– Karin Lager, PhD, postdoc-researcher, University west, Sweden Abstract Children’s spaces in Swedish school-age educare Further research should explore how insights from children’s perspectives mightbe used to design ASP so children can develop skills in the participative and enriching environment of ASP in more sustainable terms. The children see potential for further development of their autonomous organization of leisure time and responsible personnel should allow for more participation. The results show that ASP provide ample possibilities for the promotion of social learning and nurturing of children’s autonomy. Researchers were most interested to understand if and how chil-dren participate in the design of the ASP. Children were asked to take pictures of the places they like most. We used the method of reflexive photography to stimulate the discussion in the research setting.
The study focuses on a sample of 4 to 11-year-old children who are enrolled in three ASP in an urban area in Switzerland. In this paper we describe a method to capture the perception of children who are participating in such programs.
Additionally, such after-school programs (ASP) can be designed to be enriching, foster children’s cognitive activation and offer diverse opportu-nities for play and exploration (Huang & Deitel, 2011). Most importantly, they offer reliable social and time structures for children before and after their school day. Professor, Institute for Research, Development and Evaluation, Research Program Governance in Education, Bern University of Teacher Education Switzerland AbstractĪfter-school settings have diverse functions and benefits. Michelle Jutzi, PhD, lecturer and postdoc, Institute for Research, Development and Evaluation Research Program Governance in Education, Bern University of Teacher Education, Switzerland Thomas Wicki, MSc, research assistant, Institute for Research, Development and Evaluation, Research Program Governance in Education, Bern University of Teacher Education, Switzerland and Ueli Hostettler, Prof. Children’s Perspective on After-School Programs