This article aims to illustrate how both physical and social factors influence possibilities for children's learning (meaning negotiation) in visual art contexts in early childhood education. The main discussion relates to teacher's responsibilities in providing physical and social contexts for such meaning negotiations. The processes I wish to…

Discussion of learning in the kindergarten context is growing both in Norway and internationally. This article focuses on some central aspects of learning described by groups of children aged 4-6 years, in three Norwegian kindergartens. The research concerns children's descriptions of aspects of learning experienced in their everyday life in…

Positive risk-taking in the context of outdoor physical play is important for fostering children's optimal health and development. Despite this, there is mounting concern that many developmentally beneficial activities are now seen as dangerous and something to be avoided. However, perceptions of risk are very much subject to cultural…

The goal of Indigenous education is that it should be approached on the basis of the Indigenous language and culture; this is also the case with Sami education. The Sami School Board has stated that all teaching in Sami schools should be culturally based, despite the fact that Sami culture-based teaching is not specifically defined. Therefore,…

In this paper, we contrast the early childhood education and care aims and curriculum in Norway and Australia and the theoretical underpinnings of Norwegian and Australian pedagogy in an attempt to partially explain the different approaches to (risky) outdoor play in these two countries. We argue that Norwegian pedagogical approaches may allow…

The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of parents and early childhood teachers in Norway regarding the benefits of child care to young children. Both positive and negative benefits were explored. In the autumn of 2009, 41 parents and 35 early childhood teachers of children aged 1.5 years or less, living in the city of Trondheim and…

The purpose of this study is to focus on interactionally developed explanations in everyday conversations as important pedagogical contexts. The research question is: "How do teachers invite children to participate in co-constructions of explanations in everyday conversations and what may children learn from this?" Learning to explain…

In many countries there are very few men in professional care for young children. In this paper we will focus on the different perspectives of male and female workers to outdoor play and discuss the role of outdoor activities in recruiting more men to pre-schools. The article is based on research in Norway and Austria. The results draw the…

There is a growing debate on the balance between making sure our children are safe versus letting the children play in physically and emotionally stimulating and challenging environments. The focus is now on children's right to do risky play. There are no studies categorising risky play. The present study has aimed to do this. Qualitative…

Contemporary research processes might be identified as having neither a beginning nor an end. This article is written as an interruption in the ending of the author's doctoral processes. The project is to critically reflect and examine complexities involving who is at risk when methodology and theory argue for displacements that unpack…

The aim of the study was to examine teachers' didactic projects in connection with constructing co-narratives with very young children during mealtimes. As a genre, co-narrative practice has a special quality for didactic work with children from one to three years old. Yet it is not always common in preschools for the teachers to talk to children…

To be understood, visually, often depends on how skilled one is in catching form and translating it into a two-dimensional surface. This is a challenge we are confronted with early in life. Children's learning strategies in drawing are not always understood or encouraged. This article presents a socio-cultural analysis from Norway of a pedagogical…

The overall intention of this project is to establish a learning community consisting of student teachers, their supervisors in day care institutions and the university teachers in preschool teacher education. In this article we focus on the Educational Forums established to develop a local base of common knowledge in the field of early childhood…

This paper examines the content and teaching methods in a 4-year decentralized preschool teacher education program using a combination of direct and distance learning at Stavanger College in Norway. The content of preschool education and the knowledge skills, communication skills, and the general professional competencies required for professional…

This article examines a group of New Zealand preschool teachers' perspectives on their early childhood curriculum--"Te Whariki: He Whariki Maatauranga mo ngaa Mokopuna o Aotearoa" (Ministry of Education, 1996). In this discussion we focus on the teachers' understandings of the meaning, value and focus of this curriculum document. This is…