When differences are made into likenesses: The normative documentation and assessment culture of the preschool.

The study investigates whether documentation and assessment can change views on normality in kindergartens, and also what the consequences of this may have for kindergarten practice. The research questions are: 1) How can documentation and assessment affect the views on normality in kindergarten operations? 2) What are the consequences of the documentation for kindergarten practice?

The results show that documentation and assessment in kindergartens have a clear focus on the individual child, and traditional, school-oriented learning is highly valued. The researcher behind the study claims that documentation and assessment practices that take place in kindergartens are therefore likely to have an impact on the perception of normality in kindergartens and limit acceptance of differences.

The data material is based on five licentiate theses from the research programme Young children's learning, initiated by 12 municipalities in Sweden and conducted in the period 2015-2018. The focus of all the theses was documentation in kindergarten. This study is a re-analysis of the results of the theses with the concept of ‘normality’ as a common starting point.

Karlsudd, P. (2021). "When differences are made into likenesses: The normative documentation and assessment culture of the preschool". International Journal of Inclusive Education, 27(8):904-920.