Therapeutic intervention with children relies on the use of play materials as medium for communication. Within Gestalt play therapy play materials are utilised with the assumption that children will project their thoughts and feelings onto the play materials. Projection creates a sense of safety that allows children to discuss information that they generally would not raise. The use of puppets as play technique has many advantages in the therapeutic context. One of the key characteristics of puppets as play technique, is that it tends to enhance communication in the therapeutic context. Puppets are suitable for intervention in individual and group contexts. The goal of this study was to determine the influence of puppets as medium for communication in group work with children in middel childhood. Educational groups that focused on bullying as a topic of discussion were implemented with two groups of children in middle childhood. Bullying has a significant effect on may school-age children and was regarded as an appropriate topic for the groups. The research was based on a mixed methods research approach, with applied research as the type of research. A dominant less dominant research design was followed. A multi-group post-test research design was used for the quantitative research, whereas a collective case study design was used for the qualitative part of the study. Quantitative data collection focused on the communication and the interaction patterns during group sessions where puppets were utilised compared to sessions without the use of puppets. Data were collected by means of structured observation with the use of an observation schedule. Qualitative data collection focused on the responsents? experience of the use of puppets during group work. Semi-structured interviews that were guided by a semi-structured interview schedule were used to collect the qualitative data. A total of 10 respondents were selected by means of purposive sampling from children in middle childhood who attended a after school centre. Simple random sampling were used to divide the respondents into two groups of five respondents each. The two groups were exposed to the same group work programme. The research findings indicate that the use of puppets generally showed positive results in respect of the communication and interaction patterns in the two groups. The use of puppets resulted in an increase of contributions and in the initiation of discussions by the respondents. Furthermore, the respondents showed greater involvement in the group and tended to more readily include other group members in the group discussion. When using puppets, the respondents were were less likely to follow the opinion of other group members. Most of the respondents indicated that they enjoyed talking through the puppets. The use of puppets did however not enhance discussions of sensitive topics that focused on negative elements. Some of the respondents found it difficult to concentrate on the group discussion and manipulate the puppet at the same time and some exhibited more attention seeking behaviours when using the puppets in the group session. The study can be regarded as an exploratory study with a limited number of respondents. The conclusion is made that the use of puppets could benefit the communication and the interaction patterns during group work with children. Due to the promising results, the researcher recommends that further research be conducted on using puppets as medium for communication during group work. / Terapeutiese intervensies met kinders steun op die gebruik van spelmateriale as gespreksmedium. In Gestaltspelterapie word spelmateriale benut met die aanname dat kinders hul denke en gevoelens op die spelmateriale projekteer. Projeksie skep n gevoel van veiligheid wat daartoe bydra dat kinders inligting bespreek wat hul andersins nie sou opper nie. Handpoppe is n speltegniek wat verskeie voordele in die terapeutiese konteks inhou. Een van die uitstaande kenmerke van handpoppe as speltegniek, is dat dit kommunikasie in die terapeutiese konteks kan bevorder. Handpoppe kan tydens individuele intervensie en in groepsverband gebruik word. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die invloed van handpoppe as gespreksmedium tydens groepwerk met kinders in die middelkinderjare te bepaal. Vir die doel van die navorsing is opvoedkundige groepe wat op afkouery as onderwerp fokus met twee groepe kinders in die middelkinderjare geïmplementeer. Afknouery het n groot invloed op talle skoolkinders en is as n gepaste onderwerp vir die groepe beskou. In die studie is n gemengde navorsingsbenadering gevolg, met toegepaste navorsing as die tipe navorsing. n Dominante minder dominante navorsingsontwerp is gevolg. n Multi-groep na-toets navorsingsontwerp is vir die kwantitatiewe navorsing gebruik, terwyl n kollektiewe gevallestudie-ontwerp vir die kwalitatiewe deel van die navorsing gebruik is. Kwantitatiewe data het gefokus op die kommunikasie en interaksiepatrone tydens groepsessies waar handpoppe gebruik is teenoor dié sonder die gebruik van handpoppe. Data is deur middel van gestruktureerde observasie aan die hand van n observasieskedule ingesamel. Kwalitatiewe data het gefokus op die respondente se ervaring van die benutting van handpoppe tydens groepwerk. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met die benutting van n semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudskedule is gebruik om laasgenoemde data in te samel. n Totaal van 10 respondente is op grond van doelgerigte steekproefseleksie vanuit kinders in die middelkinderjare wat n naskoolsentrum bygewoon het, geselekteer. Eenvoudige ewekansige steekproefseleksie is gebruik om die respondente in twee groepe van vyf respondente elk in te deel. Dieselfde groepwerkprogram is aan albei groepe aangebied. Die navorsingsbevindinge toon aan dat die benutting van handpoppe oor die algemeen voordelig vir die kommunikasie en interaksiepatrone in die twee groepe was. Dit het tot n verhoging van bydraes en van die inisiëring van gesprekke in die groepe gelei. Die respondente het groter betrokkenheid by die groep getoon en was meer geneig om ander groeplede in die groepsgesprek in te sluit. Respondente was ook minder geneig om bloot die mening van ander te volg wanneer handpoppe gebruik is. Die meeste respondente het aangetoon dat hulle dit geniet het om deur die handpoppe te praat. Die benutting van handpoppe het egter nie daartoe bygedra dat sensitiewe onderwerpe met negatiewe elemente meer geredelik bespreek is nie. Sommige respondente het dit moeilik gevind om gelyktydig op die groepsgesprek en op die manipulering van die handpoppe te fokus, terwyl ander meer geneig tot aandagsoekendende gedrag was wanneer handpoppe gebruik is. Die studie kan as n eksploratiewe studie met n beperkte aantal respondente beskou word. Die gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat die benutting van handpoppe wel die kommunikasie en die interaksiepatrone tydens groepwerk met kinders kan bevorder. Weens die belowende resultate stel die navorser voor dat verdere navorsing oor die benutting van handpoppe as gespeksmedium tydens groepwerk gedoen word. / Mini Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW / Unrestricted

The quality of early childhood education and care programs greatly impacts children’s development and well being. The classroom environment, program content and approach and early childhood educators’ characteristics are some of the elements that influence quality and thus have effects on young children’s development. Past research has indicated that early childhood education and care programs in Quebec have received on average low/minimal or mediocre ratings of quality and were also found to lack developmentally appropriate play materials (Drouin, Bigras, Fournier, Desrosiers, & Bernard, 2004; Goelman et al., 2006; Japel, Tremblay, & Cote, 2005). The present study set out to explore elements that may influence the quality of child care classrooms in the province of Quebec. Early childhood educators’ knowledge and developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) were examined to determine the relationship between these elements. Early childhood educators’ knowledge of developmental milestones (KDM) and knowledge of appropriate play materials (KPM) were found to be weak but educators reported strong developmentally appropriate beliefs (BDAP) and practices (PDAP). Results demonstrated positive correlations between early childhood educators’ declarative knowledge of developmental milestones (KDM), knowledge of appropriate play materials (KPM) and their beliefs and practices of developmentally appropriate practice (BDAP and PDAP). Educators’ levels of declarative KDM were positively correlated with their level of declarative KPM. In addition, educators’ BDAP was positively correlated with their level of declarative KPM, but their reported DAP was not linked to their level of KDM. Implications for the field of ECEC as well as early childhood education programs in CEGEPs and Universities in Quebec and across Canada are discussed in light of the study’s findings and limitations.

The quality of early childhood education and care programs greatly impacts children’s development and well being. The classroom environment, program content and approach and early childhood educators’ characteristics are some of the elements that influence quality and thus have effects on young children’s development. Past research has indicated that early childhood education and care programs in Quebec have received on average low/minimal or mediocre ratings of quality and were also found to lack developmentally appropriate play materials (Drouin, Bigras, Fournier, Desrosiers, & Bernard, 2004; Goelman et al., 2006; Japel, Tremblay, & Cote, 2005). The present study set out to explore elements that may influence the quality of child care classrooms in the province of Quebec. Early childhood educators’ knowledge and developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) were examined to determine the relationship between these elements. Early childhood educators’ knowledge of developmental milestones (KDM) and knowledge of appropriate play materials (KPM) were found to be weak but educators reported strong developmentally appropriate beliefs (BDAP) and practices (PDAP). Results demonstrated positive correlations between early childhood educators’ declarative knowledge of developmental milestones (KDM), knowledge of appropriate play materials (KPM) and their beliefs and practices of developmentally appropriate practice (BDAP and PDAP). Educators’ levels of declarative KDM were positively correlated with their level of declarative KPM. In addition, educators’ BDAP was positively correlated with their level of declarative KPM, but their reported DAP was not linked to their level of KDM. Implications for the field of ECEC as well as early childhood education programs in CEGEPs and Universities in Quebec and across Canada are discussed in light of the study’s findings and limitations.

In this study, semi-structured interviews adopted from repertory grid studies are conducted with ten 5-year-old preschool children, during which children are asked to evaluate four types of construction play materials and four types of metallophones.In the study, the important design attributes of these two types of play materials preferred by preschool children are analyzed by gathering their own evaluation criteria. Based on the interview data, children&rsquo / s preferences, evaluation criteria and the reasons behind their preferences are tried to be identified. The results of the study show that, children evaluated construction play materials considering method of construction, form of the pieces, color, size, types of pieces, types of constructions, ease of construction and material. Children evaluated metallophones considering color, placement of the keys, sound, being in the openbeing closed, form, size, storage of the mallets, weight, size of the mallets, form of the keys, coding, number of mallets, number of keys, height and material. The study also includes the analysis of the relationships between children&rsquo / s evaluation criteria for each product group and comparison of the evaluation criteria related to construction play materials and metallophones.

The quality of early childhood education and care programs greatly impacts children’s development and well being. The classroom environment, program content and approach and early childhood educators’ characteristics are some of the elements that influence quality and thus have effects on young children’s development. Past research has indicated that early childhood education and care programs in Quebec have received on average low/minimal or mediocre ratings of quality and were also found to lack developmentally appropriate play materials (Drouin, Bigras, Fournier, Desrosiers, & Bernard, 2004; Goelman et al., 2006; Japel, Tremblay, & Cote, 2005). The present study set out to explore elements that may influence the quality of child care classrooms in the province of Quebec. Early childhood educators’ knowledge and developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) were examined to determine the relationship between these elements. Early childhood educators’ knowledge of developmental milestones (KDM) and knowledge of appropriate play materials (KPM) were found to be weak but educators reported strong developmentally appropriate beliefs (BDAP) and practices (PDAP). Results demonstrated positive correlations between early childhood educators’ declarative knowledge of developmental milestones (KDM), knowledge of appropriate play materials (KPM) and their beliefs and practices of developmentally appropriate practice (BDAP and PDAP). Educators’ levels of declarative KDM were positively correlated with their level of declarative KPM. In addition, educators’ BDAP was positively correlated with their level of declarative KPM, but their reported DAP was not linked to their level of KDM. Implications for the field of ECEC as well as early childhood education programs in CEGEPs and Universities in Quebec and across Canada are discussed in light of the study’s findings and limitations.

The quality of early childhood education and care programs greatly impacts children’s development and well being. The classroom environment, program content and approach and early childhood educators’ characteristics are some of the elements that influence quality and thus have effects on young children’s development. Past research has indicated that early childhood education and care programs in Quebec have received on average low/minimal or mediocre ratings of quality and were also found to lack developmentally appropriate play materials (Drouin, Bigras, Fournier, Desrosiers, & Bernard, 2004; Goelman et al., 2006; Japel, Tremblay, & Cote, 2005). The present study set out to explore elements that may influence the quality of child care classrooms in the province of Quebec. Early childhood educators’ knowledge and developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) were examined to determine the relationship between these elements. Early childhood educators’ knowledge of developmental milestones (KDM) and knowledge of appropriate play materials (KPM) were found to be weak but educators reported strong developmentally appropriate beliefs (BDAP) and practices (PDAP). Results demonstrated positive correlations between early childhood educators’ declarative knowledge of developmental milestones (KDM), knowledge of appropriate play materials (KPM) and their beliefs and practices of developmentally appropriate practice (BDAP and PDAP). Educators’ levels of declarative KDM were positively correlated with their level of declarative KPM. In addition, educators’ BDAP was positively correlated with their level of declarative KPM, but their reported DAP was not linked to their level of KDM. Implications for the field of ECEC as well as early childhood education programs in CEGEPs and Universities in Quebec and across Canada are discussed in light of the study’s findings and limitations.

Förskolan har ett ansvar att motverka könsmönster som begränsar barnensutveckling, val och lärande. Lärmiljöns och det tillgängliga materialets betydelse förbarns identitetsskapande har vetenskapligt studerats tidigare av andra forskare ochvisar då på att den genusexponering som barn utsätts för i tidig ålder är bidragandetill barns genusrelaterade förväntningar och attityder senare i livet. Studiens syfte ärdärav att undersöka hur tillgängligt material på förskoleavdelningar kan se ut ur ettgenusperspektiv samt hur verksamma förskollärare resonerar kring sittgenuspedagogiska arbete i avsikt att presentera en praxisnära bild av hur förskolansgenuspedagogiska arbete kan återspeglas i den pedagogiska lärmiljön inomhus. Istudien intervjuas fyra verksamma förskollärare i södra Sverige och deras respektiveavdelning inventeras på för barnen tillgängligt lärmaterial. Studien antar enfenomenografisk ansats och resultatet analyseras med hjälp av Hirdmans genusteori. Resultatet som framkom i studien visar på att det finns många olika sätt att utföragenusarbetet på och tre olika strategier har identifierats. Dessa döps till stereotyperinkluderas, stereotyper blandas och stereotyper exkluderas. Resultatet kan leda tillen diskussion kring hur barn kan påverkas av en lärmiljö med eller utan stereotypalekmaterial. Det har även framkommit ur studiens material att ju mindre lärmaterialsom observerats på avdelningen desto tydligare är det genuspedagogiska metodikenoch att genuspedagogiken får ta större utrymme i den planerade undervisningeninom verksamheten. Pedagogiska implikationer som framkommit i studien är vikten avgenusmedvetenhet samt närvarande och stöttande pedagoger men också en medvetetplanerad lärmiljö på förskoleavdelningen för att erbjuda barnen möjligheter attskaffa sig breda genusrelaterade erfarenheter. / Preschools have a responsibility to counteract gender patterns which restrictschildren’s development, choice, and education. The importance of the pedagogicalenvironment and the learning equipment available for shaping the identity ofchildren has been scientifically researched earlier by other researchers and showsthat the genus exposure which children are subject to in early years contributes tochildren’s genus-related expectations, norms and attitudes later in life. The purpose of the study is to examine how available equipment in preschools canbe viewed from a genus perspective, to investigate the current discussion amongst pre-school teachers around their genus-pedagogical work in order to present a closeto reality picture of how genus-pedagogical policy can be mirrored in the interioreducational environment. In this study four preschool-teachers in Southern Sweden are being interviewed andthe educational material available in their respective department is examined. The study takes a phenomenographic approach and the result is analysed with thehelp of Hirdman’s genus theory. The result of the study shows that there is a varietyof ways genus matters are being approached in today’s preschool learningenvironment. Three different genus strategies have been identified; environmentswhere stereotypes are included, a mixed approach to stereotypes and preschoolswhere stereotypes are being excluded.The result leads to a discussion about how children can be influenced in aneducational environment with or without stereotypical play materials. The study also reveals that the less learning material that has been observed in the department,the more influential the genus-pedagogical methodology is, and as a result, thegenus-related pedagogy becomes more prominent in the scheduled curriculum. The pedagogical implications arising from the study is the vital importance of genusconsciousness, the value of access to supporting pedagogues but also a strategicallyplanned educational environment in preschool which offers children possibilities toachieve broad spanning genus-related experiences for life.