Barns inflytande och delaktighet i förskolan : Utifrån åtta pedagogers perspektiv

Sammanfattning: Purpose/questions: The purpose of the study is to highlight the eight different educators' perception of the notion of children's influence and participation in preschool. We also want to study how educators describe their work with the children's influence and the challenges the work entails. How do the educators in our study understand the notion of child's influence and participation? Which opportunities respective barriers do the educators find in their work with child´s influence at their preschool? According to educators, how child's initiative to his/her influence in preschool is made visible? According to educators, do all the children have equal opportunities to influence their everyday life in preschool? Methodology: To carry out our study, we have used a qualitative method and have interviewed 8 educators in 5 different preschools. Theories: We have used Foucault’s theory of power, governmentality and discourse to analyze the results we get from the educators’ interviews. Conclusions: It was obvious in our interview with the preschool educators that they are in favor of children’s influence and participation. We have come to the conclusion based on our educators’s statement that the children’s opportunity to influence and participate in preschool is governed by educators. Governance results in that all children get equal opportunity to influence and participate and it also minimizes that younger and children with less verbal communication abilities are excluded.