A selection from Stockholm University publication database

• Så är det ju - den blir aldrig färdig!

  2015. Charlotte Holmberg, Eva Änggård, Polly Björk-Willén.

  Thesis (Lic)

  This dissertation is about educators work with pedagogical documentation in Swedish preschools. The purpose has been to investigate how pedagogical documentation is realized in everyday work in two preschools and examine how educators express themselves on purposes, opportunities and difficulties with this approach. This has been important to study since many preschools have chosen to work with pedagogic documentation to follow up and assure the quality of their work. Since 2010 pedagogical documentation is included in the preschools curriculum. The study was conducted at two different preschools where I followed a total of six educators in two preschool departments for two months in each department. Methods used to collect data were selected based on an ethnographic approach. Data collection consists of field notes, photographs, recorded interviews and documentations from preschools and their working plans. The analysis is based on a curriculum theory perspective, and especially important concepts have been transformation arena and realization arena. Furthermore, frame factor theory and the didactic questions what, how and why, have been used to analyze data. The results show that the documentation works where formulated in different ways depending on the frames and conditions. One preschool unit was at a municipal preschool without any special pedagogical approach. Here the pedagogical documentation was in a startup phase and was one of many tasks in the pedagogical work. The other preschool unit was in a Reggio Emilia inspired preschool who had worked with pedagogical documentation for several years. Here the work with pedagogical documentation was the driving force for developing the work. This ideological difference was reflected in what the educators documented, how they documented and how the documentations were used. Pedagogical documentation was partly be seen as a cumbersome way of working among the participants, whether they are beginners or experienced. It is in the nature of the work with pedagogical documentation that there are no obvious answers, which can lead to some uncertainty whether one is right or not. Other factors leading to frustration is that this approach is time-consuming and that the new technologies available require a lot of skills to be used. The study highlights that continuous training plays a crucial role as one of educator’s preconditions to succeed in the work with pedagogical documentation. In this study, one can also see how ethical aspects constantly makes themselves felt and need to be highlighted. The main impression is that the educators, despite the perceived difficulties, felt that it was stimulating and meaningful to work with pedagogical documentation and that they saw it as a tool for developing their work.

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