We have a vision : A vizualisation of the visions and pedagogic work in a Gambian pre-school

Abstract: The aim of this study is to visualize the pre-school pedagogy in The Gambia and to discuss the Gambian pre-schools ideal view on pedagogy compared to the Swedish tradition. Through an ethnographically inspired study conducted at a Gambian preschool called SBEC bilingual international school, where I used Interviews and observations as a method to gather my empirical data, I sought answers to my overall questions which was: Which are the pre-schools main visions and values? What is the Gambian society´s view on pre-school education? And what is emphasized in the classroom work? In my results I found that the vision of the pre-school was designed to give something back to the Gambian society and have an impact on the country´s future. I also found that the schools vison had a large impact on the kind of work that went on in the classrooms. The view on the pre-schools in the society varied a bit depending on which perspective that was used. Those who were active in the world of education had a different view on the importance of pre-school education than for example the government in the country. In my discussion I compare my results in relation to the Swedish pre-school tradition and among other things I found that the two countries traditions regarding pre-schools had a common factor in the focus on nurturing the children but differed quite a bit when it came to their view on the pedagogic activities and how they were implemented.