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Undirbúningstími í leikskólum: Hagur barna
No full textThe status and working conditions for teachers in Icelandic preschools have been a topic of recent discussion. The 2020 agreement with the Association of Preschool Teachers (FL) partly addressed the working conditions for preschool teachers by significantly increasing their preparation time. For example, a full-time preschool teacher serving as a department head now has 10 hours a week for prep—double the five hours allotted previously. Very little research has been undertaken on how preschool teachers’ preparation time is organised and used in Iceland or internationally. The few studies that have been conducted are rather general, focusing more on how much time preschool teachers use to prepare for children’s education, play, and other activities and less on how that prep time is spent. Findings from an Icelandic study on preparation time in preschools indicated that preschool teachers were satisfied with the increased time for preparation but also expressed concern about the corresponding increased absence from the children and their environment. According to Icelandic national curriculum guidelines (Menntamálastofnun, n.d.), play is the essence of preschool practice, and one of the main roles of preschool teachers is to create a learning environment that supports children’s play and encourages their participation and well-being. All children should have equal opportunities to learn through play and interact with others. In these situations, teachers support children and provide them with evocative surroundings. However, research has shown that in daily preschool schedules, play is not given enough space and preschool teachers are often busy with other activities, such as arranging practical plans for teaching practice, leaving behind the important task of observing and supporting children in play. Therefore, this research aimed to explore how preschool teachers use preparation time to improve preschool practices, focusing on children’s rights to be listened to and respected as agents in their own lives. The study was conducted in eight purposely selected preschools across Iceland. The participants were 24 preschool teachers, one preschool leader, one department head, and one preschool teacher in each preschool. Individual interviews were conducted to determine how preschool teachers used their preparation time to meet children’s strengths, improve their abilities to express themselves, and influence their daily lives. The findings show the tension between the time the preschool teachers used to prepare their preschool practice and the time spent with the children in the preschool settings. More time spent preparing meant less time spent with children. The preschool teachers mainly used the preparation time to prepare the preschool practice for the children instead of preparing with the children. In preschools with a teacher shortage, the absence of teachers affected the quality of preschool practice, i.e., preschool teachers’ communication with the children and support of their play activities. However, some of the preschool teachers saw opportunities to have more time to prepare and to include the children more often in the evaluation of the preschool practice by discussing their participation in different activities and developing their practice based on those discussions. The study concludes that preschool teachers, in taking advantage of their right to increased preparation time, should consider spending part of their preparation time in the preschool setting together with the children to support the children’s rights and best interests. While spending extra time with the children, teachers can develop their preschool practice by listening more closely to children’s perspectives. Teachers can also be present during children’s play, observing, documenting, and reflecting on it. Furthermore, they can consult with the children, allowing them to participate in the learning community.Rannsóknin byggir á fræðikenningum um aðkomu barna að leikskólastarfi, þátttöku þeirra og réttindum til að hafa áhrif á daglegt starf. Slíkt krefst virks samráðs við börn og þekkingu og skilning á hvernig best sé að nálgast sjónarmið þeirra. Ein leið til þess að meta gæði leikskólastarfs er að rýna í líðan barna og þátttöku í leik og daglegu starfi þar sem skráningar geta nýst til að skipuleggja nám þeirra. Undirbúningstímar leikskólakennara eru liður í að halda uppi gæðum leikskólastarfs. Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að skoða hver hagur barna er af undirbúningstíma leikskólakennara og hvaða tækifæri börn hafa til þátttöku. Tilgangurinn var að koma auga á rými fyrir börn til að hafa aukin áhrif á mótun leikskólastarfs. Tekin voru einstaklingsviðtöl við 24 starfsmenn í 8 leikskólum víðs vegar um landið. Helstu niðurstöður sýna að lengri tími leikskólakennara til undirbúnings leiddi til þess að þeir voru minna með börnum á deildinni sem gat komið niður á gæðum leikskólastarfsins. Áhersla var á að undirbúa starfið, utan deildar, fyrir börnin en ekki með börnunum. Leikskólakennararnir sáu að nota mætti hluta aukins undirbúningstíma til að hlusta betur á börnin og auka þátttöku þeirra í skipulagningu leikskólastarfsins. Til að tryggja betur hagsmuni barna ættu leikskólakennarar því að taka hluta af undirbúningstíma sínum inni á deild með börnunum. Þar geta þeir þróað starfið með því að hlusta betur á sjónarmið barna, gert skráningar á leik og haft samráð við börnin um skipulagningu daglegs starfs. Þannig geta börnin orðið hluti af lærdómssamfélagi leikskóla
Vinnumenning sem grefur undan jafnréttismarkmiðum lögreglu: fjölgun kvenna í starfsumhverfi sem litað er af kynbundinni áreitni
Get PDFIn the government’s strategy for gender equality in the police emphasis is placed on increasing the number of women. To achieve these objectives, the focus is on gender representation among police trainees, but little attention is paid to the high attrition rates among women and negative aspects of the police’s masculinised culture. The aim of the research is to examine the progress of the government’s equality objectives. Also, to examine the potential impact of gender-based harassment on these objectives, an issue that has received little attention in research to date. We draw on statistical data and a whole population survey data collected within the Icelandic police in 2022. We find that although there has been an increase in the number of women in the police in recent years, their representation in positions of influence and leadership has not increased as expected. It is uncertain whether the government’s objective will be achieved, as the gender gap among police trainees has widened and there are indications of an disproportionate dropout among women in the police. Many women report being subjected to gender-based harassment in their work, most often by male colleagues and male superiors. Therefore, we draw the conclusion that the police’s work culture undermines the government’s goals, as the focus is on increasing the women’s representation in the police force, while the work culture that awaits them will contribute to push them out again. To counter this, the government needs to respond with measures that promote an inclusive work environment for all police officers.Í stefnumótun stjórnvalda á sviði kynjajafnréttismála lögreglu er lögð áhersla á að fjölga konum meðal lögreglumanna og í áhrifa- og stjórnunarstöðum lögreglumanna. Til að ná settum markmiðum hefur sjónum verið beint að fjölgun kvenna meðal lögreglunema en lítt verið hugað að brotthvarfi kvenna og neikvæðum þáttum í karllægri vinnumenningar lögreglunnar. Markmið rannsóknarinnar er að skoða hvernig stjórnvöldum miðar að því að ná settum markmiðum og greina möguleg áhrif kynbundinnar áreitni á þessi markmið, en slík áreitni hefur fengið litla athygli í rannsóknum. Rannsóknin byggir á tölulegum gögnum frá lögreglunni og spurningalistakönnun sem lögð var fyrir allt starfsfólk lögreglu árið 2022. Niðurstöðurnar sýna að þrátt fyrir að konum hafi fjölgað meðal lögreglumanna síðastliðin ár þá hefur konum ekki fjölgað í áhrifa- og stjórnunarstöðum líkt og miðað var að. Auk þess er óvíst hvort að markmiðið um fjölgun kvenna náist, en kynjabilið hefur aukist í lögreglunáminu og vísbendingar eru um óeðlilegt brotthvarf meðal kvenna. Stór hluti kvenna verður fyrir kynbundinni áreitni í starfi sínu og þá oftast af hendi karlkyns samstarfsmanna og karlkyns yfirmanna. Því drögum við þá ályktun að vinnumenning lögreglu grafi undan markmiðum stjórnvalda, því á sama tíma og áhersla stjórnvalda er að fjölga konum í lögreglunni að þá er umhverfið sem bíður þeirra til þess fallið að ýta þeim út aftur. Til að vinna gegn þessu þurfa stjórnvöld að bregðist við með aðgerðum sem stuðla að inngildandi starfsumhverfi fyrir allt starfsfólk lögreglu
Stefnugeta í íslenska stjórnkerfinu
Get PDFFollowing the 2008 financial crisis, concerns arose regarding the adequacy of policy making and strategic planning preceding the crisis. Both the Parliamentary Investigation Committee (2010) and the study of Joined-up Government (2010) highlighted the need to enhance policy capacity within ministries. A project was launched to evaluate the effectiveness and capacity of ministries in formulating policies and strategic plans as part of a larger initiative to reform the central public administration. This article endeavours to assess policy capacity within the Government Offices (ministries) using a framework developed by Wu, Ramesh, and Howlett (2015). The assessment draws on data from surveys conducted by the Policy Council over a 6-year period, spanning from 2015 to 2021, focusing on policy making and strategic planning. Specifically, questions aligning closely with Wu and colleagues’ model were selected, covering aspects such as analytical skills, stakeholder collaboration, political support, budget allocation, and inter-institutional coordination. The findings suggest there is a certain level of policy capacity, specifically analytical capacity within the Government Offices. However, there are challenges concerning implementation aspects. Wu et al.’s model can serve as a valuable tool for evaluating policy capacity. Yet, the model presents several limitations, hampering efforts to provide a comprehensive assessment of policy capacity across ministries. Eftir fjármálahrunið kom berlega í ljós að stefnumótun og áætlanagerð hefði verið ábótavant í aðdraganda þess. Í skýrslu Rannsóknarnefndar Alþingis (2010) og síðar í skýrslunni Samhent stjórnsýsla (2010) voru ýmsar hugmyndir reifaðar um hvernig styrkja mætti stefnugetu (e. policy capacity) innan Stjórnarráðsins. Ráðist var í umfangsmikla endurskoðun á skipulagi, verklagi og vinnubrögðum innan stjórnsýslunnar. Í þessari grein er gerð tilraun til að meta stefnugetu í ráðuneytum með hliðsjón af líkani sem þróað var af fræðimönnunum Wu, Ramesh og Howlett (2015). Unnið er með niðurstöður úr könnunum á vegum stefnuráðs Stjórnarráðsins yfir 6 ára tímabil, frá 2015-2021. Við mat á stefnugetu er stuðst við spurningar í könnununum sem höfðu sterka samsvörun við líkan Wu og félaga, er lutu að greiningarhæfni, samstarfi, stuðningi stjórnmálamanna, fjármögnun, samhæfingu þvert á aðrar stofnanir o.fl. Þegar framangreindir þættir eru skoðaðar með hliðsjón af líkaninu kemur í ljós að það er þó nokkur stefnugeta í kerfinu, sérstaklega greiningarhæfni en það eru áskoranir er snúa að framkvæmdaþættinum. Niðurstöður benda einnig til þess að gagnlegt geti verið að styðjast við líkön til að meta stefnugetu. Aftur á móti eru ýmsir annmarkar sem gera það að verkum að erfitt getur verið að fá heildarmat á stefnugetu innan Stjórnarráðsins.  
„Þetta er bara hoppa út í djúpu laugina og gera sitt besta“: Upplifun og líðan grunnskólakennara í upphafi starfs
Get PDFRecent studies show that well-being among teachers is diminishing and the main reasons are considered to be an increased workload and lack of support. The demanding and extensive work of teachers is often a challenge for new teachers, leading to limited job satisfaction, poor well-being at work and high turnover among teachers. Research findings have indicated the importance of providing support to new teachers in order to promote their well-being at work and thus to prevent high turnover and teacher shortages. In recent years, knowledge has increased in connection with the importance of well-being at work and has drawn attention to numerous ways of strengthening the well-being of employees. A healthy work environment and a positive workplace culture enhance employees’ well-being and job satisfaction, as well as improving the overall performance of the organization. To promote a healthy working environment in schools and teachers’ well-being, it is important to emphasize supportive leadership, good communication and constructive collaboration. The aim of this study was to examine the experiences and well-being at work among new primary school teachers. A qualitative study was conducted, interviewing nine teachers, all of whom were active primary school teachers in various locations in Iceland with one to two years of work experience in a primary school subsequent to their graduation as teachers. Efforts were made to shed light on the teachers’ experiences in connection with the induction process at the beginning of their work, communication and support from managers and colleagues. Following data analysis, three themes emerged describing participants’ experience as new teachers: 1) The well-being of teachers at the beginning of their work 2) Managerial support at the initial stage of work and 3) The first steps as a supervisory teacher, team support and collaboration. The findings show that the participants experience their work as diverse and challenging and in general they saw the start of their career as positive. However, the findings indicate that the induction process needs to be strengthened as much of the support and guidance the teachers received was initiated by themselves and there was only a limited formal induction programme. The participants experienced their managers as not present and not providing the new teachers with feedback regarding their work. In particular, the findings indicate that formal and professional support and guidance from leaders and peers needs to be strengthened and better structured. Furthermore, the findings indicate the importance of a healthy work environment, good communication and constructive feedback from managers with the potential to promote the wellbeing and success of new teachers. Also, the findings suggest that further preparation is needed regarding practical aspects of teachers’ work during their education. The results of the study could contribute to knowledge regarding a successful entry into the teaching profession and factors that could help increase the likelihood of job satisfaction and well-being among teachers at the beginning of their career. To ensure a successful entry into a new job as a teacher, it is important that schools work according to an onboarding process where school policy and goals are presented. The responsibility for introducing a new teacher, together with feedback and follow-up, is in the hands of the management, and therefore support is urgently needed, for example, from the local authorities in matters relating to human resources. A new teacher must be introduced to the tasks that are a regular aspect of his job, such as assessment work, parental interviews, daily registrations and keeping track of students, roles on break-up days, communication with parents and teachers’ responsibilities regarding continuing education and professional development. Since the tasks of a new teacher are many and varied, managers should offer their help firsthand, ensure access to coaching within the school and inform new recruits about the professional support available within the school as well as from the relevant municipality. Managers need to place greater emphasis on visibility in daily school work to strengthen communication and trust and thus increase the likelihood of teachers’ well-being, job satisfaction and successVísbendingar eru um að vanlíðan kennara í starfi sé að aukast og eru helstar ástæður taldar vera aukið álag í starfi og skortur á stuðningi sem aftur tengist líkum á því að nýliðar hætti störfum. Rannsóknin er um upplifun og líðan grunnskólakennara í upphafi starfs. Tekin voru eigindleg viðtöl við níu kennara sem allir eru starfandi grunnskólakennarar. Leitast var við að varpa ljósi á reynslu kennaranna og líðan í sambandi við móttökuferli í upphafi starfs og samskipti og stuðning stjórnenda og samstarfsfólks. Niðurstöður sýna að nýliðum finnst kennarastarfið vera fjölbreytt en jafnframt krefjandi. Fram komu vísbendingar um að auka þyrfti vægi samskipta með áherslu á jákvæð og uppbyggileg samskipti ásamt því að auka stuðning stjórnenda. Af niðurstöðunum má draga þá ályktun að styrkja þurfi móttökuferli nýrra kennara og gera ráðstafanir til að minnka álag og óöryggi í upphafi kennsluferils og að liður í því sé að styðja sjálfstraust nýliða og vellíðan í starfi. Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar geta verið framlag til þekkingar á þáttum sem styrkja þarf til að auka starfsánægju og vellíðan kennara við upphaf starfs og þar með líkur á að þeir haldist í starfi
A realistic nostalgia for the future — exploring materials and material utterings in a preschool for sustainability
Get PDFIn Nordic kindergarten, activities with materials have had a significant position historically. The Norwegian term “forming” includes both the material-based craftwork and the art area. Research shows that creative activity with materials constitutes a smaller part of the content in the kindergarten than before. The aim of this article is 1) to provide a historical overview of the subject forming, 2) to put this retrospectively into an epistemological context that points towards 3) an actualization in relation to the UN Sustainability Goals and children’s right to expression according to the UN Convention. The article is based on an ethnographic study in kindergarten and an article on the topic written in Norwegian (Carlsen, 2015, 2022). The discussion illuminates how the anchoring of forming in natural and cultural materials is lifted into a sustainability perspective and how a shift in theoretical perspectives opens new understandings and contributes to the kindergarten’s content
„Rödd rökhyggju og skynsemi í öllu“: Lýðræðislegt gildi háskóla frá sjónarhóli háskólakennara
Get PDFThe 2020 Magna Charta Universitatum update signals universities’ commitment to democratic principles (Magna Charta Observatory, 2020). Combining philosophical analysis and interviews with faculty at three universities in Iceland, this study aimed to shed light on different aspects of the democratic value of universities. Recent academic discourse underscores the role of universities in nurturing democracy (Bergan et al., 2016; Daniels, 2021; Goddard, 2009; Goddard et al., 2016; White, 2017). Various threats undermine trust in democratic institutions (Kloubert, 2018; Lührmann et al., 2019; Somer & McCoy, 2019) and tensions exist between universities’ democratic mission and market-driven agendas (Brown, 2015; Giroux, 2018; Nussbaum, 2010). As social constructs, universities are shaped by diverse groups of stakeholders (Sigurður Kristinsson, 2023), including academic faculty. Their ideas can, therefore, shed important light on the democratic value of universities.
Kristinsson’s (Sigurður Kristinsson, 2022) conceptual model was employed in a top-down analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021) of interviews with university teachers, with the aim of illuminating how democracy can be part of the extrinsic and intrinsic value of universities. Twenty-six faculty members from three universities in Iceland were interviewed, reflecting diverse backgrounds in social, natural, and technical sciences.
The interviews brought out ideas of how knowledge creation in universities can lead to better and more ethical decisions, with positive consequences for the quality of decisions and general welfare. In addition, they reflected how universities nurture democraticculture by providing public discourse with objective truths, providing reliable knowledge for informed decision-making in various spheres such as politics, economics, and labour movements. When discussing the fostering of democratic competence and culture, respondents emphasised the importance of educating students about democratic values, critical thinking, and civic engagement. The commitment to truth emerged as crucial, underscoring the importance of ethical knowledge creation independent of special interests. Respondents highlighted universities’ contributory value to democracy by emphasising their role in professional education, in providing expert opinion within public discourse, in civic engagement of faculty, and in securing an impartial venue for public discourse. To a lesser extent, they suggested universities symbolize democratic ideals as realms of freedom and collegial governance. Universities were described as secure zones of free expression and experimentation. Discussions on collegial governance revealed divergent views, suggesting its symbolic value might exceed its practical application, while also highlighting democratic aspects with intrinsic democratic value. Respondents described universities as democratic institutions, albeit with ambivalence about the authenticity and effectiveness of democratic practices. The notion of universities as essential to democracy emerged through the characterization of university staff as “guards” of democracy with a “duty of expression”.
Respondents’ accounts align with Daniels’ (2021) discussion on universities as sources of knowledge amidst societal challenges. They also reflect current emphasis on universities’ direct engagement with local communities, fostering collaboration and dialogue (Bergan et al., 2016; Goddard et al., 2016; Magna Charta Observatory, 2020). The strong commitment to truth resonates with White (2017) and Vilhjálmur Árnason’s (2022) emphasis on universities’ critical function. Critical thinking was said to nurture democratic competencies, in keeping with scholarly discourse (Arendt, 2011; Chambers, 2021; Council of Europe, 2020; Nussbaum, 2010). Respondents’ accounts of contributory value also engage notions of the “civic university” (Goddard et al., 2016). Describing universities as symbols of freedom indicates utopian thought (Rothblatt, 2006). Respondents‘ ambivalence concerning collegial governance as an intrinsic value reflects tensions identified by Kligyte & Barrie (2014) and trends of declining academic citizenship (Feldt et al., 2024; Sørensen, 2015). Referring to universities as “guards” of democracy evokes Jaspers’ (1959) and Habermas’ (1987) perspective on universities as the “intellectual conscience” of society.
Overall, the interviews with faculty indicate how universities can play a vital role in addressing global threats to democracy, and their analysis systematically clarifies the democratic value of critical education and scholarship at universities. These results contain suggestions for university policy and further research.Yfirlýsing Magna Charta Universitatum árið 2020 minnir á mikilvægi þess að háskólar standi vörð um lýðræðisleg gildi. Markmið rannsóknarinnar sem greinin fjallar um var að afla vitneskju meðal háskólakennara um birtingarmyndir lýðræðislegs gildis háskóla. Hugtakalíkan var nýtt við greiningu viðtalsgagna til að varpa ljósi á viðfangsefnið. Í máli viðmælenda kom fram að þekkingarsköpun í háskólum leiddi til siðferðilega ábyrgari ákvarðana og stuðlaði að þjóðfélagsumræðu sem styddist við hlutlæg sannindi. Fram kom að mótun lýðræðishæfni og lýðræðismenningar fælist í ræktun gagnrýninnar hugsunar, lýðræðislegra viðhorfa og þátttöku. Framlag háskóla til íslensks lýðræðis var talið felast í sérfræðimenntun, álitsgjöf og borgaralegri þátttöku háskólafólks, sem og hlutlausum samræðuvettvangi. Bent var á háskóla sem vettvang tjáningarfrelsis, tilrauna og málefnalegrar umræðu. Lýðræðislegt stjórnskipulag og starfshættir voru taldir verðmætir þættir í starfi háskóla en ýjað að því að jafningjastjórnunin væri frekar í orði en á borði. Í niðurstöðunum felast vísbendingar sem nýta má í stefnumörkun og frekari rannsóknum á lýðræðislegu gildi háskóla
Íslenskir blaðamenn í breyttum heimi: Aukin áhersla á klassísk gildi en undir vaxandi þrýstingi
Get PDFIn this article we examine changes in role perceptions of Icelandic journalists and the pressure they perceive on their daily work. The media environment in Iceland has gone through drastic changes in recent years which has, as in other countries, altered the way news is produced, distributed, received, and the overall role the news media plays in society. Increasing competition for peoples’ attention, the impact of the internet, social media and powerful tech giants, have among other things resulted in financial difficulties in the media market, bankruptcy and layoffs. The purpose of the research presented here is to examine if and how these changes have affected journalists’ views about their role in society and if they perceive increased pressure on their work. We present data from the international comparative Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS) in Iceland from 2021 (n=239). The new data is both quantitative and qualitative, i.e., a survey among the news journalism population in the country and qualitative in-depth interviews with 30 journalists. The findings are compared to the results from WJS in 2012. Our results indicate that Icelandic journalists place greater emphasis now than a decade earlier on classic journalistic roles, such as being a detached observer and scrutinizing those in power. At the same time, they report encountering more external interference and pressure in their work, especially journalists working for private media outlets but to a lesser extent those in the Public Service Media. Í þessari grein er fjallað um rannsókn á viðhorfum íslenskra blaðamanna til hlutverks síns í samfélaginu og upplifun þeirra af utanaðkomandi þrýstingi á störf sín. Fjölmiðlaumhverfið á Íslandi hefur gengið í gegnum miklar breytingar á undanförnum árum sem hafa, eins og í öðrum löndum, breytt því hvernig fréttir eru búnar til, þeim dreift og hvernig lesendur nálgast fréttir og jafnframt vakið spurningar um hlutverk fjölmiðla. Vaxandi samkeppni um athygli fólks, áhrif netsins, samfélagsmiðla og áhrifamikilla tæknifyrirtækja hafa meðal annars leitt til fjárhagserfiðleika á íslenskum fjölmiðlamarkaði, gjaldþrota og uppsagna. Markmið rannsóknarinnar er að kanna hvort og þá hvernig þessar breytingar hafa haft áhrif á viðhorf blaðamanna til þess hvert þeir telja vera hlutverk sitt í samfélaginu og jafnframt hvort þeir telja utanaðkomandi þrýsting á dagleg störf sín hafa aukist. Rannsóknin felst í spurningakönnun sem lögð var fyrir blaðamenn vorið 2021 (n=239) og eigindlegum viðtölum við þrjátíu blaðamenn. Spurningakönnunin er hluti af alþjóðlegri samanburðarrannsókn, Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS), sem miðar að því að kortleggja starfsaðstæður blaðamanna, viðhorf og vinnuaðferðir þeirra. Niðurstöðurnar eru bornar saman við WJS könnunina frá árinu 2012 (n=209). Niðurstöður sýna að íslenskir blaðamenn leggja meiri áherslu á það nú en áratug áður að hlutverk þeirra sé fyrst og fremst að veita hlutlægar upplýsingar um það sem gerist í samfélaginu og að veita valdhöfum aðhald. Um leið er ljóst að þeir telja að utanaðkomandi þrýstingur á dagleg störf sín hafi aukist. Það á einkum við um blaðamenn á einkareknum miðlum, en síður um félaga þeirra á Ríkisútvarpinu.  
Athuganir og skráningar í leikskólanum: Preschool staff experience
No full textObservations are an important part of preschool practice for a variety of reasons, for example to document progress, focus on children’s educational environment or to gather information for parent teacher collaboration. According to the national curriculum, teachers are required to conduct regular observations, the aim being to create a nurturing learning environment and to support the school curriculum.
This article is based on a quantitative study regarding the use of observations and documentation in Icelandic preschools. The study was conducted online during late November and early December 2019. The participants were staff members in Icelandic preschools. The study aims to gain a clear view of the methods and tools preschools use for documentation and observations, the purpose behind selected methods, and who is most likely to carry them out. Not much is written about different ways of observation in Icelandic preschools. It was decided to seek answers to the following research question: Which methods do preschool staff use to document and observe their work with children? The following sub-questions were also taken into consideration: In which context are observation methods used? And how do preschool staff use the results? Who is conducting the observation within the preschool? The response rate was high; 249 preschool staff members answered the questionnaire. The participants’ background varied, while most had quite a long experience working in preschool.
The results show that different methods are used for preschool observations and many schools rely on mixed methods. Child Observation and Pedagogical Documentation are the main methods, both used by 64% of the respondents, although Learning Stories are also common in a quarter of the answers. The Mosaic Approach is known and used by 5% of the preschool staff who answered the questionnaire. On the other hand, results indicate that some variant of child observation is used at the expense of other kinds of observations. Child observation is claimed to be less time-consuming and therefore more popular. It is important to consider the effect this could have on children. Another example of what can take teachers’ time away from observations is the pressure to use standardized tests. Heavy workload, more tasks, too few teachers and high employee turnover are additional reasons for teachers to place observations on the back burner. Most of the staff who answered the questionnaire had some training and education in conducting observation. They prioritize observations relating to social skills, wellbeing, a child’s development and children’s communication. This emphasis is explained by stating that if children‘s wellbeing is in focus, it becomes easier to work on other aspects such as children’s development and education. Observations are used both focusing on children individually and on groups of children.
It is notable that multiple methods are utilized in some way. More than half of the participants usually or always use documentation and observations to prepare continuing education for each child or children. However, there is also a large proportion of participants who sometimes or never use such methods. Almost everyone uses the results of documentation and observations to make plans for a child or a group of children, to discuss the learning and development of the child and the child group, to prepare parent interviews and organization of the job. According to the results of the study, it seems clear that most of the preschool staff are involved in the documentation process. Therefore, this is not solely the responsibility of the preschool teacher.
The results shed light on the organization of observations in Icelandic preschools. They also demonstrate the need for more consideration when it comes to preschool staff who need better nurture and more encouragement. As a closer look at the preschool working environment is required, it is also clear that an increased number of professionals is needed.Athuganir og skráningar eru hugtök sem eru notuð yfir aðferðir við að safna markvisst gögnum í leikskólastarfi. Um er að ræða leiðir til að afla upplýsinga um nám, þroska og líðan barna svo dæmi séu tekin. Sumar leiðir við athuganir og skráningar eru staðlaðar en aðrar opnari, allt eftir því hvaða hugmyndafræði liggur að baki og að hvaða markmiði er stefnt. Í rannsókninni sem hér er kynnt var lögð spurningakönnun fyrir starfsfólk leikskóla til að fá skýrari sýn á það hvaða leiðir eru notaðar við skráningar og athuganir og hvernig þær eru nýttar í starfinu. Niðurstöður sýna að algengustu aðferðirnar eru atferlisathuganir og uppeldisfræðileg skráning. Staðlaðar leiðir þykja fljótlegri og gefa góða raun og starfsfólk finnur fyrir þrýstingi á að nota þær frekar en opnari aðferðir. Einnig kemur skýrt fram að margt í leikskólastarfinu virðist hindra að athuganir og skráningar fari fram, svo sem mannekla og álag, en almennt segist starfsfólk nota athuganir og skráningar töluvert til að bæta nám og líðan barn
„Gott nám er eitthvað sem hvetur mann til þess að vaxa“: Sýn nemenda, kennara og stjórnenda á gæði náms og kennslu í háskólum
No full textThe increased demand for higher education and changing ideas on the role of education in modern society have led to an increasing call for research on higher education quality and what it entails. Despite various quality systems and higher education standards, the quality concept is multi-layered, and concerned parties tend to have different perspectives on its meaning. Scholars have attempted to analyse external and internal quality factors in higher education regarding international quality standards, institutional standards, and quality culture in academic work. In this study, which is part of a larger study: Cooperation between teachers and students for increased quality of learning and teaching, the administrators, teachers, and students at one academic unit in an Icelandic university were asked what constitutes the quality of learning and teaching. Individual interviews were conducted with four administrators, and focus group interviews were conducted with nine teachers and fifteen students. The interviewees shared a vision of some key quality learning and teaching elements. However, it was noticeable that student views were sometimes rooted in different ideologies than the administrators’ and teachers’ when defining what it means to be “educated”. Students wanted practical approaches to their education that directly prepared them for the labour market. They also emphasised modern teaching methods that spark students’ interests and motivate them and found the clear organization of studies essential as well as timesaving for student schedules. Administrators and teachers also wanted students to acquire knowledge and skills that would be useful to them in their future workplaces. However, they concurrently emphasised that an essential part of higher education was to delve deeply into academic subjects and develop critical thinking and social vision on important challenges in the global world. Therefore, many students seemed to experience themselves as consumers in the learning environment. They did not consider students’ decreasing engagement and independence in their studies problematic, as they found it unpreventable considering that students are trying to juggle many balls at once. Students mentioned that clear course requirements, good structure, and modern teaching methods were crucial to their studies. Still, they added that teachers had to be willing to give them some flexibility when something related to family or work came up in their lives. On the other hand, the teachers raised the issue of considerable pressure being on them to discount academic requirements due to students’ busy schedules and less dedication as most of them were working in addition to their studies. They pointed out the urgent need to stop this trend, as quality education needs students’ dedication and time, and it is a transformative process instead of a consumer product. They declared that they were trying to accommodate students and adopt innovations. Still, they pointed out that growing demands in their work as academics for new technical and pedagogic skills led to increasing workload and stress among staff who already are dividing their efforts between teaching, administration, and research. All interviewees believed that good and active communication between students, teachers and administrators constituted an essential part of a quality culture in learning communities. Under such circumstances, opportunities opened to discuss the quality of courses, teaching, and study lines, as well as the development of education and needed reforms. It also mobilised a diverse group of concerned parties in the learning community to share their vision of what quality education entailed and how it must evolve. According to all interviewees, the main obstacle to involving more parties in the conversation was the lack of time and the fast pace of daily life. It affected students’ devotion to their studies and reduced their participation in conversations on reforms and studies’ evolvement. At the same time, teachers and administrators appeared to experience increased workloads and, sometimes, stress related to fast changes and requirements in the learning environment. In line with the findings, it can be concluded that an open and honest conversation must take place about what steps must be taken to ensure students’ opportunities to increase their educational engagement. Also, quality work must be continual, and measures must be taken to meet societies’ changing conditions to support quality culture in universities. In addition, improved working conditions are needed for university institutions, teachers, and administrators to meet quality standards in teaching and learning.Aukin sókn eftir háskólamenntun og fjölbreytt sýn á hlutverk hennar hefur aukið kall eftir rannsóknum á gæðum háskólanáms og til hvers þau vísi. Þrátt fyrir ýmis gæðaviðmið, þá er gæðahugtakið marglaga og sýn hagaðila á gæði gjarnan ólík. Í rannsókninni var leitað eftir sýn stjórnenda, kennara og nemenda innan íslensks háskóla til þess hvað felist í gæðum náms og kennslu og hvaða leiðir styðji við gæði. Tekin voru einstaklingsviðtöl við fjóra stjórnendur og rýnihópaviðtöl við níu kennara og 15 nemendur. Í niðurstöðum kom fram að viðmælendur voru sammála um nokkrar lykilstoðir gæða í háskólanámi og farsælar leiðir til að styðja þær. Aðstæðubundinn munur var þó í áherslum viðmælendahópanna og mismunandi sýn á merkingu þess að ‘menntast’. Nemendur sóttust eftir hagnýtu námi sem nýtist á vinnumarkaði, skýru skipulagi náms og fjölbreyttum nútímalegum kennsluháttum sem gerði þeim kleift að stunda nám samhliða starfi og fjölskylduskyldum. Stjórnendur og kennarar lögðu áherslu á að námið veitti nemendum hagnýta þekkingu og hæfni fyrir starfsvettvang en jafnframt tækifæri til að kafa í viðfangsefni og þróa gagnrýna hugsun og samfélagssýn. Þeir töldu eins og nemendur að gera ætti skýrar námskröfur og vanda til uppbyggingar náms og kennsluhátta. Minni námshelgun nemenda drægi hins vegar úr gæðum og umbreytandi námsþáttum. Kennarar hefðu mætt þróuninni og tileinkað sér tæknikunnáttu og nýjar kennslufræðiáherslur sem hefðu aukið álag í akademísku starfi. Allir viðmælendur töldu góð samskipti innan námssamfélagsins forsendu umbóta og þróunar náms. Áskorun væri þó að fá nemendur til samstarfs vegna annríkis. Af niðurstöðum má ráða að gæðastarf í háskólanámi þurfi að vera viðvarandi og að bregðast þurfi við breyttum aðstæðum í samfélaginu á hverjum tíma til að tryggja gæði náms. Hér á landi þurfi jafnframt að stuðla að tækifærum nemenda til aukinnar námshelgunar og standa vörð um starfsskilyrði háskólastofnana, kennara og stjórnenda