Multivocal Didaktik Modelling in Early Childhood Education – For a Sustainable Future in a World of Change

The study explores how multivocal didactic modelling can promote a sustainable and democratic approach that ensures quality education for all children in kindergarten. Multivocal didactic modelling is a practice in which various actors, including children, parents, educators, kindergarten coordinators and researchers actively contribute with their views and experiences related to teaching and learning processes. The aim of the study is to promote a multivocal approach to education and teaching. The research question is: What characterises kindergarten teaching in efforts to promote a sustainable future in a changing world?

The study shows that multivocal didactic modelling can serve as a valuable educational approach that strengthens both inclusion and quality in preschool teaching. By gathering and using different perspectives, this approach can help create a more sustainable and democratic learning process for all children.

The data were collected using qualitative methods over a period of eight years, where kindergarten educators tried out teaching programmes in kindergarten. The researchers were not physically present during the implementation, but analysed the educators’ written plans and the teaching that was video recorded or documented through audio recordings or written notes. The written evaluations prepared by the participants in the research project after completing the teaching programmes were also analysed. The sample consisted of 13,562 children/parents/guardians and 3206 were kindergarten educators, kindergarten coordinators, childminders and others. A total of 20 municipalities/school authorities in Sweden participated, having voluntarily chosen to join the study. The school authorities/leaders were responsible for the selection of around 200 kindergartens/departments from the regions of Stockholm, Sörmland, Uppsala, Örebro, Jönköping and Skåne. The selection methods were not known to the researchers.

Vallberg Roth, A. C., & Palla, L. (2023). Multivocal Didaktik Modelling in Early Childhood Education – For a Sustainable Future in a World of Change. Children, 10(8), 1419.