An research project of freedom in leisure pedagogy: En undersøgelse af fritid i fritidspædagogik

This presentation takes its outset in the project “Perspectives on freedom in leisure pedagogy”, based at Research Programme for Everyday Life and Leisure Pedagogy, VIA UC, Denmark, and explores perspectives on conversation in leisure pedagogy in the area of afterschool program. As well as how the social teacher understands and works to enable the child to use their freedom. In many ways, the individual child in the afterschool program has the freedom to be where the child wants or to choose activities without interference from the social teacher.
Based on the above, the project and presentation aim is to contribute to understanding and discuss the use of conversation in leisure pedagogy. That lead to the following research questions: What is freedom in the educational perspective for the child in leisure-time pedagogy? How does the social teacher appeal to the children's autonomy and independence in the SFO?
Theoretical framework:
The main theoretical focus is primarily from Emanuel Kant's perspectives on freedom and reason. For good reasons, Kant did not deal with leisure pedagogy, but when the child has a high degree of freedom in the afterschool program, Kant's concept of freedom becomes interesting because then Kant's concept of freedom becomes interesting because it gives a perspective on why freedom and conversation are important to work towards (Kant, 2012).
Methodology:
The project is mainly a focused short-term ethnographic fieldwork (Knoblauch, 2005) with intensive passive observations (Spradley, 1980). This was followed up with point-by-point observations, where particular times or spaces had emerged which are interesting for the project (Pink & Morgan, 2013). In connection with the observations, photos were used in order to intensify the observations (Pink, 2015) just as it has enabled analyzes of other phenomena that occurred during the study period. In addition, semi-structured life-world interviews are conducted with selected educators (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2015), in order to understand more deeply why social teachers appeals to freedom as observed.
Expected findings:
A preliminary result points to the conversation as interesting. Being able to use conversation is a basic tool as a democratic citizen, but especially important to experience existentially as a human being. Conversation gives the child the opportunity to relate to others or himself. If the child develops the ability to relate to himself or take a critical stand, etc., it can help to empower the child to manage his or her freedom.
Relevance to Nordic educational research:
The project raises a question in relation to how the child can develop his own opinion through the conversation without it becoming a product of the social teacher's will and opinion? It will also be interesting to discuss in more detail how the social teacher works and reflects on the use of the conversation with the child, so that the child can develop autonomy and independence?
There is a lack of research in the area and it could be interesting to discuss the project`s thematic conversation and what could be researched in the future.