Living in heaven and buried in the earth? Teaching young children about death

Abstract

ABSTRACT This qualitative study focuses on preschool practitioners’ teaching about death. The theoretical framework draws on ideas about dialogic teaching and the concepts that are of importance for understanding what biological death entails. The study was conducted within a qualitative, participant centered paradigm. The data consist of video recordings of four visits to cemeteries conducted by 6 practitioners and 26 children (three-five years old) from two preschools. The findings show that relying on a child centered pedagogy, when the practitioners do not plan the content of the activity but rely exclusively on the children’s curiosity, does not function well as a pedagogical strategy in relation to an existential question that the practitioners themselves find sensitive. The article contributes to developing the didactics of death that enables preschool practitioners to develop the ability to reflect critically on questions and topics related to different understandings of death(s) in early childhood education.