In Search of the Role of Child Perspectives and Children’s Perspectives in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Early childhood education culture with child-centredness (child perspectives) differs from the school culture, which by tradition is characterized by being mainly adult-centredness. This has deep roots from the Froebel tradition with the aim to foster freely thinking human beings, by adopting the pedagogy to children’s world of experience from family activities (housekeeping, gardening, carpentry, etc.), but also tointroducing play as a means for learning. These adoptions are Examples of child perspectives. Early childhood education has mainly focused children’s personal development compared to knowledge development in school. The intention today, at least in the Scandinavian countries, is to merge the two cultures into a third more goal-directed one that is driven by adults, but retains the child perspectives. A further aim is to direct early childhood education more towards children’s participation and perspectives.