Kristín Karlsdóttir and Bryndís GarðarsdóttirIceland University of Education

EECERA PRAGUE - August 2007.

Competent Children

Assessing Well-beingand

Learning Processes

Young children in Iceland

Children attending preschool in 2006

• 33% of one year old children

• 90% of two to five year old children

• The present debate is about what kind of learning is needed for five year old children, what is the goal of education for this age group and were it should take place

The purpose of this study

• To explore and assess children’s well-being and learning dispositions in preschool

• To examine and develop further a method Carr and her colleagues developed to assess children’s well-being and learning dispositions

The theoretical underpinning

• Socio-cultural theory - children’s learning is mutually constructed by the social context and the child’s personal factors

• Post-modern perspective - the child is seen as a competent, strong individual making knowledge in co-construction with other human beings

Assessment methods

To be able to assess complex learning

practitioners in New Zealand have:

• Developed an alternative assessment practices

• Documented childrens learning stories

• Assessed children’s well-being and learning dispositions (Carr, 2001)

Assessing childrens:

• Well-being – supporting children’s self-respect, prestige, power, strength and esteem

• Learning dispositions - children construct a new identity, by taking an interest, being involved, persisting with difficulties, communicating with others and taking responsibility (Carr, 2001)

Method

• Research team - two researchers and two preschool teachers and a group of children

• Observation, documentation and reflection

• Children’s learning stories documented

• Learning stories analysed using Carr’s five domains of learning disposition

The Social culture of the setting

• Children and adults influence the social culture of the setting, e.g. adults can either be controlling or supporting

• Children are aware of the differences of roles and routines in different places and relations (Carr, 2001)

• Children can influence the social situation by changing their way of participating (Carr, 2001)

Example from the social context

Anna (teacher) often was supportive towards children ifthey were insecure. Hlín (girl) was working with dough,putting it around a hot dog, but could not cover it. Shestruggled with the dough, became frustrated and said:“this is too little” (with an anxious, complaining tone in her

voice). Anna: “O, I am sorry, sometimes we, the adults,can be a bit clumsy, we do not give the children enoughdough. You will just have to ask for another smallerpart of the dough. Here you are, have an extra piece”

Example from the social cultureEdda (girl) stands up from her chair, moves it around the table and crams the chair

beside Hlín’s (girl). Tinna (ass.teacher):“This is forbidden,you can’t do this”.

Edda explains that she and Hlín are working together, that´s why they have to sit

beside each other. Tinna:“This is not allowed…you can as well sit were you were”

Edda tries again: “You see I´m looking for yellow pearls for Hlín, so it´s much

easier to be at her side”. Tinna repeats: “Move your chair back” Edda does not

move, Tinna moves the chair back were it was before. Nothing happens for a

while. Edda stands still, looks down, and does not move. Then her friend, Hlín,

comes to her rescue and suggests: “Edda, I know what we can do” She picks up an

empty box and shows Edda “You just put the pearls in the box then you can push

it over to me”

Different views

• Researchers learning stories describing children's strengths and capabilities

• Preschool teachers are either aware of children's problems – or children are seen as role models – brilliant kids!

Competent children

Researcher

• Sif (girl): active, helpful, interested in many things, involved, often trying to help others, talks sensibly, perspective

Preschool teacher

• Sif (girl): bossy, interfering with things that do not concern her, just always trying to be as good as the next person

Competent children

Researcher

• Birta (girl): calm but active, adapts easily and starts quickly to work when taking on a new activity, active in communicating with others, aware of rules, tries to negotiate when faced with conflicts

Preschool teacher

• Birta (girl): clever but not popular among the other kids, clingy, lack of ability to concentrate, and always telling on children

Competent children

Researcher

• Breki (boy) active, positive, many friends, good-humoured, popular, competent socially, self-confident and aware of his strengths, goes to the edge

Preschool teacher

• Breki (boy): very competent, skilful, good role model, “the best of boys”

Conclusions - reccomendation

• Focusing more strongly on children’s strengths and competencies‘ and keeping problems more in the background.

• Starting to document regularly the preschool teachers would open up to a new view of understanding children and their capabilities

Conclusions

• Children as skilful communicators, capable of finding solutions and tackle with various situations in the social context

• Whether it is due to the preschools emphasis on social- and emotional competencies can not be argued at this stage of the study

• Documenting children’s learning stories is useful for researchers when the focus is on children’s strengths and capabilities

• Practitioner’s reflection and their documentations would add to the value of the assessment method, not only for the purpose of this study but also for support of learning processes in the setting

Thank you!