Research Article
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Parents’ ideal type approaches to early education pathways: life stories from Sweden.

Year 2019, Volume: 11 Issue: 1, 64 - 79, 30.06.2019
https://doi.org/10.20489/intjecse.585453

Abstract





In this study, parents told
their story about their children; their children’s preschool and preschool
class; their children’s educational transitions; and their own cooperation with
staff. The views of parents (N=27) were collected by way of life story
interviews. The bioecological model for human development was adopted as a
theoretical, conceptual and analytical frame. A qualitative bioecological
content analysis and a quantitative content analysis were performed. More than
half of the children were described as typical in terms of development, while a
few were described as being gifted and talented by their parents, and about a
third had special educational needs. More preschools than preschool classes
were considered to be high in quality, and more preschool-home collaboration
than preschool class-home collaboration was felt to be high in quality. The
following ideal type approaches of the parents emerged: (1) involved and
concerned parents; (2) involved but unconcerned parents; and (3) uninvolved and
unconcerned parents. The number of involved and concerned parents increased
from preschool to preschool class. This study has relevance for preschool and
preschool class teachers, special educators, policy-makers and researchers in
inclusive and special education.



References

  • Achanfuo Yeboah, D. (2002). Enhancing transition from early childhood phase to primary education: Evidence from the research literature. Early Years, 22(1), 51–68.
  • Ackesjö, H. (2014). Barns övergångar till och från förskoleklass: Gränser, identiteter och (dis-) kontinuiteter [Children’s transitions to and from preschool class. Borders, identities and (dis-)continuities)]. Avhandling, Linnéuniversitetet, Kalmar.
  • Ahtola, A., Björn, P. M., Turunen, T., Poikonen, P-L., Kontoniemi, M., Lerkkanen, M-K., & Nurmi, J-E. (2016). The concordance between teachers’ and parents’ perceptions of school transition practices: A solid base for the future. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 60(2), 168-181.
  • Alatalo, T., Meier, J., & Frank, E. (2016). Transition between Swedish preschool and preschool class: A question about interweaving care and knowledge. Early Childhood Education Journal, 44(2), 155-167).
  • Axelsson, A., Lundqvist, J., & Sandström, M. (2017). Tre mammor berättar om sina barns tid i förskola och förskoleklass samt övergången däremellan [Three mothers describe their children’s life in preschool and preschool class as well as the transition between these school forms]. I A. Garpelin & A. Sandberg (Eds.), Barn och unga i skola och samhälle [Children and youth in school and society]. MSES: Mälardalen Studies in Educational Sciences, No. 31, 28-51.
  • Beneventi, A. (2016). The Annemarie Roeper Method of Qualitative Assessment: My journey, Roeper Review, 38(4), 252-257.
  • Bertaux, D. (1981). Introduction. In D. Bertaux (Ed.), Biography and society: The life history approach in the social sciences (pp. 5-15). SAGE: Studies in International Sociology. Beverly Hills. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard Univ. Press.
  • Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (1998). The ecology of developmental processes. In W. Damon (Series Ed.) & R. M. Lerner (Vol. Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 1. Theoretical models for human development (5th ed., pp. 993-1028). New York: John Wiley.
  • Ekström, K., Garpelin, A., & Kallberg, P. (2008). Övergångar under förskoleåren som kritiska händelser för barnet, föräldrarna och verksamheten – en forskningsöversikt [Preschool transitions: critical events for children, parents and the organisation]. Tidskrift för lärarutbildning och forskning, 15(1), 45–61.
  • Garpelin, A. (2014). Transition to school: A rite of passage in life. In B. Perry, S. Dockett, & A. Petriwskyj (Eds.), Transitions to School - International Research, Policy and Practice. (International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Development 9.) Dordrecht: Springer.
  • Goodson, I. F., & Sikes, P. J. (2001). Life history research in educational settings: Learning from lives. Buckingham: Open University Press.
  • Grant, A. (2013). Young gifted children transitioning into preschool and school: What matters? Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 38(2), 23-31.
  • Griebel, W., & Niesel, R. (2009). A developmental psychology perspective in Germany: Co-construction of Transition between Family and Education System by the Child, Parents and Pedagogues. Early Years, 29(1), 59-68.
  • Gross, U. M. (1999). Small poppies: Highly gifted children in the early years. Roeper Review, 21(3), 207-214.
  • Hatcher, B., Nuner, J., & Paulsel, J. (2012). Kindergarten Readiness and Preschools: Teachers’ and Parents’ Beliefs within and across Programs. Early Childhood Research & Practice, 14(2).
  • Jepson Wigg, U. (2015). Att analysera livsberättelser [Analysing life stories]. I A. Fejes & R. Thornberg (Eds.), Handbok i kvalitativ analys [Handbook on qualitative analysis] (2 uppl.). (s. 238–255). Stockholm: Liber.
  • Lago, L. (2014). ”Mellanklass kan man kalla det”: Om tid och meningsskapande vid övergången från förskoleklass till årskurs ett [”You could say in-between class”: Time and meaning-making in the transition from preschool class to first grade]. Diss. Linköping: Linköpings universitet, 2014. Linköping.
  • Lau, E. H. (2014). Chinese parents’ perceptions and practices of parental involvement during school transition. Early Child Development and Care, 184(3), 403-415.
  • Lillvist, A., & Granlund, M. (2010). Preschool children in need of special support: Prevalence of traditional disability categories and functional difficulties. Acta Paediatrica, International Journal of Paediatrics, 99(1), 131-134.
  • Lundqvist, J. (2016). Educational pathways and transitions in the early school years: Special educational needs,
  • Lundqvist, J. & Sandström, M. (2018). Barns övergångar från förskola till förskoleklass och fritidshem: En fallstudie om generella och extra övergångsaktiviteter [Children’s transitions from preschool to preschool class: A case study about general and additional transition activities]. In A. Garpelin & G. Sandberg (Eds.), Att förstå barns vägar till lärande under övergången från förskola till skola [Understanding children’s paths to learning during transition from preschool to school]. MSES: Mälardalen Studies in Educational Sciences, No. 35, 145-172.
  • Lundqvist, J., Allodi Westling, M., & Siljehag, E. (2015). Inclusive education, support provisions and early childhood educational pathways in the context of Sweden: A longitudinal study. International Journal of Special Education, 30(3), 3-16.
  • Lundqvist, J., Allodi Westling, M., & Siljehag, E. (2016). Characteristics of Swedish preschools that provide education and care to children with special educational needs. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 31(1), 124-139.
  • Lundqvist, J., Sandström, M., Axelsson, A. (2016). A bioecological matrix: The matrix for the bioecological content analysis. Unpublished matrix.
  • McIntyre, L. L., Eckert, T. L., Fiese, B. H., DiGennaro Reed, F. D., & Wildenger, L. K. (2010). Family concerns surrounding kindergarten transition: A comparison of students in special and general education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 38(4), 259-263.
  • McIntyre, L. L., Eckert, T. L., Fiese, B. H., DiGennaro, F. D., & Wildenger, L. K. (2007). Transition to kindergarten: Family experiences and involvement. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35(1), 83-88.
  • Mönks, F. J., & Ypenburg, I. H. (2009). Att se och möta begåvade barn: En vägledning för lärare och föräldrar [To see and work with gifted and talented children: A handbook for teachers and parents]. (1. utg.) Stockholm: Natur & kultur.
  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD (2001). Starting Strong: Early childhood education and care. Paris: OECD.
  • Pérez Prieto, H. (2006). Erfarenhet, berättelse och identitet [Experience, narrative and identity]. Karlstad: Karlstad University Studies.
  • Persson, R. S. (2010). Experiences of intellectually gifted students in an egalitarian and inclusive educational system: A survey study. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 33(4), 536-569.
  • Pramling Samuelsson, I., & Sheridan, S. (2009). Preschool quality and young children’s learning in Sweden. International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 3(1), 1-11.
  • Shields, P. (2009). ‘School doesn't feel as much of a partnership’: Parents’ perceptions of their children’s transition from nursery school to Reception class. Early Years, 29(3), 237-248.
  • Swedish National Agency for Education, SNAE (2011a). Curriculum for the preschool Lpfö 98. Revised 2010. Stockholm: SNAE.
  • Swedish National Agency for Education, SNAE (2011b). Curriculum for the compulsory school, preschool class and the recreation centre, 2011. Stockholm: SNAE.
  • Swedish National Agency for Education, SNAE (2015). Skolverkets lägesbedömning 2015 [National statistics 2015]. Rapport nr 421. Stockholm. SNAE.
  • Swedish Research Council. (2011). God forskningssed [Good research ethics]. Stockholm: Vetenskapsrådet.
  • Swedish School Inspectorate (2015:3). Undervisning i förskoleklass [Teaching in the preschool class]. Stockholm: Skolinspektionen.
  • Swedish School Inspectorate (2016). Förskolans pedagogiska uppdrag – Om undervisning, lärande och förskollärares ansvar [The educational mission of the preschool – Teaching, learning and the responsibilities of preschool teachers]. Stockholm: Skolinspektionen.
  • Stålnacke, J. (2014). Särskilt begåvade barn i skolan [Gifted and talented children at school]. I Särskilt begåvade elever [Particularly gifted and talented pupils]. Skolverket. http://www.skolverket.se/skolutveckling/larande/sarskilt-begavade-elever-1.230661
  • Swedish Code of Statues. (2010:800). Skollagen [Education Act]. Stockholm. Stockholm: Government Offices of Sweden.
  • Weber, M., & Swedberg, R. (1999). Essays in economic sociology. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
  • Wildenger Welchons, L. W., & McIntyre, L. L. (2015). The transition to kindergarten for children with and without disabilities: An investigation of parent and teacher concerns and involvement. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 35(1), 52–62.
Year 2019, Volume: 11 Issue: 1, 64 - 79, 30.06.2019
https://doi.org/10.20489/intjecse.585453

Abstract

References

  • Achanfuo Yeboah, D. (2002). Enhancing transition from early childhood phase to primary education: Evidence from the research literature. Early Years, 22(1), 51–68.
  • Ackesjö, H. (2014). Barns övergångar till och från förskoleklass: Gränser, identiteter och (dis-) kontinuiteter [Children’s transitions to and from preschool class. Borders, identities and (dis-)continuities)]. Avhandling, Linnéuniversitetet, Kalmar.
  • Ahtola, A., Björn, P. M., Turunen, T., Poikonen, P-L., Kontoniemi, M., Lerkkanen, M-K., & Nurmi, J-E. (2016). The concordance between teachers’ and parents’ perceptions of school transition practices: A solid base for the future. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 60(2), 168-181.
  • Alatalo, T., Meier, J., & Frank, E. (2016). Transition between Swedish preschool and preschool class: A question about interweaving care and knowledge. Early Childhood Education Journal, 44(2), 155-167).
  • Axelsson, A., Lundqvist, J., & Sandström, M. (2017). Tre mammor berättar om sina barns tid i förskola och förskoleklass samt övergången däremellan [Three mothers describe their children’s life in preschool and preschool class as well as the transition between these school forms]. I A. Garpelin & A. Sandberg (Eds.), Barn och unga i skola och samhälle [Children and youth in school and society]. MSES: Mälardalen Studies in Educational Sciences, No. 31, 28-51.
  • Beneventi, A. (2016). The Annemarie Roeper Method of Qualitative Assessment: My journey, Roeper Review, 38(4), 252-257.
  • Bertaux, D. (1981). Introduction. In D. Bertaux (Ed.), Biography and society: The life history approach in the social sciences (pp. 5-15). SAGE: Studies in International Sociology. Beverly Hills. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard Univ. Press.
  • Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (1998). The ecology of developmental processes. In W. Damon (Series Ed.) & R. M. Lerner (Vol. Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 1. Theoretical models for human development (5th ed., pp. 993-1028). New York: John Wiley.
  • Ekström, K., Garpelin, A., & Kallberg, P. (2008). Övergångar under förskoleåren som kritiska händelser för barnet, föräldrarna och verksamheten – en forskningsöversikt [Preschool transitions: critical events for children, parents and the organisation]. Tidskrift för lärarutbildning och forskning, 15(1), 45–61.
  • Garpelin, A. (2014). Transition to school: A rite of passage in life. In B. Perry, S. Dockett, & A. Petriwskyj (Eds.), Transitions to School - International Research, Policy and Practice. (International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Development 9.) Dordrecht: Springer.
  • Goodson, I. F., & Sikes, P. J. (2001). Life history research in educational settings: Learning from lives. Buckingham: Open University Press.
  • Grant, A. (2013). Young gifted children transitioning into preschool and school: What matters? Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 38(2), 23-31.
  • Griebel, W., & Niesel, R. (2009). A developmental psychology perspective in Germany: Co-construction of Transition between Family and Education System by the Child, Parents and Pedagogues. Early Years, 29(1), 59-68.
  • Gross, U. M. (1999). Small poppies: Highly gifted children in the early years. Roeper Review, 21(3), 207-214.
  • Hatcher, B., Nuner, J., & Paulsel, J. (2012). Kindergarten Readiness and Preschools: Teachers’ and Parents’ Beliefs within and across Programs. Early Childhood Research & Practice, 14(2).
  • Jepson Wigg, U. (2015). Att analysera livsberättelser [Analysing life stories]. I A. Fejes & R. Thornberg (Eds.), Handbok i kvalitativ analys [Handbook on qualitative analysis] (2 uppl.). (s. 238–255). Stockholm: Liber.
  • Lago, L. (2014). ”Mellanklass kan man kalla det”: Om tid och meningsskapande vid övergången från förskoleklass till årskurs ett [”You could say in-between class”: Time and meaning-making in the transition from preschool class to first grade]. Diss. Linköping: Linköpings universitet, 2014. Linköping.
  • Lau, E. H. (2014). Chinese parents’ perceptions and practices of parental involvement during school transition. Early Child Development and Care, 184(3), 403-415.
  • Lillvist, A., & Granlund, M. (2010). Preschool children in need of special support: Prevalence of traditional disability categories and functional difficulties. Acta Paediatrica, International Journal of Paediatrics, 99(1), 131-134.
  • Lundqvist, J. (2016). Educational pathways and transitions in the early school years: Special educational needs,
  • Lundqvist, J. & Sandström, M. (2018). Barns övergångar från förskola till förskoleklass och fritidshem: En fallstudie om generella och extra övergångsaktiviteter [Children’s transitions from preschool to preschool class: A case study about general and additional transition activities]. In A. Garpelin & G. Sandberg (Eds.), Att förstå barns vägar till lärande under övergången från förskola till skola [Understanding children’s paths to learning during transition from preschool to school]. MSES: Mälardalen Studies in Educational Sciences, No. 35, 145-172.
  • Lundqvist, J., Allodi Westling, M., & Siljehag, E. (2015). Inclusive education, support provisions and early childhood educational pathways in the context of Sweden: A longitudinal study. International Journal of Special Education, 30(3), 3-16.
  • Lundqvist, J., Allodi Westling, M., & Siljehag, E. (2016). Characteristics of Swedish preschools that provide education and care to children with special educational needs. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 31(1), 124-139.
  • Lundqvist, J., Sandström, M., Axelsson, A. (2016). A bioecological matrix: The matrix for the bioecological content analysis. Unpublished matrix.
  • McIntyre, L. L., Eckert, T. L., Fiese, B. H., DiGennaro Reed, F. D., & Wildenger, L. K. (2010). Family concerns surrounding kindergarten transition: A comparison of students in special and general education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 38(4), 259-263.
  • McIntyre, L. L., Eckert, T. L., Fiese, B. H., DiGennaro, F. D., & Wildenger, L. K. (2007). Transition to kindergarten: Family experiences and involvement. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35(1), 83-88.
  • Mönks, F. J., & Ypenburg, I. H. (2009). Att se och möta begåvade barn: En vägledning för lärare och föräldrar [To see and work with gifted and talented children: A handbook for teachers and parents]. (1. utg.) Stockholm: Natur & kultur.
  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD (2001). Starting Strong: Early childhood education and care. Paris: OECD.
  • Pérez Prieto, H. (2006). Erfarenhet, berättelse och identitet [Experience, narrative and identity]. Karlstad: Karlstad University Studies.
  • Persson, R. S. (2010). Experiences of intellectually gifted students in an egalitarian and inclusive educational system: A survey study. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 33(4), 536-569.
  • Pramling Samuelsson, I., & Sheridan, S. (2009). Preschool quality and young children’s learning in Sweden. International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 3(1), 1-11.
  • Shields, P. (2009). ‘School doesn't feel as much of a partnership’: Parents’ perceptions of their children’s transition from nursery school to Reception class. Early Years, 29(3), 237-248.
  • Swedish National Agency for Education, SNAE (2011a). Curriculum for the preschool Lpfö 98. Revised 2010. Stockholm: SNAE.
  • Swedish National Agency for Education, SNAE (2011b). Curriculum for the compulsory school, preschool class and the recreation centre, 2011. Stockholm: SNAE.
  • Swedish National Agency for Education, SNAE (2015). Skolverkets lägesbedömning 2015 [National statistics 2015]. Rapport nr 421. Stockholm. SNAE.
  • Swedish Research Council. (2011). God forskningssed [Good research ethics]. Stockholm: Vetenskapsrådet.
  • Swedish School Inspectorate (2015:3). Undervisning i förskoleklass [Teaching in the preschool class]. Stockholm: Skolinspektionen.
  • Swedish School Inspectorate (2016). Förskolans pedagogiska uppdrag – Om undervisning, lärande och förskollärares ansvar [The educational mission of the preschool – Teaching, learning and the responsibilities of preschool teachers]. Stockholm: Skolinspektionen.
  • Stålnacke, J. (2014). Särskilt begåvade barn i skolan [Gifted and talented children at school]. I Särskilt begåvade elever [Particularly gifted and talented pupils]. Skolverket. http://www.skolverket.se/skolutveckling/larande/sarskilt-begavade-elever-1.230661
  • Swedish Code of Statues. (2010:800). Skollagen [Education Act]. Stockholm. Stockholm: Government Offices of Sweden.
  • Weber, M., & Swedberg, R. (1999). Essays in economic sociology. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
  • Wildenger Welchons, L. W., & McIntyre, L. L. (2015). The transition to kindergarten for children with and without disabilities: An investigation of parent and teacher concerns and involvement. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 35(1), 52–62.
There are 42 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Margareta Sandström This is me 0000-0002-8707-5157

Johanna Lundqvist This is me 0000-0002-3092-1738

Annika Axelsson This is me 0000-0002-5410-4361

Publication Date June 30, 2019
Published in Issue Year 2019 Volume: 11 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Sandström, M., Lundqvist, J., & Axelsson, A. (2019). Parents’ ideal type approaches to early education pathways: life stories from Sweden. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 11(1), 64-79. https://doi.org/10.20489/intjecse.585453