A1 Journal article (refereed)
Evening early childhood education and care : Reformulating the institutional culture (2020)

Salonen, E., Sevón, E., & Laakso, M.-L. (2020). Evening early childhood education and care : Reformulating the institutional culture. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 18(4), 418-432. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X20947120

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Salonen, Eija; Sevón, Eija; Laakso, Marja-Leena

Journal or series: Journal of Early Childhood Research

ISSN: 1476-718X

eISSN: 1741-2927

Publication year: 2020

Publication date: 30/08/2020

Volume: 18

Issue number: 4

Pages range: 418-432

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X20947120

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/71683

Abstract

The article investigates the ongoing reformulation of the institutional culture of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Finnish evening ECEC. Educators’ practices in implementing evening ECEC were explored and viewed through the lens of young children’s belonging. Data were collected by observing the evenings of eight children aged 20–36 months in two Finnish centers offering flexibly scheduled ECEC and analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. Three main themes of educators’ practices were identified: (1) managing a unique and changing social group, (2) fostering homeliness, and (3) maintaining routines and institutional order. While these practices mostly contributed to child-responsive interactions supportive of young children’s belonging, in some of them individual children’s initiatives were not responded to, thereby challenging their belonging. Overall, educators’ practices in implementing evening ECEC manifested the orientation of the institutional culture of ECEC toward the present ideals regarding young children’s belonging.

Keywords: early childhood education and care; child care; nonstandard hour child care; organisational culture; institutionalism

Free keywords: belonging; early childhood education and care; evening care; Finland; institutional culture; young children

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2020

JUFO rating: 1