On a Quest for Mathematical Awareness

By Ursula Lundgreen and Søren Krogh Hansen, lundgreen@imada.sdu.dk, 10/8/2024

What is your PhD project about?

My PhD project is about mathematical awareness in early childhood education, including kindergartens and nurseries. The term “mathematical awareness” possibly originates from the Norwegian curriculum from 2006 and focuses on how adults in early childhood settings can promote awareness of mathematics in the everyday activities of the children. In Denmark, this has developed to also include the children’s own awareness of mathematics. So, it is a dual awareness of mathematics.

Mathematical awareness does not necessarily manifest itself in practice as the kind of mathematics we know from primary school. In early childhood education, it can involve mathematical activities in a more play-oriented learning environment, where mathematics is not necessarily separate from the usual daily activities. It could be the mathematical aspects of a morning gathering, during lunch, in children’s play, or when they are baking bread.
The project aims to provide a foundation for educators to use in developing their local learning environments, which can support mathematical awareness and promote early mathematical experiences among children.

Methodologically, I use an ethnographic approach, where I participate in the field through field observations, filming, photographing, recording audio, taking notes, and collecting artifacts. I explore both human and non-human aspects of mathematical activity. This means that I also examine how artifacts and materials in the learning environment interact with and influence the activities, not just the relationships between people. I have followed a cat, a chestnut, sticks, chickens, rhubarb, and physical spaces and locations in their entirety.

The project is part of a larger research initiative, the NAVADA project, which is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. NAVADA stands for “Scientific Literacy in Early Childhood Education” and is based at University College Copenhagen. It is probably one of the largest research efforts in early childhood education in Denmark.

Why did you decide to pursue a PhD?

I am naturally curious and adventurous by nature. My interest in research and the possibility of pursuing a PhD was sparked during my master's studies at Aarhus University. However, fate led me first to a position as an assistant professor – and later as an associate professor – in the early childhood education program in Hillerød at University College Copenhagen. But when the opportunity to start a PhD through the NAVADA project arose, I jumped at the chance without hesitation.

My engagement in PhD studies is not only driven by personal interest but also by a deeper mission to strengthen and highlight the importance of educational research in Denmark. At the same time, I have come to realize that there are not many PhD students in Denmark who, like me, come from a background in early childhood education. Many who research in the educational field come from various academic backgrounds, which is a strength in interdisciplinary educational research. However, perhaps it is also beneficial that some educational researchers come from the very practice they are researching. Therefore, I see my research education at SDU as an opportunity to contribute a unique educational perspective to the research field and support the Danish tradition of early childhood education and, in particular, the Nordic nature pedagogy tradition.

What did you dream of becoming as a child?

As a child, I dreamed of becoming an adventurer and explorer. My brother and I were very inspired by Knud Rasmussen and similar figures. This desire to explore the world is deeply rooted in me. I dreamed that when I grew up, I would embark on daring expeditions to explore the world. My brother and I spent much of our childhood in a large natural area, where we played and trained as if we were on an expedition, day after day in all kinds of weather.
This dream of adventure and exploration has shaped my interests and choices throughout my life. That’s why it was natural for me to train as a nature and outdoor educator at Ballerup Teachers’ College, where through educational practice I could share my interest in exploration and adventure with others. The dream has followed me through many years of educational practice, both as an educator and associate professor, and it influences my current research work. In this way, my childhood dream is still very much alive, as I use my sense of adventure as a driving force in my work. As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that adventure can be found right here in front of us, in everyday life, and in the reality we are in right now—it doesn’t have to be conquered only out in the wild on long journeys.

How do you think your PhD project can impact our society?

In all humility, I can see that my PhD project is quite unique in its exploratory nature. We know very little about mathematical awareness in early childhood education in Denmark. My project can contribute something entirely new in terms of understanding how mathematics or "something mathematical" is identified and manifests in practice in Danish early childhood education.

Hopefully, the knowledge from my project can be used to develop educational practice and further research. Ultimately, the goal is to make a small difference from the child’s perspective, ensuring that mathematics is fun, accessible, and meaningful—something the child, and the adults in early childhood education, are curious to explore and discover. In fact, I see mathematics as a tool for the child to curiously explore and understand the world, like an explorer.

Specifically, the project aims to create a foundation for the development of teaching materials for early childhood education students and support educators’ work through forms of practice stories and material support. Something they can recognize and relate to. Overall, it’s about laying the groundwork for developing how educators design environments for children’s mathematical experiences in early childhood education. This development could have a significant impact on children’s later mathematical skills, both from a daily life perspective and in terms of education.

What is the international relevance of your research?

International research is highly relevant to my project, providing me with a wide range of approaches and methods that can inform and inspire my process. Countries like Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, the UK, Australia, and the USA have already conducted many years of research on early childhood mathematics, what we in Denmark refer to as "daycare institutions." Most of the countries around us have incorporated mathematical learning into their preschool-level programs.

We can learn a lot from these countries about how to integrate mathematics into play and learning environments at the preschool level. However, I believe we must maintain a critical perspective on how this aligns with the Danish daycare tradition, focusing on the child’s perspective, a playful approach, and the high degree of autonomy children have to influence their own lives and activities in everyday life at daycare institutions.

When Hedevig Bagger founded the first kindergartens in Denmark more than 100 years ago, it also required a translation of particularly German pedagogy into a Danish context. This translation work is still relevant at all levels and influences how research is conducted. In my case, it involves focusing on the practices already present in the field and ensuring that the professional voice of the educators is heard.

From a comparative perspective, it is useful to understand how other countries balance play and learning differently than we do in Denmark, where the child’s voice regarding their own life and activities has been important for the past hundred years. The children’s voice and high level of autonomy do not always have the same place internationally, and not necessarily in the countries we often compare ourselves with. Therefore, we cannot simply "copy-paste" from international research, and this is why Danish pedagogical research is essential. Someone must continuously explore and engage with Danish daycare institutions.