Patrick and his peers: ‘and the three of them walk into the room … ’ patterns of experience and peer relationships during children's transition into kindergarten

ABSTRACT

Although the transition into kindergarten of children at the age of three is regarded as a meaningful event in the lives of children and their families, little is known about the role of peer relationships during this transition phase. Based on a Viennese research project, in this article observational material is presented and analysed to describe how three-year-old Patrick experiences peer relationships during his transition into kindergarten. The authors describe Patrick's meaningful, recurring and characteristic interactions with his kindergarten peers; they also formulate patterns of experience. In addition, the analysis of the observation material is linked to publications on the topic of peer relationships, in order to show to what extent the presented form of research can enrich the current scientific discourse.

KEYWORDS:

• Young child observation
• psychoanalytic research
• qualitative research
• daycare
• peer group
• pattern of experience

Acknowledgements

The research project ‘Rules, Rituals, and the Experience of Transition into Kindergarten. A Contribution to Enhance the Quality of Transition Processes in the Field of Early Childhood Education’ was funded (2016–2018) by the ‘Jubiläumsfonds der Österreichischen Nationalbank’ (Project number: 16583) and was led by Wilfried Datler and co-ordinated by Kathrin Trunkenpolz (of the Department of Education/Research Unit ‘Psychoanalysis and Education’ at the University of Vienna). We gratefully acknowledge the help of all the families, child-care centres, and experts who took part in the study. In accordance with the precepts of the Ethics Committee of the University of Vienna, all research participants were fully informed about the scope of the study and gave their explicit consent to their taking part in the project. In addition, all identifying information was changed to protect the participants’ confidentiality. We want to thank the research team and the students involved for their tremendous work in collecting and analysing the data. Our thanks also go to Margit Datler and Barbara Lehner for leading the observation seminars, and Barbara Neudecker and Regina Haberl for their support in the development of the interviewing guidelines, and their numerous other valuable contributions. Several publications resulting from this research project are published elsewhere (Datler & Datler, 2019; Trunkenpolz et al., 2023; Trunkenpolz & Datler, 2019; Trunkenpolz & Haberl, 2017, 2019).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical approval statement

All subjects gave their informed consent for inclusion before participating in the study. The study was conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the University Ethics Committee.

Notes

1 The detailed method of analysis of the observation material up to the gradual formulation of patterns of experience can be found in Reisenhofer's single case study (2019).

2 The first number indicates the number of observation from which the quotation is derived. The number after the slash refers to the page of the report from which the passage has been taken.

3 Since Patrick hardly shows any emotion and his facial expressions and body language are rather subtle, conclusions about his inner world can only be obtained through interpretations with regard to the overall material (Reisenhofer, 2019).

4 The wooden signs correspond to the assigned individual wardrobe spaces of the children. Each child has a uniquely assigned symbol that, when placed at the table, means that this is where the specific child will eat.

5 Based on these findings, also Schmidt-Denter's considerations (2005) on age heterogenous peer groups – as presented in section 2 – could be further discussed and differentiated.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Jubiläumsfonds der Österreichischen Nationalbank: [Grant Number 16583].

Notes on contributors

Kathrin Trunkenpolz

Kathrin Trunkenpolz was a member of the Research Unit ‘Psychoanalysis and Education’, Department of Education, University of Vienna. Tavistock Observation Methods are applied in different research projects in the Department, as well as in university teaching and further training. She currentlly holds a senior lecturer position at the Department of Early Childhood Education, University of Graz. She also works with parents and professionals in educational settings as a Psychoanalytic Counsellor.

Christin Reisenhofer

Christin Reisenhofer is a member of the Research Unit ‘Psychoanalysis and Education’, Department of Education, University of Vienna. The research projects in which she is involved use Tavistock Observation Methods. She also works as a Child Assistant in Court and as a Psychoanalytic Counsellor.