Kaptein Andreas og hans mannskap – drøfting av forskningsdata om en gutts stemme og hans innflytelse på barnehagens innhold.

On the basis of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the new Rammeplan for Barnehagen 2006 (Framework plan for kindergartens 2006) stresses the rights of children to be involved in decision-making processes. This study examines how children are included in, and exert influence on, decisions concerning their lives, as well as how researchers can include observations and descriptions of the voice of the child and discuss these in their work.   The objective of this study is to render visible researcher processes as well as raise issues linked to allowing the youngest children in day nurseries to exert influence on their daily activities. 

One of the boys (two years and eight months) was the ‘main character’ of the study, as he distinguished himself throughout the observation period as a child that was easily heard, meaning that he initiated a number of the conversations that took place when the children were sitting at the table in the institution.  The study shows that through play activities (a pirate game), the boy exerts  influence on the daily activities of the institution, e.g. dialogues at mealtimes were about pirates.  As a consequence of one particular conversation, one of the child carers suggested that they throw a pirate theme party. The boy became very enthusiastic about the suggestion, and both children and adults continued their conversation about planning the upcoming party. This is seen as an example of a situation where children exert influence on activities in the daycare centre. The study concludes that the use of concepts such as co-determination should be contextualised and problematised.

Video recordings, field notes and interviews were used in the study.  Nine children (two girls and seven boys) aged between one and three, and four female adults (one child carer, two childcare assistants and one researcher) were included in the study.   

Ødegaard, E. E. (2006). Kaptein Andreas og hans mannskap – drøfting av forskningsdata om en gutts stemme og hans innflytelse på barnehagens innhold. Bergen: Høgskolen i Bergen, Avdeling for lærerutdanning, Pedagogikkseksjonen.