Children’s Perspective on Learning: An International Study in Denmark, Estonia, Germany and Sweden

• Published in: Early childhood education journal Vol. 45; no. 1; pp. 71 - 81
• Main Authors: Sandberg, Anette, Broström, Stig, Johansson, Inge, Frøkjær, Thorleif, Kieferle, Christa, Seifert, Anja, Roth, Angela, Tuul, Maire, Ugaste, Aino, Laan, Meeli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Child Development; Childhood Attitudes; Children's knowledge; Children's perspective; Cross Cultural Studies; Early childhood education; Education; Focus group interviews with children; Focus Groups; Foreign Countries; Goal Orientation; Interviews; Knowledge; Learning; Learning and Instruction; Learning Processes; Learning Theories; Preschool Children; Preschool Teachers; Qualitative research; Social Environment; Sociology; Sociology of Education; Thinking Skills; Young Children; Denmark; Sweden; Germany; Estonia; Learning; Children’s perspective; Children’s knowledge; Focus group interviews with children
• ISSN: 1082-3301; 1573-1707; 1573-1707
• DOI: 10.1007/s10643-015-0759-5

This article explores how some children in Denmark, Estonia, Germany and Sweden describe their perspective on learning. The aim of the international study is to gain knowledge of how preschool children in Sweden, Denmark, Estonia and Germany reflect and perceive their learning in preschool and other surrounding social contexts. The results are based on 51 focus group interviews from 181 children. The results indicate that, in general, children from all four countries seem to be aware of their own learning. One can conclude that encouraging children to think about what they are doing and why they are doing it makes the activities more goal-oriented from the children’s perspective and thus more conscious. Children are able to describe their own perspectives on learning.