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This dissertation proposes a reading into the transformative potential of woandering, anarchism and storytelling in the field of early childhood education. Through the lenses of autoethnography, the author intertwines personal experiences with theoretical reflections, unravelling the complexities related to contemporary educational landscapes. Drawing inspiration from diverse philosophical traditions, including anarchism and existentialism, the thesis embarks on a journey to reframe educational practices within a socio-political framework. Central to this exploration is the concept of w/o/a/ndering—a fluid interplay between wonder and wandering, symbolizing an open-ended quest for knowledge and meaning. Rooted in the works of scholars such as Luigina Mortari and María Zambrano, w/o/a/ndering offers a pathway to reimagine educational encounters beyond traditional pedagogical paradigms. The thesis elucidates how storytelling emerges as a potent pedagogical tool within this framework, transcending its conventional role to become a space for encounter, play, and philosophical inquiry. By situating storytelling as a site for anarchic educational practices, the research illuminates its potential to foster genuine connections between educators and children. Further, the dissertation examines the historical trajectory and contemporary relevance of anarchism in the educational discourse. Using the writing of theorists like Colin Ward, it explores anarchism as a lived experience, challenging entrenched power dynamics and advocating for grassroots resistance within educational settings. In subsequent chapters, the thesis engages with the contributions of educators such as Paulo Freire, Simón Rodríguez, Walter Kohan and Janusz Korczak, emphasizing the importance of a critical pedagogy in shaping inclusive learning environments. Ultimately, this dissertation seeks to provoke critical reflection on the role of educators in shaping the present of early childhood education. By inte, I denna avhandling undersöks den transformativa potentialen av begreppet w/o/a/ndering, anarkism och storytelling inom early childhood education. Genom autoetnografins glasögon sammanflätar författaren personliga erfarenheter med teoretiska reflektioner och visar därmed på komplexiteten i dagens pedagogiska landskap. Med inspiration från olika filosofiska traditioner, bland andra anarkism och existentialism, omformuleras pedagogiska praktiker inom ett sociopolitiskt ramverk. Centralt för undersökningen är begreppet w/o/a/ndering – ett flytande samspel mellan förundran och vandring, som symboliserar ett öppet sökande efter kunskap och mening. Utgående från arbeten av filosofer som Luigina Mortari och María Zambrano erbjuder w/o/a/ndering en väg att tänka nytt kring pedagogiska möten bortom traditionella pedagogiska paradigm. Avhandlingen belyser hur storytelling framstår som ett kraftfullt pedagogiskt verktyg inom detta ramverk, som överskrider sin konventionella roll för att bli ett utrymme för möte, lek och filosofisk undersökning. Genom att placera storytelling som en plats för anarkistisk och pedagogisk praxis belyses dess potential att främja äkta kontakter mellan pedagoger och barn. Vidare undersöks anarkismens historiska utveckling och samtida relevans i den pedagogiska diskursen. Med hjälp av teoretiker som Colin Ward utforskas anarkism som en levd erfarenhet, som utmanar förankrad maktdynamik och förespråkar motstånd på gräsrotsnivå inom utbildningsväsendet. I de följande kapitlen tar avhandlingen upp bidrag från pedagoger som Paulo Freire, Simón Rodríguez, Walter Kohan och Janusz Korczak, och betonar vikten av en kritisk pedagogik för att skapa inkluderande lärmiljöer. I slutändan syftar den här avhandlingen till att väcka kritisk reflektion kring pedagogernas roll i utformningen av dagens förskoleverksamhet. Genom att varva teoretiska insikter med praktiska exempel ger avhandlingen en nyanserad förståelse av pedagogisk praxis, och uppmanar pedagoger att åt

This dissertation proposes a reading into the transformative potential of woandering, anarchism and storytelling in the field of early childhood education. Through the lenses of autoethnography, the author intertwines personal experiences with theoretical reflections, unravelling the complexities related to contemporary educational landscapes. Drawing inspiration from diverse philosophical traditions, including anarchism and existentialism, the thesis embarks on a journey to reframe educational practices within a socio-political framework. Central to this exploration is the concept of w/o/a/ndering—a fluid interplay between wonder and wandering, symbolizing an open-ended quest for knowledge and meaning. Rooted in the works of scholars such as Luigina Mortari and María Zambrano, w/o/a/ndering offers a pathway to reimagine educational encounters beyond traditional pedagogical paradigms. The thesis elucidates how storytelling emerges as a potent pedagogical tool within this framework, transcending its conventional role to become a space for encounter, play, and philosophical inquiry. By situating storytelling as a site for anarchic educational practices, the research illuminates its potential to foster genuine connections between educators and children. Further, the dissertation examines the historical trajectory and contemporary relevance of anarchism in the educational discourse. Using the writing of theorists like Colin Ward, it explores anarchism as a lived experience, challenging entrenched power dynamics and advocating for grassroots resistance within educational settings. In subsequent chapters, the thesis engages with the contributions of educators such as Paulo Freire, Simón Rodríguez, Walter Kohan and Janusz Korczak, emphasizing the importance of a critical pedagogy in shaping inclusive learning environments. Ultimately, this dissertation seeks to provoke critical reflection on the role of educators in shaping the present of early childhood education. By inte, I denna avhandling undersöks den transformativa potentialen av begreppet w/o/a/ndering, anarkism och storytelling inom early childhood education. Genom autoetnografins glasögon sammanflätar författaren personliga erfarenheter med teoretiska reflektioner och visar därmed på komplexiteten i dagens pedagogiska landskap. Med inspiration från olika filosofiska traditioner, bland andra anarkism och existentialism, omformuleras pedagogiska praktiker inom ett sociopolitiskt ramverk. Centralt för undersökningen är begreppet w/o/a/ndering – ett flytande samspel mellan förundran och vandring, som symboliserar ett öppet sökande efter kunskap och mening. Utgående från arbeten av filosofer som Luigina Mortari och María Zambrano erbjuder w/o/a/ndering en väg att tänka nytt kring pedagogiska möten bortom traditionella pedagogiska paradigm. Avhandlingen belyser hur storytelling framstår som ett kraftfullt pedagogiskt verktyg inom detta ramverk, som överskrider sin konventionella roll för att bli ett utrymme för möte, lek och filosofisk undersökning. Genom att placera storytelling som en plats för anarkistisk och pedagogisk praxis belyses dess potential att främja äkta kontakter mellan pedagoger och barn. Vidare undersöks anarkismens historiska utveckling och samtida relevans i den pedagogiska diskursen. Med hjälp av teoretiker som Colin Ward utforskas anarkism som en levd erfarenhet, som utmanar förankrad maktdynamik och förespråkar motstånd på gräsrotsnivå inom utbildningsväsendet. I de följande kapitlen tar avhandlingen upp bidrag från pedagoger som Paulo Freire, Simón Rodríguez, Walter Kohan och Janusz Korczak, och betonar vikten av en kritisk pedagogik för att skapa inkluderande lärmiljöer. I slutändan syftar den här avhandlingen till att väcka kritisk reflektion kring pedagogernas roll i utformningen av dagens förskoleverksamhet. Genom att varva teoretiska insikter med praktiska exempel ger avhandlingen en nyanserad förståelse av pedagogisk praxis, och uppmanar pedagoger att åt

This dissertation proposes a reading into the transformative potential of woandering, anarchism and storytelling in the field of early childhood education. Through the lenses of autoethnography, the author intertwines personal experiences with theoretical reflections, unravelling the complexities related to contemporary educational landscapes. Drawing inspiration from diverse philosophical traditions, including anarchism and existentialism, the thesis embarks on a journey to reframe educational practices within a socio-political framework. Central to this exploration is the concept of w/o/a/ndering—a fluid interplay between wonder and wandering, symbolizing an open-ended quest for knowledge and meaning. Rooted in the works of scholars such as Luigina Mortari and María Zambrano, w/o/a/ndering offers a pathway to reimagine educational encounters beyond traditional pedagogical paradigms. The thesis elucidates how storytelling emerges as a potent pedagogical tool within this framework, transcending its conventional role to become a space for encounter, play, and philosophical inquiry. By situating storytelling as a site for anarchic educational practices, the research illuminates its potential to foster genuine connections between educators and children. Further, the dissertation examines the historical trajectory and contemporary relevance of anarchism in the educational discourse. Using the writing of theorists like Colin Ward, it explores anarchism as a lived experience, challenging entrenched power dynamics and advocating for grassroots resistance within educational settings. In subsequent chapters, the thesis engages with the contributions of educators such as Paulo Freire, Simón Rodríguez, Walter Kohan and Janusz Korczak, emphasizing the importance of a critical pedagogy in shaping inclusive learning environments. Ultimately, this dissertation seeks to provoke critical reflection on the role of educators in shaping the present of early childhood education. By inte, I denna avhandling undersöks den transformativa potentialen av begreppet w/o/a/ndering, anarkism och storytelling inom early childhood education. Genom autoetnografins glasögon sammanflätar författaren personliga erfarenheter med teoretiska reflektioner och visar därmed på komplexiteten i dagens pedagogiska landskap. Med inspiration från olika filosofiska traditioner, bland andra anarkism och existentialism, omformuleras pedagogiska praktiker inom ett sociopolitiskt ramverk. Centralt för undersökningen är begreppet w/o/a/ndering – ett flytande samspel mellan förundran och vandring, som symboliserar ett öppet sökande efter kunskap och mening. Utgående från arbeten av filosofer som Luigina Mortari och María Zambrano erbjuder w/o/a/ndering en väg att tänka nytt kring pedagogiska möten bortom traditionella pedagogiska paradigm. Avhandlingen belyser hur storytelling framstår som ett kraftfullt pedagogiskt verktyg inom detta ramverk, som överskrider sin konventionella roll för att bli ett utrymme för möte, lek och filosofisk undersökning. Genom att placera storytelling som en plats för anarkistisk och pedagogisk praxis belyses dess potential att främja äkta kontakter mellan pedagoger och barn. Vidare undersöks anarkismens historiska utveckling och samtida relevans i den pedagogiska diskursen. Med hjälp av teoretiker som Colin Ward utforskas anarkism som en levd erfarenhet, som utmanar förankrad maktdynamik och förespråkar motstånd på gräsrotsnivå inom utbildningsväsendet. I de följande kapitlen tar avhandlingen upp bidrag från pedagoger som Paulo Freire, Simón Rodríguez, Walter Kohan och Janusz Korczak, och betonar vikten av en kritisk pedagogik för att skapa inkluderande lärmiljöer. I slutändan syftar den här avhandlingen till att väcka kritisk reflektion kring pedagogernas roll i utformningen av dagens förskoleverksamhet. Genom att varva teoretiska insikter med praktiska exempel ger avhandlingen en nyanserad förståelse av pedagogisk praxis, och uppmanar pedagoger att åt

We present results from a single case study based on semi-structured interviews with a student (a boy in school year 3) diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and his school staff after participating in a short and small-scale intervention carried out in a socio-economically disadvantaged Swedish elementary school in 2019. The student participated in a seven week long long intervention with a total of 12 philosophical dialogues (ranging from 45 to 60 minutes). Two facilitators, both with years of facilitation experience and teacher degree and at least BA in philosophy, facilitated the majority of the dialogues, mainly followed a ”routine” procedure. The student was interviewed in direct connection to the end of the intervention about his experiences from the dialogues and his perceptions about wether and how the dialogues had influenced him. The student’s two teachers, who had participated in the dialogues as participants, were interviewed as a pair, also in direct connection to the end of the intervention, while the school principal was interviewed two years after the study. These staff interviews concerned the staff’s experiences of the influence of the dialogues on the students within the intervention as well as transfer effects to other contexts in school. The data from the study include detailed elaborations from a student perspective of different effects on the student’s communicative and cognitive development, which are in several respects supported also by staff reports. The results show that the student was able, interested, and willing to participate in philosophical dialogues, and our data point to several positive outcomes for the student in the communicative and cognitive domains., Validerad;2023;Nivå 2;2023-05-05 (joosat)

We present results from a single case study based on semi-structured interviews with a student (a boy in school year 3) diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and his school staff after participating in a short and small-scale intervention carried out in a socio-economically disadvantaged Swedish elementary school in 2019. The student participated in a seven week long long intervention with a total of 12 philosophical dialogues (ranging from 45 to 60 minutes). Two facilitators, both with years of facilitation experience and teacher degree and at least BA in philosophy, facilitated the majority of the dialogues, mainly followed a ”routine” procedure. The student was interviewed in direct connection to the end of the intervention about his experiences from the dialogues and his perceptions about wether and how the dialogues had influenced him. The student’s two teachers, who had participated in the dialogues as participants, were interviewed as a pair, also in direct connection to the end of the intervention, while the school principal was interviewed two years after the study. These staff interviews concerned the staff’s experiences of the influence of the dialogues on the students within the intervention as well as transfer effects to other contexts in school. The data from the study include detailed elaborations from a student perspective of different effects on the student’s communicative and cognitive development, which are in several respects supported also by staff reports. The results show that the student was able, interested, and willing to participate in philosophical dialogues, and our data point to several positive outcomes for the student in the communicative and cognitive domains., Validerad;2023;Nivå 2;2023-05-05 (joosat)

Ethics is of vital importance to the Swedish educational system, as in many other educational systems around the world. Yet, it is unclear how ethics should be dealt with in school, and prior research and evaluations have found serious problems regarding ethics in education. The field of moral education lacks clear and widely accepted definitions of key concepts, and these ambiguities negatively impact both research and educational practice. This thesis draws a distinction between three approaches to ethics in school – the descriptive ethics approach, the value transmission approach, and the inquiry ethics approach – and studies in what way (if at all) they are prescribed by the national curriculum for the Swedish compulsory school, how they relate to students’ moral reasoning about technology choices and online behaviour, and what pedagogical merits and disadvantages they have. Hopefully, this both contributes to reducing the ambiguities of the field, and to answering the question of how ethics should be dealt with in education.The descriptive ethics approach asserts that school should teach students empirical facts about ethics, such as what views and opinions people have. The value transmission approach holds that school should mediate some set of predefined values to the students and make sure the students come to accept these values. The inquiry ethics approach is the view that school should teach students to reason and think critically about ethics and to engage in ethical inquiry.The role of ethics in the curriculum has not been studied in light of the above distinction, in prior research, and such an investigation is undertaken here. The results suggest that ethics has a prominent, but complicated, role in the Swedish national curriculum. Although no explicit distinction is drawn or acknowledged in the curriculum, all three approaches are prescribed throughout the curriculum, albeit to different degrees. In the general section of the curriculum, the value tr, Godkänd; 2016; 20160518 (vikvik); Nedanstående person kommer att disputera för avläggande av filosofie doktorsexamen, Namn: Viktor Gardelli Ämne: Pedagogik / Education Avhandling: TO DESCRIBE, TRANSMIT, OR INQUIRE Ethics and technology in school Opponent: Gudmundur Frimannsson, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Education, University of Akureyri, Akureyri, Island, Ordförande: Professor Eva Alerby Institutionen för konst, kommunikation och lärande Luleå tekniska universitet Tid: Fredag den 2 september 2016, kl. 10.00 Plats: D770, Luleå tekniska universitet

Godkänd; 2016; 20160508 (vikvik), Utbildning för delaktighet - Att filosofera tillbaka ett "nytt" liv efter förvärvad hjärnskada

Godkänd; 2016; 20160508 (vikvik), Utbildning för delaktighet - Att filosofera tillbaka ett "nytt" liv efter förvärvad hjärnskada

Ethics is of vital importance to the Swedish educational system, as in many other educational systems around the world. Yet, it is unclear how ethics should be dealt with in school, and prior research and evaluations have found serious problems regarding ethics in education. The field of moral education lacks clear and widely accepted definitions of key concepts, and these ambiguities negatively impact both research and educational practice. This thesis draws a distinction between three approaches to ethics in school – the descriptive ethics approach, the value transmission approach, and the inquiry ethics approach – and studies in what way (if at all) they are prescribed by the national curriculum for the Swedish compulsory school, how they relate to students’ moral reasoning about technology choices and online behaviour, and what pedagogical merits and disadvantages they have. Hopefully, this both contributes to reducing the ambiguities of the field, and to answering the question of how ethics should be dealt with in education.The descriptive ethics approach asserts that school should teach students empirical facts about ethics, such as what views and opinions people have. The value transmission approach holds that school should mediate some set of predefined values to the students and make sure the students come to accept these values. The inquiry ethics approach is the view that school should teach students to reason and think critically about ethics and to engage in ethical inquiry.The role of ethics in the curriculum has not been studied in light of the above distinction, in prior research, and such an investigation is undertaken here. The results suggest that ethics has a prominent, but complicated, role in the Swedish national curriculum. Although no explicit distinction is drawn or acknowledged in the curriculum, all three approaches are prescribed throughout the curriculum, albeit to different degrees. In the general section of the curriculum, the value tr

A recent report by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention in cooperation with the Swedish Security Service shows that the Internet has been extensively used to spread propaganda by proponents of violent political extremism, characterized by a worldview painted in black and white, an anti-democratic viewpoint, and intolerance towards persons with opposing ideas. We provide five arguments suggesting that philosophical dialogue with young persons would be beneficial to their acquisition of insights, attitudes and thinking tools for encountering such propaganda. The arguments are based on stated requirements for problem solutions given by experts in violent political extremism, recent research about the effects of philosophical dialogue in young persons’ thinking skills, and parts of the basic theoretical framework of Philosophy for Children. Philosophical dialogues seem a promising way for young people to achieve a stronger democratic awareness and a more tenacious resistance against extremist views online., En nyligen publicerad rapport från Brottsförebyggande rådet i samarbete med Säkerhetspolisen visar att Internet i stor utsträckning används som ett propagandaverktyg av förespråkare för våldsam politisk extremism, karakteriserad av en svartvit världsbild, ett anti-demokratiskt förhållningssätt och intolerans mot oliktänkande. Vi presenterar fem argument för att filosofiska samtal med unga människor skulle hjälpa dem att förvärva insikter, förhållningssätt och tankeverktyg som kan användas för att bemöta propagandan från extremistiska rörelser av detta slag. Våra argument baserar sig på förslag på strategier för att motverka våldsam politisk extremism framförd av experter inom detta område, nytillkommen forskning om effekter av filosofiska samtal på unga människors färdigheter i tänkande samt delar av det grundläggande teoretiska ramverket för filosofi för barn (Philosophy for Children). Filosofiska samtal verkar vara ett lovande sätt för unga människor att nå en starkare demokratisk medvetenhet och ökad motståndskraft mot extrema åsikter på Internet., Validerad; 2015; Nivå 1; 20150228 (teogar), Utbildning för delaktighet - Att filosofera tillbaka ett "nytt" liv efter förvärvad hjärnskada

A recent report by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention in cooperation with the Swedish Security Service shows that the Internet has been extensively used to spread propaganda by proponents of violent political extremism, characterized by a worldview painted in black and white, an anti-democratic viewpoint, and intolerance towards persons with opposing ideas. We provide five arguments suggesting that philosophical dialogue with young persons would be beneficial to their acquisition of insights, attitudes and thinking tools for encountering such propaganda. The arguments are based on stated requirements for problem solutions given by experts in violent political extremism, recent research about the effects of philosophical dialogue in young persons’ thinking skills, and parts of the basic theoretical framework of Philosophy for Children. Philosophical dialogues seem a promising way for young people to achieve a stronger democratic awareness and a more tenacious resistance against extremist views online., En nyligen publicerad rapport från Brottsförebyggande rådet i samarbete med Säkerhetspolisen visar att Internet i stor utsträckning används som ett propagandaverktyg av förespråkare för våldsam politisk extremism, karakteriserad av en svartvit världsbild, ett anti-demokratiskt förhållningssätt och intolerans mot oliktänkande. Vi presenterar fem argument för att filosofiska samtal med unga människor skulle hjälpa dem att förvärva insikter, förhållningssätt och tankeverktyg som kan användas för att bemöta propagandan från extremistiska rörelser av detta slag. Våra argument baserar sig på förslag på strategier för att motverka våldsam politisk extremism framförd av experter inom detta område, nytillkommen forskning om effekter av filosofiska samtal på unga människors färdigheter i tänkande samt delar av det grundläggande teoretiska ramverket för filosofi för barn (Philosophy for Children). Filosofiska samtal verkar vara ett lovande sätt för unga människor att nå en starkare demokratisk medvetenhet och ökad motståndskraft mot extrema åsikter på Internet., Validerad; 2015; Nivå 1; 20150228 (teogar), Utbildning för delaktighet - Att filosofera tillbaka ett "nytt" liv efter förvärvad hjärnskada

The paper examines Philosophy with children as a pedagogical method for schools to practice. The questions I have posed are: Why philosophize with children and teenagers? How does Philosophy with children work? What, in the organized structure of the philosophical inquiry, can be emphasized as favourable for learning? How carefully is the structure of the philosophical inquiry really followed in practice? How can philosophy be applied as a pedagogical model? The theoretical framework of this inquiry consists of a discussion about a thirst for learning that exceeds the explicit and direct usability that motivates vocational training. I have used two different kinds of methods. The main method is a literary analysis of some of the literature in this field. This analysis is compared to field observations of children participating in communities of inquiry in school. The basic assumption is that practicing the ability of philosophical thinking can help children develop a more profound way of understanding who they are and how the world in which they exist works. This helps learning and therefore promotes the philosophical inquiry as pedagogical model. My conclusions are that there exists different possible ways of using philosophy in school and that the structure of the community of inquiry as in use within PwC is a useful tool to apply.

The paper examines Philosophy with children as a pedagogical method for schools to practice. The questions I have posed are: Why philosophize with children and teenagers? How does Philosophy with children work? What, in the organized structure of the philosophical inquiry, can be emphasized as favourable for learning? How carefully is the structure of the philosophical inquiry really followed in practice? How can philosophy be applied as a pedagogical model? The theoretical framework of this inquiry consists of a discussion about a thirst for learning that exceeds the explicit and direct usability that motivates vocational training. I have used two different kinds of methods. The main method is a literary analysis of some of the literature in this field. This analysis is compared to field observations of children participating in communities of inquiry in school. The basic assumption is that practicing the ability of philosophical thinking can help children develop a more profound way of understanding who they are and how the world in which they exist works. This helps learning and therefore promotes the philosophical inquiry as pedagogical model. My conclusions are that there exists different possible ways of using philosophy in school and that the structure of the community of inquiry as in use within PwC is a useful tool to apply.

Validerat; 20101217 (root)