Kirsten Fink-Jensen:

Learning and forms of musical expression in a kindergarten

This chapter describes two studies of children's musical expressions in kindergarten. The descriptions use material from an emprirical part of a research project with the subject: Learning and forms of expressions in kindergarten and the first levels of primary school. Since autumn 1997 nine children are observated in a longituidnal study which focus on the transitons from last year of kindergarten to second level in primary school.

The main thesis is that different ways and forms of expressions may tell us of experiences of meanings in a certain context. At the same time these expressions may develop the experiences of meaning, that is: learning is part of processes of expressions.

The issue of the chapter is using Lave and Wenger's theory of situated learning as a frame of analysis of learning and learning processes in the described situations. This theory emphasizes that learning is a situated activity which may be characterised as a process called legitimate peripheral participation (lpp). This process takes place in a community of practice.