Purpose
The study investigates how children with and without disabilities create healthy identities and spaces in kindergarten through their daily experiences and interactions. The main focus is on children’s own perspectives and how these reflect health and well-being as part of everyday life. The research question is: How do children with and without disabilities create healthy identities and spaces in kindergarten?
Result
The results show that children create healthy identities and spaces in kindergarten through the joy of physical movement and the aspiration for social well-being. The children valued self-initiated activities that promoted physical expression, while friendship and community played an important role in their experience of well-being and belonging. The study also highlighted that the staff’s role was often perceived as passive facilitators, which limited their opportunities to actively contribute to children’s play and activities.
Design
The study used a qualitative method based on Constructed Grounded Theory (CGT) to explore children’s experiences in kindergarten. The data collection included life-form interviews and play-based activities, where children built things with Duplo bricks and shared their experiences. The sample consisted of 24 children, with and without disabilities, aged 4–5 years from six Norwegian kindergartens.
References
Åmot, I., & Ytterhus, B. (2023). Health Promotion and Identity Construction in Norwegian Kindergartens–A Qualitative Study on Children with and without Disabilities. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51(8), 1467–1477.
Online year: 2022
Issue year: 2023
Review year: 2022