IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/chinre/v9y2016i4d10.1007_s12187-015-9349-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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

Author

Listed:
  • 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
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12187-015-9349-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12187-015-9349-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Tuğçe Akyol, 2024. "Promoting Young Children’s Right to Participate in the Classroom through Picture Books," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 17(3), pages 1217-1237, June.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. 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).
    7. Lisa Lynch, 2017. "A Space Apart," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(1), pages 21582440166, January.
    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 & 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.
    10. 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.
    11. 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.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    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. Sabirah Adams & Shazly Savahl, 2017. "Children’s Discourses of Natural Spaces: Considerations for children’s Subjective Well-Being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 10(2), pages 423-446, June.
    3. Horváth Zsuzsánna E. & Nováky Erzsébet, 2016. "Development of a Future Orientation Model in Emerging Adulthood in Hungary," Social Change Review, Sciendo, vol. 14(2), pages 69-95, December.
    4. Savatore Puglisi & Ionuț Virgil Șerban, 2019. "Beyond Gdp: Which Options To Better Represent Modern Socio-Economic Progress?," Sociology and Social Work Review, International Society for projects in Education and Research, vol. 3(1), pages 17-32, June.
    5. Mizuki Wada & Yoshitake Takebayashi & Michio Murakami, 2022. "Role of Values and Resilience in Well-Being among Individuals Affected by the Fukushima Disaster," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(6), pages 3503-3515, December.
    6. Heidi Witten & Shazly Savahl & Sabirah Adams, 2024. "A Qualitative Study on Adolescents’ Perceptions and Understandings of Flourishing in the Western Cape, South Africa," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 17(5), pages 1969-1993, October.
    7. Sakari Kainulainen, 2020. "Flourishing within the Working-Aged Finnish Population," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(1), pages 187-205, March.
    8. Aleksandra Bujacz & Constanze Eib & Susanna Toivanen, 2020. "Not All Are Equal: A Latent Profile Analysis of Well-Being Among the Self-Employed," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(5), pages 1661-1680, June.
    9. repec:osf:osfxxx:zxyf8_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. María Dolores Martín-Díaz & Enrique G. Fernández-Abascal, 2024. "Multidimensional Measure of Well-Being, Translation, Factor Structure, Measurement Invariance, Reliability and Validity of the PERMA-Profiler in Spain," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 19(5), pages 2503-2538, October.
    11. Laura Upenieks & Matthew A. Andersson & Markus H. Schafer, 2021. "God, Father, Mother, Gender: How Are Religiosity and Parental Bonds During Childhood Linked to Midlife Flourishing?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(7), pages 3199-3220, October.
    12. 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.
    13. Anastasia Charalampi & Catherine Michalopoulou & Clive Richardson, 2020. "Validation of the 2012 European Social Survey Measurement of Wellbeing in Seventeen European Countries," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(1), pages 73-105, March.
    14. R. A. Burns, 2020. "Age-Related Differences in the Factor Structure of Multiple Wellbeing Indicators in a Large Multinational European Survey," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 37-52, January.
    15. L. Lambert D’raven & N. Pasha-Zaidi, 2016. "Using the PERMA Model in the United Arab Emirates," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 125(3), pages 905-933, February.
    16. Papageorgiou, Athanasios, 2018. "The Effect of Immigration on the Well-Being of Native Populations: Evidence from the United Kingdom," MPRA Paper 93045, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Maria Felice Arezzo & Cristina Giudici, 2017. "Social Capital and Self Perceived Health Among European Older Adults," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 130(2), pages 665-685, January.
    18. Ronit Yitshaki & Fredric Kropp & Benson Honig, 2022. "The Role of Compassion in Shaping Social Entrepreneurs’ Prosocial Opportunity Recognition," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(2), pages 617-647, August.
    19. Kosorić, Vesna & Huang, Huajing & Tablada, Abel & Lau, Siu-Kit & Tan, Hugh T.W., 2019. "Survey on the social acceptance of the productive façade concept integrating photovoltaic and farming systems in high-rise public housing blocks in Singapore," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 197-214.
    20. Delhey, Jan & Steckermeier, Leonie C., 2016. "The Good Life, Affluence, and Self-reported Happiness: Introducing the Good Life Index and Debunking Two Popular Myths," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 50-66.
    21. Piotr Bialowolski & Matthew T. Lee & Dorota Weziak-Bialowolska & Ying Chen & Richard G. Cowden & Eileen McNeely & Tyler J. VanderWeele, 2023. "Differences in Multi-Dimensional Well-Being Among Factory Workers: Evidence from Six Countries," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(5), pages 2159-2180, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:chinre:v:9:y:2016:i:4:d:10.1007_s12187-015-9349-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.