Children’s participation in the organisation of a kindergarten classroom

Abstract

Recent research indicates that teachers have the predominant role in organising early childhood classrooms in Australia. Not much is known about the involvement of children in organising the kindergarten classroom in Queensland, Australia. There is even less research that considers how the play equipment, utensils, resources and the classroom space itself influence how children talk about their kindergarten indoor learning spaces. This article problematises our understandings of the early learning space and materials within which children learn. This article questions the typically taken-for-granted notion that the early learning space is an empty container in which objects and resources are placed and where children take up a passive position. Children having a role in organising the materials in the classroom is legitimised in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In this investigation, the following question is explored: How do children describe their role in organising the materials in the indoor early learning space of one kindergarten? Six children aged 3.5–5 years, from one kindergarten in Queensland were involved in individual child-led tours and later, audio-recorded, video-stimulated recall interviews. A sociomaterial lens was brought to the analysis of data, enabling the consideration of the underlying interactions between space, materials and people. The findings suggest that children do see themselves as having a role in how the early learning space is organised. This article offers recommendations to researchers.