Children’s feasibility to develop a critical competence. A study of meaning making in pre school practice

Abstract

In education for sustainable development (ESD) children can be taught in ways that enhance their critical action competence. In this study, children’s meaning making is investigated as they critically discuss rules during play. Comparing the observed practice on the one hand and two teaching principles on the other, enables the actions that are privileged to be described. The focus of the investigation is morning play at a preschool. This play demonstrates which actions are privileged and hence become relevant to perform. ESD research shows that teachers often act in a normative way by indicating the right way to act. The dominating practice at the observed preschool seems to match previous research, which is that children largely follow the rules set by the preschool without questioning them and therefore have no opportunity to evaluate whether they are reasonable or not. The study shows that it is important for teachers to encourage children to critically discuss the rules of play and compare them with other possible alternatives.