According to the curriculum for the Swedish preschool system, children’s development and learning should be documented and analyzed in order to evaluate and develop the preschool quality. Social criticism is directed to some of the methods of documentation for assessing the children´s individual knowledge development. The purpose of this study was to examine how, what and why some teachers use documentation in preschool. I wanted to examine which methods preschool teachers used when they documented the children and what they focused on. I also wanted to examine why the teachers chose the methods they used. I have used a qualitative method with interviews and contacted four teachers from different preschools in order to get diverse information for my study. All teachers were educated preschool teachers and all of them had worked in the preschool system for at least ten years. The information given in the interviews has been analyzed by the use of socio-cultural theories and previous research. The interviews with the teachers showed the use of different methods to document the children. The most frequently used method was to photograph the children. The purpose of it was to visualize the children’s development of knowledge or to show different parts of some projects the children participated in. The purposes of the teacher’s documentation were various and I discovered three main reasons for documentation: In order to give information to the parents about their children. For the use of discussions with the children and serve as inspiration for them. For the use of discussions between the teachers in order to develop the preschool quality. My conclusion is that the teacher’s view of the children’s knowledge development, is critical for what the teachers chose to focus on in their documentation, knowledge as process or product!

With the curriculum Lpfö98, and its revised version 2010, the demands for evaluation of the quality of the preschool have been emphasized. Accordingly, the activities need to be systematically documented, followed up and assessed, to be improved. Most importantly, this includes continuous follow up, documentation and analysis of the development and learning of the children. This is usually carried out by means of pedagogical documentation, but how this working tool should be used in practice is not totally clear for all pedagogues. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate how pedagogical documentation is performed, assessed and made accessible for the children, parents and staff-members, in practical preschool work. In the study, four pedagogues (two preschool teachers and two pedagogical mentors), working in two different preschools where the Reggio Emilia concept is practiced for pedagogical documentation, were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The informants described pedagogical documentation as a complex and time-consuming working tool, albeit necessary and helpful to fulfill the requirements of the curriculum. In one of the preschools, portfolios were used to collect and present the documentation, whereas the other preschool used a so called BUL-wall (Barn, Utveckling, Lärande, i.e., Children, Development, Learning). Both preschools carried out their systematic documentations preferentially as specific projects. The documentations were then used for dialogue and reflections with the colleagues and/or feed-back with the children; this is how the pedagogical documentation is formed, which allows the pedagogues to perceive the learning process of the children as well as their own. In this way, the pedagogical documentation forms the basis for evaluation and analysis of the preschool activities, and results in shared decisions for improvements to accomplish the children’s needs and challenges. From the findings in this study, it appears that different techniques for collecting and presenting the documentations may be feasible to attain the main objectives of the pedagogical documentation.

The overall purpose of this study is to examine how preschool teachers make use of digital tools in correlation with pedagogical documentation. More specifically, the purpose is to interview preschool teachers about their ideas and their use of the digital tool Förskoleappen to record and document childrens learningprocesses. The purpose will be answered with help from the following questions: In what way do preschool teachers use Förskoleappen in pedagogical documentation? What ideas and views do preschool teachers have about digital technology in general and Förskoleappen in particular? In order to find the answers to our questions we carried out a qualitative study in the form of interviews with six preschool teachers from two different preschools. We have used the designtheoretical perspective as our theoretical frame. The designtheoretical perspective describes how teachers design their classrooms and how the choice of tools affects that design. The result of the study show that there are both pros and cons working with pedagogical documentation with the use of the digital tool Förskoleappen, though the preschool teachers express that they are mostly in favor of using it.

In this study, we aim to analyze how the terms documentation and pedagogical documentation respectively are portrayed in the curriculum (skolverket 2010) as well as in the curriculum complementary material (skolverket 2012). The analysis is performed by use of critical discourse analysis. We used published research as a theoretical base to analyze the empirical data against. Our aim is to increase the understanding of how the terms documentation and pedagogical documentation are used in the various policy documents and what messages these documents relay concerning the aforementioned terms. We aim to give some answers to the following questions: How to interpret the term documentation in relation to the term pedagogical documentation. How to interpret the ways the terms are promoted in the policy documents.  We conclude that the term documentation is vastly more open to interpretation than the term pedagogical documentation. We note that the curriculum exclusively use the term documentation and stress the importance of using a variety of documentation forms. The complimentary curricular documents promoting pedagogical documentation also states the importance of a critical analysis the methods used in the documentation process. In spite of this there is no suggestions for alternative documentation procedures in the complimentary curricular documents. Rather, on the contrary, it relays the message that pedagogical documentation is the only valid method.

The aim of this study is to see how preschool – teacher´s work with pedagogical documentation and aesthetic learning processes and how they would want to change in their working environments. I interviewed preschool – teachers that worked in Reggio Emilia – inspired preschools. The results show that they worked with a process – diary with the purpose to see the learning processes together with the children. They have time to discuss and reflect about activities with co-workers but also with the children. They worked with aesthetic but thought it was hard to discuss and reflect about it hence they thought it was because of the lack of inspiration and interests. / Syftet med denna studie är att synliggöra arbetet med pedagogisk dokumentation i förskolan i anslutning till estetiska lärprocesser. Jag har intervjuat fem förskollärare från tre förskolor i en kommun i Sverige som alla arbetade på ett Reggio Emilia – inspirerat sätt. Pedagogerna arbetade med pedagogisk dokumentation på liknande sätt då de använde sig av processdagbok och hade reflektionstid, dokumentationsvägg och Instagram – konto. Det som fyra av fem pedagoger tyckte var svårt med det estetiska arbetet var avsaknaden av inspiration och kunskap. De hade inga pedagoger som brann för ämnena vilket de trodde kunde få som följd att estetiken hamnade på sidan av.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka vad förskollärare har för uppfattning av pedagogisk dokumentation. Studiens frågeställning tar upp hur förskollärare uppfattar den pedagogiska dokumentationen samt hur förskollärare använder den pedagogiska dokumentationen för att utveckla förskolans utbildning. Vygotskijs teori om det sociokulturella perspektivet har legat till grund för analysarbetet av det insamlade materialet. Den sociokulturella teorin har valts för att kunna få en förståelse för förskollärares arbete med och syn på pedagogisk dokumentation i förskolan. Resultatet visar att förskollärare uppfattar den pedagogiska dokumentationen som värdefull i arbetet mot att utveckla förskolans utbildning efter barnens behov och intressen. Det bidrar därmed till att förskollärare värdesätter barnens delaktighet vid dokumentationstillfällena. Resultatet visar även att förskollärare arbetar regelbundet med pedagogisk dokumentation trots tidsbrist och att tillräcklig kompetens inom ämnet ibland saknas.

The purpose of the study is to investigate how educational documentations in systematic quality work are used in pre-school practice. What are the possibilities and limitations of the use of pedagogical documentation as an instrument in systematic quality work in pre-school practices? Referring to previous research, theory and empirical data collection, I was able to conduct this study. In the theoretical part, I made use of the constructionist learning perspective. In the empirical part, I used a qualitative research method with interviews and observation in order to gain understanding of the way pre-school teachers use pedagogical documentation in a learning perspective.The study shows that pedagogical documentation used in systematic quality work is associated with opportunities and difficulties. Participants described that pedagogical documentation provides opportunities for children to achieve their potential, and that it focuses on the individual needs of development. In other words, the benefit of using pedagogical documentation of systematic quality work became a tool for the educational quality in the operation. The teachers constantly have the ability to monitor, document and reflect on their work to ensure children's learning and development. This also creates opportunities for children to become active participants in the educational activities. Some of the difficulties are lack of time, children's group size and staff nonattendance. The study's participants also highlight that there is a need for increased staff competence in the use of technical educational tools.

I dagens förskoleverksamhet är det i regel ett måste att dokumentera lärandeprocesser för att kunna uppfylla samtliga mål i utbildningsplaner och bistå med god utbildningskvalitet. Pedagogisk dokumentation – som grundades av Reggio Emilia – är ett utvärderingsverktyg som skall observera barnets lärandeprocesser samt förskollärarnas förhållningssätt. I vardagliga situationer i förskoleverksamheten har pedagogisk dokumentation många fördelar som kan kartlägga och ge bra förutsättningar genom att skapa förståelse för hur barn lär sig och utvecklas bäst. Syftet med denna studie var att genomföra en litteraturstudie i kombination med kvalitativa intervjuer som utgick ifrån följande frågeställningar: Hur definierar förskollärare begreppet dokumentation respektive pedagogisk dokumentation? Hur beskriver förskollärare arbetet med pedagogisk dokumentation? Och hur menar förskollärare att arbetet med pedagogisk dokumentation utvecklar verksamheten? Intervjuerna transkriberades och kategoriserades sedan kring hur förskollärarna använder pedagogisk dokumentation, hur synen på pedagogisk dokumentation ser ut samt vilka olika arbetssätt som används. Vid färdigställande av resultatet framgick det att tre av fyra respondenter upplevde pedagogisk dokumentation som något positivt och modernt. En respondent av fyra fann inte pedagogisk dokumentation som ett bra hjälpmedel för utvärdering, då verktyget kan vara oetiskt på så sätt att det kan användas som ett bedömningsverktyg på det enskilda barnet. Diskussionsavsnittet kopplar samman tidigare forskning med förskollärarnas svar kring hur de ser på pedagogisk dokumentation, hur de beskriver arbetet med pedagogisk dokumentation och hur arbetssättet kan utveckla verksamheten. / In today's preschool it is generally a need to document the learning processes in order to meet all the targets in education plans and provide good quality education. Pedagogical documentation is an assessment tool that will observe the child's learning process and reception, as well as preschool teachers' own attitude and was founded in Reggio Emilia. In everyday situations, the preschool has pedagogical documentation many benefits that can identify and provide good conditions by creating an understanding of how children learn and develop best. The purpose of this study was to conduct a literature review combined with qualitative interviews were based on the following questions: How do you define the concept of pre-school pedagogical documentation and documentation? Describes how preschool teachers work with pedagogical documentation? And describes how preschool teachers are to work with pedagogical documentation develops business? The interviews were transcribed and analyzed since around how preschool teachers use pedagogical documentation, how perceptions of educational documentation looks and highlighted their own work. Upon completion of the results showed that three out of four respondents experienced pedagogical documentation as something positive and modern. While one respondent out of four did not find pedagogical documentation as a good tool for evaluation, the respondent meant that the tool can be used as unethically tool on the individual child. The discussion then reconnects to the purpose of the study with arguments based on the results and questions; what the preschool teacher answered on how they view pedagogical documentation, how they describe the work of pedagogical documentation and how operation is developing the activity.

Denna avhandling handlar om pedagogisk dokumentation som förändringsverktyg i förskolan. Syftet har varit att förstå lärande och förändring i förskolans verksamhet när pedagogisk dokumentation har använts som verktyg under en längre period. Empirin består av texter av och samtal med personal som arbetar påfyra förskoleenheter som samarbetade kring ett gemensamt projekt som initierats av Reggio Emilia-institutet där pedagogisk dokumentation var ett centralt verktyg. Studien fokuserar frågor kring organisation och förändring då utsagor om detta framstod som viktiga i deltagarnas samtal. Analysarbetet har skett i tre steg. I ett första steg gjordes en tematiskanalys. Materialet sammanställdes i tre teman: 1) En förändrad verksamhet. 2) Erfarenheter av dokumentationsarbete 3) Att organisera för utforskande lärande. I ett andra steg analyserades materialet med hjälp av verksamhetsteori, främst Engeströms modeller av verksamhetssystem och expanderat lärande. I det avslutande analysarbetet användes Wartofskys teorier om primära, sekundära och tertiära aspekter av ett verktyg. På så vis belystes pedagogisk dokumentation ur flera olika synvinklar. Resultatet visar att arbete med pedagogisk dokumentation innebär att förskolepersonal börjar diskutera epistemologiska och ontologiska frågor. Som en följd av detta förändrar förskollärarna sitt arbetssätt, vilket medför att motsättningar uppstår i verksamhetssystemet. För att lösa dessa motsättningar har verksamheten förändrats både på enhetsnivå och barngruppsnivå. Bland annat har arbetslaget utvidgats vid dokumentationsarbete. Det utvidgade arbetslaget har inneburit att berättelserna i dokumentationsmaterialet kommer i rörelse, genom att de analyseras i flera led. Berättelser som är i rörelse och att pedagogisk dokumentation kan uppfattas ur olika aspekter gör att pedagogisk dokumentation kan beskrivas som ett komplext verktyg. / This thesis, is about pedagogical documentation as a tool for transformation in preschool. The aim is to understand learning and transformation in, and of, preschool practice where pedagogical documentation has been used as a tool during a longer period of time. Empirical data consists of texts by, and conversations with, personnel working at four preschool units who cooperated around a mutual project initiated by the Reggio Emilia Institute; a project where pedagogical documentation was a central tool. The study focuses on organizational issues and transformation, as statements about this appeared to be important in the participants' conversations. The analysis is made in three steps. Data was put together into three themes. The three themes are: 1) a changed practice 2) experiences ofworking with documentation, and 3) to organize for exploratory learning. Then, an analysis was made giving an account of participants’ descriptions of working with pedagogical documentation as a joint trip, especially making use of Engeström’s model of an activity system and expanded learning, described metaphorically as a black box. Finally, Wartofsky’s theory on primary, secondary, and tertiary aspects of a tool is used. Thus, pedagogical documentation was illustrated from many different perspectives. The result shows that working with pedagogical documentation has led to preschool teachers discussing epistemological and ontological questions. This in turn led to preschool teachers starting to act differently in pedagogical practice, where acting differently became a trigger for revealing contradictions in the activity system, which participants describe as being solved over time. So, organization of preschool practice had changed on a unit level as well as on a preschool level including the children. Among other things, teacher teamwork has expanded when working with pedagogical documentation. The expanded team has meant that stories from the documented material have come in motion through analysis in several stages. Stories in motion, and pedagogical documentation perceived as seen from different perspectives, can be described as a complex tool.

Esta tese tem sua problemática de pesquisa centrada na constituição de uma comunidade de apoio ao desenvolvimento profissional, o Observatório da Cultura Infantil OBECI, e na Documentação Pedagógica como estratégia para a construção do conhecimento praxiológico. O OBECI, criado em 2013, é composto por quatro escolas de Educação Infantil (duas públicas e duas privadas) da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre, RS, e tem como questão central a organização da vida cotidiana das instituições de Educação Infantil de modo que evidencie o papel da criança no processo educativo, convidando a reposicionar o papel do professor. A estratégia que este observatório tem utilizado para investigar e formar é a Documentação Pedagógica fundada por Loris Malaguzzi. Por isso, parte desta tese dedica-se a reconstituir o pensamento de Malaguzzi a respeito da Documentação Pedagógica a partir dos projetos supervisionados pelo pedagogo ao longo de 30 anos (1963 1993). Além disso, buscando evidenciar o conhecimento praxiológico sustentado pela Documentação Pedagógica e construído pelo OBECI, é narrado o processo de criação desse Observatório, suas ideias centrais, seus processos formativos e o modo como tem desenvolvido o tema da Documentação Pedagógica a partir de Malaguzzi. A partir disso, apresenta-se o conhecimento praxiológico emergente do OBECI a respeito do espaço educativo, dos materiais, da gestão do tempo, da organização do grupo e da relação entre adulto e criança. Tal conhecimento, derivado do trabalho de formação desenvolvido, é restituído desde o ponto de vista dos próprios profissionais das escolas, assim como, do investigador, a fim de explicitar a Pedagogia desenvolvida nesses contextos. Destaca-se que esta tese afirma a Pedagogia como campo de conhecimento, logo, para responder as exigências deste campo, optou-se por um estudo de caso pelos processos de uma investigação praxiológica (FORMOSINHO, 2016; OLIVEIRAFORMOSINHO, FORMOSINHO, 2012). Por fim, conclui-se que uma tese desenvolvida nos domínios da Pedagogia, ou seja, interessada nos processos de transformação do cotidiano praxiológico situado e contextualizado, encontra no modelo narrativo sua melhor forma de expressão enquanto uma tese pedagógica. / This study has the research problem centered on the constitution of a community to support professional development named Observatory of Childhood Culture - OBECI, and in the Pedagogical Documentation as a strategy for the praxiological knowledge construction. The OBECI, created in 2013, is composed by four Early Childhood Education (two public and two private) in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre - RS and has as central question the organization of day to day life in these institutions evidencing the role of the child in the educational process, inviting to reposition the teachers role. The strategy that this observatory has used to investigate and form is the Pedagogical Documentation founded by Loris Malaguzzi. Therefore, part of this dissertation is devoted to reconstituting the Malaguzzis thoughts regarding Pedagogical Documentation from the projects supervised by the pedagogue over 30 years (1963 - 1993). In addition, in order to demonstrate the praxiological knowledge supported by the Pedagogical Documentation and built by the OBECI, the text narrates the creation process of this Observatory, his central ideas, his training processes and the way in which the subject of Pedagogical Documentation has been developed from Malaguzzi. From this, we present the emergent praxiological knowledge of OBECI for the educational space, materials, time management, group organization and the relationship between adult and child. Such knowledge, due to the work training developed, is shared from the point of view of the schools professionals, as well as the researcher, in order to explicit the pedagogy developed in these contexts. Highlighting that this dissertation affirms the Pedagogy as a field of knowledge and to respond all requirements of this field, we chose a case study through the praxiological research process (FORMOSINHO, 2016; OLIVEIRA-FORMOSINHO, FORMOSINHO, 2012). Finally, I concluded that a dissertation developed in the field of Pedagogy, in other words, interested in transformation process of praxiological day to day situated and contextualized, find in the narrative model a better expressive way while a pedagogical dissertation.