Teachers' language-, culture- and worldview-inclusive pedagogical competencies in Finnish early childhood education

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Abstract

The field of Finnish early childhood education (ECE) is becoming increasingly linguistically, culturally and worldview diverse, as the number of children and families from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds is rapidly increasing. Teachers need sufficient competencies and research-based foundations for implementing a language-, culture- and worldview-inclusive pedagogy. These areas of competencies are key factors in the future professional skills of teachers and should have a visible position as part of sustainable teacher education. This article examines what kind of expertise is required in the field of education for the development of language-, culture- and worldview-inclusive pedagogical practices in the future.

The research data have been collected in ECE units where linguistic, cultural and worldview diversity have been present for a long time, through interviews with early childhood education professionals, teachers and leaders. Based on the research findings, key aspects of teachers’ competencies should include value and attitude work, shared conceptual understanding and reflection skills. Team commitment to work and good leadership by supervisors are key factors contributing to the successful teamwork and the quality of work being done as well as its development and evaluation. Flexibility and continuous adaptability in working with an inclusive pedagogy are essential, as are goal-oriented work and repeatability. The importance of collaboration with families is particularly central in the context of language-, culture- and worldview-inclusive pedagogical practices. Successful work supports the participation and learning of children from diverse backgrounds.

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Keywords

language-, culture- and worldview-inclusive pedagogy, early childhood education, case study

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