CLASSROOM SPACE AND KINDERGARTEN CURRICULUM: A SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH TO TEACHERS’ DISCOURSE ON THE STATUS OF SPACE AND ITS USE IN TEACHING

Gerasimos Koustourakis

Abstract


In this paper the concepts of normative discourse and classification from Foucault’s and Bernstein’s theories respectively are made use of and the objective is to identify kindergarten teachers’ discourse on the status of classroom space and its relationship with the knowledge areas of a kindergarten curriculum that follows an academic logic. The research was conducted using the semi-structured interview with kindergarten teachers and the chief findings showed that: a) although the teachers’ discourse is determined by the normative discourse on the means of implementing the kindergarten curriculum, it is differentiated from it at some points as a result of their lived work experience; b) the teachers separate the corners of the kindergarten classroom according to their status into primary (Library, Discussion, Arts, Building material, Doll’s house, Computers) and secondary; and c) strong actual and symbolic borders are implemented in the shaping of the proposed teaching use of the classroom space since the space is linked to the teaching of specific knowledge areas of the curriculum (strong classification – visible pedagogy).

 

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space, corners, classroom, kindergarten school, discourse, curriculum

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejae.v0i0.1948

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