Purpose
The study investigates how Swedish kindergarten children are presented in documentation photographs, and compares the presentation with descriptions of children in the Swedish curriculum. The purpose is to uncover which perceptions of children are highlighted in images and how these align or differ from educational objectives. The research questions are:
- What types of subject positions and achievements are highlighted in the photographs?
- How are these compared to possible subject positions and achievements expressed in the curriculum?
- How do these positions and achievements relate to gender values?
Result
The results show that while the Swedish curriculum highlights a holistic approach to learning where play and care are incorporated into learning situations, the photographs primarily show learning situations that are teacher-led, with a focus on production and achieved results. Play and care, highlighted in the curriculum, are largely absent in the photographs. This reflects an international trend of increasing ‘schoolification’ and professionalization of kindergarten, which may contribute to making the role of care and gender-related dimensions in kindergarten practices less visible.
Design
The study analyses 550 analogue photographs from six groups of children in four Swedish kindergartens, in addition to fieldwork notes. Using thematic image analysis, children’s activities and bodily representations are categorised. The photographs are compared with descriptions from the Swedish kindergarten curriculum (Skolverket, 2018). The discourses are analysed using Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis. The researchers discuss how different perceptions of children’s learning and development are conveyed through images.
References
Wahlgren, C., & Andersson, K. (2024). The child in the Swedish preschool photograph versus the child in the curriculum–a comparison of contemporary notions. International Journal of Early Years Education, 32(2), 374–388.