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