“What do we see?” The significance of the reflective observer

Abstract

This article addresses the importance of being a conscious and reflective observer in the best interest of the child. The article discusses findings from interviews with three early childhood education and care teachers. The focus was on how and why observation was carried out in kindergartens. A topic of discussion is how unreflected observation practices can have a negative impact on children`s opportunities for growth in everyday life. Among all, I discuss the importance of being reflective when working with observations. One of the questions asked is what possibilities the observer is able to see and if s/he only observes what is expected in a practice characterized by selective perception. Furthermore, the article is critical towards kindergarten teachers’ observation practice in a hectic work-day characterized by a tight framework concerning observation, and where reflection and cooperation are not emphasized.