Broadcasting and narrowcasting Swedish preschool : “What happens to children’s participation when documentation becomes digital?”

Broadcasting and narrowcasting – digital communication in Swedish preschoolResearch topic/aim Previous research (Wahlgren, 2024) has shown that photographs broadcasted from Swedish preschools through public channels or social media such as Instagram often portray children as a homogenous group in which everyone appears to participate in all scheduled activities. However, digital communication from preschools operates on two levels: broadly to a public audience, and narrowly to individual families. This paper aims to explore differences between broadcasted and narrowcasted preschool photographs, focusing on how visibility, transparency, and participation are constructed through images of children and activities.Theoretical framework According to Barasch and Berger (2014), the size of an audience influences the content of communication. Their study found that communication directed to a large audience (“broadcasting”) tends to be self-focused, while messages to a smaller audience (“narrowcasting”) are more recipient-oriented. This theoretical distinction provides a lens for analysing preschool communication, where images serve both institutional and relational purposes. The study also draws on Critical Image Analysis (Rose, 2016), which considers not only the content of images but also their producers and consumers. In this paper, preschool photographs are understood as discursive narratives that construct ideas about preschool, education, and childhood.Methodology/research design A qualitative, visual analysis was conducted on a selection of broadcasted images from open preschool social media channels and narrowcasted photographs shared through digital communication platforms such as Tyra and Unikum. The analysis followed Rose’s (2016) framework for Critical Image Analysis, focusing on representational, compositional, and social aspects of the photographs. Ethical considerations regarding children’s integrity and digital visibility guided the analytical process.Expected results/findings Preliminary findings suggest that both broadcasted and narrowcasted photographs tend to present preschool life in impersonal and activity-focused ways, depicting children from behind, from a distance, or from above so that individual identities are obscured (Wahlgren, 2024; forthcoming). This visual strategy conveys a sense of inclusiveness while maintaining anonymity. However, significant variation was found in the narrowcasted material: a few children had multiple personalised photographs in their individual folders (Wahlgren, forthcoming), aligning with curriculum goals of cooperation with families and fostering parental involvement in preschool education.Relevance to Nordic educational research In the current Swedish context, preschool quality and conditions are widely debated, with recurring concerns about large child groups and insufficiently trained staff. Against this backdrop, communication and transparency between preschools and families become essential in creating trust and supporting children’s well-being. By examining how digital visual communication constructs and mediates notions of participation and care, this study contributes to Nordic educational research on preschool professionalism, home–school collaboration, and the visual politics of early childhood education.