Enhancing peer interaction during guided play in Finnish integrated special groups*

Abstract

This article focused on the pedagogy that enhances peer interaction in integrated special groups. In Finland, most children identified as having special educational needs (SEN) attend day-care in mainstream kindergarten groups; the rest are in integrated or segregated early childhood special education (ECSE) groups in public day-care centres [National Institute of Health and Welfare. 2013. “Child Day Care 2013–Municipal Survey.” Accessed March 15, 2016. https://www.julkari.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/116231/Tr16_14.pdf?sequence=4]. An integrated group, which typically consists of seven children without and five with SEN, is supposed to be an inclusive environment that provides an atmosphere in which every child can feel togetherness and be scaffolded [Pihlaja, P. 2009. “Erityisen tuen käytännöt varhaiskasvatuksessa–näkökulmana inkluusio.” [The Special Education Practices in Early Childhood Education–Inclusion as Viewpoint.] Kasvatus 2: 146–156]. Our aim was to examine how ECSE professionals’ pedagogical practices were used to enhance peer interaction in interactive play. We analysed 14 videotaped sessions of guided play and conceptualized the studied phenomenon by portraying five guidance types in which the identified pedagogical practices were used in different ways.