Does the New Kindergarten Teacher Education Program in Norway Provide Good Conditions for Professional Kindergarten Teachers?

Wenche Aasen,Alicja R Sadownik

doi:10.13189/ujer.2019.071301

Abstract

This partly descriptive, partly critically reflective, argumentative article analyses the Norwegian kindergarten teacher education program through the three concepts that are mentioned in its national guidelines: research-based, profession-oriented, and practice-related education. An inseparable correlation between these at the level of higher educational institutions is a condition for the development of professionalism and competences to act that are, again, a condition for exercising professional knowledge in practice in kindergartens. A question that is posed continually in this chapter is how the various aspects of profession-oriented, research-based, and practice-related kindergarten teacher education can become conditions for educating professional kindergarten teachers. The conclusions address both the institutional and national levels at which certain improvements can be implemented to strengthen the professional growth of kindergarten teachers and, thereby, kindergarten quality.

Highlights

There is a strong political expectation in Norway that kindergartens are associated with professionalism and educational quality that ensures that children are provided with optimal opportunities for all-round development in kindergartens
Since kindergarten teachers in Norway work with the other professional kindergarten teachers, and with unqualified assistants, their professional competences together with outreach and leadership skills are significantly important for the quality of pedagogical work in kindergartens
It is important to mention that any kind of improvements that strengthen kindergarten teacher education can be done at the level of society through new legislative apparatuses, new guidelines, or even new culture(s) for a “good childhood” and thereby “good teachers.”

Summary

Introduction

There is a strong political expectation in Norway that kindergartens are associated with professionalism and educational quality that ensures that children are provided with optimal opportunities for all-round development in kindergartens. Since kindergarten teachers in Norway work with the other professional kindergarten teachers, and with unqualified assistants, their professional competences together with outreach and leadership skills are significantly important for the quality of pedagogical work in kindergartens. This is why kindergarten teacher education is seen as teacher education and as leader education [2]. In order to develop good teachers and good leaders the kindergarten teacher education must be research-based, practice-related, and profession-oriented [2]. The connection between these three concepts support the foundation for kindergarten teachers as professionals. In order to do this, the culturally anchored understandings of good kindergarten and good kindergarten teachers requires explanation

Good Nordic Childhoods and Kindergartens

Findings

Conclusions