Pedagogy for the 21st century - working with "post- theories" in Norwegian early childhood education

The members of the project group related to the project Pedagogy for the 21st century: working with post-theories in Norwegian early childhood education were professor Ninni Sandvik, Østfold University College, ssociate professor Camilla Eline Andersen, Innlandet University College and professor Ann Merete Otterstad, OsloMet. The group has aimed to focus on postperspectives in Early Childhood settings, in order to compliment traditional theorizing in Early Childhood studies. Such an aim demands structual and long term work. Previous to the project periode we have been working to establish and further develop the post-perspective-seeking networks in which the three institutions have been involved for several years. We have discussed and problematized such post perspectives both internally at each institution (in research groups, reading groups and in networking activities involving teachers at all three institutions. To furter develop the relevant networks, we have involved masterstudents and Phd.candidates in order to elaborate the earlier mentioned, «postperspectives?. Hence, the pre-project networking has been a crucial platform for the project. Thanks to the funding from NRC it has been possible for us to extend and develop our networks through the visiting scholars professor Alecia Y. Jackson and professor Mirka Koro-Ljungberg, both from USA. However, the invited professors did not work in Norway simultaneously. This was an intentional choice in order to make possible a discussion of their postperspective contributions in the periode between the two visits. We did so together with students and colleagues. Before the visits we distributed relevant articles, in order for interested participants to prepare themselves and participate on equal terms in the upcoming talks and discussions. We annouced the events through emails, in Fronter and in different Facebook groups. We invited widely and openly and welcomed the participant´s contributions in various and different settings: lectures, workshops/seminars, walks, cafe- and dinner gatherings. Thogether we arranged ten different meetings. At Østfold University College the professors held open lectures for students, teachers and workshops for masterstudents and the research group Toddler science (0-3 years). At OsloMet the invited professors presented at open workshops/seminars and participated in more informal settings, like walks, cafés and dinner meetings. Through such a wide and open invitation policy, we wanted to open up the post-perspective research landscape to anyone that might be interested. Through the various settings, facilitating both formal and informal meeting places, we have been giving researchers curiuos of post-perspectives possibilities to become familiar with such perspectives without strict demands on prior knowledge. The formal and informal networking activities in the project have contributed to establish contact and cooperation beyond a mere presentation of the visiting professor´s perspectives and the audience´s listening. Our open invitation policy and wide approach have facilitated possibliities for several participants to discuss their projects directly with the visiting professors. After the visits there has been contact between the visiting professors and master students at Østfold University College. In addition, master students, teachers and Phd.candidates (who presented their work at one seminar) from OsloMet and INN have followed up the work of the professors. This is the background for our assertion that the workshops/seminars have contributed to active involvement from all three institutions as a follow-up of the visits. In addition, participants from other institutions/nations have contributed in the actual workshops and seminars. Thanks to local funding the research groups at OsloMet and INN were able to invite researchers from England and Finland, in order to maximize the networking. Both professor Maggie MacLure og professor Jayne Osgood participated in the activities toghether with Alecia Y. Jackson in november 2017 and postdoc. Pauliina Rautio was part of the activities when professor Mirka Koro-Ljungberg visited in february 2018. We arranged an organic conference, inviting the participants (researchers and master students) to present their project in addition to organize time and place for the presentations. At Østfold University College we linked professor Mirka Koro-Ljungberg´s visit besøk to lectures by professor Anne B. Reinertsen.

Forskere som har deltatt i prosjektet har publisert og er i prosess med publiseringer. Som antydet i søknaden, planlegger vi et temanummer av tidsskriftet RERM https://journals.hioa.no/index.php/rerm/index med postkvalitative barnehagefaglige perspektiver i Norden, knyttet til metodologiske spørsmål. Professor Alecia Y. Jackson har sagt seg villig til å være gjesteredaktør og vi ser at master- og Phd.- studenter ved de tre institusjonene kan være aktuelle bidragsytere til et slikt temanummer i tillegg til medlemmene i våre tre forskergrupper. Foreløpig er dette ikke formalisert, men vi arbeider videre med saken. Ved Høgskolen i Østfold har Alecia Y. Jacksons forelesning og vårt kollektive arbeid med begrepet «refrain», knyttet til Deleuze & Guattaris A thousand Plateau, gitt ringvirkninger inn i masterprosjekter.

In a time of complexity and fast shifts, the field of early childhood education need to engage in more complex theories and bold empirical research inspired by cutting edge perspectives, to create different and new understandings of early childhood education and pedagogy for kindergartens in the 21th century. This relates to the possibilities of creating socially just, sustainable and creative pedagogical practices for children aged 0-6. The last decade we have seen that Norwegian authorities increasingly encourage and finance so called evidence based studies. This is in line with global trends, and the interest in creating knowledge of "what works". We, and many with us (e.g. Biesta, 2010; Dahlberg, Moss, & Pence, 2007; L. Jones & Duncan, 2013; Lenz Taguchi, 2010), understand these trends as contributing to a narrowing down of educational research approaches, of conceptualizations of childhood and children, and also of pedagogical practices with children in kindergartens. This is problematic as we are in the beginning of a century that increasingly calls for different educational understandings related to diversity and complexity in order to confront a globalized world with challenges related to e.g. climate, poverty and democracy. As we see it, the future will need a whole range of different theoretical perspectives in childhood research, more bold methodologies and more creative and experimental research, to create just and sustainable knowledge for complex times. From this background, we apply within the UTNAM program to fund the project Pedagogy for the 21st century - working with "post- theories" in early childhood education. In this project post-theories are in focus as a step towards building knowledge of how to think differently and research differently for a different and just future in the field of early childhood education.