Children’s experiences of meaning and coherence in daycare. A thematic analysis of some basic interests in the interaction between kindergarten teachers and children

Abstract

This article is based on a qualitative study of interactions between kindergarten teachers and children (1–3 years old) where the main focus was to identify common interests that seem to be of importance to children’s development of a sense of coherence within a daycare context. A thematic analysis of the observations over a time continuum revealed how more situated initiatives in the interaction were linked to other dimensions of children’s institutional cultural learning. Four areas of more basic interests between children and their teachers were identified: 1) Time perspectives, 2) nature and action, 3) relations and feelings, and 4) cultural codes and rules. Further, in line with the thoughts of Aron Antonovsky, the author discusses how such interactions represent experiences of predictability, good load balance, and influence. The results of this study contribute to a nuanced understanding of how day care staff can promote children’s abilities to comprehend and manage the environment, relations and activities within a day care context.