Encouraging Exploration: A guidebook for implementing phenomenon-based pedagogical activities with children under 3 years of age in Finnish ECEC centers
Tuoriniemi, Frances (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025113030959
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025113030959
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this thesis was to create a guidebook which could be utilized by educators in Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centers to strengthen activities which encourage exploration in groups of children under the age of 3. The need for this guidebook was founded on the research completed by the Finnish Education Evaluation Center (KARVI) in 2020, which found that educators felt the National Core Curriculum (VASU) was not a sufficient resource for daily application. The guidebook created for this development-based thesis aimed to fulfil this gap, helping to make the curriculum more tangible and practical for those working with under 3s.
The core theoretical background of encouraging exploration was founded in phenomenon-based learning, as well as developmental theory and theories around the importance of play in early childhood. The thesis is grounded in the Finnish context of ECEC.
This is a qualitative study, where the guidebook was created in partnership with a manager of multiple ECEC centers in the Helsinki region. The feedback on the guidebook was collected through an anonymous questionnaire from the staff of one daycare, as well as the working-life partner.
Based on the feedback from this questionnaire, the guidebook was a success. The guidebook helped the educators feel more capable of planning, observing and evaluating their day-to-day activities. The guidebook succeeded in helping to ground the ideas of the National Core Curriculum and make them more applicable to the daily experiences of those working in the field. However, some respondents felt that they still saw some need for more guidance on how to strengthen team dynamics amongst staff. Based on these results, further edits could be made to future iterations of this guidebook. Since the guidebook structure was deemed helpful, there is also the possibility for further similar guidebooks to be made on other specific aspects of the field and/or curriculum.
The core theoretical background of encouraging exploration was founded in phenomenon-based learning, as well as developmental theory and theories around the importance of play in early childhood. The thesis is grounded in the Finnish context of ECEC.
This is a qualitative study, where the guidebook was created in partnership with a manager of multiple ECEC centers in the Helsinki region. The feedback on the guidebook was collected through an anonymous questionnaire from the staff of one daycare, as well as the working-life partner.
Based on the feedback from this questionnaire, the guidebook was a success. The guidebook helped the educators feel more capable of planning, observing and evaluating their day-to-day activities. The guidebook succeeded in helping to ground the ideas of the National Core Curriculum and make them more applicable to the daily experiences of those working in the field. However, some respondents felt that they still saw some need for more guidance on how to strengthen team dynamics amongst staff. Based on these results, further edits could be made to future iterations of this guidebook. Since the guidebook structure was deemed helpful, there is also the possibility for further similar guidebooks to be made on other specific aspects of the field and/or curriculum.