Children's Belonging During Transition to School

• In Event: Truths and Traditions: Five Research Studies About How High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Care Is Supported in the Nordic Countries

Abstract

The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of Icelandic children’s belonging as they transition from preschool to primary school. Their views on the similarities and differences between these institutions as well as their views on what matters most during the transition are explored. Research has identified starting school as a major milestone in children’s lives that often has implications for their learning and development (Dockett et al., 2019). Continuity is a guiding principle in Icelandic educational policy. National curriculum guidelines for preschools, primary schools, and secondary schools share six fundamental pillars: literacy, sustainability, health and welfare, democracy and human rights, equality, and creativity. These aim to form the essence of the nation’s educational policy and to create continuity throughout the school system (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2011). Despite this, evidence indicates that there is little cooperation between these institutions and that children experience discontinuity when they move from one school level to another. The study draws upon childhood studies that emphasize the strengths and competencies of children to actively influence their social settings. Children are regarded as contributing members of society, experts on their own lives with opinions that should be listened to (James & Prout, 1997). The study also draws on the politics of belonging (Yuval-Davis, 2006), within which belonging and exclusion are understood as relational rather than individual phenomena.

Twenty children aged 6 to 8 years were involved in the study. Data were constructed through peer interviews. Two children participated in each interview, which was constructed as a conversation between the children and the researcher. The children were provided art materials to work with during the interviews. The conversations were simultaneously audio-recorded and later transcribed verbatim. The study was explained to the parents, who gave their informed consent. Consent was also negotiated with the children, and they were given the opportunity to withdraw from the study at any point. Preliminary findings indicate the importance of children’s social relations with other children and adults during transitions, as well as their relationship with the material environment. The findings suggest implications for educators and policymakers to focus on supporting children during the time of transition. The study contributes to the wider debate on belonging in early childhood education and children’s participation in research.

Authors

• Johanna Einarsdottir, University of Iceland
  Presenting Author

• Sara Margret Olafsdottir, University of Iceland
  Presenting Author