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Children’s Experience of Activities and Participation and their Subjective Well-Being in Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care Institutions

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  • Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter

    (Queen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education)

  • Monica Seland

    (Queen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education)

Abstract

Considering how much time most children spend in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) institutions, the psychosocial dimensions of ECEC institutions and children’s well-being represent a growing research area within the ECEC field. This paper presents results from a study where children’s experiences of subjective well-being and opportunities for participation in ECEC institutions were explored. Research on children’s own perspectives about their well-being has mainly been conducted among children older than those of preschool age, and therefore this study aimed at highlighting the voices of 4-6-year-old children regarding how they experience their lives in ECEC institutions. Quantitative data was collected through conversations with 171 Norwegian 4–6-year-old children based on an electronic questionnaire. The results indicate that even though many children experience a high degree of well-being in Norwegian ECEC institutions, approximately one-third of them experience a medium level of well-being and close to one out of ten experience a low degree of well-being. The results show that the physical environment, the toys/equipment, the common activities and the opportunity to have an influence on where to move, what to do and with whom are of crucial importance for children’s well-being in ECEC institutions. This also includes children’s opportunity to oppose the staff and negotiate and choose activities that differ from those that the staff select.

Suggested Citation

  • Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter & Monica Seland, 2016. "Children’s Experience of Activities and Participation and their Subjective Well-Being in Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care Institutions," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 9(4), pages 913-932, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:chinre:v:9:y:2016:i:4:d:10.1007_s12187-015-9349-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s12187-015-9349-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Felicia Huppert & Timothy So, 2013. "Erratum to: Flourishing Across Europe: Application of a New Conceptual Framework for Defining Well-Being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 110(3), pages 1245-1246, February.
    2. Felicia Huppert & Timothy So, 2013. "Flourishing Across Europe: Application of a New Conceptual Framework for Defining Well-Being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 110(3), pages 837-861, February.
    3. Toby Fattore & Jan Mason & Elizabeth Watson, 2007. "Children’s conceptualisation(s) of their well-being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 80(1), pages 5-29, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter & Monica Seland, 2018. "4-6 year-Old Children’s Experience of Subjective Well-Being and Social Relations in ECEC Institutions," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 11(5), pages 1585-1601, October.
    2. Aysun Gündoğan, 2022. "“Hear my Voice”: Subjective Well-Being Scale for Young Children (SWB-YC)," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(3), pages 747-761, June.
    3. Christine Hunner-Kreisel & Stella März, 2019. "Children and Participation: Mapping Social Inequalities within Concepts of Well-Being in Qualitative Research," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(2), pages 425-442, April.
    4. Lisa Lynch, 2017. "A Space Apart," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(1), pages 21582440166, January.
    5. Correia, Nadine & Camilo, Cláudia & Aguiar, Cecília & Amaro, Fausto, 2019. "Children's right to participate in early childhood education settings: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 76-88.
    6. Natallia Sianko & Migena Kapllanaj & Mark A. Small, 2021. "Measuring Children’s Participation: a Person-Centered Analysis of Children’s Views," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(2), pages 737-767, April.
    7. Yi Wang & Ronnel King & Shing On Leung, 2023. "Understanding Chinese Students' Well-Being: A Machine Learning Study," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(2), pages 581-616, April.
    8. Ole Johan Sando & Rasmus Kleppe & Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter, 2021. "Risky Play and Children’s Well-Being, Involvement and Physical Activity," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(4), pages 1435-1451, August.
    9. Correia, Nadine & Carvalho, Helena & Fialho, Margarida & Aguiar, Cecília, 2020. "Teachers’ practices mediate the association between teachers’ ideas and children’s perceived participation in early childhood education," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    10. Elina Weckström & Anna-Leena Lastikka & Sari Havu-Nuutinen, 2022. "Constructing a Socially Sustainable Culture of Participation for Caring and Inclusive ECEC," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-20, March.

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