Pathways to educational integration: affordances and constraints on migrant children's participation in Swedish preschool teaching activities

Abstract

This study explores the integration of newly arrived migrant children in Swedish preschools, focusing on their participation in teaching activities. The research is part of a larger project examining how these children, who experience a double transition into both a new cultural and educational environment, become integrated into early childhood education and care (ECEC). The study investigates how different teaching activities either facilitate or constrain migrant children’s democratic participation. The research was conducted in two rural preschools with predominantly Swedish-speaking children and practitioners. The findings reveal that migrant children are more engaged during musical and physical activities, which rely less on verbal communication, compared to linguistically based activities. Teacher-controlled events, which consistently link language with resources, help maintain migrant children’s attention, while dialogic teaching practices often result in their disengagement. The study highlights the importance of structured and inclusive teaching practices to support the educational integration of migrant children.