Teachers’ Implicit Theories on Child Participation in Preschool

With the new paradigm of the sociology of childhood the traditional notion of childhood as a developmental phenomenon has been replaced by the recognition of childhood as an integral part of society and culture rather than simply an antecedent, and by the need for children to be regarded as significant contributors to our society and culture. The concept of "the competent child" and the related concept of child participation poses theoretical as well as practical dilemmas. The paper presents the results of a quantitative study involving 810 respondents, examining Slovenian preschool teachers’ views on the implementation of the idea of the competent child and child participation in preschools. Descriptive statistics have been carried out, along with a cluster analysis using Ward’s method. The findings suggest the existence of two clusters of beliefs, representing the division between the teachers who support the traditional notion of childhood as a state of immaturity and lack of competence, and those supporting the postmodern concept of the competent child. The first is associated with the concept of participation through a mediator and the latter with the concept of autonomous participation.