This paper examines how worldviews and national values are displayed in the national (Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) curricula of Sweden, Finland and Norway. The specific interest is to investigate what similarities and differences there are between these three ECEC curricula with regard to the position of religions and other…

Background Researchers have long studied the social stratification of physical activity patterns in terms of 'determinants' of physically active lifestyles. In this article, we set out to explore how Bourdieu's concept logic of practice can be used as an intermediating analytical tool to promote understanding rather than the calculation of human…

This article shares qualitative analysis of online discussion threads between student teachers in seven countries. The student teachers engaged together online to share intercultural perspectives and experiences on a range of topics of relevance to education systems, policy, teacher education, and childhood. In 2017, participating countries were:…

Branding has become an important issue within higher education. The use of core value statements and visions are expressions of this. To be a successful brand, organisations must also make sure they are different from others. However, in both the scholarly discourse and in political rhetoric, the Nordic model highlights equal access to education…

In science education, students sometimes create and engage in spontaneous science-oriented play where ideas about science and scientists are put to use. However, in previous research, little attention has been given to the role of informal spontaneous play in school science classrooms. We argue that, in order to enhance our understanding of…

This study examines the interplay between organizational structure and culture and principals' communication with their teachers in a Swedish school setting. This study was a component of a larger project called "Structure, Culture, Leadership--Prerequisites for Successful Schools?" The data used consisted of interviews and…

This article examines the construction of an intercultural critical literacy practice in a Web-based discussion forum as one way to globalize interpretive practices within the English classroom. English education students in the United States and Sweden discussed a short story over a period of three weeks. The analysis of the students' postings…

A cosmopolitan ethic invites both an appreciation of the rich diversity of values, traditions and ways of life "and" a commitment to broad, universal principles of human rights that can secure the flourishing of that diversity. Despite the tension between universalism and particularism inherent in this outlook, it has received much…

This presentation is a brief summary of a book published in Swedish, "Kulturensbarn--Children of Culture." This book is a doctoral thesis which sought to investigate how cultural values, value systems, and norms influence children, which values are transmitted, and how they can be analyzed. The study employed data from families in the…

This article examines cultural influences on child temperament, including how broadly shared cultural values influence parents' socialization goals for their children. Nearly 40% of children in the United States are being raised in families that may espouse somewhat different socialization goals and may value different "ideal" traits…

Coming upon Devon McKenna's entry one might ask two questions. First, why send undergraduates, specifically potential early childhood professionals, abroad? Second, why send them to Sweden? To both, the answer drawn from a comprehensive worldwide review of early childhood program provision provides an elegant recognition: "It is said that the…

Examined are two dimensions of leadership style (task-orientation and person-orientation) as they also define teacher style, specifically, as a function of context (grade-level, teacher experience, and socio-political differences). The Teacher Opinion Questionnaire was utilized to obtain opinions of ideal teacher behavior. Subjects were…