Varhaiskasvatussuunnitelma osana ohjausjärjestelmää: tieto- ja viestintäteknologian käytön ja digitaalisen osaamisen kontekstointi

The article describes how the use of information and communication technology (ICT) and the support of children’s digital competence are contextualized in Finnish local early childhood education curricula in use between August 2019 and July 2022. The study examines the ways in which early childhood education curricula guide the use of ICT and the enhancement of children’s digital competence. The guidance on the use of ICT and the enhancement of digital competence is approached through the norm, resource and information guidance system in Finnish early childhood education. The research data includes 269 local early childhood education curricula. The study reveals that the use of ICT and the support of children’s digital competence are contextualized in varying degrees in local early childhood education curricula. The number of clarifications varies from changes in a few sentences to changes in several paragraphs. Findings reveal that 23% of the local plans follow the national core curriculum for early childhood education and care (ECEC), and the text describing the use of ICT or digital competence has not been specified in any way. In 23 local early childhood education curricula, it is mentioned that the municipality has a separate plan in use to guide the use of ICT and the promotion of children’s digital competence. Typically, early childhood education professionals are guided to use ICT for the purpose of media education and to use, for example, photos and videos in education. The results help the early childhood education organizer specify the local early childhood education curriculum and examine the guidance methods in use. The results encourage individual early childhood education professionals to reflect upon the use of ICT and ways of supporting children’s digital competence.