Dr. Thomas Moser Vestfold University College Purpose of the Project • Providing a systematic overview of research-based knowledge about Scandinavian early childhood education institutions • Make Scandinavian research accessible for non Scandinavian researchers, practitioners, policy providers and public (in English) • Establish a free accessible research database • Research based knowledge for future policy development (EVA) • In general practice -, research – and policy development

1. OECD-Network on Early Childhood Education and Care, Oslo, 25.1.2012
ECEC RESEARCH IN NORWAY AND SCANDINAVIA
MAPPING AND APPRAISAL OF SCANDINAVIAN
RESEARCH IN ECEC INSTITUTIONS (2006-2010)
Danish Clearinghouse for Educational Research
(Danish School of Education Copenhagen; since 2010: Aarhus University)
The Danish Evaluation Institute (EVA)
Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research
Swedish National Agency for Education
Thomas Moser
Vestfold University College

2. PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT
• Providing a systematic overview of research-based knowledge
about Scandinavian early childhood education institutions
• Make Scandinavian research accessible for non Scandinavian
researchers, practitioners, policy providers and public (in
English)
• Establish a free accessible research database
• Research based knowledge for future policy development (EVA)
• In general  practice -, research – and policy development

3. THE MAPPING PROCESS IN GENERAL
Following the EPPI-
Centre data extraction
Searching and coding tool for
literature education studies;
Evidence for Policy and Implications
Practice Information for pratice, policy
and Co-ordinating and research
”Qualifying” the
(EPPI) Centre, Institute
hits
of Education, London
University
Systematical mapping Description
Re-description characterizing main of main
tendencies themes/topics

4. SEARCHING AND IDENTIFYING DOCUMENTS
2006-2010
3330 references identified
Search hits
532/582/649/744/823
Reference doublets 190 doublets identified
3140 unique references
Reference screening 2751 references excluded
Screening of titles and abstracts Criteria: wrong institution or
document type
1st phase
Included documents 389 documents included
Provided documents 388 documents
Full texts screening 128 documents excluded
Screening på baggrund af dokumentets tekst Criteria: wrong institution or
document type
2nd phase 260 documents included
Included documents 2006: n=52; 2007:5 n=54;
2008: 51; 2009:52; 2010: 51

5. PROCEDURE - MAPPING AND APPRAISAL
Description
Re-description Systematical mapping of specific
of 260 studies characterizing main themes/topics
(2006-2010) tendencies of 260 on basis of 227
studies medium and high
quality studies
102 Swedish
75 Norwegian
61 Danish
Implications
16 Others/OECD for pratice, policy
and research

6. PUBLICATIONS SO FAR
http://www.dpu.dk; http://www.eva.dk

7. 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
52/46 54/46 51/49 52/44 51/42
 Pedagogical  Pedagogical staff,  Play, learning and  Children's  The active child:
staff, professionalism, care – curriculum development and Physical activity,
professionalism, staff competencies guidelines (17) competencies (17) play and health in
staff (40)  Pedagogical staff,  Play and learning day care (11)
competencies  Parents and professionalism, in ECEC-  Relationships:
(34) institutions (8) staff institutions competence,
 Play, learning competencies (14) everyday life (14) interaction,
 Vulnerability,
and care – social inequality,  Plans and  Vulnerability, positioning, and
curriculum inclusion and guidelines for pre- social inequality, socialization (10)
guidelines (20) exclusion (7) school: State and inclusion and  Learning process:
 Vulnerability, local exclusion (9) Form, content and
 Play, learning and
social care – curriculum municipalities (11)  Gender and language (7)
inequality, guidelines (5)  Children’s Equality (9)  Management and
inclusion and practices in ECEC profession:
exclusion (9)  Implementation of  Plans and
legislation and institutions; child- guidelines for pre- Identity and Roles
 Parents and child-relations (7)
curricula (4) school: State and
institutions (9) (11) local  Day care as an
 Health (3)
 Vulnerability, municipalities (9) organization in
social inequality,  Physical the community:
inclusion and environment (9) Evidence,
exclusion (8) evaluation and
content (7)

8. MAIN TOPICS/FOCUS AREAS
NUMBER OF STUDIES
TOTAL 2006 2007 2008 2009 20101)
Teaching and learning 58 11 12 11 12 12
Assessment 37 8 8 11 6 4
Equal opportunities 49 8 5 6 17 13
Curriculum 40 6 5 8 8 13
Organisation & Leadership 29 5 5 6 6 7
Policy 28 7 3 7 5 6
Classroom management 12 4 1 4 2 1
Teaching as a career 8 3 1 1 0 3
Methodology 16 3 1 4 5 3
Other 74 16 25 10 13 10
1) Physical activity, health, play: 10

9. RESEARCH ISSUES AND TOPICS – DIDACTIC
PERSPECTIVE
NUMBER OF STUDIES
TOTAL 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Content in ECE-institutions 85 13 22 15 19 16
Assessment, evaluation, quality
79 23 8 20 14 14
assurance and -development
Basic values and ethics 78 16 16 15 14 17
Methods and practices 51 10 7 15 7 12
Purpose, aims and goals of ECE 36 4 13 10 4 5
Work with/based upon
governmental/public documents 24 5 5 5 4 5
(act; law; curriculum)

10. THE PURPOSE OF RESEARCH IN THE STUDIES
NUMBER OF PUBLICATIONS
TOTAL 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Description 142 32 25 27 33 35
Exploration of
102 23 31 24 13 11
relationships
What works? 40 14 7 10 7 2
Methods development 20 5 3 5 4 3
Reviewing/synthesising
14 4 2 6 0 2
research

11. RESEARCH APPROACHES
N=326 TOTAL 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Ethnography 88 20 22 16 26 24
Views study 55 5 11 14 14 11
Document study 44 9 9 14 8 4
Cross-sectional study 38 11 7 4 9 7
Case study 36 11 10 1 7 7
Action research 17 5 4 4 3 1
Cohort study 9 1 1 3 3 1
Systematic review 7 2 2 2 1 0
One group pre-post test 6 1 4 0 1 0
Other review (non systematic) 6 2 0 2 1 1
Case-control study 5 1 2 1 0 1
Secondary data analysis 5 2 1 1 0 1
One group post-test only 5 2 3 0 0 0
Experiment -non-random allocation to groups 4 0 1 2 0 1
Experiment - random allocation to groups 1 0 0 0 1 0

12. SOME PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS
• Qualitative, descriptive and explorative studies are predominating
• Ethnography, views studies, document studies and case oriented studies focused
on micro-processes.
• Few comparative and intervention studies.
• Main focus on teaching and learning, assessment, equal opportunities and
curriculum.
• Little focus on political, social cultural and economical frames and their
implications for the practical work.
• Surprisingly little focus on children.
• Inquiries aiming at the family’s social background, economical situation and its
implications for the work in preschool institutions are rather rare.
• The caring dimension of the pedagogical work is only examined in a few studies
(few studies of the youngest children).

13. NORDIC BASE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION AND CARE (ECEC-NB)
ECEC-NB gathers new, quality-assured Scandinavian research
on 0-6 year-old children in early childhood education and
care.
This database is for all who are interested in pedagogy and in
the development of the daycare area, such as teachers,
students, researchers, educational managers, consultants or
politicians, who want to stay informed or who need qualified
input in connection with their work or studies.
The database will be updated annually at the beginning of the
year.