Bjørg Midtskogen has completed her doctoral work at the PhD programme Child and youth competence development.
The study is qualitative and the data has been obtained through participant observation at staff department meetings; through individual interviews of staff, children and parents; and through focus group interviews of children.
“The thesis contributes knowledge about how kindergarten teachers try to include a dynamic mapping as a part of their practice, where they try to take the children’s perspectives into account,” writes Midtskogen to inn.no.
Kindergarten teachers try to work from an understanding that both children and adults live in the here-and-now but are also constantly developing.
Within a dynamic mapping, employees are aware of the entire group of children, of children's individual participation and development, and of how they themselves understand the children.
It is within this framework that the staff try to provide extra support to the children who need it, and identify risk factors.
The problem is a lack of time to participate for and with the children in this way.
According to Bjørg Midtskogen, the study gives reason to question whether kindergarten teachers can contribute even more to good health and to life skills for the children, if they were to be given more opportunities to apply dynamic mapping systematically, along with the necessary professional discussions with competent colleagues.
- Link to the thesis (in Norwegian): “Mapping of children in kindergarten: An empirical study of how mapping is included in the pedagogical practice of kindergarten assistants and teachers, with a focus on whether and to what extent this process takes the children’s perspectives into account.”
The main findings of the doctoral degree:
- The dynamic mapping appears vague in the complex everyday life with many children, and the problem is the lack of time needed to participate for and with the children in this way.
- The systematic mapping work increases when the teachers have more discussions about the observations, as well as conversations that are carried out during everyday work.
- Parents want to cooperate with teachers about the ongoing mapping more often.
- The study has also found that the more mapping is done systematically, the more the employees pay attention to the children’s well-being and mental health, as well as their linguistic and social development.
- Dynamic mapping requires expertise, and the study gives reason to consider whether kindergarten teachers could contribute even more to children’s health and life skills.
Contact information:
- bjorg.midtskogen@inn.no
- Phone
- +47 61 28 83 54
About the public defence:
Place: Auditorium C at Lillehammer campus and digitally via Zoom
Link to the public defence: https://inn.zoom.us/j/61682427086?pwd=SytRQkpjRjlpMkpuSFBxSWtXdWt4QT09
Webinar ID: 61 682 427 086. Password: 036868
The trial lecture starts at 10:15. Title: “What challenges do today's kindergarten teachers face in their professional practice of observation and mapping, and what views of knowledge are put into play?”
The public defence starts at 12:15.
The evaluation committee consists of:
- First opponent: Associate Professor Tove Lafton (OsloMet)
- Second opponent: Professor Yngve Troye Nordkvelle (INN University)
- Third opponent / administrator: Professor Mari Rysst (INN University)
The Chair of the Evaluation Committee is the Dean of the Faculty of Social and Health Sciences Per Morten Fredriksen.
The candidate’s main supervisor is Professor Anne Sigfrid Grønseth, and the co-supervisor is professor Halvor Fauske.
Potential opponents ex auditorio must sign up during the break between the first and second opponents’ contributions. This is done by registering via text message to the chair of the public defence (telephone number is posted in the chat during the public defence). Those who are physically present can make direct contact with the chair of the public defence during the break. Such contributions must be well prepared and precisely formulated. They should not exceed 800 words / 10 minutes of speaking.
Guide to using Zoom:
Join Zoom Client. All participants must download the program in advance. If you do not have it already, you can obtain it here (free). Select the topmost, "Zoom Client for Meetings".
Using the chat function is not allowed during the trial lecture or public defence. If you have technical questions, these can be sent by e-mail to mehran.amirnejad@inn.no.
This public defence was held on 28.10.2022.
This article was translated from Norwegian by Noorit Larsen.