Children’s participation in the preschool classroom: an ethnographic case study
FETIYE ERBIL AND ZEYNEP B. ERDILLER-YATMAZ, Boğaziçi University, Turkey
This study aims to understand the extent of children’s participation in a preschool classroom through teachers’ child image, practices, school atmosphere, and children’s role. Study is based on previous research on children’s competence, agency, rights (James & Prout, 1997, Penn, 2008, Landsdown & Karkara, 2006), children’s participation (Hill et all, 2004, Luff & Webster, 2014, Corsaro, 1997). Children, as social agents, actively decide and construct social lives of their own, other people and the society (Prout & James, 1997). Children observe world, integrate it with their experience, and build their own lives (Corsaro, 2005). In educational environments, children are, should be equally important in constructing and shaping the community of learning. This is an ethnographic case study lasting for six-months in a preschool classroom in Istanbul. Participants are fifteen five year-old children and four teachers. Data comes from classroom observations, interviews and reflection notes. Thematic analysis was applied to data. Consents of participants were taken. Confidentiality was maintained through pseudonyms. An inclusive model explains children’s participation in this preschool. Rules, values, agenda, agency and control of teachers and children constantly interact and determine level of participation. Teachers’ image of child shapes classroom practices. Children’s agency is visible in all classroom matters. Their participation increases when they are genuinely listened and included in decisions. Participation research should focus on children’s daily activities and agenda. Teachers should be supported for building inclusive, participatory classrooms. Pre-service teachers should come into contact with their own childhoods and evaluate their present images of child and childhood.
Keywords: children's participation, children's agency, research with children, children's rights, image of child
