A3 Book section, Chapters in research books
Constructing Appropriate Information in School Transition : Documents as Institutional Agents of Topicalising Children’s (In)Capabilities and Pedagogical Practices (2020)

Heiskanen, N. (2020). Constructing Appropriate Information in School Transition : Documents as Institutional Agents of Topicalising Children’s (In)Capabilities and Pedagogical Practices. In M. Alasuutari, H. Kelle, & H. Knauf (Eds.), Documentation in Institutional Contexts of Early Childhood : Normalisation, Participation and Professionalism (pp. 79-101). Springer VS. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-28193-9_5

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Heiskanen, Noora

Parent publication: Documentation in Institutional Contexts of Early Childhood : Normalisation, Participation and Professionalism

Parent publication editors: Alasuutari, Maarit; Kelle, Helga; Knauf, Helen

ISBN: 978-3-658-28192-2

eISBN: 978-3-658-28193-9

Publication year: 2020

Pages range: 79-101

Number of pages in the book: 257

Publisher: Springer VS

Place of Publication: Wiesbaden

Publication country: Germany

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-28193-9_5

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access: 

Abstract

In this chapter, I investigate how school transition documentation, in addition to recording issues, also actively constructs ideas about the topical information, roles and responsibilities and, consequently, institutional reality in school transition. In a transition phase, documentation has a great potential serve as a tool for ensuring the continuity in pedagogical practices. However, documentation is often found to focus on illustrating subjectifying and problem-oriented pictures of children and their incapabilities instead of explicating pedagogical practices and professional responsibilities in transition. In this chapter, I utilise the discursive approach to analyse the ready-set transition document forms from two Finnish municipalities and filled school transition documents of 43 pre-primary aged children (N = 43). In Finnish regulations, it is stated that all the appropriate information needs to be transferred to school prior the transition. Consequently, I analyse what kind of understanding about this appropriate information municipal document forms and teachers’ writings reflect. In addition to investigating the contents, I analyse how the roles and responsibilities of children, parents, and teachers as well as pre-primary and primary school institutions are presented in relation to school transition. As a theoretical starting point, I apply documentality theory introduced by Ferraris.

Keywords: preschool; lower comprehensive school; transitional phases; readiness for school; documentation; flow of information; social constructivism; discourse analysis

Free keywords: school transition; documentation; pre-primary education; primary education; documentality theory; school readiness; discourse analysis; position

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2020

JUFO rating: 1