THE IMPACT OF THEORIES ON SYSTEMIC EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND ITS
CULTURE: SUMMARY
This chapter gives answers to the 11th question: Which kind of impact should theories have
on systemic early childhood education and its culture? (Figure 1.) Here the main results are
considered to feature the systems theory and other theories and the educational culture in
early childhood education both today and in the future. The main results are the following:
The impact of theories on the early childhood education and its culture is just one of the
factors influencing them. Theories – systemic and others – are of paramount importance in
the cultural systems.
It can be stated that according to the analysis of the early childhood education concept
there are four extensions that can be pointed out: the early childhood education practice, the
early childhood education subject, the early childhood education science and the early
childhood education thinking. These extensions are in a systems relationship with each
other and with the whole system.
In addition to the former result, there are seven intensions of the early childhood
education: care, education, teaching, learning, development, socialization and civilization.
(Still the concept of spiritualization could be discussed in this relation.) The four extensions
and seven intensions form together the concept of early childhood education. The intensions
are in a systemic relation with each other and to the extensions and to the whole systems as
well, and vice versa.
When relating the definitions of culture to the different extensions of early childhood
education, it becomes apparent that each extension has its own early childhood education
culture. Thus, the broader concept of early childhood education culture can more precisely
be divided into the four cultural extensions that are in systemic relationships with each other
and with the whole. The cultural extensions are the culture of early childhood education
practice, the culture of the early childhood education subject, the culture of the early
childhood education science and the culture of early childhood education thinking.
Theories belong to the extension of science, but they have a systemic and cultural impact
on all extensions, their intensions and the whole system. On the other hand, the general
definitions of culture, in a systems way, influence the theories on different extensions.
The principal theories in the field of early childhood education have been the behavioristic
theory, the didactical theory, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, Piaget’s theory, Vygotsky’s
theory, the constructivist theory, the socio-critical theory and the pedagogical theories.
Several of these could be titled in the plural form.
Theories are analyzed more exactly in relation to the nine criteria: the theory-emanating
branch of science, the focus of the theory, the non-focus of the theory, the concept of
knowledge of the theory, the concept of teacher of the theory, the concept of child of the
theory, the understanding of the teacher-child interrelationships in the theory, the motivationcreating factor, plus an extra point. As the criteria, in analyzing the focus and non-focus of
the theory, it has been used the intensions of the concept of early childhood education that in
accordance with the studies are: care, education, teaching, learning, development,
socialization, civilization and the whole systems. Thus, it has been possible to create the
cultural orientations that are analogous to the theories: the behavioristic learning-oriented
culture of early childhood education, the didactical teaching-oriented culture of early
childhood education, the Bronfenbrenner ecological development-oriented culture of early
childhood education, the Piaget development-oriented culture of early childhood education,
the Vygotsky development-oriented culture of early childhood education, the constructivist
learning-oriented culture of early childhood education, the socio-critical culture of early
childhood education and the pedagogical culture of early childhood education.
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The pedagogical early childhood education theory and culture consist of many historical
theories as conceived by Friedrich Froebel, Rudolf Steiner, John Dewey, Maria Montessori,
Helen Parkhurst, Célestin Freinet, Vasili Sukhomlinsky, Alexander Neill, Loris Malaguzzi and
Paulo Freire.
The pedagogical theories have been focused on care, education, teaching, learning and
development, but also on the whole pedagogical systems, where philosophical views, the
ideas of socialization and civilization are included in these theories. The systems way of
thinking can be found inside the pedagogical theories: different parts of the systems are in
all-sided relationships with each other and with the whole. This can well be seen in “General
systems model of early childhood education and preschool thinking” created by Härkönen
(the latest model in this article, 2008: figure 11). This model could be moved onto all the four
extensions and seven intensions (figure 4). After that it would be much richer situation to
describe the new systemic pedagogical early childhood education culture. That problem will
be left to the next study.
The theories applied in the field of early childhood education come mostly from the
development psychology, psychology, but also from didactics and social sciences. In history
there have been numerous pedagogical theories, but in Finland, beginning already with the
1960s, the process has continued in such a way that nowadays, for instance, the textbooks
carry next to none of these theories. The reason can be more common. As Siljander (2000,
18-19) wrote, American psychological approaches have taken their part from educational
sciences. However, the educational and pedagogical process urgently needs pedagogical
theories.
Because “systemism” is a central concept, when we try to understand complex
educational systems in a holistic manner, it is now needed to learn systems theories,
systems thinking and cultural and other systems – this can create a new paradigm.
DISCUSSION
While handling the theories, it is important to remember that through all times, concerning all
concepts, definitions and theories of education, there have always been different
interpretations and trends. The qualitative research method has underlined the significance
of interpretations especially while studying, for example, an individual pedagogue’s or
teacher’s or students’ or who ever person’s concepts of education (Härkönen 2000; Uljens
1989).
All in all, the Finnish culture of early childhood education carries at the same time the
features of all the aforementioned theories and their inter-action, their interpretations and
applications in a myriad of ways, the mixture of everything. We can speak of a certain
“mixed pedagogics”, a melt-down of cultures. But, compared to combinations of educational
approaches in Holland, where numerous pedagogical combinations have been merged from
different pedagogies, different religions and different nationalities to answer the needs of
various population strata and groups (Härkönen 2001), our early education culture is a very
harmonic whole.
The students claim to take the best of everything! Is this possible? Can theories or their
pieces fit together, or should they? The mixing up of theories has left many different traces
on practice, on the university subject for students, on the science and on the thinking
extension. These impulses should be studied more closely. Research and teaching can and
must clarify the mixed-up elements.
In the presentations and implementations of theories it would be useful, for instance, in
the students’ learning process, to understand the theory-emanating branch of science, its
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focus, the non-focus, and their applicability in order to outline the phenomena of care,
education, teaching, learning, development, socialization and civilization. The concepts, the
concept systems, the definitions, the phenomena and their limits and the methods of the
research are substantial in learning process.
Early childhood education is already a science in itself, but the author is of the opinion
that the early childhood education science still needs to be developed further and a new
theory with a new paradigm must be created. It could be an early childhood theory that
would - in compliance with the challenges of time and the future – be systemic, pedagogical,
holistic, play-centred, work-centred, activity-centred, semiotic, gender-equalizing, critical and
tolerant. It would take heed of modern time challenges, in problem solving it would adhere to
negotiation and it would represent and develop sustainable education (Arendt 2002, 308;
Härkönen 2006; Härkönen & Jämsä 2006; Kanpol 1999, 27; Peters & Purbules 2004, 90).
The author maintains that a broad and distinct pedagogical theory expands the diversity of
the culture of early childhood education (Härkönen 2006) that generates universality, new
interpretations and promotes sustainable development of the culture of early childhood
education.
The years will change in the texts. The books rely on terms like ‘earlier – in the future’,
‘old – new’, ‘traditional – modern’ (e.g. Hujala et al. 1998; Hujala 2002). In the discourse, the
opposing pairs are often put into a contrasting light and the text seems to be rewarding a
certain choice.
The pedagogical theory is directed towards the main focus of early childhood education:
care, education and teaching. It treats learning, development, socialization and civilization,
and each of them both as a starting point and the result and the aim. The author believes
that the systemic, holistic, and semiotic way of thinking (Härkönen & Jämsä 2006) will
sooner or later lead to a situation where both all existing and new theories will be understood
as the mankind’s creative interpretations. New theories are needed, but the old ones ret