De relationella mötena i förskolan : Pedagogers förhållningssätt till barn i förskolan, en möjlighet till likvärdig utbildning

Sammanfattning: An interest to establish a study about educators' relational competence aims to identify which descriptions educators gives on their professional approach to children in early childhood education. The importance of identifying how professions define the need for special support has a significance for how educators' relational approach appears in an education characterized by relational meetings, regardless of special needs or not. The method of data collection is covered by both focus group interviews and four structured observations of educators' approaches. The study has been constructed around a relational perspective as a theoretical model to formulate themes in the interview. The perspective has also been applied to design categories in purpose to analyze the educators' approach during the observations. The categories during the observation are covered, among other things by the central concepts where relationship, meeting, dialogue, and approach has been used to interpreting the educators' approach during the analysis process. The result of how relational competence and approach can be distinguished, the educators' discussions indicates that relationships and the importance of responsiveness and flexibility is necessary in the meeting with children and special needs. During the observations, the approach of the educators' could be distinguished and indicates of a relational approach and competence when they showed presence, relational flexibility, and a prominent knowledge of how they create equal conditions for development and learning. For professional development, the educators' consider competence development for creating continuous progress of relational meetings in children's education.