The everyday life of children and free time in education

A child is painting with oil paint.
Photographer: Peter Holgersson AB

Our research is on children’s and students’ experiences of different forms of educational institutions. We study young children’s conditions for, e.g., learning and meaningful free time in children’s institutionalized every day life.

In this field of research, the entry point is in children’s and student’s experiences of different forms of educational institutions. The research environment of pedagogic practices the practice of children’s institutions gathers researchers interested in the conditions of young children in educational institutions and are, for example, interested in tensions between concepts of learning and meaningful free time in school-age educare. Another focus is on research around conditions for children’s institutionalized everyday life, but also to study questions raised by children themselves. Global perspectives and comparisons around different issues, such as inclusion and participation practices.

We do research on aspects such as:

  • action research in school-age educare with students as agents of development
  • child-centered research
  • children’s perspectives on teaching in school-age educare
  • social relations, inclusion, and student participation in school-age educare
  • popular culture in school-age educare

Publications

Research projects

Children playing tug-of-war.

Meaning making in Governance and Voluntariness in School-Age Educare

How does children make everyday life in School-Age Educare meaningful? In this study we explore children's meaning making in free play and teacher led activities.

A pair of twins dancing.

Working with Eurovision in school-age educare center

This project examines the role of the Mello (the Swedish competition for Eurovision) in  school-age centre, focusing on how the Mello takes place in children's everyday life and how teachers use the Mello in teaching and activities.

Boys looking at an ipad.

Creating popular culture encounters in leisure-time centres

In leisure-time centres, children develop their identity and understanding of different ways of being. Popular culture centres creation and language, offering opportunities for children and teachers to meet. We explore how culture is produced here.

Young woman reads a cartoon magasin.

Costumed Heroes in the Classroom

Comics touch on subjects such as ethnicity, gender and class in provoking and engaging ways. This project contributes to understanding of how comics can be used in school for engaging in norm-critical discussions through image and text.

girls studying an insect through a magnifying glass.

Social inclusion and pupils participation - SIPP

The SIPP project focuses on social inclusion and builds on students' experiences of participation. Funded by Erasmus plus, the project brings together researchers and teachers to develop participatory practices.

Children playing outside.

To make the Invisible Visible (TIV) - Network building in relation to didactics into school-age educare

An international research network with the aim to build up a comprehensive knowledge base and thereby strengthen research in the field of school-age educare with a focus on didactic issues.

A study of co-operation

Together we can raise achievements - A study of co-operation between school, preschool class and LTC

This project uses action research to study how teachers in school, preschool class and leisure-time center talk about, create the conditions for and implement work with collaboration.

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Researchers 

Organisation