Student Teacher Knowledge: Knowing and Understanding Subject Matter in the New Zealand Context

2002 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawn Garbett ◽  
Belinda R Yourn

In the past few decades there has been an increasing awareness of the importance of early childhood education in New Zealand. Concomitant with this has been the move towards professionalising the early childhood sector through a national curriculum and increased expectations for its practitioners. This paper examines issues relating to the changing role of early childhood teachers as they manage the implementation of the New Zealand curriculum. There is no consensus about what makes up the professional knowledge base for early childhood educators. This paper explores the nature of professional knowledge and suggests that subject matter knowledge may be more important than previously recognised for early childhood educators.

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-96
Author(s):  
Anita Croft

The benefits of beginning Education for Sustainability (EfS) in early childhood are now widely documented. With the support of their teachers, young children have shown that through engagement in sustainability practices they are capable of becoming active citizens in their communities (Duhn, Bachmann, & Harris, 2010; Kelly & White, 2012; Ritchie, 2010; Vaealiki & Mackey, 2008). Engagement with EfS has not been widespread across the early childhood sector in Aotearoa New Zealand (Duhn et al., 2010; Vaealiki & Mackey, 2008) until recently. One way of addressing EfS in early childhood education is through teacher education institutions preparing students to teach EfS when they graduate.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 6-20
Author(s):  
Beverley Clark ◽  
Hilda Hughson

The views that early childhood teachers have of children and childhood are informed by the rhetoric and theories of early childhood, their cultures, life stories, philosophies, and ongoing practices as teachers. In Aotearoa New Zealand, Te Whāriki, the legislated national curriculum for early childhood education, further guides early childhood teachers’ practice and frames teachers’ image of the young child. This article confronts and critiques a short phrase that is an addition to the revised Te Whāriki curriculum document, specifically the phrase that children “need to learn how to learn”. This phrase implies that young children do not know how to learn. The implication in this utterance belies the intense drive that children have to learn, to play, to explore, and to understand as they grow in strength in their sense of self within their whānau and communities. We care about the image that this presents to student teachers, to teachers. We challenge whether the notion that children need to learn how to learn is the image that early childhood teachers hold, or want to hold, of children. We argue that this phrase and image of the child as needing to learn how to learn is a loose thread in the whāriki that potentially undermines and is counter to the more dominant concept within Te Whāriki of the competent child.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-35
Author(s):  
Taranindya Zulhi Amalia

Abstrak: Guru PAUD memiliki beragam peran seperti guru pada umumnya.  Namun pembedanya tampak pada peran guru PAUD yang bertugas mengembangkan beragam kemampuan dasar anak untuk menggali potensi anak sejak dini.  Kemampuan dasar bahasa asing pada usia ini dimulai dari pengenalan bahasa Inggris secara mendasar yakni melalui kosakata sederhana. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk: 1) mengetahui pengenalan bahasa Inggris dasar dan 2) peran guru anak usia dini dalam pengenalan bahasa Inggris RA/PAUD. Dengan menggunakan jenis penelitian lapangan serta pendekatan deskriptif kualitatif peneliti menentukan Sumber data primer nya adalah kepala RA/PAUD, sie kurikulum, serta wali peserta didik. Sedangkan sumber data sekunder adalah referensi yang relevan dengan pengenalan bahasa Inggris, peran guru, dan PAUD. Kemudian Data diperoleh melalui teknik observasi partisipatif wawancara semi terstruktur dan dokumentasi uji keabsahan data menggunakan uji credibility, transferability dan confirmability melalui reduction, display data dan conclusion drawing.Hasil yang diperoleh adalah pengenalan bahasa Inggris dasar di RA/PAUD dilakukan setiap hari menyatu dengan pembelajaran tema-tema dan sub tema dalam muatan kurikulumnya berbentuk kosakata harian dan sapaan peran guru anak usia dini dalam pengenalan bahasa Inggris dasar sangat bervariasi. Guru memiliki multi peran dalam satu waktu. Peran-peran tersebut adalah sebagai educator, mediator, observer, facilitator, motivator, administrator, dan composer. KataKunci: peran guru PAUD, pengenalan bahasa Inggris, PAUD     Abstract: Early Childhood Education (PAUD) teachers have various roles like teachers in general. But the difference is seen in their roles tasked with developing a variety of children's basic abilities to explore children's potential from an early age. The basic ability of foreign languages ​​at this age starts from the basic introduction of English through simple vocabulary. The purpose of this study is to: 1) determine the introduction of basic English and 2) the roles of early childhood teachers in the introduction of English in this level. By using the type of field research and the qualitative descriptive approach, the researcher determines that the primary data source is the head of the RA, curriculum courses, and guardians of students. While secondary data sources are relevant references to the introduction of English, the role of teachers, and PAUD. Then the data obtained through participatory observation techniques semi-structured interviews and documentation of data validity test using the test of credibility, transferability and confirmability through reduction, display data and conclusion drawing.The results obtained are the introduction of basic English in RA done every day together with the learning of themes and sub themes in the curriculum content in the form of daily vocabulary and the greeting of the role of early childhood teachers in the introduction of basic English varies greatly. The teacher has multiple roles at one time. These roles are as educator, mediator, observer, facilitator, motivator, administrator, and composer.   Keywords: the role of PAUD teachers, introduction to English, early childhood education


2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura K. Doan

The mentoring needs of novice early childhood educators are identified within the British Columbian context, where graduates do not receive formal mentoring. Following a description of the problem, a literature review is provided on the following themes: how mentoring facilitates a culture of learning; characteristics of successful mentors; and the mentoring process. Examples are drawn from mentoring programs in New Zealand and Worcester, England. Leadership implications are discussed with an emphasis on future research on mentoring in early childhood education.


Author(s):  
Claire Davison ◽  
Linda Mitchell

Much of the public discussion of early childhood education policies has focused on particular policy initiatives, rather than considering more broadly what should be the role of the state in relation to young children’s education and upbringing. The roles that the state chooses to play are political decisions that are influenced by constructions of childhood and preferred policy approaches. In turn, these policy approaches help shape the nature of early childhood education. This article analyses changing models of state responsibility for New Zealand kindergartens to highlight their repercussions on kindergartens and the wider early childhood education sector. It argues that the state needs to take a supportive and responsible role in provision of early childhood care and education, to support a move away from a market model, and to resolve inequities in children’s access and teacher employment conditions that continue to beset the sector. The article ends by setting the discussion within an international context and suggesting policy challenges for early childhood education in New Zealand.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qilong Zhang

A sociocultural approach to emergent literacy and growing concerns over the de-emphasis on literacy of the New Zealand early childhood education curriculum Te Whāriki call for locally situated emergent literacy programmes co-constructed by teachers, parents and children. While teachers’ approach to emergent literacy takes centre stage in research, little is known about approach of parents and whether and to what extent it is in tune with the national curriculum framework. Adopting deductive qualitative analysis, this study examines beliefs and practice about their child’s emergent literacy of 25 parents from New Zealand public kindergartens against the learning outcomes of emergent literacy proclaimed in Te Whāriki. The findings confirm general compatibility between parents’ approach to emergent literacy and that of Te Whāriki. Parents in this study recognize and respond to the importance of the preliteracy skills (e.g. name writing) for school readiness, which concretizes, operationalizes and localizes the generally, loosely and vaguely defined Te Whāriki learning outcomes. The findings support the practicality of the co-construction of local emergent literacy programmes by teachers and parents in chartered early childhood education services in New Zealand.


2020 ◽  
pp. 183693912097906
Author(s):  
Linda Clarke ◽  
Tara McLaughlin ◽  
Karyn Aspden ◽  
Tracy Riley

Early childhood teachers’ professional learning and development (PLD) is a significant factor in the provision of quality early childhood education (ECE), yet gaining a full picture of PLD in the New Zealand ECE context is problematic. Information about government-funded PLD programmes is available through evaluations, however, teachers access PLD from a range of providers, many of whom are not government-funded, nor subject to regular monitoring for quality. Teachers’ reports, therefore, represent important sources of insight into PLD. We surveyed New Zealand early childhood teachers about their experiences of PLD, including topics, delivery, and facilitation. We analysed 345 responses. Workshops were the most commonly experienced PLD model. Many respondents had also experienced job-embedded support, but may not have experienced the types of facilitation strategies likely to prompt shifts in teaching practice. This article reports the survey results, examines implications and discusses features of PLD that support shifts in teaching practice.


Author(s):  
Tony OHolmes

The Centre for Early Childhood Studies/Te Pumanawa Rangahau Kohungahunga is a new initiative to develop and promote early childhood education in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The Centre aims to initiate, co-ordinate, facilitate and supervise early childhood research, organise seminars and conferences, collect and disseminate information, analyse and critique early childhood policy, and work on behalf of early childhood educators. The Centre’s work will complement other early childhood initiatives, and will invite collaboration with early childhood groups, centres and educators. The Centre will become a resource available to all those committed to working for quality early childhood education and enhanced professional recognition.


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