Journal article
Teachers' Pedagogical Competence in Finnish Early Childhood Education-A Narrative Literature Review
Education sciences, Vol.13(8), p.791
01/08/2023
Metrics
1 Record Views
Abstract
Finnish early childhood education (ECE) is defined in education policies and research as an activity with an emphasis on pedagogy as a holistic and Nordic model of education. Pedagogical competence can be viewed as a special expertise of teachers responsible for the implementation of pedagogy in ECE. However, it is unclear how a teacher's pedagogical competence is defined, understood, and implemented in pedagogical practices and policies. Previous studies define pedagogical competence from different, often narrow, perspectives and various skills have been defined to be a part of teachers' pedagogical expertise. In this study, we aim to take a closer look at how teachers' pedagogical competence is defined in research literature in Finland. As our method, we use a narrative literature review of research papers published between 2010 and 2020. We were able to identify fourteen different definitions of pedagogical competencies that could be categorized into three main categories: (a) meta-competencies, (b) professional competencies, and (c) practical competencies. In summary, we argue that pedagogical competence is often narrowly understood. To implement high-quality ECE, teachers' pedagogical competence should be considered broadly and wholly. Particularly, the shared values and reflection of ethical questions are essential for supporting children's development and learning through holistic education.
Details
- Title
- Teachers' Pedagogical Competence in Finnish Early Childhood Education-A Narrative Literature Review
- Creators
- Samuli Ranta - University of Eastern FinlandJonna Kangas - University of HelsinkiHeidi Harju-Luukkainen - University of JyvaskylaTuulikki Ukkonen-Mikkola - University of JyväskyläMarita Neitola - University of TurkuJarmo Kinos - University of TurkuNina Sajaniemi - University of Eastern FinlandArniika Kuusisto - University of Helsinki
- Publication Details
- Education sciences, Vol.13(8), p.791
- Publisher
- Mdpi
- Number of pages
- 15
- Identifiers
- 991013372728902368
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Education
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article