The contribution of different patterns of teachers’ interactions to young children’s experiences of democratic values during play

• This paper reports on a study that used video observations from informal play situations to identify how children experience democracy in preschool.
• The authors explore interaction patterns between teachers and childrenin a preschool, and examine how various patterns can communicate or interfere with democratic values.
• Findings indicate that
  • Group interactions provided more opportunities to develop a sense of belonging.
  • Dyadic interactions provided limited opportunities to develop communities
  • Teachers interacted differently with children in dyadic groups compared to larger groups, hindering the development of peer communities.
• The paper highlights the importance of group interactions as ways of providing opportunities for children to develop belonging and a sense of community.

Publication

Zachrisen, B. (2016). The Contribution of Different Patterns of Teachers’ Interactions to Young Children’s Experiences of Democratic Values during Play. International Journal of Early Childhood, 48(2), 179–192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-016-0166-0