Teacher prep time in preschools

Children’s best interest

Abstract

The status and working conditions for teachers in Icelandic preschools have been a topic of recent discussion. The 2020 agreement with the Association of Preschool Teachers (FL) partly addressed the working conditions for preschool teachers by significantly increasing their preparation time. For example, a full-time preschool teacher serving as a department head now has 10 hours a week for prep—double the five hours allotted previously. Very little research has been undertaken on how preschool teachers’ preparation time is organised and used in Iceland or internationally. The few studies that have been conducted are rather general, focusing more on how much time preschool teachers use to prepare for children’s education, play, and other activities and less on how that prep time is spent. Findings from an Icelandic study on preparation time in preschools indicated that preschool teachers were satisfied with the increased time for preparation but also expressed concern about the corresponding increased absence from the children and their environment. According to Icelandic national curriculum guidelines (Menntamálastofnun, n.d.), play is the essence of preschool practice, and one of the main roles of preschool teachers is to create a learning environment that supports children’s play and encourages their participation and well-being. All children should have equal opportunities to learn through play and interact with others. In these situations, teachers support children and provide them with evocative surroundings. However, research has shown that in daily preschool schedules, play is not given enough space and preschool teachers are often busy with other activities, such as arranging practical plans for teaching practice, leaving behind the important task of observing and supporting children in play. Therefore, this research aimed to explore how preschool teachers use preparation time to improve preschool practices, focusing on children’s rights to be listened to and respected as agents in their own lives. The study was conducted in eight purposely selected preschools across Iceland. The participants were 24 preschool teachers, one preschool leader, one department head, and one preschool teacher in each preschool. Individual interviews were conducted to determine how preschool teachers used their preparation time to meet children’s strengths, improve their abilities to express themselves, and influence their daily lives. The findings show the tension between the time the preschool teachers used to prepare their preschool practice and the time spent with the children in the preschool settings. More time spent preparing meant less time spent with children. The preschool teachers mainly used the preparation time to prepare the preschool practice for the children instead of preparing with the children. In preschools with a teacher shortage, the absence of teachers affected the quality of preschool practice, i.e., preschool teachers’ communication with the children and support of their play activities. However, some of the preschool teachers saw opportunities to have more time to prepare and to include the children more often in the evaluation of the preschool practice by discussing their participation in different activities and developing their practice based on those discussions. The study concludes that preschool teachers, in taking advantage of their right to increased preparation time, should consider spending part of their preparation time in the preschool setting together with the children to support the children’s rights and best interests. While spending extra time with the children, teachers can develop their preschool practice by listening more closely to children’s perspectives. Teachers can also be present during children’s play, observing, documenting, and reflecting on it. Furthermore, they can consult with the children, allowing them to participate in the learning community.