Children’s transitions in early childhood education and care : various combinations of dis-/continuities

Abstract
This longitudinal multiple case study explores children’s transitions within early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Finland. In ECEC children typically transition from one group or center to another. This study explores how physical, social and philosophical discontinuities and continuities constitute these transitions. Five focus children’s transitions were followed in and between separate ECEC centers. The data include interviews with parents and educators as well as observations noted. Fabian’s discontinuity division, which argues that transition consists of physical, social, and philosophical discontinuities, was used for content analysis of interviews as primary data. Interpretations were reflected on and supplemented with fieldnotes as secondary data. Analysis demonstrated that children’s transitions in ECEC comprise various permutations of discontinuities and continuities. Based on our findings, we suggest that the dis-/continuities in children’s daily lives should be considered when identifying and planning transitions as well as in planning ECEC centers’ operation and grouping structures.
Main Authors
Format
Articles Research article
Published
2023
Series
Subjects
Publication in research information system
Publisher
Routledge
The permanent address of the publication
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202307124517Käytä tätä linkitykseen.
Review status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
0957-5146
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2023.2232951
Language
English
Published in
Early Years: An International Research Journal
Citation
  • Harju, K., Vuorisalo, M., Paananen, M., & Rutanen, N. (2023). Children’s transitions in early childhood education and care : various combinations of dis-/continuities. Early Years: An International Research Journal, Early online. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2023.2232951
License
CC BY 4.0Open Access
Funder(s)
Research Council of Finland
Funding program(s)
Academy Project, AoF
Akatemiahanke, SA
Research Council of Finland
Additional information about funding
This study is part of Tracing children’s socio-spatial relations and lived experiences in early childhood education transitions -project, supported by Academy of Finland (Trace in ECEC - project no: 321374). It was started in collaboration with larger International study of social emotional early transitions-project (ISSEET). This sub-study was supported by Otto A. Malm donations fund and University of Jyväskylä (Social Sustainability for Children and Families -profiling area).
Copyright© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

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