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Skólastjórar í grunnskólum tilfærslur í starfi 1998 til 2020
Get PDFTurnover of principals is an issue of concern in many countries, including Iceland (Börkur Hansen, 2021). To a large extent, interest in turnover is based on research findings that show the importance of retaining school principals for sustaining good practices and student learning (Béteille et al., 2011; Hargreaves & Fink, 2006; Seashore-Louis et al., 2010). However, turnover of school principals is not extensively researched, with the main accessible studies coming from the US and some from Sweden (Rangel, 2018; Thelin, 2020). According to Rangel (2018), the main concepts used in these studies are “stayers”, “movers”, “mobility” and “stability”. Sigurbjörg Róbertsdóttir et al. (2019) state that the role of compulsory school principals in Iceland is rapidly changing, primarily due to the addition of new tasks to their roles and increased pressure for academic achievement. They claim that this development has led to decreased job satisfaction, increased stress, and fewer applications for vacant positions of compulsory school principals. Kaplan & Owings (2015) paint a similar picture of the situation in the US, where demands on principals have become unrealistic, resulting in high turnover and fewer people applying for the job. Pritchard (2019) reports that 25% of school principals in the US quit their job every year, and around 50% of new principals quit after three years.
Seashore-Louis et al. (2010) argue that poorly planned exchanges of principals can have a negative impact on student learning. They highlight that successful work may be disrupted when new people take over and the replacement has been inadequately planned. The findings of the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) point in the same direction (Moos et al., 2011). Hargreaves & Fink (2006) agree and focus on the importance of ensuring that the leadership of principals does not weaken or disappear when a new person is hired. Lee (2015) further emphasizes that succession planning for principals should not be left to chance.
Considering the above, a study was conducted to explore the retention of principals in all compulsory schools in Iceland during a 23-year period. Data obtained from Statistics Iceland was available for the period 1998 to 2020. The study focused on investigating the extent to which principals transferred between schools, as well as differences based on gender, school size and geographical area. The study also examined the duration of the principals’ stay in each school and the total time they spent as principals in compulsory schools. The study looked for a pattern in their transfers, for example, whether they transferred to larger schools from smaller schools or from rural to more urban areas.
The main finding of this study is that there was considerable stability amongst compulsory school principals in Iceland from 1998 to 2020. The majority, 78%, stayed in the same school for an extended period, 5.01 years on average, but over one-fourth of them stayed for only one year. If those principals are excluded, the average is 6.47 years. About onefifth of the group, or 22%, had moved between schools, where 17% had worked as principals in two schools and 5% in more than two schools. On average, principals had worked in 1.28 schools for 6.2 years. Men tended to stay slightly longer in the same school than women. Stability amongst principals was considerably greater in large schools than in smaller schools, resulting in less stability in rural areas where most of the smaller schools are located. The mobility between schools was primarily between schools in the same geographical area.
The findings indicate that the turnover rate of principals in Iceland is considerably lower than in the US where a large percentage leaves during the first years on the job (Pritchard, 2019). The situation in Iceland, on the other hand, resembles that of Sweden. Thelin (2020) says that her study on the turnover of school principals between municipalities in Sweden from 1980 to 2017 reveals an average tenure of about seven years in each municipality, with infrequent transfers between schools. Additionally, Thelin notes that principals in rural areas changed schools more frequently compared to metropolitan and urban areas.Starfsmannavelta meðal skólastjóra í grunnskólum hér á landi hefur ekki mikið verið rannsökuð. Helsti hvati slíkra rannsókna er að kanna hreyfanleika eða stöðugleika í starfi því rannsóknir benda almennt til þess að mikil starfsmannavelta í skólum hafi neikvæð áhrif á skólastarf. Þessi rannsókn byggist á upplýsingum frá Hagstofu Íslands um skólastjóra sem störfuðu í íslenskum grunnskólum á árunum 1998 til 2020. Meginniðurstöður eru þær að stöðugleiki meðal skólastjóra í grunnskólum sé talsverður, það er að þeir starfi að meðaltali nokkuð lengi í sama skóla. Aðeins um fimmtungur hópsins stýrði fleiri en einum skóla, það er færði sig til milli skóla. Stöðugleiki var meiri í stórum skólum en litlum og sést það til að mynda á því að í litlum skólum á landsbyggðinni er stöðugleikinn mun minni en í stórum skólum. Niðurstöður sýna að almennt er stöðugleiki talsverður en tíð skólastjóraskipti eru helst í litlum skólum sem eru flestir á landsbyggðinni
Farsæld sem markmið menntunar: Ákall um aðgerðir
Get PDFThis article explores the emergent trend of flourishing as the aim of education and global educational policy which focuses on wellbeing and holistic skills. It makes connections between the emergent trend of “education-as-flourishing” and current developments of extended education. The authors argue that there is a lack of agreement and conceptual understanding of what flourishing in education means and how such a theoretical framework might be implemented within the education system. They give evidence of contradictions within current educational global policy which emphasizes holistic skills and flourishing in education, but feeds a policy framework that prioritizes rather narrow academic skills.
A few years ago, the OECD launched its Education 2030 initiative by calling out for new and broader education goals, aimed at individual and collective wellbeing of students as the main aim of education (OECD, 2018). This is evidence of an emergent trend, within and outside of OECD, that prioritizes flourishing as the main aim of education (Stevenson, 2022). Paradoxically, in the midst of a global PISA competition for a rather narrow academic skills ranking between countries, academics and policy makers repeatedly refer to educational values of wellbeing that relate to the ancient Greek idea that education should nurture each and every one to reach their individual and human capabilities and to flourish in community with others (Kristján Kristjánsson, 2020; Stevenson, 2022). However, there are strong indicators that such an overarching aim might be unrealistic as many of the skills seem to require nurturing and guidance that may lie outside of the field of school teachers. Thus, it becomes vital to explore the role that other sectors play, such as the extended education sector, and how new ideas about learning are finding place within the school system.
Extended education research is a growing research field within education and explores the connections between formal, non-formal, and informal learning as young people navigate between various spaces in their lives, in-school and out-of-school. Extended education may be offered in the form of a programme, activities or various offerings; it may be school-based or run by a community or a private agent, and it may even take place within school hours or out-of-school hours (Bae, 2020). Research on school-age educare in Iceland shows how such pedagogical practices may contribute to developing social skills, and creative and critical thinking, namely skills that are integral to flourishing in modern society.
The Icelandic education system, similarly to other Nordic countries, has been built on fundamental values, such as democracy, equity, participation, welfare and progressiveness (Antikainen, 2006). The aim of the new Education Strategic Plan 2030 is to “… provide excellent education in an environment where everyone can learn and everyone matters” (Mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneyti [Ministry of Education, Science and Culture], 2021b). Wellbeing is one of the (new) five strategic pillars and highlights the importance of health promotion, mental health, prevention, school counselling, and student voices. Nevertheless, the extended education sector is hardly mentioned in the policy documents and there is little to no reference to non-formal learning. A new Act on Wellbeing in Iceland encourages municipalities and professionals to align resources from diverse sectors, such as education, health, and social services. This study indicates a primary need for academics, professionals, and government agencies to explore ways to reach a shared conceptual understanding about what flourishing as the aim of education entails, and develop collaboration and integrated practices that support flourishing as the aim of education and the holistic skills of students. Without such an endeavour, flourishing as an ideal will only remain words on paper.Greinin fjallar um tengsl farsældar og menntunar á Íslandi með hliðsjón af hræringum á sviði alþjóðlegrar menntastefnu og nýjustu rannsóknum á sviðinu. Sérstaklega er fjallað um svokallaða farsældarkenningu í menntun sem hverfist meðal annars um heildstæða sýn á þroska, nám og hæfni nemenda og hvernig íslenska menntasamfélagið þarf að bregðast við á næstu misserum og árum. Greint er á milli ólíkra hugmynda um farsæld sem menntunarmarkmið (og gagnrýni á þær) er endurspegla ólíka fræðilega og faglega sýn. Höfundar sýna fram á ákveðna togstreitu í opinberri umræðu og skort á skilningi á því hvernig nám fer fram. Alþjóðastofnanir, svo sem OECD og UNESCO, leggja sífellt meiri áherslu á heildstæða hæfni og farsæld sem markmið menntunar. Engu að síður snýst opinber umræða gjarnan um bóklegan námsárangur, svo sem PISA, sem mótar einatt ákvarðanir og viðbrögð stjórnvalda. Höfundar færa rök fyrir mikilvægi samstarfs og samþættingar milli ólíkra sviða í menntakerfinu, annars vegar skólastarfs og hins vegar skipulagðs frístundastarfs þar sem unnið er með óformlegan og hálf-formlegan (e. informal og non-formal) lærdóm. Rýna þarf í hvernig þróa megi árangursríkt skóla- og frístundastarf sem skipulagt er með farsæld sem markmið menntunar að leiðarljósi. Meginniðurstaðan er sú að móta þurfi sameiginlega sýn á það hvað farsæld felur í sér, og skýra betur hvaða hlutverki ólíkar stofnanir og faghópar gegna í að styðja farsæld nemenda (ungmenna). Það er samfélagslegt ákall og skýr stefna stjórnvalda að horfa skuli til farsældar sem markmiðs menntunar. Sýnt er fram á að aukin þekking og stuðningur við heildstæða menntun styður slík áform, en kallað er eftir dýpri hugtakaskilningi og aðgerðum menntasamfélags til að ljá fallegum orðum á blaði hagnýta jarðbinding
Að undrast heiminn: Heimspeki og börn
Get PDFThis article provides an overview of the fundamental aspects of philosophy for children, examining its core principles, terminology, counterarguments, and empirical research. Specifically, it investigates how this pedagogical ideology aligns with The Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Pre-schools. Moreover, the terms Philosophy for Children (P4C) and Philosophy with Children (PwC) will be defined, based on their historical origins and key theorists.
P4C is characterized as a well-defined and clearly demarcated concept and draws heavily on Lipman’s theory and practical framework for engaging children in philosophical inquiry. Notably, Lipman emphasizes the creation of study materials and teaching guides specifically tailored for young learners. The following conditions serve as both necessary and sufficient criteria for a practice to be classified as P4C:
Utilization of Teaching Guides and Study Materials: These resources should reflect the historical context, philosophical problems, and modes of thought (Sharp, 2017).
Teacher Qualifications: Educators engaging in P4C must possess a background in philosophy, coupled with extensive knowledge of curriculum content and philosophical interactions with children (Lipman, 2011).
Establishment of a Community of Inquiry.
Promotion of Critical and Creative Thinking (Lipman, 1991).
Additionally, dialogue plays a crucial role in philosophical engagement. To be considered philosophical, discussions must meet the following conditions:
Philosophical topics and ideas must be the focus of the discussion.
Logical/reasonable investigative methods must be applied.
The discussion must be characterized by philosophical approaches. (Aðalbjörg Steinarsdóttir et al. 2001; Hreinn Pálsson, 1996; Lipman, 1998).
PwC is a more diverse concept, as there is stronger focus on the practice and attitude of teachers and adults, rather than mere framework. Its foundation is rooted in Gareth B. Matthews’ approach to engage children in philosophical discussions. According to Matthews (2000), a teacher must:
Respect children’s thinking, sincerity, and innocence.
Engage in philosophical dialogue as a peer.
Embrace his own wonder.
Possess understanding of language and concepts.
Matthews (2000) contends that children are exceptionally receptive to philosophical thinking due to their innate curiosity and wonder. His argument that children can think philosophically can be summarized as follows: If philosophical thinking is founded on asking questions/inquiring, contemplating existence, and giving reasons for one’s beliefs then children have the capacity for philosophical thinking because:
Children are naturally curious; they contemplate existence with childlike innocence and are eager to explore/inquire.
Children ask questions.
Children provide reasons for their beliefs.
This argument is situated within the context of the counterargument that children lack the capacity for philosophical thinking. By examining the perspectives of Richard F. Kitchener (1990) and Jean Piaget, we explore this contention. However, the crux lies in how we define “philosophy”. Children can indeed engage with philosophy, contingent upon our broader understanding of the term. For instance, children can learn to actively participate in conversations, attentively listen to others, express their viewpoints, engage in reflection, and come to their own conclusions based on evidence. This process, where individual thought intertwines with dialogue, is at the heart of children’s philosophy. Philosophy, when taught with sensitivity to individual experiences, becomes a powerful tool for meaning-making and self-discovery.
Philosophy plays a crucial role in nurturing young minds by fostering both creative and critical thinking. Within the context of the P4C/PwC ideology, these concepts are closely aligned with The Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Pre-Schools (Miðstöð menntunar og skólaþjónustu, n.d.). We explore the distinction between critical and creative approaches to philosophy, emphasizing a discussion-as-game approach that is rooted in wonder. We argue that introducing philosophy to children in Icelandic pre-schools is not only sensible but also yields significant benefits. Research supports several positive outcomes associated with P4C/PwC, including enhanced language development, critical thinking, creative thinking, open-mindedness, democratic work practices, and mature thinking. These emphases align seamlessly with the preschool context.
Philosophy provides a unique platform for children to engage in thoughtful inquiry, explore diverse perspectives, and develop essential cognitive skills. We examine the importance of children’s philosophy, drawing insights from research studies that demonstrate its measurable impact. We find that children’s philosophy yields measurable results and is not merely a niche interest for philosophers. Rather, it has quite practical implications. Importantly, philosophical work with children is both enjoyable and rewarding. In this space, they can wonder, envision possibilities, and learn collaboratively—free from adult-imposed constraints.Í greininni er fjallað um hugmyndir barnaheimspekinnar, hugtökin heimspeki fyrir börn og heimspeki með börnum eru afmörkuð í samræmi við helstu kennismiði. Í framhaldi er fjallað um það hvort barnaheimspeki geti yfir höfuð talist heimspeki. Farið er yfir helstu mótbárur og svör og komist að þeirri niðurstöðu að barnaheimspeki sé heimspeki. Færð eru rök fyrir því af hverju skynsamlegt getur talist að stunda barnaheimspeki í íslenskum leikskólum og fjallað um þann ávinning sem iðjan getur haft í för með sér og rannsóknir hafðar til hliðsjónar. Iðkun barnaheimspeki í íslenskum leikskólum samræmist vel aðalnámskrá leikskóla. Áhersla er lögð á eflingu gagnrýninnar og skapandi hugsunar í menntun ungra barna þar sem virðing er borin fyrir þroska þeirra, reynslu og upplifun
Leikur og þátttaka barna í leikskólastarfi: Stuðningur deildarstjóra og annars starfsfólks
No full textThe aim of this study was to shed light on how the heads of departments in four preschools, which participated in a collaborative study, which supported play as the main means of learning for children and children’s participation in daily activities. The purpose was to identify support and effective methods that strengthen play as the main method of learning for children to increase children’s active participation in the day-today work of preschools. The following questions guided the research:
How do the heads of departments support children’s play in the preschools?
How do the heads of departments promote the active participation of children in their daily work?
How is knowledge of play and children’s participation shared with colleagues?
Four preschools in Reykjavík, Engjaborg, Funaborg, Hólaborg and Sunnufold participated in a two-year project to support children’s play and their participation in the day-to-day work of the preschools. The project was part of the implementation of the Education Policy of the City of Reykjavík, which has supported the project. A researcher at the University of Iceland has advised the project. The department heads at the preschools met regularly to learn about and discuss various ways to support children’s play and increase their participation in the preschools’ work. The Icelandic National Curriculum (Mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneyti, 2012) has adopted a rights-based approach that views children as capable, active preschool participants with opinions that can be communicated if listened to. Play is children’s most important means of learning, and the role of adults is key when considering learning through play and how to support the development of play (Wood, 2013). Peer culture and the children’s group are also important because children learn from each other (Corsaro, 2015). The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) recognises children as individuals and agents of social change. The Convention sets out the need to listen to children and enable their participation in decision-making in matters that affect them. This research is based on qualitative research methods. Data was collected throughout the process. A needs analysis was completed at the beginning and re-evaluated. The process was also evaluated and reflected upon at the end. Various data, such as photographs and participant narratives, were collected during the process. The findings are presented by referring to the three themes that emerged in the data analysis. The findings provided many examples of ways to support children’s play. More space was created in the preschools for the children’s ideas, the number of teacher-led classes decreased, and playtimes were extended. The findings also revealed that the staff became more informed about how children could participate in daily work. Various roles were created for the children, and children’s meetings were held. The children were increasingly asked about their opinions of the preschool activities, the environment, and the play materials. The preschools’ participation and cooperation in the research were based on their common ideas that professional work should always be at the forefront despite special circumstances and difficult challenges. Although most preschool staff are not professionally trained and staff turnover is high, staff can learn from the department heads. Due to busy schedules, the department heads could not always share information and educational materials with colleagues. The project developed differently in each preschool; some differences occurred because of changes during the project, and others because of differences that existed before the project.Í þessari grein er sagt frá rannsókn á tveggja ára þróunarverkefni sem fjórir leikskólar í Reykjavík tóku þátt í. Markmiðið með rannsókninni var að greina starfsaðferðir og stuðning starfsfólks við leik sem helstu námsleið barna og við virka þátttöku þeirra í daglegu starfi leikskóla. Verkefnið var liður í innleiðingu á Menntastefnu Reykjavíkurborgar sem studdi við það með styrk úr þróunarsjóði skóla- og frístundasviðs. Rannsakandi við Háskóla Íslands lagði verkefninu lið með fræðslu og ráðgjöf ásamt að safna gögnum og greina þau. Hittust deildarstjórar leikskólanna reglulega til að ræða og kynna sér ýmsar leiðir til að styðja við leik barna og auka þátttöku þeirra í starfi leikskólanna. Rannsóknin byggir á eigindlegri nálgun sem er góð leið til að öðlast innsýn í reynslu fólks og viðhorf. Ýmsum gögnum var safnað í gegnum ferlið, svo sem kynningum og frásögnum þátttakenda á fundum en einnig var þrisvar sinnum sendur út hálfopinn spurningalisti sem fól í sér þarfagreiningu í upphafi verkefnisins, endurmat eftir fyrsta árið og lokamat í lok verkefnisins. Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar sýna að þátttakendur fóru fjölbreyttar leiðir að því að styðja við leik barna og nám. Starfsfólk var oft með börnunum í leik og margvíslegar aðstæður voru nýttar til að styðja við börnin í að leysa verkefni sjálf í stað þess að taka fram fyrir hendurnar á þeim. Þá sýna niðurstöðurnar mörg dæmi um þátttöku barna í daglegu starfi leikskólanna, til dæmis urðu til hlutverk fyrir börnin og barnafundir voru haldnir. Deildarstjórarnir tóku að sér leiðandi hlutverk í að viðhalda hugmyndafræði og gildum leikskólanna með stöðugri fræðslu, umræðu og ígrundun á reglulegum deildarfundum í leikskólunum. Vegna anna gekk þó ekki öllum deildarstjórunum vel að koma upplýsingum og fræðsluefni til samstarfsfólks. Afurðir ferlisins, myndbönd og rafbækur, hafa hagnýtt gildi og auka þekkingu á þeim leiðum sem starfsfólk leikskóla getur farið til að styðja við leik og þátttöku barna í daglegu starfi
Draumaskólinn: Lýðræðisleg og inngildandi samvinnurými barna og fullorðinna í grunnskóla
No full textThe active participation of children in society is essential for their well-being and success. The main task of the education system is to ensure their involvement and participation within their peer communities. Recently, there have been policy developments concerning inclusive education, school services, and children’s rights in Iceland. New laws on inclusive education and services for children and their families place the child in focus. They oblige society to create conditions for the well-being and prosperity of all children by providing appropriate integrated services across institutions without barriers. Children’s participation in developing and sustaining services and inclusive practices has been emphasised.
This article explores the development of effective collaboration between children and adults, developing inclusive school practices within the Dream School project. The project was conducted in partnership with the children and the personnel at the middle level (grades 5 to 7) in an Icelandic comprehensive school. It was part of a development project on children’s participation and empowerment involving the school, the local youth and leisure centre, and researchers from the University of Iceland. Integrated into the Dream School project was a participatory action research (PAR) study. The PAR method builds on active stakeholder collaboration, involving collaborative inquiry, dialogue, and joint knowledge creation. This aligns with the study’s theoretical framework, centring on children’s participation, belonging, and empowerment.
The Dream-school project aimed to amplify children’s voices and develop effective and sustainable ways to collaborate with children and adults in school. The research aimed to frame the process to understand the evolution of collaboration between children and adults and identify key factors for children’s empowerment. Research questions included: How can democratic, collaborative spaces be created for children and adults? What facilitates children’s expression of ideas and ensures they are heard and acted upon, fostering effective collaboration between children and adults?
Through five collaborative cycles, the PAR process involved creative conceptualisation, dialogue, planning, action, reflection, and knowledge creation. Children engaged in creative work envisioning their dream school and discussed these ideas with researchers, peers, and school personnel. Advisory groups of children focused on key issues, making proposals and action plans for changing school practices, which they presented to the school community. Children actively participated in implementing their ideas and reflected on the project and their involvement through a radio broadcast at the local station.
Four key findings highlight the impact of the process: it amplified children’s voices, created democratic and inclusive spaces for diverse participation, facilitated joint reflection and problem-solving between children and adults, and initiated an empowering learning and development journey. The dream school project fostered growth, strengthening children’s voices and increasing participation and collaboration. It established democratic, safe, and flexible collaborative spaces, allowing children to participate according to their strengths and interests and to discover and develop their talents. Through ongoing joint reflection and dialogue, the adults listened to the children’s perspectives and discovered what they could contribute to school development. As the children and the adults actively changed school practices and the results became tangible, attitudes toward children’s participation changed. Through listening to children’s voices and perspectives, adults developed trust in children’s abilities to express and follow their will. The children learned that their contribution to school development is important. The adults want to listen and collaborate with them.
The main challenge faced was ensuring the participation of all children in the project, as they chose different ways and levels of involvement. While some children preferred not to engage in the creative work, they shared their ideas through dialogue. Others initially hesitated but later participated actively in advisory groups or radio broadcasting. Thus, the collaborative spaces and the adult facilitators need to be flexible and responsive to offer all children the opportunity to be involved.
Finding ways for all children to participate remains a central task of the educational system. The project’s journey pointed us toward developing sustainable frameworks for children’s and adult collaboration, promoting ongoing dialogue, feedback, collaboration, and diverse forms of involvement. The narrative of the Dream School project serves as an inspiring example, encouraging further exploration of democratic practices and children’s participation within educational settings.Virk þátttaka barna í samfélagi er ein leið til farsældar þeirra og því er það helsta verkefni menntakerfisins að tryggja öllum börnum hlutdeild í samfélagi jafnaldra. Greinin fjallar um þróun árangursríkra og sjálfbærra leiða fyrir samvinnu barna og fullorðinna í inngildandi skólastarfi. Draumaskólaverkefnið var unnið á miðstigi grunnskóla sem hluti af þróunarverkefni um þátttöku og valdeflingu barna í samstarfi skólans, frístundamiðstöðvar og rannsakenda Háskóla Íslands. Þátttakendur voru börn og starfsfólk í fimmta og sjötta bekk. Samofin Draumaskólaverkefninu var starfendarannsókn sem náði yfir fimm samvinnulotur, sem fólu í sér skapandi hugmyndavinnu, samtal, áætlanagerð, framkvæmd hugmynda, ígrundun og þekkingarsköpun. Í rannsóknarferlinu var lögð áhersla á að skilja það ferli sem á sér stað þegar samvinna barna og fullorðinna er mótuð og bera kennsl á þá þætti sem skipta máli fyrir valdeflingu barna. Hægt var að greina fjögur þýðingarmikil atriði: Ferli verkefnisins var farvegur fyrir raddir barna, lýðræðisleg og opin samvinnurými veittu svigrúm fyrir ólíkar þátttökuleiðir, sameiginleg ígrundun barna og fullorðinna leiddi til lausna og verkefnið setti í gang valdeflandi náms- og þróunarferli. Frásögn Draumaskólaverkefnisins getur orðið öðrum hvatning til að finna leiðir sem opna fyrir lýðræðisleg vinnubrögð í skóla
„Hérna er heimalestur, núna eigið þið bara að sinna þessu.“: Reynsla foreldra af heimalestri
No full textReading homework is a widespread tradition within the Icelandic primary school system. When a child begins primary school, they are quickly subjected to the demands of daily reading homework, manifested through a reading booklet, and from that day on the parents are expected to ensure and confirm that the child reads at home every day. This reading homework is considered such a natural part of children’s school routines that it is rarely scrutinised; few question whether it is justifiable to impose the same requirements on all families without considering the diversity in life situations regarding occupation, family composition, and other circumstances that might affect their capacity to shoulder the responsibility. Therefore, it is urgent to take on these unasked questions and examine whether the current practice of standardised reading homework, which places a great deal of responsibly on parents in an out-of-school context, aligns with the equal educational rights of children. The purpose of this study is to contribute to a dialogue about the collaboration between schools and families regarding literacy and reading instruction. The objective of the research is to explore parents’ experiences of conducting their child’s reading homework and examine how different family circumstances are reflected in its implementation.
This study is based on 13 semi-structured in-depth interviews with 15 parents of primary school children in grades 1–6. Since the study aims to explore how different family circumstances are reflected in implementation of reading homework, we sought to recruit participants of various ages, occupations, locations, education levels, family compositions, ethnicities, etc. Data analysis took the form of thematic analysis, as the process emphasised bringing forth the voices of the parents, trying to understand their experiences, and identifying patterns.
The main findings show a significant difference in opportunities that parents in the study had to meet the school’s demands of daily reading. The narratives of the parents shed further light on how home circumstances influence whether and how parents are able to meet these demands. The research results provide insight into the difficulty of finding time and space for homework in households with more than one child or in which both parents work full time. Most respondents experienced stress and anxiety related to reading homework. Parents who did not manage to make their child read every day also reported feeling shame about this. The study also reveals that parents found the reading materials provided by the school to be lacking in quality, and therefore felt compelled to acquire books for their children themselves. Furthermore, most participants in the study held the view that reading was important, but also perceived that the structure of standardised reading homework had a negative impact on their children’s interest in reading, as it made the reading too forced and rigid. Study participants also mentioned the need for more resources to support them when they are unable to meet the requirements for daily reading. Participants also perceived that the school also lacked sufficient resources for those children who do not receive reading instruction at home.
The fact that different home circumstances might ultimately determine whether children receive the necessary training contradicts declarations of equal educational opportunities for children. The results of the study indicate that standardised reading homework practice, where the same objectives apply to the entire group, can increase inequality among students rather than diminish it. Children not only receive varying levels of educational training based on how well-prepared their parents are to assist with homework, but may also encounter bias from teachers at school based on the level of support they receive at home. These findings suggest a need to reconsider the ways in which reading instruction takes place within the school system and to explore alternative methods that better accommodate the diverse circumstances of each student.Heimalestur er útbreidd hefð á Íslandi. Við upphaf skólagöngu birtist lestrarhefti í skólatösku barns og framvegis er það undir foreldrum komið að sjá til þess að barnið lesi heima á hverjum degi og kvitti fyrir að það hafi verið gert. Heimalestur þykir svo sjálfsagður hluti af skólagöngu barna að fæstir velta því fyrir sér hvort réttlætanlegt sé að setja sömu kröfur á allar fjölskyldur án tillits til ólíkra aðstæðna þeirra. Mikilvægt er að skoða hvort fyrirkomulag heimalesturs samræmist jafnrétti barna til náms, sérstaklega í ljósi þess að niðurstöður PISA sýna skýran mun á frammistöðu nemenda í lesskilningi eftir félagsmenningarlegum bakgrunni.
Tilgangur þessarar rannsóknar er að stuðla að samtali um samstarf milli skóla og fjölskyldna í tengslum við lestrarnám. Markmið rannsóknarinnar er að skoða reynslu foreldra af heimalestri og hvernig ólíkar aðstæður fjölskyldna endurspeglast í framkvæmd hans. Um er að ræða eigindlega rannsókn sem byggir á 13 hálfstöðluðum djúpviðtölum við 15 foreldra barna í 1.–6. bekk grunnskóla. Foreldrarnir eru með ólíkan bakgrunn og lesa mismikið með börnum sínum. Helstu niðurstöður sýna að mikill munur er á hversu auðvelt foreldrum finnst að sinna heimalestri barna sinna. Flestir viðmælendur fundu fyrir streitu og kvíða í sambandi við heimalesturinn. Einnig kom fram að foreldrum þótti lesefni sem skólinn útvegaði oft vera ábótavant og útveguðu því sjálfir börnum sínum bækur. Þá voru flestir foreldrar þeirrar skoðunar að lestur væri mikilvægur en upplifðu samt neikvæð áhrif fyrirkomulagsins á lestraráhuga barna sinna. Fyrirkomulagið væri of þvingað og formfast. Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar benda til þess að staðlað fyrirkomulag heimalesturs geti aukið ójöfnuð milli nemenda frekar en að draga úr honum. Þá benda niðurstöðurnar til þess að endurskoða þurfi með hvaða hætti lestrarþjálfun fari fram innan skólakerfisins og styðjast við fleiri leiðir sem mæti betur ólíkum aðstæðum hvers og eins nemanda
The Dairy Support System: Who loses and who gains when quotas are tradeable?
No full textIceland has a tradition of intervening in the domestic agricultural market, including dairy farming. Much of the intervention has consisted of a combination of a minimum support price and subsidies, in addition to import tariffs. An important feature in dairy farming has been the direct payment quotas held by the individual farmers, which are transferable.
Does the quota trade hurt farmers rather than help them? Do those farmers who buy quota lose and those who sell gain? Does flow of capital from continuing farmers to ex-farmers result in the gains from the subsidy only benefitting those farmers that were operating and received direct payment quota when instituted, and then sold out of the system?
We attempt to answer these and related questions here. In doing so, we show that popular arguments about who gains and who loses in quota trades are confused. Contrary to popular claims, economic analysis shows that no one incurs a loss, not those operating in the system, not those who cash out, nor those who buy quota. Not only doesn’t anyone lose but in fact most or all gain through trade.
This in general confirms the basic principles of economics and free trade. Gain is the motive for trade; people do not engage in trade if they do not see some gain in doing so. This also confirms that trade increases farmers’ wealth. Not only the farmers who receive the initial allocation of quotas gain through trading the quota; farmers buying into dairy farming also gain
Malaguzzi, Aristotle and Dewey on the task of early-years moral education
Get PDFPaying homage to one of Dr. Guðrún Alda Harðardóttir’s academic gurus, Loris Malaguzzi, this chapter compares and contrasts the views of Malaguzzi on early-years moral education with those of two of his own academic influencers, Aristotle and John Dewey. Regarding education at the preschool level, all three thinkers turn out to have strengths and weaknesses when it comes to this particular topic and developmental level. It is suggested that the key to drawing serviceable lessons from those disparate authors may lie in aspiring to some sort of synthesis of their views, which retains the strengths but ameliorates the weaknesses. More precisely, Malaguzzi is shown to be strong on two components that Aristotle and Dewey are weak on, respectively: moral-education methodology and moral motivation
Að byrja í leikskóla: Mikilvægi góðrar aðlögunar
Get PDFIt is a big step for parents when a child starts preschool. A new chapter in life is about to begin, a chapter that calls for changes in the family’s daily routines. For some parents, it is natural that when their child starts in preschool, they have the attitude that all will go well. Others are afraid that their child will not get the necessary care and attention, but feel relieved when they see that the child is doing well. This article discusses the importance of a successful adjustment and is primarily based on the author’s experience of transition to preschool, with the participation of parents in three Norwegian preschools from 2011 to 2022. The aim is to draw attention to the importance of good transition at the start of preschool and to shed light on a certain method to create a safe and stable communication between the child’s two worlds, home and the preschool. Data was collected through observations and pedagogical documentation in daily work, as well as parents’ feedback on their experience as participants.
The transition model presented here assumes that the parents are active participants in the transition process for a minimum of five days. The idea is that parents and children learn to be in new situations together. The experience supported theories and writings of various scholars on transition and what should be kept in mind, such as the importance of relationship formation and emotional development. Changes in a child’s life can create a stressful situation, so it is important to pay close attention to its causes and what can be done to reduce stress. Caring and warm interaction between the child and preschool teacher lays the foundation for intellectual, social and emotional development in the child’s early years.
Children need time and space to find peace and security in new situations. The transition period can be difficult for both parents and children; therefore, parents were advised to take it easy at home during the transition period and to have long weekends every now and then during the first months. It is stressful for a small child to be in new situations and having to communicate with many people for a long time, so parents were encouraged to try to have short days in the first weeks or as long as possible. Experience showed that short days, 6–7 hours, especially during the first weeks, and small groups for part of the day made the children seem to adapt quickly and bond better with both adults and children. Gentle lighting with lamps and string lights and quiet, softly played music has an effect and helps both the teachers and the children to relax and find peace in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Materials that arouse curiosity in a magical and exciting space help children to relax and forget themselves in play and make separation easier.
When parents are involved and learning to experience new situations as well as getting to know new people together with the children, we begin to build the trust that needs to exist between the preschool and each family. Parents gain a better understanding of what a preschool day includes by participating in the daily work for a week. Trust and security are the basis for children to explore and acquire knowledge and skills, with their parents as a support, the child can relax and explore in this new situation.
The article sheds light on and discusses the importance of building trust and security right from the first day of transition, the role of caregivers, their influence and attitudes on the children’s social and emotional development.
The main result is that flexible transition with the participation of parents is an important part of laying the foundation for good and solid communication between the child’s two worlds, the home and preschool. Short days and small groups in a room with materials that arouse curiosity, supported by adults with professional knowledge are part of successful integration and the children’s well-beingGrein þessi fjallar um mikilvægi góðrar aðlögunar og er byggð á áratuga reynslu höfundar, athugunum og uppeldisfræðilegum skráningum um aðlögun með þátttöku foreldra í þremur norskum leikskólum frá 2011 til 2022. Markmiðið er að vekja athygli á mikilvægi aðlögunar við upphaf leikskólagöngu og koma á framfæri ákveðinni leið aðlögunar sem hægt er að fara til að skapa örugg og traust samskipti milli tveggja heima barnsins, heimilis og leikskóla. Fjallað er um mikilvægi þess að byggja upp traust og öryggi strax frá fyrsta degi í aðlögun, um hlutverk umönnunaraðila og áhrif þeirra á félags- og tilfinningaþroska barnanna. Einnig er fjallað um lykilhugtök í aðlögun og þau tengd fræðilega við reynslu höfundar. Sú leið í aðlögun sem hér er lýst, þ.e. að foreldrar eru þátttakendur, er mikilvægur liður í að leggja grunn að góðum og traustum samskiptum milli heimilis og leikskóla og stuðla að vellíðan og öryggi barns við upphaf leikskólagöngu
FIÐÓFUR – þRIFÞJÓVUR – FRIÐÞJÓFUR: Þróun stafsetningar í textaritun barna í 1.-4. bekk
Get PDFSpelling is an important part of writing development. To become skilled writers, children must learn how to spell words correctly. In alphabetical languages, spelling relies mostly on the phonology of words and words can be sounded out to discover how to spell them. However, spelling does not only rely on phonology but also follows writing conventions and spelling rules. These rules can rely on older pronunciations in the language, be related to etymology or grammar. Some of them are easy to learn but others are more complicated and harder to acquire.
Languages differ in the complexity of their spelling systems. Some languages have a shallow (transparent) orthography, also called phonemic orthography. They have a one-to-one relationship between letters and phonemes. Other languages have a deep (opaque) orthography, where the relationship between sounds and letters is more complicated. They do not have a one-to-one correspondence between sounds and letters and their spelling also generally relies on morphology. Icelandic has a medium-shallow orthography, which might make it easier to learn to spell Icelandic correctly than for example English which has a much deeper orthography. However, spelling in Icelandic is also based on writing conventions and spelling rules that children must learn to spell correctly. Some of these rules rely on older pronunciations in Icelandic and others lean on grammar or morphology.
Until now, very few studies have focused on the development of spelling among Icelandic children. Thus, we have little knowledge about how it develops or what they find easy to learn and what is more difficult to learn. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the development of spelling among Icelandic children in grades 1.–4. Two cohorts of children were observed, one with 42 children in grade 1, 2 and 4 and another with 45 children in grade 2, 3 and 4. Each year the children wrote two texts, a narrative, and an information text. Spelling errors in their texts were analysed and classified as phonological errors, phonetically plausible errors or errors that can be attributed to the fact that the writers do not know spelling conventions or rules.
The results show that the number of errors steadily decreases with increasing age and longer schooling of the children. In first grade, on average 34% of words in the texts were misspelled, 23% in second grade, 16% in third grade, and 12% in fourth grade. In all grades children make all types of errors. However, with increasing age phonological and phonetically plausible errors decrease rapidly, while errors that have to do with writing convention and spelling rules are almost as common in all grades. Nevertheless, progress could be seen in those errors as well. In the younger grades almost all spelling errors were caused by the children not using spelling rules. In the older grades, some errors occurred because the children used a spelling rule where it did not apply.
At the end of the youngest stage in elementary school, children correctly write words written according to their pronunciation, which indicates that they have mastered phonics and letter-sound correspondence and rely on it when they write. They have also learned the most common writing conventions and spelling rules in Icelandic and use this knowledge in their writing, but sometimes they forget the rules or use them inappropriately and consequently misspell. This suggests that they do not understand the rule well enough to be able to use it where appropriate and not elsewhere, which is a reminder that it is not enough to learn the rules to be able to apply them, it is also necessary to understand the points on which the rules are based. Spelling lessons must, therefore, follow lessons in other aspects of Icelandic, keeping in mind what understanding the children have gained about the structure of the language and grammar.Mikilvægur þáttur í ritunarnámi er að læra að stafsetja rétt. Til að byrja með treysta börn fyrst og fremst á hljóðgreiningu við stafsetningu orða en læra smám saman um aðrar hefðir og reglur og fara að beita þeim. Markmið þessarar rannsóknar var að afla upplýsinga um þróun stafsetningar hjá íslenskum börnum í 1.–4. bekk. Rannsóknin er byggð á langtímagögnum og var stafsetning metin í rituðum textum barna, skoðað hvernig villur þau gera og hvernig þær þróast milli ára. Niðurstöðurnar sýna að í lok yngsta stigs hafa íslensk börn náð ágætum tökum á hljóðgreiningu og stafsetja rétt orð sem eru skrifuð í samræmi við framburð. Þau eru einnig farin að átta sig á öðrum reglum og hefðum um stafsetningu og nýta sér það í ritun en eru langt frá því fullnuma í notkun þeirra. Leiða má að því líkum að þar skorti meðal annars dýpri skilning á tungumálinu