Children's Cultural Backpack and Preschool Education: A Design-Based Study in a Swedish Preschool

Abstract

This chapter centres on how children's informal acquisition of textual knowledge is used or not used when children and teachers interact in formal literacy situations involving digital tools in preschool. When an interactive learning environment becomes meaningful in the eyes of children, there is potential for creativity and learning and children become competent agents in their own context and cultural environment. The empirical starting point for the chapter is qualitative observations made for a research project at a Swedish preschool. The study was organised as design-based research. The study displayed an interesting dimension of interaction in which the child had or assumed agency in dialogue with an adult. This involved occasions when the teacher was responsive to understanding the child's cultural backpack. The study is based on didactic design theories. The perspective adds to the understanding of learning in relation to human sign-creating activities.

Key Terms in this Chapter

Adequate Digital Competence: Competences that changes over time as both the tools themselves and the use of them develop. The term is also used to indicate that it is not possible to specify an absolute level for digital competence as it needs to be gradually developed based on the demands of society and the conditions of children and pupils.

Children’s Cultural Backpack: Children's informally conquered and developed textual knowledge.

Agency: Can be seen as both a goal and a mediating resource, and it is about the scope for action and participation and the ability to act independently based on one's own choices.

Transformation Competence: An ability to use different learning tools at different learning occasions and stages.

Text: Reflects multimodal perspective and can include film, song and music, image, play, advertises, and more.