A1 Journal article (refereed)
Opetusharjoittelun ohjaus harjoittelupäiväkodin työyhteisön toimintana (2024)
Teaching practice supervision as an activity of the work communities at training ECE centres

Chydenius, H., Vehviläinen, S., & Fonsén, E. (2024). Opetusharjoittelun ohjaus harjoittelupäiväkodin työyhteisön toimintana. Kasvatus, 55(2), 113-128. https://doi.org/10.33348/kvt.130978

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Chydenius, Heidi; Vehviläinen, Sanna; Fonsén, Elina

Journal or series: Kasvatus

ISSN: 0022-927X

eISSN: 2737-0658

Publication year: 2024

Publication date: 15/04/2024

Volume: 55

Issue number: 2

Pages range: 113-128

Publisher: Suomen kasvatustieteellinen seura

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: Finnish

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33348/kvt.130978

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/94382

Abstract

Early childhood education (ECE) teacher training in Finland always includes teaching practice, which is carried out in a training ECE centre working in cooperation with the university. According to recent studies, teaching practice supervision is best realised as a joint activity of the work community at the practice ECE centre. In our research, we examine the supervisory agency described by the members of the work community of five training ECE centres from a socio-cultural perspective. Our data consisted of three focus group interviews of different professional ECE groups which we approached with Greimas’s tools of semiotic analysis (the actant model and modalities of agency). We identified the supervisory agency expressed by the different personnel groups by analysing the actor roles and operational aspirations that appeared in the interviews, as well as the relationships between the actors and the modalities of their agency. The results indicated that the ECE teachers and the ECE centre heads had strong agency in supervision, while the ECE child carers had limited agency. The teaching practice supervision was also intertwined with the professional development of the supervising ECE personnel. We propose that the participation of the members of the work community in the teaching practice supervision and in bringing personnel into joint discussions with the student could strengthen the professional competence of the entire community. In addition, the factors related to the supervision activity described in this study can be used to support the possibilities of the ECE centre workers’ supervisory agency

Keywords: early childhood education and care teachers; teacher training; practical training as a teacher; day care centres; human agency; work communities; professional development; early childhood education and care

Free keywords: actant model, early childhood education, modalities of agency, supervision, supervisory agency, teaching practice, work community

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Preliminary JUFO rating: 2