Puslespel som utgangspunkt for demokratisk dannanda praksisar i barnehagen?

The purpose of the study is to examine whether access to jigsaw puzzles either gives rise to, or presents limits to, various forms of democratic participation. The author focuses on how children use jigsaw puzzles, and what meaning they ascribe to jigsaw puzzles in order to benefit from, and regulate, their actions.

The way in which the children approach jigsaw-puzzle activities shows that they see puzzles as a shared project. Doing jigsaw puzzles is therefore seldom a solo activity. And because the puzzle is often a shared activity between several children, or because the children interact with one another even though each child is doing his or her own puzzle, there is almost always some form of interaction between the children. An overall theme in the study is that the children regulate their participation in the activity by balancing between cooperating and competing with each other. These modes of participation reflect equality and shared activities as democratic values. Furthermore, the study also identifies modes of participation that support other democratic values such as caring for others and shared responsibility.

A total of 18 children aged between three and six participated in the study. Data was collected by observing the children when they were doing jigsaw puzzles. The analysis is based on observations of children doing puzzles.

Grindheim, L.T. (2012). Puslespel som utgangspunkt for demokratisk dannanda praksisar i barnehagen? I: Ødegaard, E.E. (red.). Barnehagen som danningsarena (s. 200-220). Fagbokforlaget.