South African Journal of Childhood Education 5(3):a368 Working with children with special needs in Finnish kindergartens
Type
E-Journal
Authors
ISSN
2223-7682
Category
ECCE, Preschool
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Publication Year
2016
Publisher
Aosis OpenJournals, Durbanville, Cape Town, South Africa
URL
[ private ]
Pages
10 p.
Subject
Early childhood care and education (ECCE), Preschool education, Kindergartens, Children with special needs, Practitioners, Job satisfaction, Appreciation, Competency, In-service training, Finland
Tags
Abstract
The aim is to investigate the links between job satisfaction of Finnish early childhood professionals (ECPs) and the appreciation they receive for their work, and how these are associated with their competence to work with children with diverse needs and backgrounds. Data was collected via nationwide online survey for practitioners (n = 885) working in Finnish kindergartens. The main findings show that ECPs experience their work as satisfactory and receive appreciation from colleagues, friends and the children’s parents. It was also evident from the data that ECPs felt themselves to be incompetent to work with children with disabilities or children who had experienced trauma. This may reflect that more in-service training regarding these special education issues is needed. We argue that satisfaction, appreciation and competence, are key factors in the development of a strong professional identity, enhanced well-being at work and in other domains of life and particularly for high quality and inclusive early childhood education.
Description
Article
Number of Copies
1
