scholarly journals Supporting teacher professionalism through tailored professional learning

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Nolan ◽  
Tebeje Molla
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Teacher Professionalism ◽  
Reform Agenda ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Education And Care ◽  
Quality Learning ◽  
Continuing Professional Learning

The issue of continuing professional learning for educators in the early childhood education and care sector is in the spotlight in Australia due to the government's reform agenda, which seeks to professionalize the workforce. In an effort to ensure quality programmes are on offer for all children, educators are expected to upskill. The assumption is that quality learning opportunities for children are aligned with a more skilled and capable workforce. This is problematic due to the diversity of the early childhood education and care workforce and its ability to convert professionalization opportunities into achievements. The focus of this article is a study that problematized the alignment of professional attributes valued in the policy space and in the field of practice to understand educator agency, a key element of professional capability. Once this alignment is known, professional learning experiences can be tailored to better support the professionalization of these educators.

scholarly journals The learning trajectory of emerging professionalism: A Finnish student teacher negotiating world-view education and early childhood education and care superdiversity

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 297-311
Author(s):  
Silja Lamminmäki-Vartia ◽  
Saila Poulter ◽  
Arniika Kuusisto
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
World View ◽  
Teacher Professionalism ◽  
Learning Trajectory ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Education And Care ◽  
Value Learning

This article examines the learning trajectory of the emerging professionalism of Finnish early childhood education and care student teachers, focusing in particular on their professionalism in early childhood education and care world-view education in the context of cultural and world-view superdiversity. Of specific interest here is what students postulate as meaningful in their professional learning processes and why, and what kinds of directions this value-learning process has taken. The data was generated over a year-long learning process in a group with seven early childhood education and care students and six in-service early childhood education and care teachers through survey responses, reflective learning diaries and retrospective in-depth interviews with the students. Using the Kuusisto and Gearon (2017a) value-learning-trajectory model as an analytical tool, the findings are presented through an in-depth case study depicting one student’s learning throughout the process and across the data sets. To conclude, the conceptual working model is developed further to depict the development of emergent early childhood education and care teacher professionalism with a particular focus on world-view education and early childhood education and care superdiversity.

scholarly journals The Association Between Toddlers’ Temperament and Well-Being in Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care, and the Moderating Effect of Center-Based Daycare Process Quality

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catharina P. J. van Trijp ◽  
Ratib Lekhal ◽  
May Britt Drugli ◽  
Veslemøy Rydland ◽  
Suzanne van Gils ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Process Quality ◽  
Life Outcomes ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Education And Care

Children who experience well-being are engaging more confidently and positively with their caregiver(s) and peers, which helps them to profit more from available learning opportunities and support current and later life outcomes. The goodness-of-fit theory suggests that children’s well-being might be a result of the interplay between their temperament and the environment. However, there is a lack of studies that examined the association between children’s temperament and well-being in early childhood education and care (ECEC), and whether this association is affected by ECEC process quality. Using a multilevel random coefficient approach, this study examines the association between toddlers’ (N = 1,561) temperament (shyness, emotionality, sociability, and activity) and well-being in Norwegian ECEC and investigates whether process quality moderates this association. Results reveal an association between temperament and well-being. Staff-child conflict moderates the association between shyness and well-being, and between activity and well-being. Moreover, high emotional behavioral support moderates the association between activity and well-being. Extra attention should be paid by the staff to these children’s needs.

The Nexus of Play-based Learning and Early Childhood Education: A Western Australian Account

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-24
Author(s):  
Ruth Wallace ◽  
Sandra Hesterman
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Learning Assessment ◽  
Educational Approach ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
School Based ◽  
Children’S Wellbeing ◽  
Education And Care

Human development theories identify child-initiated play as the primary source of early learning. Accordingly, the role of early childhood educators is to utilise the natural medium of play as a context for learning; an educational approach known as play-based learning. Recently, Western Australia (WA) has experienced an erosion of play-based learning opportunities across the early childhood education (ECE) spectrum, potentially violating children’s rights. This paper presents research evidence related to this concerning issue. A self-completion, electronic questionnaire was distributed to educators through via several WA early childhood advocacy organisations. Participants (n=204) shared their perceptions about the availability of play-based learning opportunities for young children. Results identified perceived barriers and enablers to providing play-based learning in WA early childhood education settings that impact on children’s wellbeing, development and learning. Assessment of play-based learning provision differed significantly between school-based and early education and care-based educators. Participants supported the implementation of a WA Play Strategy.

Problematising early childhood teacher registration as a mechanism to improve quality early childhood education and care

2020 ◽  
pp. 146394911989602
Author(s):  
Marianne Fenech ◽  
Samantha King
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Early Childhood Teacher ◽  
Teacher Professionalism ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
National Review ◽  
Education And Care

Regulatory drivers of teacher quality and teacher professionalism are increasingly being utilised in Australia and internationally to improve children’s outcomes. In the context of a recent national review on teacher registration, this article reports on findings from a small-scale study that investigated three early childhood teachers’ perceptions of teacher registration in New South Wales, Australia. The participants rejected discursive truths about the need for and benefits of teacher registration, associating this relatively new mechanism of teacher accountability as a threat to teachers’ professional practice and job satisfaction, and to centres’ provision of quality early childhood education. The findings problematise a discourse of teacher professionalism made enticing by a vow to bring early childhood teachers in from the margins of the educator sector.

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