Working with children with special needs in Finnish kindergartens: Professions and/or specialists?

Title
Working with children with special needs in Finnish kindergartens: Professions and/or specialists?
Publication Date
2015
Author(s)
Nislin, Mari A
Paananen, Maiju
Repo, Laura
Sajaniemi, Nina
Sims, Margaret
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4686-4245
Email: msims7@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:msims7
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
South African Research Association for Early Childhood Education
Place of publication
South Africa
DOI
10.4102/sajce.v5i3.368
UNE publication id
une:18806
Abstract
The aim is to investigate the links between job satisfaction of Finnish early childhood professionals (ECPs) and the appreciation they receive for their work, and how these are associated with their competence to work with children with diverse needs and backgrounds. Data was collected via nationwide online survey for practitioners (n = 885) working in Finnish kindergartens. The main findings show that ECPs experience their work as satisfactory and receive appreciation from colleagues, friends and the children's parents. It was also evident form the data that ECPs felt themselves to be incompetent to work with children with disabilities or children who had experienced trauma. This may reflect that more in-service training regarding these special education issues is needed. We argue that satisfaction, appreciation and competence, are key factors in the development of a strong professional identity, enhanced well-being at work and in other domains of life and particularly for high quality and inclusive early childhood education.
Link
Citation
South African Journal of Childhood Education, 5(3), p. 1-10
ISSN
2223-7682
2223-7674
Start page
1
End page
10

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