Purpose
The aim of the study is to expand and improve the understanding of how documentation is expressed in Finnish and Swedish kindergarten steering documents with regard to kindergarten teacher tasks. The aim is also to compare the content and importance of documentation in the steering documents. The research questions are: 1) How is documentation described in the two countries' steering documents? 2) How can the importance of documentation be interpreted and understood with regard to kindergarten teacher tasks?
Result
The results show the complexity of kindergarten teachers’ documentation tasks in kindergarten. The Finnish and Swedish kindergarten policies have slightly different approaches to documentation. In Finland, documentation is more comprehensive and focuses on pedagogical aspects. In Sweden, the responsibility for documentation lies more with management. The results underline the need for kindergarten teachers to have pedagogical knowledge and the ability to critically interpret steering documents.
Design
The researchers used a qualitative, summarising content analysis to understand the contextual use of documentation in the kindergarten steering documents in the two countries.
References
Still, J., Svanbäck-Laaksonen, M., Bäckman, K. & Eriksson, A. (2021). "Dokumentation i förskolan-en innehållsanalys av förskolans styrdokument i Finland och Sverige". Forskning om undervisning och lärande, 9(2):50-74.