scholarly journals Leader-parent relationships in the early childhood education context: An exploration of testimonial and epistemic justice

2021 ◽  
pp. 136548022110199
Author(s):  
Shirley Eileen Adams ◽  
Steve Myran

Countries around the world have increased their focus on high quality early childhood programing. Recognizing the importance of parental and community engagement as a lever for improving child development and learning outcomes, and as a means of addressing social justice challenges, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (2018) has emphasized the need for more research on the complex dynamics between structure, process, learning, and development. Such research should consider the impacts of the dominant neo-managerial paradigm and its overemphasis on clearly defined linear cause and effect pathways between structure and student learning, which underrepresents the reciprocal role that parents, the community and the students themselves play in shaping the learning setting (Myran & Sutherland, 2019a). Students’ and families’ senses of belonging to the community of knowers have major implications for their motivation, sense of ownership and buy-in (Davis, 2006; Goodenow & Grady, 1993). This study explored the lived experiences of parents/guardians of young children with the leadership of their children’s early childhood education program and how these individual and social interactions shaped parents’ epistemic agency, and their access to rhetorical spaces that recognized them as credible knowers. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, we conducted in-depth interviews with 20 parents whose children attended publicly funded pre-school programs. Findings revealed limited communication with leadership and difficulty developing positive relationships. Moreover, these challenges limited their access to rhetorical spaces to be heard and recognized as credible knowers. This study offers one small window into the OECD’s (2018) call for more research on the dynamics between structure, process, learning and development, and the importance of the quality of parental and community engagement as a lever for enhancing healthy child development and learning, and as a means of more effectively addressing ongoing social justice challenges.

Author(s):  
Pushpita Rajawat

The relative effectiveness of different pedagogical approaches and pedagogies in early childhood has raised substantial debate. While the other are associated with the acquisition of basic skills and knowledge and some of them are associated with socio-emotional development and problem-solving abilities. In general, research revealed both positive and negative effects of pedagogical approaches, without favouring specific pedagogical approaches over mainstream ones. However, it is important to note that research evidence and studies considering the same approaches in the same context are very limited. On the other hand, specific pedagogical practices are found to enhance child development, including high-quality interactions involving sustained-shared thinking methods, play-based learning, scaffolding, as well as a combination of staff- and child initiated activities. Research impacts pedagogy and pedagogical practices in the sense that research findings can inform policy makers and practitioners on best practices and what works best in enhancing staff performance, process quality and child development. Research on pedagogy and practices is usually not conducted at the national level, but focuses on particular programmes. So, research review has been used as a guide or manual to provide pedagogical guidance for Early Childhood Education (ECE) staff not only in India but also worldwide. The main focus of the study is that how of the best pedagogical practices and approaches across the country can be useful and implemented in early childhood education


Author(s):  
Sunmin Lee ◽  
Jennifer Keys Adair ◽  
Katherina A. Payne ◽  
David Barry

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Jennifer Lehmann

Welcome to our first Issue of Children Australia for 2018. We hope you have had a wonderful Christmas and entered the New Year with energy and enthusiasm for the challenges ahead. We also welcome back many of our Editorial Consultants and especially want to make our new members of the team feel engaged in the journal's activities for 2018. One of our new Editorial Consultants is Shraddha Kapoor who is Associate Professor at Department of Human Development and Childhood Studies, Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi. Dr Neerja Sharma, now retired, who has supported Children Australia for some years, was Shraddha's Professor before becoming her colleague and now a dear friend. Shraddha herself has been teaching in the department for last 27 years in the subjects of developmental psychology, child development, wellbeing, family and gender. Her particular interests are childcare, early childhood education and gender.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenni Salminen

In Finland, Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) includes day care arrangements offered to families (care) along with goal-oriented early childhood education (early education and teaching) provided for children prior to transitioning to primary education. ECEC is therefore seen to build a coherent starting phase within the continuum of lifelong learning. ECEC follows the “educare” principle, which emphasizes the simultaneous consideration for children’s education, teaching, and care as the foundation of pedagogical activity, which is at the same time strongly rooted in the idea of learning and development as a holistic experience. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the Finnish ECEC system, introduce its societal, organizational and curricular preconditions and discuss the current tensions and challenges faced.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (7) ◽  
pp. 42-58
Author(s):  
Rosny Maidin

This systematic review article focuses on Vygotsky’s Sociocultural approach in the context of early childhood education which focuses on the teaching of learning and development that can be achieved through the sociocultural environment of students. This article is built by conducting previous studies or literature highlights to obtain information related to Vygotsky's sociocultural approach which refers to aspects of teaching-learning and student development. Meanwhile, this article reporting method uses optional reporting items for systematic study and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) or Systematic Literature Review (SLR) article adapted for current research review while using two main databases namely Scopus and Web of Science. Thus, this search effort has resulted in a total of 26 articles that have been systematically censored and analyzed and then the survey successfully formulated the six main themes contained in Vygotsky's sociocultural approach namely, Social theme, Language theme, Process theme, Meaningful learning theme, Constructor theme- knowledge, and Artifacts. In total, further analysis of the six themes has resulted in five sub-themes. The findings of this study have delved deeper into sociocultural from Vygotsky’s perspective as a basis for child development.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocío García-Carrión ◽  
Lourdes Villardón-Gallego

<p>There is solid evidence that high quality Early Childhood Education (ECE hereafter) have substantial impact on later life outcomes. A growing literature suggests that interventions that develop social competency as well as cognitive, language and academic skills in the earliest years play a role in later educational, social and economic success. Less is known about the most conducive interactions –verbal and non-verbal- underpinning such pedagogical practices in early childhood education. This article aims at reviewing the last decade’s early childhood education with a twofold objective: (a) to describe how dialogue and interaction take place in high-quality early childhood education settings; (b) to identify the effects, if any, on children’s learning and development as a result of implementing dialogue-based interventions in ECE. The studies were identified through systematic search of electronic databases and analyzed accordingly. Several types of interactions given in high quality ECE programs and its short and long-term effects are discerned in this review. </p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 96
Author(s):  
Geraldine D. Villaluz, RSCJ

This paper is aimed at presenting an implemented community engagement of the University of San Carlos School of Education with the communities of Agusan del Sur, Philipines, in close partnership with the Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation-IDC, (JPIC-IDC) Incorporated of Agusan del Sur as a response to a felt need in the early childhood education program of the province. In 2004, JPIC pooled together concerted resources from provincial and local government units, non-government organization and academe to create and develop a cul-ture-based curriculum guide for early childhood education that is appropriate and responsive to the needs of indigenous groups in Agusan del Sur, Southern Philippines. To address these needs, an ethnographic commu-nity engagement framework was utilized and initiated by JPIC-IDC team and the University Of San Carlos School Of Education. The community engagement framework facilitated the partnership of Agusan del Sur government leaders, a non-government organization in Germany, community cultural masters, Day Care Teachers and the University of San Carlos School of Education to create a developmentally appropriate and culture-based cur-riculum for Day Care with a supporting handbook for mother-teachers in early childhood education. As a result of this framework, children drop-out decreased from 80% to 10% while parent-community involvement in-creased from 30% to 90% in 2009 (JPIC-IDC, 2007). Ongoing teacher trainings and community orientations on the culture-based curriculum have been extended to 42 additional communities in 2012-2018 from 35 com-munities in 2007 upon request from the provincial governor. Two editions of a culture-based handbook have been published and a third edition is currently prepared for District 2 communities with guided participation by Day Care teachers as co-authors. This community engagement framework, initiated by the Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation of Agusan del Sur Philippines involving all stakeholders from the provincial leaders to the recipients of early childhood education, serves as a model to community extension service programs (CES) of schools and universities as well as to curriculum practitioners and administrators. Three principles involved in this particular community engagement concretely demonstrate that program sustainability is a product of partnership, sensitivity to culture and context and relevance to community’s need.


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