The aim of this study is to visualize the pre-school pedagogy in The Gambia and to discuss the Gambian pre-schools ideal view on pedagogy compared to the Swedish tradition. Through an ethnographically inspired study conducted at a Gambian preschool called SBEC bilingual international school, where I used Interviews and observations as a method to gather my empirical data, I sought answers to my overall questions which was: Which are the pre-schools main visions and values? What is the Gambian society´s view on pre-school education? And what is emphasized in the classroom work? In my results I found that the vision of the pre-school was designed to give something back to the Gambian society and have an impact on the country´s future. I also found that the schools vison had a large impact on the kind of work that went on in the classrooms. The view on the pre-schools in the society varied a bit depending on which perspective that was used. Those who were active in the world of education had a different view on the importance of pre-school education than for example the government in the country. In my discussion I compare my results in relation to the Swedish pre-school tradition and among other things I found that the two countries traditions regarding pre-schools had a common factor in the focus on nurturing the children but differed quite a bit when it came to their view on the pedagogic activities and how they were implemented. / Syftet med den här studien är att visualisera förskolepedagogiken I en gambisk förskola och diskutera den förskolans ideala syn på pedagogik jämfört med med traditionen i svenska förskolor. Genom en etnografiskt inspirerad studie, genomförd på en gambisk förskola som heter SBEC bilingual school, sökte jag svar på mina övergipande frågor genom att använda intervjuer och observationer för att samla in mitt empiriska material. De övergripande frågorna var: Vilka är förskolans huvudsakliga mål och visioner? Vad har det gambiska samhället för syn på förskolleutbildning? Och vad fokuserar arbetet i klassrummet på? I mitt resultat framkom det att förskolans vision var utformad för att kunna ge något tillbaka till det gambiska samhället och kunna påverka landets framtid. Jag fann också att skolans vision hade stor inverkan på vilken sorts arbete som pågick i klassrummen. Samhällets syn på förskolan varierade beroende på vilket perspektiv som användes. De som var aktiva inom utbildningsväsendet hade en annorlunda syn på vikten av förskoleutbildning än till exempel staten i Gambia. I dikussionen jämför jag mitt resultat i relation till den svenska förskolans tradition. Jag fann bland annat att förskolans traditioner i båda länderna hade en gemensam faktor när det gäller uppfostran av barnen men en annorlunda syn på den pedagogiska verksamhet och hur den implementeras.

My thesis focuses on role of musical tools in pre-school education. It explores their history as well as historical significance but also current situation on the market and their use in practice. My goal is to define the very notion of musical tool and set general categorization in relation with musical capabilities it helps to develop. My work also maps the availability of musical tool in selected pre-schools and their use in these environments. The next task is to research how the tools designed by children themselves are helping develop their own musicality, especially those tools trying to visualize basic musical elements, while guiding them towards creativity. This was achieved by observation of two groups of fifteen children from age 4 to 6. KEYWORDS musical tools, musical creativity, musicality, pre-school education, pre-school children.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the physical environment and children’s play and actions. We want to find out how the environment affects children’s behavior and whether it goes in harmony with the preschool teachers thoughts and educational purposes or not. Furthermore, the aim is to investigate how the children act in the environment and if and how objects affect children’s play and interaction in a certain direction. In order to do this, we observed children’s free play in two different rooms at a preschool on three different occasions. To document our observations we used field notes. We supplemented the observations with three interviews with professional preschool teachers. This was done in order to capture the preschool teacher’s views of the environment versus the children’s behavior in it. In our analysis of our empirical data, we used Bruno Latour’s actor network theory. This study is based on children's actions, but also on educators' perspectives. We want to point out that the purpose is not to show right or wrong, but rather to highlight the educational environment from different perspectives while focusing on inclusion and participation. The result indicates that the environment and materials affect children’s play to a greater extent than expected. The teacher’s communicated a clear educational idea about the “home room” in the interviews. While dressing gowns and roleplay had a central place in the “homeroom”, it was harder to identify an educational idea in the larger common room. On the other hand, the observations indicated that the building toys had a relatively high force of attraction with the children in the larger room.When it came to inclusion, the educators talked about inclusion based on the availability of different materials but also that the available material connects to children’s interests or not. Emphasis was also put on assistive devices to support children with special needs, such as linguistic difficulties.

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of three volunteer care workers in their role as facilitators of an intervention programme aimed at strengthening the resilience of pre-school children. The study forms part of a broad research project, the Kgolo-Mmogo project, involving a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Pretoria and Yale University in the United States of America. One of the objectives of the project is to investigate the possibility of strengthening the resilience, as well as the adaptive functioning of children affected by HIV and AIDS. These children are living in poor urban communities in South Africa and their vulnerability is related to their mothers being infected with HIV. The conceptual framework for my study was based on existing theory relating to care workers, focussing on their responsibilities and experiences, and the process of facilitation. In addition I explored the concepts ‘resilience’ and ‘vulnerable children’. I followed a qualitative research approach, guided by an interpretivist epistemology. I employed an instrumental case study design and conveniently selected three volunteer care workers fulfilling the role of facilitators in the Kgolo-Mmogo project, as participants. These volunteer care workers were responsible for facilitating an intervention programme with a small group of 3 to 5-year old children. I observed five of the intervention sessions, which were presented by the participating volunteer care workers. I conducted a focus group discussion with the participants in order to explore their experiences as facilitators of the intervention programme. I furthermore conducted a follow-up focus group discussion with the purpose of member checking. In addition, I relied on a reflective journal, field notes and audio-visual methods, for data collection and documentation purposes. Four main themes emerged as a result of the thematic data analysis and interpretation that I completed. Firstly, I found that the foreseen scenario of the facilitation of an intervention programme differed from the real scenario of what such a role would entail. The role of facilitators of an intervention programme implied more than what the volunteer care workers had anticipated and implied diverse responsibilities. Secondly, from my results I concluded that the participants encountered a variety of positive experiences, including experiences of being meaningful and self-development, as well as feelings of pride, excitement and joy. Thirdly, the participants encountered some challenges in their role as facilitators of an intervention programme. They were required to deal with negative emotions, handle conflict more effectively, become more flexible, and deal with stress appropriately. The last theme that emerged relates to the participants experience of the importance of continuous support. This was offered by means of training and a structured manual, regular debriefing sessions by the volunteer care workers’ supervisor and the research coordinator, as well as support by colleagues. Based on the findings of my study, I concluded that the experiences of the volunteer care workers facilitating the intervention programme with young vulnerable children were diverse and multifaceted. As such, the role of facilitator implied multiple responsibilities, and led to the experience of a variety of benefits and challenges. In addition, my study highlights the value of continuous support in order to assist volunteer care workers to successfully facilitate intervention programmes they present. Furthermore, in dealing with the challenges they faced, the volunteer care workers in my study developed valuable skills that could be applied during future facilitation tasks, as well as in their personal lives. As such, their involvement as facilitators in the Kgolo-Mmogo project seemed to have contributed to their professional and personal development. Copyright / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

The purpose of this study is to gain deeper knowledge on how Pre-school teachers work to stimulate language development with children who are multilingual.  This study was conducted through qualitative interviews with seven Pre-school teachers who all work with multilingual children. The data of this study was then analyzed using a phenomenographic method approach and analysis model. By using a phenomenographic method approach I could gain knowledge about Pre-school teachers’ perception on how to support and stimulate multilingual children’s language development.  The result showed that there are various perceptions on how to work with linguistic diversity and how to work with multilingual children’s language development. The result also show that Pre-school teachers’ use a variety of different strategies to support and stimulate the language development. Among other things the result showed that by having a genuine interest in the children’s different languages and raising awareness about multilingualism are means of promoting language development. Furthermore, the result showed that different supportive strategies may be used to promote language development. Examples of these include signing as augmentative and alternative communication (SAAC), image support and communication maps. The study also sheds light upon the Pre-school teachers’ different perceptions on what they find challenging as opposed to the opportunities that may be found when working with children’s multilingualism. The result showed that one perception was multilingual colleagues could be seen both as a challenge and opportunity in the work with language development of multilingual children. / Syftet med studien var att öka kunskaperna kring hur förskollärare arbetade med flerspråkighet för att främja språkutvecklingen hos barn med annat modersmål än svenska. Studien genomfördes med semistrukturerade intervjuer med sju förskollärare som alla arbetar i barngrupper med språklig mångfald. Data som samlades in analyserades med hjälp av en fenomenografisk metodansats. En fenomenografisk metodansats valdes för att synliggöra förskollärarnas uppfattningar och tankar kring arbetet med flerspråkighet. Det resultatet visade var att det finns variationer i hur förskollärare uppfattar arbetet med flerspråkighet samt hur de arbetar för att stödja och främja flerspråkiga barns språkutveckling. Resultatet visar också att förskollärare använder sig av strategier på olika sätt för att stötta och stimulera språkutvecklingen. Respondenterna uppger att ett genuint intresse för barnens olika modersmål och att arbeta för att höja värdet av flerspråkighet kan främja språkutvecklingen. Dessutom uppger respondenterna att de använder olika former av stöd i det språkutvecklande arbetet. Exempel på stöd inkluderar tecken som alternativ kompletterande kommunikation (TAKK), bildstöd och kommunikationskartor. Studiens resultat belyser även en variation i vad förskollärarna uppfattade som utmaningar respektive möjligheter i arbetet med flerspråkighet. Några respondenter uppger att kollegors bristande kunskaper i svenska kan vara en utmaning medan flera respondenter uppger att flerspråkiga kollegor kan ses som en bra tillgång i det språkutvecklande arbetet.

Syftet med denna studie är att synliggöra konstitutionen av barnet som subjekt i förskollärares beskrivningar av barns filmspråk. Teorin är tvärdisciplinär med kulturella, socialsemiotiska och filmteoretiska utgångspunkter. De respondenter som ingår i urvalsgruppen är åtta förskollärare. Resultaten har framkommit genom en semiotisk analysmodell baserad på Roland Barthes teori om denotation, konnotation och ènonciation. Det empiriska materialet utgörs av förskollärares beskrivningar av filmer skapade av barn i tre års ålder i arbetsprocessen pedagogisk dokumentation i förskolan. Tecken i förskollärarnas beskrivningar visar att barnen konstitueras som medvetna subjekt genom hur de kan erbjudas möjlighet att se och höra sig själva i sitt filmspråk. Barnens subjektivitet synliggörs på detta sätt i förskollärarnas beskrivningar genom att de har en förståelse för förbindelser mellan tid och erfarna händelser. Förskollärares beskrivningar visar även att barnens samarbete i mindre grupper kan erbjuda dem möjlighet att fatta gemensamma beslut om vilka sekvenser som ska representeras i deras filmer. Det finns inga tecken i förskollärarnas beskrivningar som visar att barnen kan erbjudas utrymme att visa sin förståelse för hur bilder av världen kan omskapas i arbetet med filmredigering. Pedagogiska implikationer kan således utgöra begränsning i barnens möjlighet att påverka och omskapa den kultur de är en del av. För att barn ska få möjlighet att synas, höras och påverka den kultur de är en del av i arbetet med pedagogisk dokumentation kan det förväntas att barnen själva har tillgång till kulturella verktyg, som i detta fall är filmspråk. En annan pedagogisk implikation framkommer i tecken på att förskollärarna omedvetet reflekteras av en imaginär självuppfattning i barnens filmer, vilket betyder att förskollärarna omedvetet speglar sig själv i barnens filmer. Effekten kan bli att förskollärarnas subjektivitet omedvetet konstitueras och förväxlas med barnens subjektivitet i uppföljning, utvärdering och utveckling av förskolans verksamhet. Förskollärarnas didaktiska kunskaper om hur film kan tolkas som ett språk kan således ha en betydelse för deras medvetna reflektioner över hur de påverkas av barnens filmer. På dessa grunder kan ett medvetet utrymme skapas för barnens förutsättningar att synas, höras och utveckla sitt lärande i arbetet med pedagogisk dokumentation. / The aim of this study is to make the constitution of the child as subject visible, through pre-school teachers’ perceptions of children’s film language. The theory represents a cross-scientific context that implies a cultural, social semiotic and film theoretical starting point. The respondents included in the sample group are eight pre-school teachers. Analysis of the results is performed through a semiotic analysis model based on Barthes theory of denotation, connotation and ènonciation. The result reveals the constitution of the subject on two parallel levels in the pre-school teachers’ descriptions of films, made by children in the age of three, in the process of documentation in pre-school. The preschool teachers descriptions shows an opportunity for the children to see and hear themselves in their films, which creates an understanding of the relationships between time and experienced events. Children’s subjectivity can be made visible by how they use the camera and what they choose to capture. Through collaboration in small groups kids are offered the opportunity to take joint decisions on how they, in editing of the films, want to represent the sequences in their films. According to the preschoolteachers descriptions they don´t reflect on the opportunity for the children to demonstrate their understanding of how they can re-design new images of the world in the editing of their films. This confines the children’s ability to influence and re-create the culture they are a part of. The preschool teachers unconsciously become interpellated, feeling personal attention, and being reflected by an imaginary self-perception in the children’s film language. The consequences could mean that the development of the childrens learning process is based on the unconscious subjectivity of the pre-school teachers, and not on the subjectivity of the children. In order for children to have the opportunity to be seen, heard and to influence the educational culture they are a part of, it requires that children themselves have access to cultural and symbolic tools, in this case the filmlanguage. It is also necessary for the pre-school teachers to have a didactic training in how film can be used and interpreted as a language. The central aspect lies in how filmlanguage affects the seeing and reflecting viewer and make the children’s subjectivity visible in order to influence the development of the children’s learning processes.

In my thesis I focus on diagnosing school maturity of children and finding out possibilities of its development. In theoretical part I describe pre-school period as such, then I focus on pre- schools involved in the "Beginning together" program. Furthermore, I explain characteristics of school maturity and ways how to develop them, and finally I address Pedagogic - psychological diagnostics of school maturity. In practical part I researched into how pre- schools with the "Beginning together" program work with pre-school children and children with delayed school entry, I also researched if this program has any special procedures for development of school maturity.

Text in Afrikaans / The researcher is qualified as a pre-school teacher and experiences that pre-schoolers behave negatively at times. The researcher was exposed to playtherapy techniques in post-graduate studies . These techniques could be used by pre-school teachers to handle negative behavior. The question arises if pre-school teachers are already applying these techniques . This question is researched in this study by using research questionnaires . The study was done in and Tshwane. The dissertation consists of five chapters. In the first chapter the research proposal is discussed. The second chapter covers terms like play and playtherapy with reference to the pre-schooler . Chapter three looks at the pre-schooler, pre-school education and negative behavior. In chapter four the results of the research are presented and discussed. In the last chapter, chapter five, conclusions, recommendations, a general conclusion and a closing remark are made. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Theraphy)

The goal of the study was to determine whether there would be a significant improvement in preschool children’s emotional intelligence when a Gestalt intervention programme was implemented. The research was conducted according to the quantitative approach with a pre-test/post-test design. The Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales (2nd edition) was completed and returned by a sample of 30 parents (N=30) from a crèche in the Gauteng area. The Joseph Picture Self-Concept Scale was used to test a sample of 30 preschool children (N=30) from the same crèche. The representative sample of preschoolers aged 3 to 5 years was divided into an experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) group. A Gestalt play therapy intervention programme, the Wise child programme, was conducted with the experimental group. The results indicated that there was a significant improvement of the preschool children’s emotional intelligence in terms of intra- and interpersonal skills after the implementation of a Gestalt intervention programme. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

My thesis paper is focused on children swimming from their birth to early school age. The pivotal part of the paper is the comparison of swimming abilities between primary school children who have passed pre-school swimming training and those who have had no training at all. Theoretical framework of the paper is then focused on general swimming theory, characteristics of children's evolutionary stages within the context of swimming and definition of basic swimming skills.