Situation approach

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The situation approach is a socio-pedagogical concept to support the educational and life management processes of children in day-care centers within the target horizon of autonomy , solidarity and competence. It was developed in the first half of the 1970s at the German Youth Institute (DJI) and received a second development boost in the 1990s. It should not be confused with the so-called "situation-oriented approach" by Armin Krenz .

In the situation approach, everyday situations and topics should be taken up - so-called "key situations" - which have the potential to prepare children for their future life in an exemplary and condensed way. This orientation towards the children's world should not be confused with the spontaneous orientation towards everyday occurrences; it is not about spontaneously following the actions of children, but rather identifying the key situations relevant to them. In addition, everyday life in and around the day-care center should be taken up in terms of its possibilities of enabling learning in "real situations". It is important that the educational specialists take up and support the children's motivation to learn and identify the topics together with the children. The children have a not inconsiderable say in the planning and design of the educational program.

Mission statement

All people have rights, including children. The child should be able to develop independently through self-activity. It should learn to form its own opinion and to make independent decisions, but also to be considerate of others. It is the responsibility of the adults to provide the children with an appropriately stimulating environment and a reliable relationship.

Dimensions and conceptual principles

Christa Preissing and her colleagues from the Institute for the Situation Approach of the International Academy Berlin for Innovative Education, Psychology and Economics (INA), founded at the Free University of Berlin , describe five dimensions that characterize the situation approach: lifeworld orientation, education, participation, equality and recognition of diversity and unity of content and form. They operationalize these five dimensions by formulating a total of sixteen "conceptual principles" for socio-educational work in day-care centers that want to be based on the situation approach:

Dimensions and conceptual principles

Principle 1:

"The educational work is based on the social and cultural life situations of the children and their families."

The pedagogical professionals take notice of everything that happens around the children in their facility, whether in their families or in society, and deal with it. These are both situations and interests that the children are currently dealing with themselves, as well as issues that are important for their life in society. The focus is on the child with his entire life situation and interests.

Principle 2

" Educators find out in continuous discourse with children, parents and other adults what key situations are in the lives of children."

The educators work with the parents and children to find out relevant topics and situations, so-called “key situations”. Topics and situations that are based on the world of children and their families and that are suitable for promoting personal development and making your own life more successful. The educators incorporate this into their everyday work in the kindergarten. In this way, they enable the children to learn in a lifelike manner.

Principle 3

“Educators analyze what children can and know and what they want to experience. They give them access to knowledge and experience in real life situations. "

The educators observe the children and use this information to determine how far they are in their mental, physical and social development, in order to create individually adapted learning situations for them in everyday life. These should be interesting and varied and adapted to the child's area of ​​interest.

Principle 4

"Educators support girls and boys in their gender-specific identity development and oppose stereotypical role assignments and assumptions."

The educators make sure that the girls and boys are not forced into the typical male and female roles. The children should have the opportunity to freely develop their gender identity.

Principle 5

"Educators support children in developing their imagination and creative powers in play and in appropriating the world in a manner appropriate to their development."

The educators offer the children various possibilities and situations in which they can explore the world in play and in a playful way. They use these moments to observe the children in order to better understand their everyday actions and their worldview.

Principle 6

"Educators make it possible for younger and older children to relate their diverse experiences and skills to one another in doing things together and thus support each other in their development."

The educators allow and encourage contacts between younger and older children. The children of different ages should be able to exchange experiences and make their strengths and weaknesses visible. The children can help and support each other in their development, which also builds relationships. However, they also need opportunities to chat and spend time with their peers.
Dimensions of participation

Principle 7

"Educators support children in their independence development by enabling them to actively shape life in the day-care center."

The educators should support the children in making decisions, acting independently and helping to shape everyday life (e.g. in children's conferences). This means that decisions that affect the children are taken into account. Their opinion is recognized and at the same time their independence is encouraged. Actions that are expected of them should be dealt with independently.

Principle 8

“In everyday life there is a conscious examination of values ​​and norms . Rules are agreed together with children. "

In order to organize the daily coexistence in the group harmoniously, children and educators should set up rules together, pay attention to their observance and change them together if necessary. In this way children learn how they should behave in different life situations.

Principle 9

"The work in the day-care center is geared towards the requirements and opportunities of a society that is shaped by different cultures."

People from different cultures live in Germany and together form a society. It is therefore the task of all members to orientate themselves towards the requirements and opportunities of this society. The coexistence and cooperation of the different cultures give special educational opportunities that should be used. It is therefore the task of educators to promote contact between people from different cultures, to create a culture of tolerance and moral courage in their institution, in order to allow prejudices and discrimination in the everyday life of children and their families to take a back seat.

Principle 10

"The day-care center integrates children with disabilities, different developmental prerequisites and special needs and opposes exclusion."

The facilities give children with different disabilities the opportunity to live together with children without disabilities in a community. The children learn how to interact socially with one another. The support of the children can be better guaranteed by qualified specialist staff.

Principle 11

"Spaces and their design stimulate the children's own active and creative activities in a stimulating environment."

The design of the rooms in and around the facility should be considered and implemented with the children. This gives them the opportunity to contribute their interests to the educational areas. In the rooms, the children should be able to live out their needs, both in terms of physical movement and in a wide range of materials to experiment, research and get creative. The educators weigh up how the children's wishes can be realized.

Principle 12

"Educators are teachers and learners at the same time."

The educators explore the world of children by acquiring knowledge and experiences in order to support the children individually and in a developmentally appropriate manner. You cooperate with experts from different areas who contribute to support and relief in various projects. The educators are co-learners in the children's learning processes.

Principle 13

"Parents and educators are partners in the care, education and upbringing of the children."

Educational specialists and parents work together, they exchange knowledge and make decisions together. The educators make their work transparent, accept suggestions, suggestions and criticism from parents in order to encourage them to participate and to achieve changes together.

Principle 14

"The day-care center develops close relationships with the socio-spatial environment."

Day care centers for children cooperate with other educational and social institutions in order to build a neighborly relationship. The educators see it as their task to open the facility to the outside world and to shape their environment with the children. They enable the children to pursue their interests outside the facility.

Principle 15

“The pedagogical work is based on situation analysis and follows process-based planning. It is continuously documented. "

The situations of the children and their families are observed and needs and issues are identified. Pedagogical practice is geared towards these findings. The planning and work process, however, leaves room for individual work with the children. The educational work is continuously documented.
Planning in the situation approach takes place in the four steps of exploring, deciding, acting and thinking (see below).

Principle 16

"The day-care center is a learning organization."

Solidarity and collegial cooperation in the team, regular self-reflection and evaluation of one's own pedagogical work as well as the permanent further development of the facility based on this, geared to the changing needs of the children and their families and with the participation of the addressees, shape the work in the facility. The work organization adapts to the social and educational requirements, not the other way around! "Changes are seen as an opportunity" (ibid.).

literature

  • Christa Preissing (Ed.): Quality in a situation approach. Quality criteria and materials for quality development in day-care centers. Cornelsen Scriptor, 2007, ISBN 978-3-589-25364-7 .
  • J. Zimmer, Ch. Preissing, Th. Thiel, A. Heck, L. Krappmann: Kindergartens on the test stand. On the trail of the situation approach. Kallmeyer, Seelze-Velber 1997, ISBN 3-7800-5244-X .
  • Jürgen Zimmer: The little manual for the situation approach. With illustrations by Hans-Jürgen Feldhaus. 2nd Edition. Cornelsen Scriptor, 2007, ISBN 978-3-589-25406-4 .
  • New collection. Journal of Education and Society. (Special issue on the situation approach). 35th year, issue 4, 1995.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Armin Krenz: The situation-oriented approach at a glance. Profiles for daycare centers and kindergartens. 1st edition. Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 2004, ISBN 3-451-28326-3 .
  2. ↑ Daniela Kobelt Neuhaus, Katrin Macha, Ludger Pesch: The situation approach in the day care center: educational approaches at a glance . Herder, 2018, ISBN 978-3-451-81076-3 ( google.de [accessed July 8, 2018]).
  3. ^ Institute for the Situation Approach in the International Academy at the Free University of Berlin: Conceptual Principles in the Situation Approach. July 2013. ( situationsansatz.de ( Memento from May 5, 2015 in the Internet Archive ))

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