Upplifun barna af leikskóladvöl „Stundum er maður lengi í leikskólanum, en ekki alltaf“

Abstract

Klukkan mótar skipulag á leikskólum en upplifun barna á tíma er ekki sú sama og fullorðinna. Markmið rannsóknarinnar sem sagt er frá í greininni var að leita eftir upplifun barna á dvalartíma sínum í leikskóla og varpa ljósi á hvaða þættir hafa áhrif þar á í þeim tilgangi að koma betur til móts við sjónarmið þeirra. Niðurstöður sýna að börnin þekkja ekki annað en að dvelja á leikskóla megnið af vökutíma sínum. Fram kom að vinátta barna er þeim mikilvæg og að þau fáist fjölbreytt viðfangsefni í leikskólanum sem þau fá að stýra sjálf. Gefa þarf tímaskyni barna gaum við skipulag leikskóla.

The aim of this research was to give preschool children the opportunity to express their views on their daily life within the preschool and their experience of length of stay for the purpose of shedding light on what affects their well-being in preschool. The study took place in six preschools in the capital area in Iceland. It describes the views of the children participating in the research. The theoretical background of the research relates to children’s perception of time in the light of theories and research. Time is a series of activities that take place in our lives and can pass quickly or slowly, depending on our perception of it. This is especially true for children of preschool age who often do not know how to measure time by the clock, but rather by what they are doing. Time is an important factor in preschool activities, and a key element in any curriculum is the schedule or timetable. The preschool day is divided into events and activities such as mealtime, rest time and play time. These regular activities map out what happens during the day and must be based on children’s perceptions of time with an emphasis on their rhythm, wellbeing, and learning. It is also important to consider what gives meaning to children in their daily lives, how they understand, interpret, and give meaning to the events of the day, subjects, and communication. The effects that time can have on the school’s work are discussed, as well as research related to friendships and subjects. The research is based on participatory research methods well suited to the aim of the research. When done in collaboration with children, they can provide insight into the world of children and increase adults’ understanding of their views, for example about the length of their stay during the day in the preschool and what gives it meaning. Two types of daily schedule occurred, a very tight one with many different activities and a program with fewer activities with emphasis on flow throughout the day. The results show that children understand the sequence of events well and have a sense of time. The organization of the preschools’ daily schedule supports such an experience. In some preschools, the schedule was visual on the wall and reviewed during circle time, and most days were marked by things that did not change from day to day, such as mealtimes, circle time and outdoor activities. Those stepping stones form a kind of rhythm in the day, giving the children a sense of the sequence of events that helps them develop an understanding of time. According to this, children’s time experience is not dependent on or tied to a clock, and they generally did not know how to use one. However, they knew clocks, and their purpose was clear to the children; to measure time. The present characterized children’s sense of time. It could be stated that their sense of time is relative and situational. Many children indicated that they thought the day was going well and that the day’s activities were varied and fun. It was also clear that the children felt that they had various activities to choose from in the preschool. The tyranny of the clock refers to how much the clock shapes practices in preschools and children’s time there. When looking at visual schedules in some of the schools, it is clear how the clock determines the rhythm of the day. However, children in preschools which emphasize flow had a wider range of opportunities for continuous play. The claim is not that play did not characterize the preschool that focused on sequences of activities, but the time for play was usually shorter. Considering that children perceive time as a sequence of events, it is interesting to consider how they perceive the time of the preschool activities. The fact that something could take a long time can signify that they enjoyed the experience or found it boring. If it was an activity that they experience as a flow like a play or one they enjoyed, they felt it took a long time. Still, some activities they felt took a long time were those where children felt limited by the environment, such as waiting for the bus.