Transnational meetingGöteborg

28. Sept. 2015Jutta Schneider

Prof. Klaus FischerUni Köln

A Joint Effort for More Scope of Action: Play Area Design - The Gateway to the Development

of a Culture of Participation in Children’s Day Care Centres

Overview

1. The German Project1.1 Participation in children`s day care centres1.2 Participation and Bildung/education1.3 Importance of play areas for a participatory education

2. Needs Analysis2.1 Analysis of different ways in which the concept of participation is dealt with by the educational plans of the federal states in Germany2.2 Analysis of the project partner’s (day care centre Saßmicke) requirements for the implementation of participatory processes

Overview

3. The national Curriculum3.1 Background/motivation of the curriculum3.2 Conditions for a successful participation3.3 Theoretical foundation and principles3.4 Structure of the curriculum3.5 Modules and isssues3.6 Implementation of the curriculum

4. Results and conclusions

The national Curriculum

Background and motivation• Although there are clear legal foundations for

participatory processes in the educational system, such processes are not implemented everywhere to the same standard.

• The provisions are rather generalized and universal, leaving the details of their implementation to teachers and public officials.

Background

• Educational policy plans and laws are generally too abstract and offer little help for educational practitioners. Professionals find it very hard to break down the concept of participation to the level of their every-day work. There are no concepts of how to implement and control participation processes in day care centres in germany

Recommendation

“The National Plan of Action therefore proposes certain instruments of how to involve children and

young people effectively. The development of quality standards for participation processes and the embedding of children’s and young people’s

participation rights into curricula, apprenticeships and study regulations as well as into training

schemes for young professionals are of specific importance in this respect.“

(Federal Ministry for Families, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth)

Theoretical foundation of the Curriculum

• Basic assumption: – Participation is an educational attitude,

not simply a (school) subject or even a cross-subject learning objective of early education

• Concept of developping a prof. attitude

KnowledgeExpertise

ExperienceSelf awareness Pedagogical

behaviorProfessional

attitude

Reflection

Reflection

• Two conclusions that affect the structure of the curriculum– 1.Learning objective: self-awareness/self-

experience project-oriented strategy

– 2. Learning objective: knowledge Advice and the provision of training courses to create a skilled and highly professional workforce

Quality standard requirements for participation

Federal Ministry for Families, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth:

• Attitude: “Participation can only succeed if the educators show that they respect the children. This requires the educators to reflect upon their own view of human beings and its relevance for educational acts.”

• And on the subject of participatory skills: “Participation can only succeed if the educators have the proper methodological skills.“

Structure of the Curriculum

Modules and project stages of the Curriculum

1. Columm• Receiving information– Preparing the ground

• Getting a hearing– Taking stock of existent views– Firing the imagination.– Brainstorming– Turning ideas into detailed proposals and plans

• Co-determination – Arriving together at decisions

• Joint realization oft he project plan

Modules and issues of the Curriculum

2. Columm• Familiarization with participatory concepts of

Bildung and the concept of participation– Bildung/education and Participation– Participation and spatial conditions (spatial concepts)– Definitions, stages and levels of participation– Legal foundations of participation in children’s day care

centres– Conceptual frameworks and objectives of participation– Areas and forms of participation

Modules and issues of the Curriculum

2. Columm• Methodological qualification of the professionals

– Principles of “Open Work“ and their practical implementation

– Learning in educational workshops (Lernwerkstattarbeit) – Project work– How to conduct dialogues– Voting mechanisms– Organs of participation– Cooperation with parents– Team cooperation and networking

Modules and issues of the Curriculum

2. Columm• Transparency within the team– Discussion and development of a new interior design and

pedagogical concepts (how to work in future)– Restructuring of the team and of individual

responsibilities– Personal experiences, attitudes to participation– How to handle power, loss of power and power sharing– Roles and requirements of teachers– Scopes for the decision-making of children and parents

Modules and issues of the Curriculum

2. Columm• Development of structures– How to establish the new spatial and pedagogical

concept– How to draft a binding “constitution“ for children’s

day care centres and similar tasks • Dissemination– How to familiarize parents and children with new

structures

Thank you for your attention

Jutta Schneider

and your participation!