EECERA Conference 2014 An international project on CHILDREN’S PERSPECTIVES ON LEARNING – A COMPARATIVE STUDY Denmark, Estionia and Germany Self-organised Symposium ‘ Crete, Greece 7th - 10th September 2014

Three presentations 1) Danish and Swedish preschool-children´s view on their own learning and participation INGE JOHANSSON (1), ANETTE SANDBERG (2), STIG BROSTRÖM (3) AND THORLEIF FRØKJÆR (4), (1) Department of Child and Youth Studies, Sweden; (2) Mälardalens Högskola, Sweden; (3) Aarhus University, Denmark; (4) University College Capital, Denmark 2) Estonian preschool-children´s view on their own learning MAIRE TUUL, Tallinn University, Estonia 3) German preschool children's view on learning CHRISTA KIEFERLE (1), ANJA SEIFERT (2) AND ANGELA ROTH (1), (1) State Institute of Early Childhood Research, Germany; (2) University of Education, Ludwigsburg, Germany

The aim of the present study The aim of the study is to gain knowledge on how preschool children perceive learning in preschool and other surrounding social contexts and to compare the views of children and preschool teachers of the content of learning. The study is a continuation of previous studies focusing on preschool teachers view on children’s learning Several publications

International project - participants Stig Broström Aarhus University, Copenhagen Thorleif Frøkjær University College Copenhagen Inge Johansson Stockholm Universty Anette Sandberg Mälerdalens University Kay Margetts University of Melbourne Berenice Nyland RMIT University Nikolay Veraksa, Zlata Airapetyan Russian State University for the Humanities, Igor Shiyan, Moscow City Teacher's Training University, and Anna Fominykh Psychological Institute of Russian Academy of Education Christa Kieferle State Institute of Early Childhood Research, Munich Angela Roth State Institute of Early Childhood Research, Munich Anja Seifert University of Education, Ludwigsburg Aino Ugaste Maire Tull Tallinn University Kalliope Vrinioti University of Western Macdonia

Previous publications Earlier research done by members of the group of researchers from Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, German, Greece, and Australia: Learning and participation - two interrelated key- concepts in the preschool (Johansson and Sandberg, 2008) Danish and Swedish preschool teacher’s view on children’s learning and participation (Broström, Frøkjær, Johansson, and Sandberg, 2012) Preschool teacher’s view on children’s learning Margetts, Broström, Frøkjær, Johansson, Kieferle, Nyland, Roth,Sandberg, Seifert, Tull,Vrinioti, and Ugaste, in press).

Preschool children’s view on their learning Denmark and Sweden Inge Johansson Anette Sandberg Thorleif Frøkjær Stig Broström

Methods Focus groups are used in a group context (Morgan, 1998a; Morgan & Kreuger, 1993). In this study, the same interview areas were used in all focus group interviews in Denmark and Sweden. To identify children’s views about how children learn, the focus group interviews comprised four main questions: –What to learn? –How to learn? –Where can you learn? –What would you like to learn? Information was given about the conditions for participants to the parents according to the accepted research ethical principles

Participants In Sweden, children ages 4-6 years were interviewed in 18 focus groups (3-4 children in each group), total 69 children, equal numbers of boys and girls In Denmark, children aged 5-6 years were interviewed in 2 focus group with 6 children in each group), equal numbers of boys and girls

What to learn? The category; What to learn was based on three questions: Tell me when you learn something? Tell me what you learn in preschool and Tell me what you learn as you play?

What to learn? Denmark Practical skills: play with toys,, new games, to dance, swim, football, learned a self-constructed game Social skills: To play with other, to through things (in circle time) Academic skills: To read books, to write letters Knowledge: knowledge on nature (names of animals), learning about things out in the world Behaviour –disciplinary values: Norms for behaviour Play: learn to play with specific toys, Lego Sweden Practical skills: Ride a bike, do karate Social skills: Learn in relation to other Academic skills: Math, reading, writing Knowledge: Nature and nature phenomenon Behaviour –disciplinary values: learn to be kind, a good friend, do what the adult says Play: learning rules in play, to be a good comrade

What to learn? S & DK Preschool teacher and children The category “What to learn” we see no big differences between Sweden and Denmark Play includes clear elements of learning. Learning to play with other children ranked highest among preschool teachers, 85% in Sweden, and 73% in Denmark, in the earlier study

How to learn? The category; How to learn was based on the questions; Tell me do you learn when you play by yourself? Tell me, if you and your comrades and the preschool teacher doing something together, do you need the preschool teacher so you can learn something new? Tell me do you learn something from your comrades? Tell me do you learn something by initiating other children or preschool teachers?

How to learn? Denmark I learn myself: They are aware of this dimension. I just do so; I am good to learn lot Learning by help of the adults: Children are very aware of the adults role; you have to do what the coach says; You can ask our Mum and Dad Learning from other children: Gustav taught me to whistle Learning by training: You have to train yourself Sweden I learn by myself: They learn when they are playing with themselves – but difficult to clarify what they learn Learning by help of the adults: They are very much aware of the teachers role and they know the staff facilitates their learning Learning from other children: They described in details how to learn from other children: If someone does something you learn. They gave examples of reading, building etc. Learning by training: I tend to imitate the preschool teacher

How to learn? Preschool teacher and children This picture is consistent with the pre-school teachers underestimate situations in preschool characterized by learning. It highlights that learning occurs in situations that build on children's own initiatives Denmark (56%) and Sweden (63%) and free play Denmark (45%) and (Sweden 58%). The importance of adult learning emerges in some aspects, for example the circle-time. This situation's significance may be quite low proportion ratings among preschool teachers themselves in Denmark (26%) and in Sweden (31%).

Where to learn? Denmark Learning at home: At Home I learned to write Cow; I ask my Mum and Dad Learning in preschool: In circle time - when somebody shows something. When we play greengrocer (learn to count) Learning in school: You have to listen to the teacher, otherwise the teacher becomes sour.. Alternative places: at the museum, Sweden Learning at home, in preschool and in school In addition children also emphasized that they needed a place to be left alone to learn. And they also call for activities with friends: A boy, 5 years describes: "Need buddies when I built hut and when something happens on the iPad, if I should get into Unikum, I can be a bit on the unique."

Where to learn? General findings: Concerning the category “where to learn” the Danish findings are in accordance with the Swedish results: From children’s perspective learning occurs in many different contexts. This is consistent with findings from the study of pre-school where the preschool teachers see learning as something that characterizes the entire preschool.

What would you like to learn? Denmark Practical skills: Learn to tell the time Learn to plat basket and tennis Learning in school: Learn to read, learn English and Norwegian; to write numbers Sweden Practical skills: In general children want to learn ”crafts”, e.g. to draw princess, swig and play free play Also basic skills: swimming, building go-carts - And reading Learning in school: Learn to count, read, write. Learn about the sun and other planets Learn to be on time and be silent

What would you like to learn? The responses show that children see a clear difference in pre-school and school activities, the school where learning can be interpreted as having a distinct structure compared to preschool.

The result related to preschool teacher’s view Overall, there is good agreement between preschool teachers and the children's approach to learning However also differences between preschool teacher’s and children’s view

Overall a good agreement between preschool teacher’s and children’s view Preschool teacher Swedish preschool teachers believe that the most important is "to be part of a group and be part of the active interaction". Children learn when they are absorbed in something Children The children mention general activities that involve them as active participants in different practices, in sports and in playing with other children. children express that they learn when they practice

However also differences between preschool teacher’s and children’s view Preschool teacher Danish preschool teachers assess their impact low All statements on the teachers role score below 50% However Swedish preschool teachers assess their impact of importance, all statements score over 50% Children Children understand that the adult play a role in their learning: -I have learned it from my father and mother - I learn from adults in preschool Thus Swedish preschool teacher’s and children’s understanding are in accordance with each other

Conclusions Both children and preschool teachers understand social interaction as source. The answers in the category; What to learn, are mainly the same among the Danish and Swedish children. In the category How to learn, the children in the Swedish sample more stress the influence and relations from adult The free-time activities and its importance for learning are more mentioned among Danish children compared to Swedish children. The children´s views of what they will learn in school are similar in Sweden and Denmark. There are many similarities between Denmark and Sweden in how the children, as well as the preschool teacher describe the processes of learning.