Fun and Laughter Promote Well-Being in Early Childhood Education and Care: Pedagogy of Fun and Big Humour

Autor/in	Koch, Anette Boye
Titel	Fun and Laughter Promote Well-Being in Early Childhood Education and Care: Pedagogy of Fun and Big Humour
Quelle	In: Journal of Pedagogy, 14 (2023) 1, S.37-57 (21 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1338-2144
DOI	10.2478/jped-2023-0003
Schlagwörter	Early Childhood Education; Humor; Psychological Patterns; Teaching Methods; Well Being; Foreign Countries; Play; Expectation; Interpersonal Relationship; Interpersonal Communication; Young Children; Denmark + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Early childhood; Education; Frühkindliche Bildung; Frühpädagogik; Humoristische Darstellung; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Well-being; Wellness; Wohlbefinden; Ausland; Spiel; Expectancy; Erwartung; Interpersonal relation; Interpersonal relations; Interpersonelle Beziehung; Zwischenmenschliche Beziehung; Interpersonale Kommunikation; Frühe Kindheit; Dänemark
Abstract	In Danish early childhood education and care (ECEC), fun is often emphasised as a key pedagogical tool but is used rather unreflexively. While well-being and happiness have been studied in various ways, the potential of fun is not included in theoretical discussions regarding happiness and well-being, although most people identify having fun as a fundamental reason for being happy. A researcher and three student assistants spent six months in three ECEC settings with a focus on episodes characterised by fun and laughter. Participant observation and interviews were conducted. Empirical data illustrate how fun appears in ECEC as laughter, smiles, attentiveness, intensity and ecstasy. Fun arises momentarily in a sense of lightness and freedom, as a means of communication, in physical play, when rules and expectations are broken, in frivolous references to lower body functions and in experiences of excitement. Pedagogues use fun based on child sensitivity, improvisation, courage to let go of control, informality, energy and a sense of humour. Danish humour philosophy distinguishes between small humour and big humour. Pedagogues with the ability to practice big humour are preferred in order to establish an ECEC culture characterised by fun, laughter and episodes of small humour that promote well-being in children. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Sciendo, a company of De Gruyter Poland. 32 Zuga Street, 01-811 Warsaw, Poland. Tel: +48-22-701-5015; e-mail: info@sciendo.com; Web site: https://www.sciendo.com
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01