A window of change: how COVID-19 disrupted pedagogical approaches in Danish kindergartens

The study investigates how COVID-19 affected educational approaches in Danish kindergartens. The aim is to identify which areas have undergone changes, and what these changes have led to in terms of both challenges and new opportunities. The research question is: 1) What characterised the learning environment and educational approaches in kindergartens, and how are they redefined over time as a result of the two phases of upheaval during COVID-19.

The results show that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the educational activities in Danish kindergartens. Common activities such as play, meals and picking-up/dropping-off were maintained, but they were adapted to the changes going on in society. The pandemic created new opportunities and led to educational improvements, such as more role-play and activities that strengthened the children’s concentration. This self-transformation was dependent on the kindergarten having sufficient expertise and resources, and the reorganisation required strong leadership. When it worked, it strengthened the employees’ self-recognition.

The researchers used a combination of methods to answer the research question. 93 kindergarten teachers answered a paper-based survey, while an online survey for children (3-5 years) and parents received 231 responses, with one section for the children and one for the parents. The article is based on data from the Danish municipality with the highest response rate of the six participating municipalities. In addition, field observations and interviews were conducted in five kindergartens. It resulted in twelve interviews with seven teachers, six interviews with coordinators and nine interviews with five parents.

Wistoft, K., Clark, A., & Qvortrup, L. (2022). A window of change: how COVID-19 disrupted pedagogical approaches in Danish kindergartens. European early childhood education research journal, 30(5), 658–671.