Currently, one in five children in Austria is at risk of poverty and exclusion (Statistics Austria, 2024). It is clear that child poverty represents a challenge in terms of social and educational policy. This master's thesis therefore deals with the challenges that child poverty poses for nursery school teachers in kindergarten and analyzes how a poverty-sensitive attitude can support the development of children affected by poverty. The theoretical part of the work deals with poverty and child poverty and their effects on child development. The data situation in Austria is used for illustration. In addition, the term poverty sensitivity is defined from the perspective of kindergarten and proven measures to support affected families are presented. In a qualitative research approach, a total of five guided interviews with nursery school teachers and one guided interview with a social work expert were conducted and evaluated. It was shown that based on observations and experience the majority of nursery school teachers have specialist knowledge of child poverty. The daily routines and rituals in kindergarten are characterized by many exclusion mechanisms and lead to disadvantages for children affected by poverty. The results show that reflection, training and support measures can improve the poverty sensitivity and competence of professionals in dealing with children affected by poverty. These findings help to reduce structural discrimination in kindergarten through concrete recommendations for action.
Date of Award | Aug 2024 |
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Original language | German (Austria) |
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Supervisor | Christian Stark (Supervisor) |
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Kinderarmut: eine pädagogische Herausforderung in elementaren Bildungseinrichtungen
Kößl, H. M. (Author). Aug 2024
Student thesis: Master's Thesis