

In recent years, there has been converging evidence on the relation between nature experiences and learning. Although outdoor experiences are not just seen as leisurely activities anymore, barriers, such as lack of resources or travel time can hinder the propagation of more outdoor educational programs. This study explores a relatively new outdoor educational setting that can help overcome these difficulties by decreasing the amount of resources, input and energy necessary to set up such measures: the educational forest garden. With lower maintenance in creating an environment that resembles an authentic ecosystem, the question remains if forest gardening can foster similar learning outcomes than those reported in other educational settings. A qualitative study in a Swedish mini-forest garden was employed to explore what types of learning are possible in this new type of setting. Interviews with two educators and eight children were conducted to find out what perceptions and experiences they communicate after spending time in the mini-forest garden. The educator’s ideas were compared with children’s accounts and observational notes on their behavior to see if there was a difference in perception and experience. Examples for learning were found in three different dimensions: cognitive, emotional and social. The explored categories were ecological literacy, language learning, attention; being comfortable outdoors, respect and care, awareness of surroundings, co-creation, teacher-student interaction, gender differences and free play and imagination. The findings indicate an overlap between teacher’s and children’s experiences and perceptions in almost all categories and similar beneficial learning outcomes with forest gardening to other outdoor educational endeavors. Along with the potential for self-development, forest gardening may be a new way to successfully teach in the outdoors with less input or resources. Although a small scale study that should not be generalized, the study gives insight to educators’ and children’s voices in a new outdoor educational setting and can help overcome the lack of children’s voices in research in general. At the same time, it adds to the limited amount of research on forest gardening and potentially helps to increase the popularity of forest gardening as a new outdoor educational method.

Esse estudo investigou a estrutura curricular de educação infantil e ensino fundamental I de uma escola cuja organização curricular se baseia no PYP (Primary Years Programme), modelo de currículo integrado organizado por temas transdisciplinares elaborado, implantado e supervisionado pelo IB - International Baccalaureate. A forma de organização das ações educativas propostas pelo PYP se contrapõe aos princípios do modelo linear disciplinar, estruturado tradicionalmente a partir da justaposição de disciplinas, geralmente isoladas umas das outras. Essa investigação partiu do pressuposto de que as limitações da organização linear disciplinar não atendem às necessidades de uma escola imersa numa sociedade onde cada vez mais os aspectos econômicos, culturais, políticos, ambientais, científicos, etc. se mostram interdependentes. A revisão de literatura fundamentou este trabalho a partir do desenvolvimento dos paradigmas da ciência e da indústria, da discussão sobre os conceitos de disciplina, currículo integrado, transdisciplinaridade e de propostas de ensino baseadas em modelos de currículo integrado e métodos globalizados. A investigação foi realizada a partir de dois estudos, a saber: (I) descrição e análise das características e pressupostos do programa PYP e, (II) a articulação da educação física ao currículo transdisciplinar. A escolha metodológica pelo estudo de caso etnográfico reuniu no estudo I professores de classe e professores especialistas de diversas áreas e, no estudo II professores de educação física. A investigação pautou-se na descrição densa e análise de documentos, das entrevistas semi-estruturadas reflexivas e da observação participante durante reuniões com professores. Os principais aspectos observados revelaram algumas dificuldades, tais como: compreensão dos conceitos essenciais, elaboração de conexões entre o conteúdo disiciplinar e unidades de investigação, articulação do que foi previamente planejado com questões que emergem do cotidiano. Também foram identificados avanços, como por exemplo: o pensamento linear disciplinar dos professores de educação física deu lugar a uma visão mais ampla e integrada de educação, o modelo diretivo de ensino modificou-se na direção de um modelo mais construtivo e reflexivo, a organização curricular transdisciplinar permite que conhecimentos disciplinares sejam contemplados nas unidades de investigação sem a forma estereotipada de uma disciplina / This study has investigated the Early Years and Primary curriculum structure of a private school, which has its curricular approach based on the PYP (Primary Years Programme), an integrated curriculum model organized by transdisciplinary themes, elaborated, implanted and supervised by the International Baccalaureate (IB). The organization form of the educational actions proposed by the PYP opposes the principles of the disciplinary linear model, traditionally structured as of the juxtaposed disciplines, generally isolated from one another. This investigation has taken for granted that the limitations of the disciplinary linear organization do not meet the needs of a school immersed in a society where economic, cultural, political, environmental and scientific aspects are more than ever interdependent. The literature review has addressed the science and industry paradigms development, the concepts of discipline, integrated curriculum, transdisciplinarity and a few teaching proposals based on integrated curriculum models and globalized methods. Two studies were conducted to investigate: (I) the PYP programme characteristics and premises, and (II) the articulation of physical education with the transdisciplinary curriculum. The methodological option for the ethnographical case study has joined in study I, class teachers and specialists of several areas and, in study II physical education teachers. The investigation was conducted through a dense description and analysis of documents, reflective semi-structured interviews and participant observation during meetings with teachers. The main observed aspects revealed some teachers difficulties in comprehending essential concepts, making connections between disciplinary contents and the units of inquiry, finding a balance between addressing what has been previously planned and contents that arise from daily activities. Advancements have also been identified, for example: physical education teachers disciplinary linear thought has given room to an ampler and integrated educational stand point, the directive teaching style has moved towards a more constructive and reflective approach, the transdisciplinary curricular organization enables disciplinary knowledge to be integrated to the units of inquiry without the stereotyped form of a discipline

O presente trabalho foi realizado com a premissa de que, desde os primeiros anos de escolarização, os alunos precisam ser envolvidos em processos de investigação científica. Com a inserção de crianças de 6 anos no Ensino Fundamental (EF), surgiu uma série de indagações relacionadas ao Ensino de Ciências (EC), dentre as quais emerge a questão central desta pesquisa: É possível verificar o engajamento das crianças de 6 anos em processos de investigação científica?. Com enfoque essencialmente qualitativo e perspectiva de estudo de caso, estruturou-se uma Sequência de Ensino Investigativa (SEI) para os alunos dessa faixa etária, pertencentes a uma escola de Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo. As atividades que compõem a SEI foram divididas em três momentos: pré-investigação, investigação e pós-investigação. Com foco no processo de aprendizagem e significação de conceitos, a sequência teve o intuito de verificar algumas habilidades associadas ao fazer científico. Para tanto, foram analisadas as discussões orais, a partir da gravação de aulas e transcrição das falas, bem como as representações gráficas dos alunos, compondo, portanto, três fontes de dados: vídeos, falas e desenhos. Esses dados foram examinados com base em categorias relacionadas ao processo de investigação científica e ao conhecimento do ser vivo estudado. Por meio da observação de um ciclo de vida completo, os alunos vivenciaram oportunidades reais para levantar hipóteses, testar suas ideias, manusear materiais, coletar dados, manipular tabelas e gráficos, registrar informações, assim como articular, avaliar e revisar seus modelos de crescimento e desenvolvimento dos seres vivos. Os desenhos produzidos pelos alunos foram capazes de comunicar as atividades realizadas, tanto no que diz respeito ao ser vivo estudado como em relação aos materiais utilizados no processo de investigação. As habilidades empregadas pelos alunos, em suas comunicações orais ou representações gráficas, são ferramentas necessárias para o envolvimento com a cultura científica. Assim, acredita-se que as discussões científicas, no contexto da sala de aula, possuem implicação direta com o EC e devem ser fomentadas desde os primeiros anos do EF, visando à construção de novos conceitos e ferramentas científicas e ao envolvimento crescente dos alunos em processos de Alfabetização Científica (AC). / The present paper was developed with the premise that, since the early years in school, the students need to be involved in scientific inquiry-based processes. With the insertion of 6-year-old children in the Elementary School, a series of inquiries related to Science teaching came up, among which emerges the central question in this research: \"Is it possible to check the engagement of 6-year-old children in scientific inquiry-based processes?\". With essentially qualitative focus and case study perspective, an Inquiry-Based Teaching Sequence (IBTS) was structured to the students this age who belong to a school in Ribeirão Preto, in São Paulo state. The activities that make up the IBTS were divided in three moments: preinquiry, inquiry and postinquiry. Focusing in the learning process and in the meaning of concepts, the sequence had the intention to check some skills associated with the scientific doing. For this, oral discussions were analysed, starting with the recordings of the classes and the speech\'s transcription, as well as the students\' graphic representations which then made up three data sources: videos, speech and drawings. These data were examined based on categories related to the scientific inquiry-based process and the knowledge of the studied living being. Through the watching of a complete life cycle, the students experienced real opportunities to make hypothesis, test their ideas, handle materials, collect data, handle charts and graphics, and register information, as well as articulate, evaluate and review their growth models and living beings development. The drawings made by the students could communicate the performed activities, concerning both to the studied living being and to the materials used in the inquiry-based process. The skills used by the students in their oral communications or graphic representations are necessary tools to the engagement with the scientific culture. Therefore, it is believed that the scientific discussions, in the classroom context, have direct implication with the ST and must be encouraged since the early years in Science teaching, leading to the building of new concepts and scientific tools and also the growing engagement of the students in Scientific Literacy processes.