1. PEDAGOGICAL SYSTEMS THEORY AND ITS CULTURAL CRITERIA FOR HUMAN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
7th International JTEFS/BBCC Conference “Sustainable Development. Culture. Education.”
Daugavpils, Latvia May 5 – 8, Ulla Härkönen Docent, Ph.D., Lecturer in Early Childhood Education
The University of Joensuu
Savonlinnan Department of Teacher Education FINLAND

2. THEORETICAL FRAME about theories
The main theoretical frame of the study is based on the general systems theory and systems thinking (Chekland 1981; Rapoport 1968).

3. Methods 1/5
On the basis of the phenomenological-hermeneutic approach and through the text content analysis I discovered the systems character and the model of the great pedagogues’ educational thinking

4. Views on world
Views on human being Views on child
Views on society
Wies on knowledge
Views on education
Views on goals
Views on methods
Views on subjects
opened
Views on outdoor education
Views on play
Views on work
Views on teaching
Views on celebrations
Views on basic activities and care
Tourism Social sciences Natural sciences Internatio- nalism
Work pedagogy
Didactics
Nursing Hygiene Medicine Nutrition Home economics
Play pedagogy
Entertain- ment Arts
educational science, developmental psychology, psychology, philosophy, sociology early childhood education science
Views on planning of pedagogical process of early childhood education
Views on pedagogical process of early childhood education
Figure 3. The general systems model of early childhood education and preschool thinking (GSM). Härkönen Ulla 2008

5. Methods 2/5
Content analysis was needed in analyzing the concept of early childhood education
The question is, how to give a greater conceptual order to specific data? (Strauss, A.L.1987, 143)
A qualitative analysts may use visual devices such as diagrams, matrixes, tables, and graphs

6. Methods 3/5 Model: a particular design or type of product
Model: a simple description of a system, used for explaining how something works or calculating what might happen, etc. a realistic model of evolution (Oxford Dictionary…2000, 819)

7. systems
Early childhood education thinking
care
spiritualization
education
learning
socialization
teaching
development
civilization
systems
Early childhood education science, e.g. theories
Systems
systems
Systems
Early childhood education subject
systems
Early childhood education practice
Figure 2. The four extensions and eight intensions of the early childhood education concept as a systems model. Härkönen Ulla 2008 (EECERA_08: spiritualization added)

8. Problems 1/1
The main questions are: What are the new cultural criteria (value contexts) of the pedagogical systems theory
and why and how this theory promote human sustainable development (ECE)?

9. Methods 4/5
In this study: Cross tabulation between the two verbalized and modelled data
Definition of cross tabulation: To analyze and summarize data. A common example is summarizing the details from database records and placing them into a spreadsheet. (

10. Methods 5/5
Tabulate: to arrange facts or figures in columns or lists so that they can be read easily (Oxford Dictionary…2000, 1322)
A conventional table: it can be quite simple like the traditionally helpful fourfold table or it can be more complex (Strauss, A.L.1987, 144)

11. systems
Early childhood education thinking
Consists of the value contexts of the GSM of ECE
systems
Early childhood education science, e.g. theories
Consists of the value contexts of the GSM of ECE
systems
Systems
Systems
Early childhood education subject
Consists of the value contexts of the GSM of ECE
systems
Early childhood education practice
Consists of the value contexts of the GSM of ECE
Figure 4. The four extensions and new pedagogical intensions as the value contexts of the early childhood education concept, presented as a systems model. Härkönen Ulla 2008

12. Results 1/9
The value contexts of all the four extensions and the value contexts of the GSM of ECE are also the core value contexts.
Inside the core value contexts many different single values can be detected in any culture.
In this study it is ´not possible to point out which of the core value contexts might be the most valuable or the most meaningful ones.

13. A) Extensions are the core value contexts
Results 2/9
A) Extensions are the core value contexts
B) Intensions as the core value contexts
Eight (or seven) intensions are not enough to form value contexts, but they also are the core value contexts:
They are (fig. 2): care, education, teaching, learning, development, socialization, civilization and spiritualization

14. Results 3/9
GSM gives the whole pedagogical model and all of its parts are new intensions of the concept of ECE.
Now the GSM forms pedagogical core value contexts
There are about twenty (20) contexts as follows: views on world, on human being, on society, on knowledge, on education, on goals, on subjects, (on knowledge areas on subjects), on methods; on basic activities and care, on play, on work, on teaching, on celebrations, on outdoor education, (on knowledge areas on methods), on different sciences, on pedagogical process, on planning process

15. Results 4/9
* After cross-tabulation pedagogical core value contexts of GSM ought to be found on every one of the four value extension contexts (practice, subject, science, thinking)
; otherwise it is not the question about the concept of ECE

16. Results in details 5/9 1) Four extensions as the core value contexts:
ECE practice is a value context
ECE subject is a value context
ECE science is a value context
ECE thinking is a value context

17. Results in details 6/9
2) GSM and its parts as the core value contexts:
Values of views on world
Values of views on human being
Values of views on society
Values of views on knowledge
Values of views on education
Cont. …2…………….

18. Results in details 7/9 Cont…2
Values of views on goals
Values of views on subjects
(Values of views on scientific, pedagogical and didactical knowledge areas (which gives knowledge about subjects) (not figured on GSM)
Values of views on methods
Values on basic activities and care
Values on play
Values on work
Values on teaching
Values on celebration
Values on outdoor education

19. Results in details 8/9Cont…2
Values of views on scientific, pedagogical and didactical knowledge areas (which gives knowledge about methods (these are figured on GSM)
Values of views on different near sciences
Values of views on pedagogical process
Values of views on planning process

20. Results in details 9/9 3) systemic thinking as the core value context
Systemic relationship between core value contexts is a basic value context
Systemic thinking makes core value contexts open, not closed

21. Conclusions 1/4 Existing values in a culture can be studied
While making decisions and while changing educational and pedagogical values negotiation and democratic planning are methods needed in a democratic society
That means sustainable methods

22. Conclusions 2/4
In this study values were put under the concept views , which was always written in the plural form
This is because there are many different practical, educational, scientifical and thoughtful ideas inside the mentioned contexts
This kind of theory refers to pluralism, multi-valued, and multi-cultural societies and different pedagogical ideas
That means sustainable attitudes

23. Conclusions 3/4
The results of this study can be used while analyzing, developing or creating new visions in any value context
For instance: while analyzing the pedagogical ideas of Pestalozzi, Froebel, Steiner, Montessori, Neill, Parkhurst, Freinet, Sukhomlinsky, Malaguzzi, Freire
(this period is 1746 – 1997 = 251 years). All these ideas are largely in asustainable way alive in today’s world.

24. Conclusion 4/4
While analyzing today’s education, curriculums, thinking of students, educational ideas in education institutions, trends at the universities
While creating new pedagogical approaches, for instance, the pedagogical systems theory
While getting new ideas or rediscovering old ideas again and again
That means sustainable activities and attitudes and sustainable way to understand human being!

25. References
Checkland, Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
Strauss, A.L Qualitative Analysis for Social Scientists. Cambridge University Press.
Härkönen, U. 2003a. Mitä termit varhaiskasvatus ja esiopetus tarkoittavat? What do the terms Early childhood education and preschool mean? Research reports of the Faculty of Education. The University of Joensuu, 86.
Härkönen, U. 2003b. The new Systems Theory of early childhood education and preschool as a frame for sustainable education. In JTET, Journal of Teacher Education and Training. Vol. 2, Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology. Daugavpils University,
Härkönen, U New pedagogical systems theory and early childhood education culture. In International views on early childhood education, ed. by Härkönen, U. & Savolainen, E. Savonlinna Department of Teacher Education, University of Joensuu.
Härkönen, U The Core Value Elements of the Concept of Early Childhood Education. PP-presentation at the 18th EECERA Conference ”Reconsidering the Basics in Early Childhood Education. Stavanger, Norway 3rd-6th September Conference Programme, 58.
Karvonen, E Tiedotusopillinen ajattelu ja tutkimus. Käsitteiden ekstension ja intension määrittelyä. Internet
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.6th edition, ed. by Sally Wehmeier. Oxford University Press.
Rapoport, A Systems Analysis: General systems theory. In David L. Sills (red.) International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Volume 15. The MacMillan Company & The Free Press,
Runes, D. (ed.)1972. Dictionary of Philosophy. Littlefield, Adams & Company, Totowa, NJ. Internet:

26. Thank you for your attention. Ulla. Harkonen@joensuu. fi http://joyx
I would like to hear