Minor Issues in Early Childhood Education and Care

We research marginal issues and themes in early childhood education and care, and are particularly interested in raising awareness of children’s power and competencies as learning subjects and inhabitants of kindergartens.

The name Minor Issues in Early Childhood Education and Care relates to the group’s interest in less researched areas and themes and in challenging the premises for how scientific research concerning children and children’s lives in ECEC is carried out.  

Some areas of interest:

  • Children’s everyday lives in kindergarten and kindergartens as a political institution
  • Sustainable practices
  • Reconceptualizing pedagogic concepts
  • Globalization and the Nordic ECEC tradition
  • Children as a marginal group
  • Interdisciplinary, methodologically explorative and arts-based methods
  • Relationships between children, animals, and nature

Partners and networks

External member:

Current research projects

Childlife (BaMaP, barnehagefaglig master i praksis)

The aim of this project is to expand knowledge about how early childhood educators with Masters degrees experience their competence is used in their work in classrooms. We seek to gain insight into how academic knowledge is understood and interpreted in the early childhood sector.  The study is a cooperation between Oslo Met v/Solveig Østrem, Anne Greve & Olav Kasin, VIA University College, Aarhus v/Jan Jaap Rothuizen & Sisse Due og USN v/Mari Pettersvold & Solveig Nordtømme

More information

How does care count? An exploration of early childhood educators’ perspectives on care.

This is an international collective with the aim to stake out some of the messiness, the specificities and complexities of care in early childhood education. We explore underrepresented issues relating to care in the professional work of early childhood educators.  

The collective includes: University of Newcastle, Australia v/Joanne Ailwood & I-Fang Lee, University of Aukland v/ Marek Tesar & Andrew Gibbons, University of Melbourne v/Sonja Arndt, University of Wisconsin v/Lucinda Heimer, USN v/Teresa K. Aslanian

Results:

Ailwood, J., Lee, I.-F., Arndt, S., Tesar, M., Aslanian, T. K., Gibbons, A., & Heimer, L. (2022). Communities of care: A collective writing project on philosophies, politics and pedagogies of care and education in the early years. Policy Futures in Education.

Children and Animal Relationships in Early Childhood Education and Care

This project addresses the plethora of joys, questions and complexities that arise between children and animals, including representations of animals, in early childhood educational settings. The project was a funded FOU-project in 2019 and continues to develop.

Scientific publications:

  • Aslanian, T.K.; Moxnes, A. R. (2020). Making “Cuts” with a Holstein Cow in Early Childhood Education and Care: The Joys of Representation. Journal of Childhood Studies 45(2).
  • Aslanian, T. K.; Moxnes, A.R. (2021). Slaughtering a cow in early childhood education: Pedagogic meetings with destruction as change. Reconceptualizing Educational Research Methodology (RERM).12(1).

Academic Lectures:

  • Aslanian, T. K. (2019). Making cuts: The joys of representation. C&S SIGN Series Middlesex University; 2019-04-04
  • Moxnes, A. R.; Aslanian, T. K. (2020). Bathing in animals - worlding with children, animals and nature in ECEC. NERA; 2020-03-04 - 2020-03-06
  • Moxnes, A. R.; Aslanian, T. K. (2019). CANER SEMINAR. Children, Animals and Nature in Educational Research. 2019-12-06
  • Moxnes, A. R.; Aslanian, T. K. (2021). MAKING KIN WITH LIFE AND DEATH IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE. Childhood and Time; 2021-05-10 - 2021-05-12
  • Moxnes, A. R.; Aslanian, T. K. (2019). Photographing elephants and slaughtering cows: just another day in ECEC. Children, animals and nature in educational research; NERA 2019-12-06 - 2019-12-06
  • Reinertsen, A.B.; Ulla, B.; Larsen, A. S.; Moxnes, A. R. ; Aslanian, T. K.; Andersen, Camilla Eline. (2021). Fugitive Futures and Knowledge Brokering. 17th International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry;2021-05-19 - 2021-05-22

Popular science articles

  • Aslanian, T. K. (2021). Barn og dyr i barnehagen: bærekraftig læring?. Barnehagedagen 2021-03-092.
Exploring the unique learning environments of Norwegian kindergartens

Teresa K. Aslanian, Anne Kristin Andresen and Anne-Line Bjerknes

The goal of this FOU-funded project was to create a pilot research project to evaluate how a bio-social perspective can uncover new knowledge about the distinctive learning environment of Norwegian ECEC as is defined by its holistic, full day, play-based form and to use this knowledge to strengthen ECEC learning environments as well as informing efforts to renew and improve school socio-emotional learning environments. The project has continued to develop and informs developing projects for external financed projects involving Nordic kindergarten tradition.

Scientific publications:

  • Aslanian, T. K.; Andresen, A. K. H.; Baasland, T. (2020). Climbing, Hiding and Having Fun: Schoolchildren’s Memories of Holistic Learning in a Norwegian Kindergarten. Nordic Studies in Education. 40(3).
  • Aslanian, T. K.; Andresen, Anne Kristin Hansen; Bjerknes, Anne-Line. (I fagfellevurdering ved EECERA, Nivå 2). Children’s holistic learning during self-initiated outdoor play in a Norwegian kindergarten.

Academic lectures:

  • Aslanian, T. K.; Andresen, Anne Kristin Hansen; Baasland, Turid. (2020). Climbing, hiding and having fun: What can school children's memories tell us about what and how children learn in Norwegian ECEC?. NERA. 2020-03-04 - 2020-03-06
  • Aslanian, T. K. (2021). Social pedagogy in early childhood education and care. Social Pedagogy Association International Conference: Creating Hope in Dystopia; Finland. 2021-06-22 - 2021-06-24
  • Aslanian, T. K.; Andresen, Anne Kristin Hansen; Bjerknes, Anne-Line. (2021). "I climb high to get closer to the sky" Five-year-olds learning strategies during outdoor play in a Norwegian Kindergarten. EECERA. 2021-09-01 - 2021-09-17
  • Aslanian, T. K. (2021). Embedded and embodied values in schoolchildren’s memories from kindergarten. Nordic Modes of Bildung, Schooling, and Upbringing - The interplay between individualism, collectivism, and institutionalized lives; UiO. Oslo, Norway. 2021-01-22 - 2021-01-23

Popular science articles

 

Cooperative leadership

Members

PhD-fellow