The Development of Early Childhood Education as an Academic Discipline in Finland

Early Childhood Education (ECE) as an academic discipline has gained an academic legitimacy in Finland in 2005. In accordance with internationally established practice, Early Childhood Education as an academic field and a field of research has been set to cover the period from birth to eight years o...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Eeva Hujala
Format: Article
Language:Danish
Published: Cappelen Damm Akademisk NOASP 2008-10-01
Series:Nordisk Barnehageforskning
Online Access:https://journals.hioa.no/index.php/nbf/article/view/238
_version_ 1797696235426021376
author Eeva Hujala
author_facet Eeva Hujala
author_sort Eeva Hujala
collection DOAJ
description Early Childhood Education (ECE) as an academic discipline has gained an academic legitimacy in Finland in 2005. In accordance with internationally established practice, Early Childhood Education as an academic field and a field of research has been set to cover the period from birth to eight years of age. The focus of ECE re- search is to analyse and define the development and upbringing of young children, including such themes as learning and teaching and the complex connection between child development to the growth environment. In recent years in Finland, the internal paradigmatic discussions within academic ECE have been both enlightened and critical. The emergence of an academic Early Childhood Education paradigm has been apparent in the discussions of early pedagogy, professional growth, leadership, management and quality and as a definer of pedagogy to support children’s learning. The challenge of academic Early Childhood Education is to introduce into the discussion ontological and epistemological issues of early childhood and thereby activate teachers and other professional educators and parents to consider personal and professional conceptions of the child, of learning and of the role of adults in the upbringing of young children from birth to eight years of age.
first_indexed 2024-03-12T03:23:30Z
format Article
id doaj.art-d8835307f1924e46b9af9d08ad3469f6
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1890-9167
language Danish
last_indexed 2024-03-12T03:23:30Z
publishDate 2008-10-01
publisher Cappelen Damm Akademisk NOASP
record_format Article
series Nordisk Barnehageforskning
spelling doaj.art-d8835307f1924e46b9af9d08ad3469f62023-09-03T13:45:30ZdanCappelen Damm Akademisk NOASPNordisk Barnehageforskning1890-91672008-10-011110.7577/nbf.238180The Development of Early Childhood Education as an Academic Discipline in FinlandEeva HujalaEarly Childhood Education (ECE) as an academic discipline has gained an academic legitimacy in Finland in 2005. In accordance with internationally established practice, Early Childhood Education as an academic field and a field of research has been set to cover the period from birth to eight years of age. The focus of ECE re- search is to analyse and define the development and upbringing of young children, including such themes as learning and teaching and the complex connection between child development to the growth environment. In recent years in Finland, the internal paradigmatic discussions within academic ECE have been both enlightened and critical. The emergence of an academic Early Childhood Education paradigm has been apparent in the discussions of early pedagogy, professional growth, leadership, management and quality and as a definer of pedagogy to support children’s learning. The challenge of academic Early Childhood Education is to introduce into the discussion ontological and epistemological issues of early childhood and thereby activate teachers and other professional educators and parents to consider personal and professional conceptions of the child, of learning and of the role of adults in the upbringing of young children from birth to eight years of age.https://journals.hioa.no/index.php/nbf/article/view/238
spellingShingle Eeva Hujala
The Development of Early Childhood Education as an Academic Discipline in Finland
Nordisk Barnehageforskning
title The Development of Early Childhood Education as an Academic Discipline in Finland
title_full The Development of Early Childhood Education as an Academic Discipline in Finland
title_fullStr The Development of Early Childhood Education as an Academic Discipline in Finland
title_full_unstemmed The Development of Early Childhood Education as an Academic Discipline in Finland
title_short The Development of Early Childhood Education as an Academic Discipline in Finland
title_sort development of early childhood education as an academic discipline in finland
url https://journals.hioa.no/index.php/nbf/article/view/238
work_keys_str_mv AT eevahujala thedevelopmentofearlychildhoodeducationasanacademicdisciplineinfinland
AT eevahujala developmentofearlychildhoodeducationasanacademicdisciplineinfinland