Hvorfor kan det være svært at være anerkendende? – udvikling af den pædagogiske praksis i daginstitutioner.

The English Title:
Why can it be difficult to be appreciative? -development of the pedagogical practice in day-care centers.

Uddannelsessted: Aarhus Universitet, Campus Emdrup
Uddannelsens navn: Kandidat i Pædagogisk Psykologi

Abstract:

Intro
This study is about, understanding why teachers in day-care centers have difficulties in having and developing appreciative relationships with the children despite the fact that they are working from an appreciative approach.

I wonder about and I am interested in finding out the following:
• Why, it can be difficult for the social educators to have and develop appreciative relationships with the children?
• What happens in practice and in the relationships, which have an effect for why, it can be difficult for the social educators to have and develop appreciative relationships with the children?
• How can the light of this, enrich the work in developing the pedagogical practice, so the relationships between the social educators and the children will become more appreciative in the day-care centers?

Problem orientated focus point:
How can one based on an analysis of what constitute the problem- why educators have difficulty in having and developing appreciative relationships with children in day-care centers- enrich the work in developing the pedagogical practice?

Theory:
The foundation for this study is based on a critical psychological analysis setting and is supplemented with the dialectical relation theory. This means that the analysis is based on finding and understanding the causes, motives, and experiences that underlie the adult’s ways to act in relation to the given context and their relationships with the children. This is supplemented with an understanding of when a relationship can be described as an appreciative relationship, and of which role and responsibilities the social educators cares in these.

Methods:
The methods in this study are based on open and unstructured observations as well as semi-structured interviews. The pedagogical practices, the social educators and their relations with the children were observed. And the social educators where interviewed about their experiences and views on why it can be difficult to be appreciative in their work.
The empirical data was collected over to periods. The first time was in December 2012, and the second time was in April 2013.

Primary Findings:
The social educators are too busy with practical chores -related to the educational curricula- during the day. This takes their focus and time away from the children, which have a negative effect on the quality of their relationships, and also makes it difficult for the social educators to have and develop appreciative relationships with children.
The social educators are experiencing difficulty in organizing certain situations
(e.g. in a wardrobe situation) due to poor staffing, which comes in and have an impact on practice. This causes a lot of conflicts between the children, and makes the situation very stress full for the staff, which have a negative effect on the quality of their relationships and also makes it difficult for the social educators to have and develop appreciative relationships with children.
The social educators are non-reflective, they are likely to see the problems and not the solutions they can choose to act on. This again affects the quality of their relationships with the children and also makes it difficult for them to have and develop appreciative relationships with children.

The Primary Discussion:
How realistic it is for the social educators to reorganize their practices so that they have more time to make the educational curricula and also more time to also be with the children? And can reorganizing of their practice also strengthen their capacity when they are poorly staffed?
Are the educational curriculums in fact too comprehensive and are the academic requirements to excessive compared to what is realistic for what the social educators can achieve in their practice?
If the social educators were given the opportunity to undergo more training they
would learn to be more self-reflective and appreciative, but what will it require and how realistic would it be to give the educators this opportunity compared to the possibilities their practice provide?

The Primary Conclusion:
The educational curriculums seems to fill much of the pedagogical practice and make excessive demands on what is realistic for what the social educators can achieve in their practice and because they also have difficulty in organizing their practice in relation hereto, it goes beyond their time and relationships with the children. This influences on the quality on their relationships and makes the teachers guilty, stressful, and some seem to be losing track, motivation and self-confidence to see and find other opportunities and new solutions to improve their own situation.
A combination of making the educational curriculums more simple and giving the social educators time were they can engage in dialogue about their practice with each other, would help the social educators to see and understand their practices and the problems that arise therein. Together they would then be able to find other ways of acting and other ways to structure their practices in relation to the educational curriculums and also in case of poor staffing. This will further help them back on track, reduce the stress levels and the
teachers will slowly fell more competent in doing their work. This will also give them more time with the children and hopefully create much more and better opportunities to be present and appreciative in their relationships with the children.
To develop the pedagogical practice, the social educators have to have the opportunity for further training. But before this becomes realistic it will require that there is time for the social educators to come back to the institution and implement the new teaching material in their own practice. This requires management to help and make sure that it is done simply and not with bigger goals than what it is realistic for practice. There must be dialogue, so the social educators can discuss and reflect on their practice, on the theory they are trying to implement and on their relationships with the children. This will help the teachers to become more aware to understand and see the children and the relational interaction they have with them in relation to their practice.