Children’s right to participate in Brazilian and Norwegian legal early childhood education documents

Abstract

This study aims to analyse how children’s right to participate is conceptualised and contextualised in Brazilian and Norwegian legal early childhood education (ECE) documents. This is a cross-cultural comparative study in which we conducted a qualitative content analysis of the similarities and differences in the two countries’ legal ECE documents. The results show that in both countries, children are recognised as subjects who have the right to participate. The analysed documents value children’s voices and contributions in the educational context and highlight the importance of promoting processes that ensure that children can express their interests, desires and meanings. A shared commitment to creating learning environments that truly honour the rights and agency of every child can be seen as a foundation upon which to build innovative and culturally responsive educational and pedagogical practices for young children. In terms of differences, the Brazilian documents have a more general view of children’s participation, while the Norwegian documents have a more explicit focus according to children’s age and maturity. By comparing these legal ECE documents, we contribute valuable insights for teachers, researchers, and policy-makers within the field.