Instructional Strategies, Discipline and Children’s Participation in Educational Institutions for Children under Three-Years-Old : Cases from Brazil and Finland

In the cultural psychological and educational literature, recent studies have addressed the educational activities and settings for young children, discussing practices and conceptions in different countries. This study approaches early childhood education and care practices as local, historical and social constructions linked to global trends and commitments to children’s well-being. This paper presents qualitative case analysis on discursive practices and mediational tools used in daily activities with children under three years of age.The focus is on cultural conceptions embedded in the educational activities with cases from Brazil and Finland. The analysis builds on the major themes and conceptions embedded in the practices as instructional strategies, discipline and children’s participation. Differences between these cases were due either to economic or cultural ideological aspects that constrained educators’ activities. In both cases, educators’ challenge was to coordinate the actions of the group while individuality was diversely valued. Despite the strong role of the educator, in the Brazilian case, there was encouragement for peer interaction. In the Finnish case, educator-child relationship was privileged. Actions and tensions carried discursive practices constrained by cultural issues.