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This study aims to answer the following research question: What were the participants' perceptions of how their engagement in a professional development programme contributed to their advancement in inclusive leadership behaviour? To this end, we followed 17 school and childcare leaders collaborating in Dutch child centres for education and childcare, who participated in a dedicated professional development programme on inclusive leadership. The programme which consisted of four sessions, spread over five months, was tailored to develop inclusive leadership, and built upon six design criteria derived from literature. Data analysis was conducted by triangulating qualitative and quantitative data from interviews and pre- and post-programme self-evaluations. The main finding suggests that participants' involvement in the professional development programme resulted in an augmented awareness of their role in creating an organisational climate through inclusive leadership, which was manifested through an increased application of inclusive leadership behaviours. Organising collective learning was considered a crucial element, recognising that the role of a school leader is sometimes perceived as isolated. Self-regulated learning via learning logs and reflective interviews provided opportunities for learning through reflection and showed that participants follow their own unique learning paths, tailored to their individual needs and contextual factors that they deem important.

This article explores preschool principals’ leadership agency when enacting a new curriculum, looking at how they perform their role, how they organise their work and what challenges they face in the process. Drawing on the concept of agency, this case study focuses on the principals’ positions, practices, opportunities and limitations as well as their construction of agentic leadership. The data collection consists of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 16 preschool principals working in a large Swedish municipality. The analysis of the material has taken place through thematic coding and interpreted through the lens of agency; the results show how the cultural, structural and material aspects of each preschool influence the enactment of the curriculum and shape the principals’ agentic capacity. Both time and context provide a framework for these principals’ enactments of a new curriculum within the specificities of their particular preschools and their own ambitions for the future. The principals’ discursive positionings are both filtered through these aspects and constructed on the basis of values and ideas about their own role and the role of staff. In addition, they underpin how the principals describe themselves as leaders and how they view their opportunities to act in an agentic manner.

This case study focuses on Brazilian ECEC aiming to understand children’s perspectives on their teachers through a gender lens. Brazilian society, much like that of other Latin American countries, emerged from a binary division of gender and sexuality based on heteronormative ideals and patriarchy (Lugones, 2016; Dimenstein, et al., 2020). Stereotypical ideas prevail and have consequences for gender construction in ECEC (Reis, 2016). This qualitative study is based on gender as a social construction, situational, fluid, and performative, while subject to reflection and questioning (Butler, 1990; Connell & Pearse, 2015). A Mosaic Approach (Clark, 2017) was conducted by using observation open-ended interviews with pictures and drawings as photo elicitation with 15 children, a parent questionnaire, and teacher interviews with female and male teachers. Thematic analysis of data was employed (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Information letters and consent forms were provided to all participants, including children, parents, and staff. A negotiated consent process was employed during data collection, and data were anonymized. Preliminary findings indicate that children perceive their male teacher to engage in play, while the female teacher to teach. Results demonstrate how children construct and deconstruct gender in relation to home and the ECEC setting. Male teachers can illustrate to children that care is not inherently gendered. ECEC institutions play a crucial role for the deconstruction of gender stereotypes. Consequently, there is a pressing need to advocate for Brazilian public ECEC policies that integrate gender into official curricula and incorporate gender and sexuality themes into teacher training.

This article explores preschool principals’ leadership agency when enacting a new curriculum, looking at how they perform their role, how they organise their work and what challenges they face in the process. Drawing on the concept of agency, this case study focuses on the principals’ positions, practices, opportunities and limitations as well as their construction of agentic leadership. The data collection consists of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 16 preschool principals working in a large Swedish municipality. The analysis of the material has taken place through thematic coding and interpreted through the lens of agency; the results show how the cultural, structural and material aspects of each preschool influence the enactment of the curriculum and shape the principals’ agentic capacity. Both time and context provide a framework for these principals’ enactments of a new curriculum within the specificities of their particular preschools and their own ambitions for the future. The principals’ discursive positionings are both filtered through these aspects and constructed on the basis of values and ideas about their own role and the role of staff. In addition, they underpin how the principals describe themselves as leaders and how they view their opportunities to act in an agentic manner.

This article explores preschool principals’ leadership agency when enacting a new curriculum, looking at how they perform their role, how they organise their work and what challenges they face in the process. Drawing on the concept of agency, this case study focuses on the principals’ positions, practices, opportunities and limitations as well as their construction of agentic leadership. The data collection consists of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 16 preschool principals working in a large Swedish municipality. The analysis of the material has taken place through thematic coding and interpreted through the lens of agency; the results show how the cultural, structural and material aspects of each preschool influence the enactment of the curriculum and shape the principals’ agentic capacity. Both time and context provide a framework for these principals’ enactments of a new curriculum within the specificities of their particular preschools and their own ambitions for the future. The principals’ discursive positionings are both filtered through these aspects and constructed on the basis of values and ideas about their own role and the role of staff. In addition, they underpin how the principals describe themselves as leaders and how they view their opportunities to act in an agentic manner.

From previous experiences, different perceptions of risky play have been noticed. This study therefore aims to shed light on the early childhood education center (ECEC) teachers’ approach to and perceptions of risky play in ECEC outdoor environment. In order to make approaches and perceptions visible, nine semistructured interviews have been conducted with ECEC teachers. The semistructured interviews and the study are based on the socio-cultural perspectivewhere the concepts of proximal development zone, scaffolding and mediating tools are of importance.The result shows that risky play is seen from two different perspectives: risk of injury or as a chance for challenging the children. The risky plays occur in the ECEC’s outdoor environment; however, the possibility of scaffolding varies, though on the other hand, the children encourage each other to participation.Caregivers and the outdoor environment are the external factors that influence the children’s opportunities for risky play, though they do not influence the ECEC teachers’ attitude. Throughout the result, the risk of the play is an underlying focus, though despite this, several advantages are described.The conclusion is that risky play is significant for children’s development. The lack of risky play inhibits the children and can lead to negative consequences in the long term., Från tidigare erfarenheter har olika uppfattningar om riskfylld lek uppmärksammats. Denna studie har därför som syfte att belysa förskollärares förhållningssätt till och uppfattning av riskfylld lek i förskolans utomhusmiljö. För att kunna synliggöra förhållningssättet och uppfattningarna har nio semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts med förskollärare. De semistrukturerade intervjuerna och studien i helhet utgår från det sociokulturella perspektivet där begreppen proximal utvecklingszon, stöttning och medierande redskap är av betydelse.I resultatet framkommer att riskfylld lek ses från två olika perspektiv; risk för skador eller chans till utmaning. De riskfyllda lekarna sker i förskolans utomhusmiljö, men möjligheten till stöttning varierar, däremot uppmuntrar barnen varandra till deltagande. Vårdnadshavare och utomhusmiljön är de yttre faktorer som påverkar barnens möjligheter till riskfylld lek, men de påverkar inte förskollärarnas inställning. Genom hela resultatet ligger lekens risk som ett underliggande fokus, men trots detta beskrivs flera fördelar. Den slutsats som kunde dras är hur betydelsefull den riskfyllda leken är för barnens utveckling då bristen av riskfylld lek hämmar barnen och kan leda till negativa konsekvenser på lång sikt.

This research project explores the multifaceted nature of children's language development in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings in Sweden, with a focus on promoting equitable education. Drawing on Tibbitts' framework for human rights education, the study examines educators' and principals' objectives, motives, and strategies for supporting children's language development. Through a survey and focus group interviews with ECEC educators and principals, the research identifies didactic, participatory, empowerment, and transformative approaches to language development. Findings indicate a strong emphasis on daily conversations and non-verbal communication. However, while educators prioritize children's everyday communication needs, there is less focus on long-term goals such as school readiness and active citizenship. The study highlights the importance of a balanced approach that addresses both immediate communication needs and long-term empowerment goals to promote equitable education for all children.

The aim of this essay is to address the so-called male shortage in early education and teaching professions, through an interdisciplinary frame. Critical studies on masculinities and literature on role models in schools are here in dialogue with pedagogical perspectives on hidden curriculum studies and inclusive education theory. The paper describes a theoretical framework of a research proposal aimed at investigate whether a more diverse teaching staff may increase inclusion in education, understood as the never-ending commitment to developing better ways of responding to diversity. Although international literature is quite attentive to minority teachers, the Italian scenario does not look so rich of theory or empirical study. While reframing the male shortage definition in an intersectional framework, including gender identity and performance perspective, but also considering ethnicity, (dis)ability, religious back ground, I intend to investigate if a diverse teaching staff may challenge the mainstream curricula and increases the level of inclusiveness of schools in a diverse society.

In 2022, 1.4 million children in Australia attended early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, of which at least 25% were overweight or obese. Poor nutrition in the early years affects a child’s health and development trajectory. Long day care (LDC) is a unique setting in which a nationally coordinated approach could optimise nutrition for children. The aim of this research was to accurately measure food provision and explore how director and cook behaviours influence menu compliance and whether members of a community of practice (CoP) undertake knowledge-brokering activities to advocate food provision quality in LDC. Research was completed in three phases. Phase 1: Determined food provision compliance of LDC compared with 50% of the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADGs) for children aged two to three years. Raw food ingredients were weighed for one meal and two snacks over two days in 30 metropolitan LDC centres in Western Australia. Ingredient weights and cost were entered into Foodworks 8.0.3. Data and then exported to R (version 3.4.2). A one-sample t-test compared the LDC mean servings of core food groups and discretionary foods against 50% of ADG recommendations. Macro/micronutrients were compared with 50% of relevant nutrient reference values. Phase 2: Used theoretical domains framework (TDF) to determine behaviour domain differences of directors and cooks in achieving compliant menus. An online survey was emailed to 4,913 LDC centres. Seven-point Likert scale scores were summed and averaged for each domain and the mean ranks compared the behaviour domain scores between cooks and directors using the Mann–Whitney U test. General linear modelling was used to adjust for age and education. Phase 3: Identified knowledge-brokering activities undertaken by National Nutrition Network members in the formation of a CoP. A convenience sample of members completed a checklist and were interviewed at two time points. Content analysis determined the frequency of 40

This paper investigates the regulation of publicly organized early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Denmark and Sweden, through the regulatory welfare state (RWS) framework. The analysis focuses on how alterations in funding and quality of care are shaped by governmental and nongovernmental actors at national and local levels of government. Through focused structured analysis, we examine how various actors have shaped the funding and quality of childcare in Denmark and Sweden, from the early 2000s to 2020, with special attention to the period during and after the 2008 financial crisis. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, concerns about quality in care were raised on the political agenda by various actors in both countries, leading to decisions to improve the quality of care. Yet, the regulatory dynamics differ: In Denmark, the debate led to a decision in 2019, to implement a minimum statutory requirement of regulatory quality standards. From an RWS perspective, this outcome can be qualified as "double expansion," because regulatory quality standards, and public funding for childcare increased. In Sweden, the debates about quality of ECEC led, in 2016, to political guidelines about quality standard, but with no additional national funds, and no mandatory regulatory quality requirements. Analytically, this can be qualified as "regulatory-led expansion," that is requirements for quality standards, although the lack of additional national funds suggests that it will be difficult to improve ECEC quality substantially. The RWS perspective, which focuses on national and municipal levels of governance, also gives insights into hidden inequalities between municipalities regarding funding and quality of ECEC, which are more pronounced in Sweden than in Denmark.

This paper investigates the regulation of publicly organized early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Denmark and Sweden, through the regulatory welfare state (RWS) framework. The analysis focuses on how alterations in funding and quality of care are shaped by governmental and nongovernmental actors at national and local levels of government. Through focused structured analysis, we examine how various actors have shaped the funding and quality of childcare in Denmark and Sweden, from the early 2000s to 2020, with special attention to the period during and after the 2008 financial crisis. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, concerns about quality in care were raised on the political agenda by various actors in both countries, leading to decisions to improve the quality of care. Yet, the regulatory dynamics differ: In Denmark, the debate led to a decision in 2019, to implement a minimum statutory requirement of regulatory quality standards. From an RWS perspective, this outcome can be qualified as "double expansion," because regulatory quality standards, and public funding for childcare increased. In Sweden, the debates about quality of ECEC led, in 2016, to political guidelines about quality standard, but with no additional national funds, and no mandatory regulatory quality requirements. Analytically, this can be qualified as "regulatory-led expansion," that is requirements for quality standards, although the lack of additional national funds suggests that it will be difficult to improve ECEC quality substantially. The RWS perspective, which focuses on national and municipal levels of governance, also gives insights into hidden inequalities between municipalities regarding funding and quality of ECEC, which are more pronounced in Sweden than in Denmark.

‘Children's rights and citizenship: A perspective for inclusive and democratic education and care for young children’ Early childhood education and care centres are unique contexts where children's rights, responsibilities and democratic citizenship can be practiced and further developed. Our image of the child is crucial here: do we see children as ‘immature’ and ‘not yet competent’, or as a competent citizens with needs, rights, interests, ideas, and evolving capacities? By seeking a balance between protection and participation, democratic citizenship is simultaneously a practice (being) and a goal (becoming). In contexts of diversity, ideally also practices of bonding (group formation) and bridging (appreciating, accepting, and celebrating diversities) are included. In this dissertation, we studied how implementing children's rights and democratic citizenship in childcare can contribute to the well-being, inclusion, and socialization of children at various levels. This created the outline of a pedagogy for childcare based on children's rights and citizenship enhancing the well-being of children that can be scaled. We interviewed various stakeholders during the research process, including young children. Our main findings showed that child participation is important for children’s development and contributes to quality improvement in childcare. Particularly direct forms of child participation were found to contribute to children’s well-being, involvement, quality of interactions with peers, experiences, and their sense of belonging and inclusion. Practices of promoting agency and social responsibility were not found to oppose but instead reinforce eachother. In The Netherlands, principles like these are still hardly formally recognized. Therefore, the renewal and extension of current quality concepts in childcare based on an image of children as competent citizens with voice and responsibilities, is strongly recommended, while systematic direct child participation

Altres ajuts: RecercaCaixa programme (2017ACUP04), Social innovation and empowerment are complex concepts that, from an analytical point of view, are not necessarily related. One explicit goal of social innovation is to empower communities, as well as the individuals that are involved in activities within those communities, but this does not necessarily always occur. Here we address the question 'Does social innovation in early childhood education and care (ECEC) empower women?' First, we explore whether the projects we examine can be defined as social innovations. Second, we analyse to what extent arrangements that are identified as innovative in ECEC empower the mothers who choose them. We argue that if the characteristics of a particular social innovation project enhance or reinforce the capabilities of the women who participate in it, that experience will most probably empower them; if not, this is unlikely to occur. Our empirical material includes 37 interviews (with key informants, educators, and mothers involved in these noninstitutionalised projects), collected in the city of Barcelona in the months that preceded the first COVID-19 lockdown in Spain (March 2020). Our results reveal the socioeconomic bias in these projects, as well as the costs derived for both sets of participants (mothers and educators). They also show the wider social impact that stems from these projects being under-regulated.

I examine the relative poverty risk among single-parent households in countries that have a large share of households with dual earners. Data from the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) Database are used to analyze eighteen OECD countries in the period 1984 to 2010. I find that single parents face higher relative income poverty risks in countries with a large share of dual-earner households and that this higher risk of poverty is related to higher standards of living in those countries: higher standards of living have raised poverty thresholds, and single-parent incomes are less likely to reach those higher poverty thresholds. I also find that this overall pattern varied across institutional contexts: a rise of dual-earner households puts single parents at a disadvantage only in countries that have relatively low public expenditures on childcare and relatively low income transfer policies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptive changes across different life experiences essential to children's growth and development, including early childcare services and schools, thus threatening precious oppor tunities for children in early childhood to learn. The pandemic has also undermined the collaborative and alliance relationship between childcare services and families which has been widely considered an impor tant aspect of modern services. This paper presents and discusses results from a mixed-method exploratory study with early childcare services for children between 0 and 6 years in Italy in 2021, involving both teachers and parents, to understand experiences, educational practices put in place in childcare services, feelings, resources and risks perceived by families and teachers.

The aim of this paper is to present an overview of studies which contribute to get knowledge on the possibilities and challenges for men who intend to work or are working within the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). Men’s relations to children have often been reduced to the issues of fatherhood, paternity and parental leave, and also fathers’ rights post-separation and divorce (Hearn & Pringle, 2006). During the past decades, some scholars have been interested about to study the relation between men and children in educational settings, specially within the ECEC where the number of male practitioners is very low. A worldwide pattern indicates that there are few men working in ECEC (Peeters, et. al, 2015). Taking the total amount of the ECEC workforce, 1-4% of that corresponds to male practitioners. Men engaging in care work can be a way to deconstructing traditional forms of masculinities and contributing to the gender equality in the society as whole (Moosa & Bhana, 2020). Mixed-gender teams in ECEC can benefit children when they see that care and teach are not associated to a single sex. Moreover, the increase of men in areas that involve care of children can also be a way to break a segregated labor market by deconstructing gender stereotypes and norms in some professions. However, the insertion of more men in ECEC is a challenge due to the lack of local and national policies and support for male practitioners. Men’s presence in ECEC can also be subjected of suspicious when the relation between men and children associates to discourses on children’s protection and sexual abuse (Pruit, 2015). Therefore, studies about men in ECEC can bring questions and discussions about the importance and challenges of increasing the number of male practitioners working with small children in different countries.

This study seeks to explore how the belonging and participation, as well as its related concepts, are framed in the national curriculum guidelines of the Netherlands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. We employed a scoping study with concept-mapping methodology. The results reveal macro level principles related to human rights and values, multiliteracy and language, policy measures and ideologies. Meso level principles stressed that education is supposed to guarantee a child's overall development and skills acquisition, participation involvement in the activities related to a child's environment and cultural heritage. The micro level principles were indicative of the need for inclusive and accessible physical and social environments, along with teaching methods which foster positive attitudes about diversity and teachers' expertise levels to address diversity. We also found the importance of designing opportunities that encourage socializing, building relationships, and belongingness. Additionally, the results show how frequently the chosen key concepts are represented in the guidelines. Based on our study we can conclude that curriculum guidelines do not provide sufficent frameworks for promoting children's belonging and participation. Further exploration on those concepts is needed, along with increased scholarly attention within the spheres of ECEC and compulsory education practice to enable inclusion for all children.

The aim of this dissertation was to examine the diverse ways in which immigrant parents support their children’s development, learning, education in school, and integration into the wider society. We examined the complex interplay of parents’ personal characteristics and preferences such as their acculturation strategies, on the one hand, and factors in the wider social context, such as the integration policies at the local and the national level, on the other hand, to explain the variation in parents’ support to children at home and in collaboration with children’s (pre)schools. Throughout this dissertation, we focused on the perspectives of families with a Turkish or Maghrebian migration background with pre- and primary school aged children across Europe. Most data are collected within the European ISOTIS project (www.isotis.org). The results seem to imply that while immigrant parents are often facing serious adversities, most of them try to do their best in supporting their children, both at home (by offering a stimulating learning environment) and at (pre)schools (by parental participation and establishing trusting parent-teacher relationships). The findings underscore the diversity in the experiences of immigrant families across Europe. Several implications for practices and policies aiming at integration and upward social mobility of immigrants are discussed. This dissertation tentatively points to the benefits of multicultural policies (versus assimilation policies), emphasizes support for immigrant families in providing rich language at home regardless the specific language they prefer to use and acknowledges the need for inclusive climates at (early) education settings that are open to new, co-constructed cultural models.

Due to the emergence of new forms of preschools and parents' increased freedom of choice regarding early childhood education, more research on parental preschool preferences is needed. Although preschool offers a seedbed for the development of knowledge and competencies, this development matures through interaction with parents. Therefore, parental expectations and wishes are very likely to affect children's learning. The mobile preschool is a new form of educational practice in Sweden where children travel by bus to different places for play and learning. This form of preschool can potentially lay a foundation for social and ecological sustainability because children learn to meet diverse people, explore different places, and spend time in nature. We interviewed 15 parents of children in a mobile preschool, most from a middle-class background. The main aim was to explore how these parents explain their choice of this type of preschool. Another aim was to identify desirable competencies that the parents think their children will achieve through the mobile preschool. Six themes related to preschool choice were identified; of these themes, being out in nature and enlarging the children's reality were the most prominent. Two clusters of competencies were distinguished: care- and cooperation-oriented competencies, and freedom- and independence-oriented competencies. After analyzing these results in relation to two current educational discourses-education for sustainable development and entrepreneurship in a neoliberal society-we show how parents participate in reproducing these discourses. These findings add novel and important knowledge to the field of early childhood educational practices concerning parental choice and preferences.

Previous studies have found that students whose home language differs from the language of instruction are prone to school inadequacy and to dropping out early (Cummins, 2015; EC, 2013) This is especially true for the lusophone population in Luxembourg. This thesis aims to capture the experiences of these migrant children in the Luxembourgish educational system to identify possible matches as well as mismatches between children’s support structures at home, school and daycare centre. Drawing on a sociocultural framework that understands that children learn languages when engaging in social practices with members of their communities (Rogoff, 1990) and that gives a prominent role to children’s active role when interacting with their environments (Van Lier, 2004), this thesis investigates the role of the adults in shaping the immediate environments of three newly arrived five-year-old Brazilian children in Luxembourg. It presents two cases studies that examine the supporting structures that parents at home, teachers at school and educators in Maison Relais pour Enfants (a non-formal education institution) provide to support language development of these children. The data from this qualitative study was collected from October 2017 to July 2018, combining participant-observation, fieldnotes, video recordings, photographs, questionnaires and interviews. The data analysis drew on approximately 170 hours of field observation, 25 hours of video material, photographs, interviews, and questionnaires. It was then analysed by employing different qualitative methods, i.e. Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) (Vaismoradi & Snelgrove, 2019), Sociocultural Discourse Analysis (SDA) (Mercer, 2004), and Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) (Anderson, 2007; Vaisomoradi & Snelgrove, 2019). The findings show that the adults designed physical learning spaces and selected material that afforded language and literacy development. They also offered language-related activities such as phonemic awar

The increasing globalization of tools used to assess ECEC quality requires reflection on their cultural coherence and ecological validity when applied in cultural contexts other than those of origin, as well as on the meaning of inconsistencies at the psychometric level that sometimes emerge - inconsistencies that quantitative methods alone often struggle to explain adequately. This paper proposes an integrated framework that combines the statistical analysis of quality assessment tools with a qualitative exploration of the meanings and interpretations that accompany their use in other cultures. This mixed-methods study, analyzing the implications of the CLASS Pre-K tool application in Italian preschools, offers a broader reflection on the importance and the need to adopt a critical, culturally-sensitive approach when using assessment tools outside their cultural cradle.

Objective: To highlight opportunities for future nutrition intervention research within early childhood and education care (ECEC) settings, with a focus on generating evidence that has applicability to real-world policy and practice. Methods: An overview of opportunities to progress the field was developed by the authors using a collaborative writing approach and informed by recent research in the field. The group developed a list of recommendations aligned with the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. Pairs of authors drafted individual sections of the manuscript, which were then reviewed by a separate pair. The first and senior author consolidated all sections of the manuscript and sought critical input on the draft iterations of the manuscript. Results: Interventions that employ digital platforms (reach) in ECEC settings, as well as research in the family day care setting (effectiveness) were identified as areas of opportunities. Research understanding the determinants of and effective strategies for dissemination (adoption), the implementation of nutrition programs, in addition to de-implementation (implementation) of inappropriate nutrition practices, is warranted. For maintenance, there is a need to better understand sustainability and the sustainment of interventions, in addition to undertaking policy-relevant research. Conclusions: The ECEC setting is prime for innovative and practical nutrition intervention research.

Due to the emergence of new forms of preschools and parents’ increased freedom of choice regarding early childhood education, more research on parental preschool preferences is needed. Although preschool offers a seedbed for the development of knowledge and competencies, this development matures through interaction with parents. Therefore, parental expectations and wishes are very likely to affect children’s learning. The mobile preschool is a new form of educational practice in Sweden where children travel by bus to different places for play and learning. This form of preschool can potentially lay a foundation for social and ecological sustainability because children learn to meet diverse people, explore different places, and spend time in nature. We interviewed 15 parents of children in a mobile preschool, most from a middle-class background. The main aim was to explore how these parents explain their choice of this type of preschool. Another aim was to identify desirable competencies that the parents think their children will achieve through the mobile preschool. Six themes related to preschool choice were identified; of these, “being out in nature” and “enlarging the children’s reality” were the most prominent. Two clusters of competencies were distinguished: care- and cooperation-oriented competencies, and freedom- and independence-oriented competencies. After analyzing these results in relation to two current educational discourses—education for sustainable development and entrepreneurship in a neoliberal society—we show how parents participate in reproducing these discourses. These findings add novel and important knowledge to the field of early childhood educational practices concerning parental choice and preferences., Funding Agency:Örebro University

The use of puppets as a pedagogical tool in early childhood education and care (ECEC) has a long tradition but has seen limited use in recent years in both ECEC institutions and teacher education. Puppets have potential as a functional tool for integrating academic, playful intentions in ECEC. Although there have been some reviews about the use of puppets for young children, there has been no comprehensive review of their use for education. Thus, this paper describes a systematic review of 105 peer-reviewed research articles that revealed five areas of pedagogical use of puppets for children: communication, science, health care, creativity and behaviour. Their use in different areas and the number of articles indicate the many potential uses of puppets as a pedagogical tool in ECEC. Nevertheless, it is also important to be aware of the tool’s shortcomings, as not all children and professionals respond positively to or are motivated by puppets.

Previous studies have found that students whose home language differs from the language of instruction are prone to school inadequacy and to dropping out early (Cummins, 2015; EC, 2013) This is especially true for the lusophone population in Luxembourg. This thesis aims to capture the experiences of these migrant children in the Luxembourgish educational system to identify possible matches as well as mismatches between children’s support structures at home, school and daycare centre. Drawing on a sociocultural framework that understands that children learn languages when engaging in social practices with members of their communities (Rogoff, 1990) and that gives a prominent role to children’s active role when interacting with their environments (Van Lier, 2004), this thesis investigates the role of the adults in shaping the immediate environments of three newly arrived five-year-old Brazilian children in Luxembourg. It presents two cases studies that examine the supporting structures that parents at home, teachers at school and educators in Maison Relais pour Enfants (a non-formal education institution) provide to support language development of these children. The data from this qualitative study was collected from October 2017 to July 2018, combining participant-observation, fieldnotes, video recordings, photographs, questionnaires and interviews. The data analysis drew on approximately 170 hours of field observation, 25 hours of video material, photographs, interviews, and questionnaires. It was then analysed by employing different qualitative methods, i.e. Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) (Vaismoradi & Snelgrove, 2019), Sociocultural Discourse Analysis (SDA) (Mercer, 2004), and Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) (Anderson, 2007; Vaisomoradi & Snelgrove, 2019). The findings show that the adults designed physical learning spaces and selected material that afforded language and literacy development. They also offered language-related activities such as phonemic awar

Translanguaging pedagogies promise to take account of students’ language and socio-cultural backgrounds and contribute to their academic achievements (García, Johnson, and Seltzer, 2017). Researchers who have investigated translanguaging practices in monolingual, bilingual and multilingual contexts, have shown that translanguaging promotes learning, well-being, and identity-building (Lewis, Jones, and Baker, 2012; García & Sylvan, 2011; Young & Mary, 2016; Vaish 2019a). Studies in early childhood education and care (ECEC) remain scarce, particularly those that focus on the use of institutional languages and home languages. Furthermore, little is known about the implementation of translanguaging pedagogies and the challenges faced by professionals. One exception comes from Vaish (2019 a, b) who investigated the practices of primary teachers in Singapore who taught in English, Chinese and Malay. She identified three main challenges: superdiversity, negative attitudes towards home language, and teacher-centred pedagogies. Studies on professional development (PD) in ECEC have shown that PD can help practitioners change beliefs, knowledge and practices to some extent (Egert et al. 2018). This presentation comes from multilingual Luxembourg, where 63.7% of the 4-year-olds do not speak Luxembourgish as their home language. Since 2017, educators in ECEC are required to develop children’s skills in Luxembourgish, familiarise them with French and value their home languages. Professional development courses help practitioners move away from monolingual policies and practices that existed prior to 2017, and implement multilingual pedagogies. This paper examines the challenges teachers and educators faced during this process. It is based on seven group interviews carried out during two research projects; the first aimed to develop multilingual pedagogies (MuLiPEC), the second collaboration with parents and multiliteracies (COMPARE). The findings, based on thematic analysis, indi

Previous studies have found that students whose home language differs from the language of instruction are prone to school inadequacy and to dropping out early (Cummins, 2015; EC, 2013) This is especially true for the lusophone population in Luxembourg. This thesis aims to capture the experiences of these migrant children in the Luxembourgish educational system to identify possible matches as well as mismatches between children’s support structures at home, school and daycare centre. Drawing on a sociocultural framework that understands that children learn languages when engaging in social practices with members of their communities (Rogoff, 1990) and that gives a prominent role to children’s active role when interacting with their environments (Van Lier, 2004), this thesis investigates the role of the adults in shaping the immediate environments of three newly arrived five-year-old Brazilian children in Luxembourg. It presents two cases studies that examine the supporting structures that parents at home, teachers at school and educators in Maison Relais pour Enfants (a non-formal education institution) provide to support language development of these children. The data from this qualitative study was collected from October 2017 to July 2018, combining participant-observation, fieldnotes, video recordings, photographs, questionnaires and interviews. The data analysis drew on approximately 170 hours of field observation, 25 hours of video material, photographs, interviews, and questionnaires. It was then analysed by employing different qualitative methods, i.e. Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) (Vaismoradi & Snelgrove, 2019), Sociocultural Discourse Analysis (SDA) (Mercer, 2004), and Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) (Anderson, 2007; Vaisomoradi & Snelgrove, 2019). The findings show that the adults designed physical learning spaces and selected material that afforded language and literacy development. They also offered language-related activities such as phonemic awar

Multiliteracies in early childhood education are promoted by researchers in multilingual education (García et al., 2017) and the European Commission. One way in which educators in crèches can develop literacies in multiple languages is through collaboration with parents. Collaboration has been shown to positively influence educators, parents, and children. Educators, for instance, become aware of children’s funds of knowledge and draw on the learners’ resources and make their teaching more linguistically and culturally inclusive (Wells Rowe & Miller, 2016). While collaboration can be highly effective, the establishment of partnerships is difficult. Successful partnerships depend on several factors, among them the professionals’ beliefs, experiences, expectations, as well as space and time (Lengyel & Salem, 2016; Reynolds et al., 2017). Collaboration has been a focus of attention in Luxembourg since the introduction of multilingual education in formal and non-formal early childhood institutions. Since 2017 teachers in schools and educators in crèches are required to develop children’s skills in Luxembourgish, familiarise them with French, and value their home languages. Partnerships with parents is one pillar of this programme. A previous study has shown that educators are beginning to develop such partnerships (Kirsch 2019). The longitudinal project Collaboration with parents and Multiliteracy in early Childhood Education (COMPARE) uses a mixed-method approach to examine the multiliteracy practices as well as partnership building between parents and educators in crèches in Luxembourg. In this paper we present the perspectives of educators on partnership building and multiliteracy. The data stem from two online questionnaires completed by educators in 2020. We examine the practitioners’ perspectives on collaboration (Betz et al. 2017), modes and types of partnerships (e.g. Thiersch, 2006), types and frequency of collaborative activities in multiple languages (e.g. Ha

Translanguaging pedagogies promise to take account of students’ language and socio-cultural backgrounds and contribute to their academic achievements (García, Johnson, and Seltzer, 2017). Researchers who have investigated translanguaging practices in monolingual, bilingual and multilingual contexts, have shown that translanguaging promotes learning, well-being, and identity-building (Lewis, Jones, and Baker, 2012; García & Sylvan, 2011; Young & Mary, 2016; Vaish 2019a). Studies in early childhood education and care (ECEC) remain scarce, particularly those that focus on the use of institutional languages and home languages. Furthermore, little is known about the implementation of translanguaging pedagogies and the challenges faced by professionals. One exception comes from Vaish (2019 a, b) who investigated the practices of primary teachers in Singapore who taught in English, Chinese and Malay. She identified three main challenges: superdiversity, negative attitudes towards home language, and teacher-centred pedagogies. Studies on professional development (PD) in ECEC have shown that PD can help practitioners change beliefs, knowledge and practices to some extent (Egert et al. 2018). This presentation comes from multilingual Luxembourg, where 63.7% of the 4-year-olds do not speak Luxembourgish as their home language. Since 2017, educators in ECEC are required to develop children’s skills in Luxembourgish, familiarise them with French and value their home languages. Professional development courses help practitioners move away from monolingual policies and practices that existed prior to 2017, and implement multilingual pedagogies. This paper examines the challenges teachers and educators faced during this process. It is based on seven group interviews carried out during two research projects; the first aimed to develop multilingual pedagogies (MuLiPEC), the second collaboration with parents and multiliteracies (COMPARE). The findings, based on thematic analysis, indi

In Europe, migration, mobility, technology and globalisation have resulted in multilingualism at the societal and individual level. These changes require policy-makers and educationalists to adapt teaching. For the last decades, institutions and scholars have called for multilingual education programmes that recognise the existence of the multiple languages spoken by children. The policies of the Council of Europe encourage ‘pluralistic approaches’ as well as early language learning. In the United States, García and her team developed multilingual pedagogies, later called translanguaging pedagogies, that draw on the students’ entire semiotic repertoire to leverage their learning. Research findings in monolingual, bilingual and multilingual contexts testify to the benefits of translanguaging for learning, well-being and identity-building. Such programmes are in line with the UN convention of children’s rights demanding respect for their language, culture and values. While multilingual programmes have been implemented in early childhood education and primary schools in several countries in Europe, professionals seem to be unsure of how to promote multilingualism and deal with language diversity. This presentation is based on the perspectives and practices of professionals in early education and primary schools in multilingual Luxembourg where a programme of plurilingual education has been implemented in the early years in 2017 and where children follow a trilingual curriculum in primary school. I will provide insights into the perspectives of practitioners by drawing on several research projects carried out over the last 6 years in Luxembourg. I will show excerpts of interviews and observations that indicate that early years practitioners have opened up to multilingual education over the last years and are tackling the multiple challenges they face during the implementation of the multilingual programme. Translanguaging also exists in primary schools but a clear langu

Previous studies have found that students whose home language differs from the language of instruction are prone to school inadequacy and to dropping out early (Cummins, 2015; EC, 2013) This is especially true for the lusophone population in Luxembourg. This thesis aims to capture the experiences of these migrant children in the Luxembourgish educational system to identify possible matches as well as mismatches between children’s support structures at home, school and daycare centre. Drawing on a sociocultural framework that understands that children learn languages when engaging in social practices with members of their communities (Rogoff, 1990) and that gives a prominent role to children’s active role when interacting with their environments (Van Lier, 2004), this thesis investigates the role of the adults in shaping the immediate environments of three newly arrived five-year-old Brazilian children in Luxembourg. It presents two cases studies that examine the supporting structures that parents at home, teachers at school and educators in Maison Relais pour Enfants (a non-formal education institution) provide to support language development of these children. The data from this qualitative study was collected from October 2017 to July 2018, combining participant-observation, fieldnotes, video recordings, photographs, questionnaires and interviews. The data analysis drew on approximately 170 hours of field observation, 25 hours of video material, photographs, interviews, and questionnaires. It was then analysed by employing different qualitative methods, i.e. Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) (Vaismoradi & Snelgrove, 2019), Sociocultural Discourse Analysis (SDA) (Mercer, 2004), and Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) (Anderson, 2007; Vaisomoradi & Snelgrove, 2019). The findings show that the adults designed physical learning spaces and selected material that afforded language and literacy development. They also offered language-related activities such as phonemic awar

Multiliteracies in early childhood education are promoted by researchers in multilingual education (García et al., 2017) and the European Commission. One way in which educators in crèches can develop literacies in multiple languages is through collaboration with parents. Collaboration has been shown to positively influence educators, parents, and children. Educators, for instance, become aware of children’s funds of knowledge and draw on the learners’ resources and make their teaching more linguistically and culturally inclusive (Wells Rowe & Miller, 2016). While collaboration can be highly effective, the establishment of partnerships is difficult. Successful partnerships depend on several factors, among them the professionals’ beliefs, experiences, expectations, as well as space and time (Lengyel & Salem, 2016; Reynolds et al., 2017). Collaboration has been a focus of attention in Luxembourg since the introduction of multilingual education in formal and non-formal early childhood institutions. Since 2017 teachers in schools and educators in crèches are required to develop children’s skills in Luxembourgish, familiarise them with French, and value their home languages. Partnerships with parents is one pillar of this programme. A previous study has shown that educators are beginning to develop such partnerships (Kirsch 2019). The longitudinal project Collaboration with parents and Multiliteracy in early Childhood Education (COMPARE) uses a mixed-method approach to examine the multiliteracy practices as well as partnership building between parents and educators in crèches in Luxembourg. In this paper we present the perspectives of educators on partnership building and multiliteracy. The data stem from two online questionnaires completed by educators in 2020. We examine the practitioners’ perspectives on collaboration (Betz et al. 2017), modes and types of partnerships (e.g. Thiersch, 2006), types and frequency of collaborative activities in multiple languages (e.g. Ha

In Europe, migration, mobility, technology and globalisation have resulted in multilingualism at the societal and individual level. These changes require policy-makers and educationalists to adapt teaching. For the last decades, institutions and scholars have called for multilingual education programmes that recognise the existence of the multiple languages spoken by children. The policies of the Council of Europe encourage ‘pluralistic approaches’ as well as early language learning. In the United States, García and her team developed multilingual pedagogies, later called translanguaging pedagogies, that draw on the students’ entire semiotic repertoire to leverage their learning. Research findings in monolingual, bilingual and multilingual contexts testify to the benefits of translanguaging for learning, well-being and identity-building. Such programmes are in line with the UN convention of children’s rights demanding respect for their language, culture and values. While multilingual programmes have been implemented in early childhood education and primary schools in several countries in Europe, professionals seem to be unsure of how to promote multilingualism and deal with language diversity. This presentation is based on the perspectives and practices of professionals in early education and primary schools in multilingual Luxembourg where a programme of plurilingual education has been implemented in the early years in 2017 and where children follow a trilingual curriculum in primary school. I will provide insights into the perspectives of practitioners by drawing on several research projects carried out over the last 6 years in Luxembourg. I will show excerpts of interviews and observations that indicate that early years practitioners have opened up to multilingual education over the last years and are tackling the multiple challenges they face during the implementation of the multilingual programme. Translanguaging also exists in primary schools but a clear langu

Previous studies have found that students whose home language differs from the language of instruction are prone to school inadequacy and to dropping out early (Cummins, 2015; EC, 2013) This is especially true for the lusophone population in Luxembourg. This thesis aims to capture the experiences of these migrant children in the Luxembourgish educational system to identify possible matches as well as mismatches between children’s support structures at home, school and daycare centre. Drawing on a sociocultural framework that understands that children learn languages when engaging in social practices with members of their communities (Rogoff, 1990) and that gives a prominent role to children’s active role when interacting with their environments (Van Lier, 2004), this thesis investigates the role of the adults in shaping the immediate environments of three newly arrived five-year-old Brazilian children in Luxembourg. It presents two cases studies that examine the supporting structures that parents at home, teachers at school and educators in Maison Relais pour Enfants (a non-formal education institution) provide to support language development of these children. The data from this qualitative study was collected from October 2017 to July 2018, combining participant-observation, fieldnotes, video recordings, photographs, questionnaires and interviews. The data analysis drew on approximately 170 hours of field observation, 25 hours of video material, photographs, interviews, and questionnaires. It was then analysed by employing different qualitative methods, i.e. Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) (Vaismoradi & Snelgrove, 2019), Sociocultural Discourse Analysis (SDA) (Mercer, 2004), and Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) (Anderson, 2007; Vaisomoradi & Snelgrove, 2019). The findings show that the adults designed physical learning spaces and selected material that afforded language and literacy development. They also offered language-related activities such as phonemic awar

Previous studies have found that students whose home language differs from the language of instruction are prone to school inadequacy and to dropping out early (Cummins, 2015; EC, 2013) This is especially true for the lusophone population in Luxembourg. This thesis aims to capture the experiences of these migrant children in the Luxembourgish educational system to identify possible matches as well as mismatches between children’s support structures at home, school and daycare centre. Drawing on a sociocultural framework that understands that children learn languages when engaging in social practices with members of their communities (Rogoff, 1990) and that gives a prominent role to children’s active role when interacting with their environments (Van Lier, 2004), this thesis investigates the role of the adults in shaping the immediate environments of three newly arrived five-year-old Brazilian children in Luxembourg. It presents two cases studies that examine the supporting structures that parents at home, teachers at school and educators in Maison Relais pour Enfants (a non-formal education institution) provide to support language development of these children. The data from this qualitative study was collected from October 2017 to July 2018, combining participant-observation, fieldnotes, video recordings, photographs, questionnaires and interviews. The data analysis drew on approximately 170 hours of field observation, 25 hours of video material, photographs, interviews, and questionnaires. It was then analysed by employing different qualitative methods, i.e. Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) (Vaismoradi & Snelgrove, 2019), Sociocultural Discourse Analysis (SDA) (Mercer, 2004), and Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) (Anderson, 2007; Vaisomoradi & Snelgrove, 2019). The findings show that the adults designed physical learning spaces and selected material that afforded language and literacy development. They also offered language-related activities such as phonemic awar

This study seeks to explore how the belonging and participation, as well as its related concepts, are framed in the national curriculum guidelines of the Netherlands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. We employed a scoping study with concept-mapping methodology. The results reveal macro level principles related to human rights and values, multiliteracy and language, policy measures and ideologies. Meso level principles stressed that education is supposed to guarantee a child’s overall development and skills acquisition, participation involvement in the activities related to a child’s environment and cultural heritage. The micro level principles were indicative of the need for inclusive and accessible physical and social environments, along with teaching methods which foster positive attitudes about diversity and teachers’ expertise levels to address diversity. We also found the importance of designing opportunities that encourage socializing, building relationships, and belongingness. Additionally, the results show how frequently the chosen key concepts are represented in the guidelines. Based on our study we can conclude that curriculum guidelines do not provide sufficent frameworks for promoting children’s belonging and participation. Further exploration on those concepts is needed, along with increased scholarly attention within the spheres of ECEC and compulsory education practice to enable inclusion for all children.

Due to the emergence of new forms of preschools and parents’ increased freedom of choice regarding early childhood education, more research on parental preschool preferences is needed. Although preschool offers a seedbed for the development of knowledge and competencies, this development matures through interaction with parents. Therefore, parental expectations and wishes are very likely to affect children’s learning. The mobile preschool is a new form of educational practice in Sweden where children travel by bus to different places for play and learning. This form of preschool can potentially lay a foundation for social and ecological sustainability because children learn to meet diverse people, explore different places, and spend time in nature. We interviewed 15 parents of children in a mobile preschool, most from a middle-class background. The main aim was to explore how these parents explain their choice of this type of preschool. Another aim was to identify desirable competencies that the parents think their children will achieve through the mobile preschool. Six themes related to preschool choice were identified; of these, “being out in nature” and “enlarging the children’s reality” were the most prominent. Two clusters of competencies were distinguished: care- and cooperation-oriented competencies, and freedom- and independence-oriented competencies. After analyzing these results in relation to two current educational discourses—education for sustainable development and entrepreneurship in a neoliberal society—we show how parents participate in reproducing these discourses. These findings add novel and important knowledge to the field of early childhood educational practices concerning parental choice and preferences., Funding Agency:Örebro University

The increasing globalization of tools used to assess ECEC quality requires reflection on their cultural coherence and ecological validity when applied in cultural contexts other than those of origin, as well as on the meaning of inconsistencies at the psychometric level that sometimes emerge - inconsistencies that quantitative methods alone often struggle to explain adequately. This paper proposes an integrated framework that combines the statistical analysis of quality assessment tools with a qualitative exploration of the meanings and interpretations that accompany their use in other cultures. This mixed-methods study, analyzing the implications of the CLASS Pre-K tool application in Italian preschools, offers a broader reflection on the importance and the need to adopt a critical, culturally-sensitive approach when using assessment tools outside their cultural cradle.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the sense of values that support ECEC practices in Sweden. We collected data by observing practices in a Swedish preschool and interviewing the teachers. Our study found that ECEC education is emphasized more and more in Sweden. However, when we reconsider ECEC reform in Sweden from a socio-economic viewpoint, it seems clear that the scoolification caused in this process will establish a lifelong learning society that requires Sweden to maintain a welfare state. Therefore, in the knowledge society based on lifelong learning that Sweden wants to create, there is a possibility that discussion based on the framework of “ECEC” and “school education” will no longer be possible. In short, Sweden is seeking a new way of educating young children through a third “lifelong learning approach”., 本論文はその一部を第一著者が提出した「広島大学博士学位請求論文（2017年３月２日授与）」及び「保育学会第71回大会（2018年５月12日）にて発表している。執筆にあたっては，科学研究費基盤研究（C）（19K02612）（2019-2022年）の助成を受けている。

Due to the emergence of new forms of preschools and parents’ increased freedom of choice regarding early childhood education, more research on parental preschool preferences is needed. Although preschool offers a seedbed for the development of knowledge and competencies, this development matures through interaction with parents. Therefore, parental expectations and wishes are very likely to affect children’s learning. The mobile preschool is a new form of educational practice in Sweden where children travel by bus to different places for play and learning. This form of preschool can potentially lay a foundation for social and ecological sustainability because children learn to meet diverse people, explore different places, and spend time in nature. We interviewed 15 parents of children in a mobile preschool, most from a middle-class background. The main aim was to explore how these parents explain their choice of this type of preschool. Another aim was to identify desirable competencies that the parents think their children will achieve through the mobile preschool. Six themes related to preschool choice were identified; of these themes, “being out in nature” and “enlarging the children’s reality” were the most prominent. Two clusters of competencies were distinguished: care- and cooperation-oriented competencies, and freedom- and independence-oriented competencies. After analyzing these results in relation to two current educational discourses—education for sustainable development and entrepreneurship in a neoliberal society—we show how parents participate in reproducing these discourses. These findings add novel and important knowledge to the field of early childhood educational practices concerning parental choice and preferences.

Due to the emergence of new forms of preschools and parents’ increased freedom of choice regarding early childhood education, more research on parental preschool preferences is needed. Although preschool offers a seedbed for the development of knowledge and competencies, this development matures through interaction with parents. Therefore, parental expectations and wishes are very likely to affect children’s learning. The mobile preschool is a new form of educational practice in Sweden where children travel by bus to different places for play and learning. This form of preschool can potentially lay a foundation for social and ecological sustainability because children learn to meet diverse people, explore different places, and spend time in nature. We interviewed 15 parents of children in a mobile preschool, most from a middle-class background. The main aim was to explore how these parents explain their choice of this type of preschool. Another aim was to identify desirable competencies that the parents think their children will achieve through the mobile preschool. Six themes related to preschool choice were identified; of these themes, “being out in nature” and “enlarging the children’s reality” were the most prominent. Two clusters of competencies were distinguished: care- and cooperation-oriented competencies, and freedom- and independence-oriented competencies. After analyzing these results in relation to two current educational discourses—education for sustainable development and entrepreneurship in a neoliberal society—we show how parents participate in reproducing these discourses. These findings add novel and important knowledge to the field of early childhood educational practices concerning parental choice and preferences.

Due to the emergence of new forms of preschools and parents’ increased freedom of choice regarding early childhood education, more research on parental preschool preferences is needed. Although preschool offers a seedbed for the development of knowledge and competencies, this development matures through interaction with parents. Therefore, parental expectations and wishes are very likely to affect children’s learning. The mobile preschool is a new form of educational practice in Sweden where children travel by bus to different places for play and learning. This form of preschool can potentially lay a foundation for social and ecological sustainability because children learn to meet diverse people, explore different places, and spend time in nature. We interviewed 15 parents of children in a mobile preschool, most from a middle-class background. The main aim was to explore how these parents explain their choice of this type of preschool. Another aim was to identify desirable competencies that the parents think their children will achieve through the mobile preschool. Six themes related to preschool choice were identified; of these themes, “being out in nature” and “enlarging the children’s reality” were the most prominent. Two clusters of competencies were distinguished: care- and cooperation-oriented competencies, and freedom- and independence-oriented competencies. After analyzing these results in relation to two current educational discourses—education for sustainable development and entrepreneurship in a neoliberal society—we show how parents participate in reproducing these discourses. These findings add novel and important knowledge to the field of early childhood educational practices concerning parental choice and preferences.

This research attempts to analyze the phenomenon of early marriage in traditional Roma communities in Transylvania, Central Romania, and its impact on the education of Roma children. The methodology of this paper is a reflection of a field work conducted in the region of Transylvania, Romania and mainly the city of Târgu Mureş (Τírgu Mureş) the period February-July 2012, following several meetings and interviews with policy makers, representatives from local authorities, civil society, academics, political parties and representatives of traditional Roma communities and local schools. The organization that hosted me and facilitated me in my fieldwork is the NGO Liga Proeuropa and its President Smaranda Enache and her team. This work is a result of my personal interaction with some of the local communities in the region (Tírgu Mureş, Sighişoara, Alba Iulia, Brasov, Sibiu) as well as the capital Bucharest which I had the opportunity to visit at that period of time. The project was funded by a small European grant (Leonardo da Vinci). The town of Tirgu Mureş is where I was based, since the largest number of traditional Gabor Roma who still apply early marriages can be found there.

This research attempts to analyze the phenomenon of early marriage in traditional Roma communities in Transylvania, Central Romania, and its impact on the education of Roma children. The methodology of this paper is a reflection of a field work conducted in the region of Transylvania, Romania and mainly the city of Târgu Mureş (Τírgu Mureş) the period February-July 2012, following several meetings and interviews with policy makers, representatives from local authorities, civil society, academics, political parties and representatives of traditional Roma communities and local schools. The organization that hosted me and facilitated me in my fieldwork is the NGO Liga Proeuropa and its President Smaranda Enache and her team. This work is a result of my personal interaction with some of the local communities in the region (Tírgu Mureş, Sighişoara, Alba Iulia, Brasov, Sibiu) as well as the capital Bucharest which I had the opportunity to visit at that period of time. The project was funded by a small European grant (Leonardo da Vinci). The town of Tirgu Mureş is where I was based, since the largest number of traditional Gabor Roma who still apply early marriages can be found there.

Children have the by law regulated right to an equal education and they also have the right to equivalence in their education. Furthermore, it is also important that their education should lead to equity. Equal, equivalence and equity are different words used in the same context. They stand for somewhat different meanings, but they are used as an important objective of the educational system. Equivalence is a word with a wide meaning and how you define the word might impact your educational practice of equivalence somewhat differently. Although the meaning of equivalence as a concept have differed during the past decades, it is an important part of the school policies in Sweden. This means that although the School law and the Curriculum regulating the Early Childhood Education and Care regards equivalence as an important part of our children’s education, the people implementing the concept might actualize equivalence differently. The purpose of our study is to explore how four principals' and four assistant principals' reasons about their implementation of the equivalent education in preschools from eight different catchment areas. We also wish to study if there are any significant variation in the implementation strategies between the two municipalities (equable in their population) regarding an equal education for the youngest children in the educational system. In our study we used qualitative interviews with prepared questions as a method for gathering our empiric material. After transcribing the interviews, we used specific keywords to search through the material as a preparation for a content analysis of the transcribed interviews. Our theoretical basis used in our results is selected models of implementation strategies, including the aspects that may influence the process of implementation. Our result points to both similarities and variations in our respondents reasoning. We also found that different strategies are used in separate stages of the implementati

This thesis explores the diverging trend of preschool teacher-child ratio in Swedish municipal preschools and the conditions behind this development. Despite a long tradition of public childcare in Sweden, the government and municipalities report a shortage of preschool teachers, a profession essential for satisfying the pedagogical mission inscribed in the Swedish preschool curricula. In the light of this shortage, firstly a descriptive analysis of the development was conducted, with a result showing that although the majority of municipalities suffers under the shortage of preschool teachers, some municipalities and a category of municipalities increase preschool teacher-child ratio. The study then tries to explain this variation by means of a standardized multiple regression analysis. The result shows that municipal population growth have some relationship with increased preschool teacher-child ratio, but that this relationship is relatively weak and in turn motivates a qualitative inquiry into other factors behind the development. Even though the result of the interviews suggest that organizational forms, wage levels and general staff-child ratio may have positive effects for the preschool teacher-child ratio, the result is not unequivocal nor generalizable, which calls for further research on the topic and a refinement of theoretical grounds.

Pressure on labour-supply has rekindled concern about the low participation of men in early childhood education and care (ECEC) and public debate about the ‘appropriateness’ and ‘value’ of male educators in these settings. We examined this issue from the perspective of all staff (N = 23), in two Australian ECEC centres employing a male educator. A diversity lens framed analysis, providing a contemporary and inclusive account of male educators as members of the teaching team rather than as gender-anomalies in the workforce. Staff identified male educators as assets with their value extending beyond symbolic salience as men in a feminized workplace. Men’s pedagogical contribution was described as related to employment role, not gender identity. Distinct benefits to productivity and relationships were reported. From the perspective of those inside gender diversity enhanced workplace (relationships) and work productivity (quality); low participation of men presents an opportunity-cost that extends beyond simply increasing the workforce pool.

Due to the emergence of new forms of preschools and parents’ increased freedom of choice regarding early childhood education, more research on parental preschool preferences is needed. Although preschool offers a seedbed for the development of knowledge and competencies, this development matures through interaction with parents. Therefore, parental expectations and wishes are very likely to affect children’s learning. The mobile preschool is a new form of educational practice in Sweden where children travel by bus to different places for play and learning. This form of preschool can potentially lay a foundation for social and ecological sustainability because children learn to meet diverse people, explore different places, and spend time in nature. We interviewed 15 parents of children in a mobile preschool, most from a middle-class background. The main aim was to explore how these parents explain their choice of this type of preschool. Another aim was to identify desirable competencies that the parents think their children will achieve through the mobile preschool. Six themes related to preschool choice were identified; of these themes, “being out in nature” and “enlarging the children’s reality” were the most prominent. Two clusters of competencies were distinguished: care- and cooperation-oriented competencies, and freedom- and independence-oriented competencies. After analyzing these results in relation to two current educational discourses—education for sustainable development and entrepreneurship in a neoliberal society—we show how parents participate in reproducing these discourses. These findings add novel and important knowledge to the field of early childhood educational practices concerning parental choice and preferences.