Purpose
This study explores Polish-born parents’ experiences of Norwegian kindergartens. The study investigates how these parents make sense of their experiences, especially considering the contrasting cultural background they come from. The aim was to find out how Polish parents experience their encounters with Norwegian kindergartens.
Result
The study revealed that parents initially experienced a culture shock when meeting the Norwegian kindergarten model. This shock was particularly related to differences in food culture, sleeping routines and learning methods, which differed significantly from what they were used to from Poland. However, after jointly reflecting on their experiences, many of the parents changed their perception. By viewing the kindergarten from a child’s perspective and gaining insight into the pedagogical rationale, they developed greater understanding and acceptance of Norwegian kindergarten practices.
Design
The sample consisted of 30 Polish parents (18 mothers and 12 fathers) living in Norway with children in Norwegian kindergartens. At the request of the participants, group interviews were used rather than individual interviews. The researcher met the groups each consisting of 5 participants 6 times between October 2014 and April 2015. The participants were encouraged to share their stories and experiences related to Norwegian kindergartens. Instead of using audio recordings, the researcher took notes during the conversations and prepared anonymised transcripts. These transcripts were then shared with the participants via Google Docs, where they were given the opportunity to comment, revise and add information. This process of co-writing gave participants an active role in research and contributed to richer data collection.
References
Sadownik, A. (2022). Narrative inquiry as an arena for (Polish) Caregivers’ retelling and re-experiencing of Norwegian Kindergarten: A question of redefining the role of research. Nordic Journal of Comparative and International Education (NJCIE), 6(1).