Young children's views of the role of preschool educators

Abstract

This article aims to explore young children's (from one to three years old) perspectives of the role and pedagogy of educators in play in an Icelandic preschool. The intention is to explore the meaning that children put into involving educators in their play and whether the children experience educators' actions as a resource for their play. The study is based on a phenomenological approach. Data consist of video recordings and field notes of 46 children, from one to three years old, as well as eight educators. Four main categories that illustrate children's perspectives on the role of the educators emerged: (a) assistance connected to play situations and play material, (b) confirmation of competence, (c) support connected to children's social interactions, and (d) participation in play and playful actions. The findings reveal that children's perspectives and experiences in their own life-worlds in play can be considered an important dimension that contributes to changes in the pedagogical practices that are emphasised in curriculum.

Keywords:

• preschool educator's role
• children's perspectives
• play

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Hrönn Pálmadóttir is an assistant professor at the School of Education, University of Iceland. She completed her M.Ed. degree from Iceland University of Education in 2001. Currently she is attending the doctoral programme at the University of Iceland. Her main research interests include children's interaction and play, as well as preschool teachers’ views and interaction with the children.

Jóhanna Einarsdóttir is a professor at the School of Education, University of Iceland. She holds a PhD from University of Illinois. She has published her work widely, in journals and books, and edited scholarly journals and books in the field. She is the director of the Centre for Research in Early Childhood Education at the University of Iceland.