Meal pedagogy in preschool : A qualitatie study of teacher's experiences of pedagogic meal in preschool

This qualitative study focuses to highlight the pedagogues’ experience of the pedagogic meals in preschool. In the study has six pedagogues from three different departments/preschool been interviewed. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed and then categorized. This study is based on socio-cultural perspective, where learning occurs in interaction with others and language is seen as a mediating tool. The result of this study reveals that the pedagogues believe meals to be important for the children’s social skills. Furthermore, many learning situations occurs at mealtime and it is important that the pedagogues are good role models during the meals. The environment during the meals differs a lot, however nice and quiet sought during the meals. In the result, it appears that all pedagogues see meals as a pedagogic situation, although special educations before the meals are never planned. It is found that even the children have the opportunity to steer the conversation during the meals and take food by themselves. The pedagogues also consider the learning of math and language develops through the conversation during the meals