The Monster in the Room: Safety, Pleasure and Early Childhood Education

2003 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Jones
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Early Childhood Teacher ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Focus Group Data

Inspired by the work of Joseph Tobin and his book, Making a Place for Pleasure in Early Childhood Education (Yale, 1997), this article is about the necessarily uneasy and tenuous place of pleasure, desire and sensuality in early childhood education at a time when the field struggles to be identified as rule-governed and properly ‘professional’. With reference to focus group data from early childhood teachers and managers in Auckland, New Zealand, it considers what might be the comforts, and the problematic effects, of the contemporary demands for safety, and asks what kinds of pleasures are available to the modern ‘safe’ professional early childhood teacher.

scholarly journals Using metaphor to illuminate quality in early childhood education

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-210
Author(s):  
Marianne Fenech ◽  
Linda J Harrison ◽  
Fran Press ◽  
Jennifer Sumsion
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Focus Group Data

This paper reports on a study in which educators from four early childhood centres used metaphor to discuss their provision of high-quality early childhood education. Qualitative mining of focus group data confirmed ‘quality’ to be complex, multi-dimensional and value-laden. Findings contribute to understandings of quality in early childhood education through four key themes: ‘quality’ as a synergetic flow; the facilitative stance and impact of leaders in the enactment of leadership; children as active contributors to quality; and the role of love. Metaphor is shown to be a valuable tool that can highlight tangible and intangible quality contributors, how these contributors link together and the contextual specificity from which quality in individual early childhood education settings emanates.

scholarly journals Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers’ Preparedness to Teach Education for Sustainability

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-96
Author(s):  
Anita Croft
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
Preparedness To Teach

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.

Latvian Teachers’ Perspectives on Early Childhood Educational Practice

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 332
Author(s):  
Aija Ozola
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
Personal Meaning ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Teachers Perspectives

The Education Law of Latvia recognizes early childhood education as an educational level in which multi-dimensional development of the child as an individual, strengthening of health and preparation for the acquisition of primary education takes place. Currently, early childhood education is undergoing considerable transformations and transition to a competence-based approach. Teachers’ perspectives serve as significant indicators for analysis of current educational situation and therefore highlight the core areas for enhancing early childhood educational practice. The design of the study is based on qualitative research using data from a survey and focus group discussions. The aim of the study is to identify and analyse teachers’ perspectives on early childhood educational practice. In accordance to the aim, the following research questions were posed: (1) what is early childhood teachers’ personal meaning of good educational practice; (2) what factors could contribute to enhance the early childhood educational practice in future? To identify teachers’ perspectives, a survey was conducted with early childhood teachers implementing curriculum in municipal early childhood education institutions around Latvia. The answers to two open-ended questions as a part of a larger questionnaire were analysed. The in-depth examination of perspectives was reached by implementing several focus group discussions. Data were analysed using the method of qualitative content analysis. The findings revealed wide diversity in teachers’ personal meaning of good educational practice. The issues related to developmental psychology-based learning outcomes and school-readiness still dominate among teachers’ perspectives. Postmodern views on a child emphasizing children’s diversity and uniqueness were often mentioned as well. The factors contributing to good educational practice were categorized into four main areas such as organization of the pedagogical process, teachers’ competences, environment of an early childhood setting, collaboration with parents. In general, Latvian teachers’ perspectives demonstrate readiness for transition to a competence-based approach in early childhood education. However, identified contributing and hindering factors should be taken into account during the process of transformations.

scholarly journals Social studies in early childhood education and care: A scoping review focusing on diversity

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 312-324
Author(s):  
Anette Ringen Rosenberg
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Social Studies ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Early Childhood Teacher ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Educational Challenge ◽  
Education And Care

Currently, little research exists on social studies within the context of Norwegian early childhood education and care, and how early childhood teachers work to familiarise children with social studies contexts . This article is a scoping literature review offering a preliminary research agenda. Its aim is to explore the ways in which the early childhood teacher can work to ensure young learners’ social studies education with a specific focus on cultural diversity and subsequent educational challenges. The research question guiding the article asks: How does previous educational research show that early childhood teachers can use social studies to address diversity with and amongst children? The analysis uncovers 4 scopes of research across 26 international and national studies. Previous research has contributed with knowledge in the areas of cultural diversity, anti-discrimination, human rights, and community and society as a means to familiarise children with diversity and related matters. Each scope addresses the knowledge status and opportunities for future research within each area. Based on the analysis, the author discusses the critical educational challenge of a paradox in familiarising children with diversity, where the early childhood teacher risks conveying biased information and stereotypical views, and highlighting cultures in discriminatory ways.

Within the Borderlands: Beginning Early Childhood Teachers in Primary Schools

2003 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare Britt ◽  
Jennifer Sumsion
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Primary Education ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Early Childhood Teacher ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
The Difference

This article presents findings from a study undertaken by a pre-service early childhood teacher, that investigated the experiences of four beginning early childhood qualified teachers in primary school settings. The study explored the metaphors that these teachers used when describing their lived experience stories and analysed what these metaphors indicated about the discourses the teachers perceived were available to them, and where they had chosen to situate themselves within these discourses. Throughout the article, the metaphor of ‘border crossings' is used to highlight the focus within much of the literature on the difference and separation between early childhood and primary education. Data were generated through in-depth, open-ended interviews, a group discussion, visual representations and written material. The thematic recurrences and discursive positionings within the metaphors and narratives of the participants were deconstructed and critically analysed using a framework of feminist post-structuralism. In particular, this article explores the discursive positionings related to the teachers' movement within the borderland of early childhood education and primary education. It argues that early childhood teachers in primary schools are operating within an exciting space — an intersection between early childhood education and primary education. Rather than focusing on the difference and separation between these points, the focus shifts to working toward creating points of overlap, of connection — a shared borderland between early childhood education and primary education.

Supporting teachers’ practice through professional learning and development: What’s happening in New Zealand early childhood education?

2020 ◽  
pp. 183693912097906
Author(s):  
Linda Clarke ◽  
Tara McLaughlin ◽  
Karyn Aspden ◽  
Tracy Riley
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Quality Teachers ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Full Picture

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.

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.

scholarly journals Sticky stories from the classroom: From reflection to diffraction in Early Childhood Teacher Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Rigmor Moxnes ◽  
Jayne Osgood
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Early Childhood Teacher ◽  
Early Childhood Teacher Education ◽  
Childhood Education

This article aims to challenge the prominence of reflexivity as a strategy for early childhood teachers to adopt by taking Norwegian early childhood teacher education as its focus. Observed micro-moments from a university classroom generate multilayered, multi-sensorial entangled narratives that address what reflection and diffraction are and what they do – where students, the educator, materiality, space and affects intra-act. Furthermore, the article explores the ways in which teacher educators and students in early childhood teacher education become-with the classroom and materiality, and, in doing so, ideas about professionalism in early childhood education are opened out. By identifying the limitations of reflection, the authors go on to explore what working with diffraction might offer to reach alternative understandings. By placing a focus on seemingly unremarkable and routine events in the life of an early childhood teacher education classroom, the authors offer other, potentially more generative ways to think about student teachers and their further professional practice in kindergartens.

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