Background: The health of children is essential to their physical, mental and social development and their state of health can affect their adult life. In Denmark 97.2 % of children aged 3-5 attend preschool. Therefore, preschools are considered a relevant health promotion arena. University College Nordjylland (UCN) has developed a research-based dialogue instrument, which is used several places in Denmark, to promote self-evaluation in preschools. The purpose of the evaluation instrument is to ensure the quality of pedagogical practice including the quality in working with the health of children. Knowledge about working with research-based methods in pedagogical practice is limited. Therefore, focusing on the experience of the pedagogues’ experience of working with the evaluation instrument is considered an opportunity to improve the pedagogical practice.
Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to reevaluate the evaluation instrument by developing health tables through research-based literature. Furthermore, an investigation of the pedagogues’ experience of working with an evaluation instrument will be conducted. The aim is to create tables regarding health that can make a change in a specific preschool.
Methods: This single-case study is inspired by action research and combines several methods. Initially a systematic literature search was conducted, which forms the basis for the developed health tables. Subsequently, participant observations and dyadic interviews were carried out in one preschool. A qualitative analytic method is used. Data is analyzed with Aaron Antonovsky’s term sense of coherence and Karl Weick’s sensemaking.
Results: Two health tables for the organization of the meal and physical activity were created. During the qualitative analysis, three themes emerged – A common understanding of the interplay between research and pedagogical experience, Changing pedagogical practice and Everyday prioritizing.
Conclusion: The developed tables are seen as applicable in practice, if the staff is given the time and resources necessary to adapt the tables to their daily context. A potential for change is seen in implementing a systematic approach to the development-based work with the tables, ensuring dialogue is converted into action.
It is recommended that UCN develop their guidance for working with the tables, so that future work with the tables is focus on developing practice. Furthermore, it is advised that the current and future tables are elaborated with a written document, so the pedagogical staff have access to the research-based knowledge, the tables are based on.