Viewpoints of preschool teachers and preschool assistants: Emphases and work division in preschool practice

• Main Authors: Einarsdóttir, Jóhanna, Jónsdóttir, Arna H., Garðarsdóttir, Bryndís
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Icelandic
• Published: Menntavísindasvið Háskóla Íslands 2016
• Subjects: words preschools;preschool teachers;professionalism;assistants; leikskólar;leikskólakennarar;fagmennska;leiðbeinendur; Handle The; Iceland
• Online Access: https://ojs.hi.is/netla/article/view/2402

Roughly 96% of Icelandic children between the ages of two and five attend preschool, and approximately 28% of them are two years old (Statistics Iceland, 2013). Despite the law that stipulates that educated preschool teachers should account for at least twothirds of the staff that handle the care and education of children in each preschool (Laws on Education and Appointment of Teachers and Principals in Preschool, Elementary School and Secondary School nr. 87/2008), only 38% of the preschool staff had received preschool teacher education in the year 2011.The aim of this study is to examine the views, roles, and pedagogy of preschool teachers and preschool assistants in Iceland. This is a part of a collaborative study between the University of Iceland, the University of Volda and the University of Oslo. Research that compares the work of preschool teachers and assistants is rare, and the present study is the first of its kind in Iceland. In order to ensure the quality education of preschool children, it is important to gain insight into how those working in preschools view their own work. This research examined the ways in which preschool teachers and preschool assistants described their daily work and emphases. This article seeks to answer the following questions: 1. Is there a difference in how preschool teachers and preschool assistants describe what they emphasize in their work with preschool children? 2. Is there a difference in how preschool teachers and preschool assistants describe their daily work with preschool children? Data were gathered through a questionnaire sent to all preschools in Iceland during the 2011–2012 school year. Two questionnaires were used, one for the preschool teachers and another for the assistants. Staff without preschool teacher education were categorized as assistants. The questionnaires that were translated from Norwegian had the same questions, aside from those relating to background information. The questions were ranked on the Likert scale including 5–7 values. The answers ...