“Everybody has to get a Chance to Learn”: Democratic Aspects of Digitalisation in Preschool

The aim of this article is to examine the ways in which curriculum goals on digitalisation are viewed in relation to the overarching democratic mission of Swedish preschools. Groups of preschool staff from three preschools located in different areas were interviewed with the focus on how they discuss democracy and the democratic aspects of digital tools and children’s digital competence, which are concepts used in the curriculum. Collective mind maps – constructed by the participants – were used as focal points in the interviews. The analysis centres on the content of these discussions, but also touches on the ways in which the groups communicated. The findings show that the groups from the three preschools expressed very different views on using digital tools and developing preschoolers’ digital competence, and that these views corresponded with their general views on democracy. The ways in which the groups expressed their views of democracy are also reflected in their discussions with each other. Preschool teachers’ and childcare workers’ own lack of digital competence is mentioned briefly as a reason for not using digital devices by the group using them the least, but this does not seem to be the main reason for their infrequent use of digital media with the children.

"The findings show that the staff from the three preschools expressed very different views on using digital tools and developing the preschool children’s digital competence, and that these views corresponded with their general views on democracy.... The ways in which the groups expressed their views of democracy were also reflected in the ways they conducted their discussions. The staff’s own inadequate digital competence was briefly mentioned as a reason for not using the digital devices by the group using them the least, but this does not seem to be the main reason for their infrequent use of digital media with the children. The groups describing digital tools as being very important, also talked about how they themselves have to learn new things all the time, something which seemed to be more difficult in the groups with a more closed discussion atmosphere." (Authors, 1096)