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MS: What do you want to highlight as characteristic for education in
Swedish preschools?
SK: The Swedish preschool context is characterized by a strong democracy-
oriented approach, i.e., supporting autonomy and developing solidarity combined
with socialization to institutional norms (see Klaar &
Öhman, 2014). The Swedish preschool curriculum
is also closely tied to a holistic play- and learning-
Marianne Skardéus oriented approach, which seamlessly integrates
is a member of Chi social, emotional, and cognitive dimensions into
Chapter in Sweden State children’s play, learning, and development. Swedish
Organization. She serves
as a member of the preschool education has a specific tradition of a
2022–2024 International holistic, social-pedagogical approach interwoven
Leadership and Golden within a knowledge-oriented approach (Skolverket,
Gift Fund Committee. 2018).

mskardeus@gmail .com
MS: How do you understand and use the concept
of learning?
SK: If a teacher intends to teach a child about how
to handle and act in situations in life when one meets
new people and does this by, for example, using a specific fairytale such as
the story of Cinderella, it does not mean that the child learns what the teacher
intends. In an article written with a colleague (Klaar & Wank, 2022), we show
how preschool teachers teach about storytelling using Three Billy Goats Gruff
—A Norwegian folk story (Swedish: De tre bockarna Bruse), and the children
are offered many artifacts to learn the story and learn how to tell the story.
However, Zana—who is telling the story to the other children—struggles with
getting pictures from the fairy tale to stick on a flannel board,
and she gets a little bit upset about it. Here, our research shows
how she learns how to get pictures to stick on a flannel board
rather than telling the story. Dewey talks about how experiences
can get visible intellectually, practically, and emotionally. For
Zana, the experiences were shown as practical and emotional:
how to get the pictures to stick and getting annoyed when
they fell. The intellectual part of the experience was shown as
learning about different surfaces and their adhesion rather than
developing language or intellectually remembering an entire
Storytelling: Three Billy Goats Gruff.
fairy tale.
Both in my research and in my teaching practice, I find it very important
to understand that I cannot know in advance how the children (or preschool
teacher students) will receive my teaching or what meaning a person creates
from the teaching activity. However, when I plan my teaching, I can increase
the possibilities for the learning of content that I want the students to learn.
Moreover, when I encounter the students, I can observe and listen to them and,
by that, evaluate their learning and follow up by offering them new, experience-
based challenges.
During the last 3 years, I have had a specific interest in different functions
of teaching. Apart from teaching for qualification (e.g., supporting learning
of mathematic skills, language, or science knowledge) and socialization (e.g.,
supporting the development of solidarity, being a good friend, sharing, playing

46 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators