The Effect of Professional Development on Multilingual Education in Early Childhood in Luxembourg

While multilingual programmes have been implemented in early childhood education in several countries, professionals have shown to be unsure of how to deal with language diversity and promote home languages. Therefore, there is a need for professional development. The present article discusses the outcomes of a professional course on multilingual education in early childhood delivered to 46 early-years practitioners in Luxembourg. Using a questionnaire administered prior to and after the course as well as interviews, we examined the influence of the training on attitudes to multilingual education and activities to develop Luxembourgish and home languages. The analysis drew on content analysis, paired samples t-test and correlational analysis. The findings show that the course positively influenced the professionals’ knowledge about multilingualism and language learning, their attitudes towards home languages, their interest in organising activities in the children’s home languages and the implementation of these activities. The results shed light on special interest areas such as the quality of input that future professional development courses could focus on.

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Measuring Quality of Privately-Owned Early Childhood Care and Education Centers in the United Arab Emirates: A Ras Al Khaimah Case Study

10.18502/aqf.0130 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Priti Verma ◽

Holly Cook

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Early Childhood Education ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Cultural Development ◽

Early Years ◽

Gulf Region ◽

Childhood Education ◽

Childhood Care

Early childhood is a critical period in our social, cognitive, linguistic, emotional, and self-regulatory development, and extensive research has been conducted on children’s overall developmental processes, influencing factors, and their lifelong impacts. Research suggests the over-arching significance of supporting children’s early development through caregiver-child communication, social interactions, and play. Such interactions and opportunities for development in children’s early years are critical for later academic achievement and well-being. Moreover, the positive long-term effects of high-quality early childhood education (ECE), in particular on children’s development, as well as the economic, social, and cultural development of communities on a larger scale, have been extensively documented. In the Arab Gulf region, especially in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), little research has been done to document and analyze ECE quality, practices, and their impacts. This case study focuses on the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE, investigating the scope of programs and their quality, challenges, and opportunities for growth and improvement. The study found and documented extreme variations in the quality of early childhood education centers (ECECs) in the emirate and highlights the need to improve ECE policies, practices, and facilities by adopting recognized international standards, best practices, and support structures. This paper goes on to present data-driven policy recommendations to improve the quality of ECECs in Ras Al Khaimah and the greater UAE.

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Professional Development in Arts Education for Early Childhood Education: A Creative Exchange Model

International Journal of Early Childhood ◽

10.1007/s13158-021-00290-y ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nóirín Hayes ◽

Jacqueline Maguire ◽

Carmel O’Sullivan

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Early Childhood ◽

Early Childhood Education ◽

Arts Education ◽

Exchange Process ◽

Critical Role ◽

Early Years ◽

Teaching Artists ◽

Building Relationships ◽

Childhood Education

AbstractThis paper reports a model for professional development for early childhood arts education. The research delivered a co-mentoring programme between early years teachers and artists, which applied a process of ‘creative exchange’, in which across a period of 2 years, 12 educators and two teaching artists participated. Common principles underpinning early childhood education and arts education include recognition of the critical role of early experiences and relationships and quality learning opportunities as foundations for positive child development. Using these common principles, early childhood educators and artists worked together as equals to provide an enriched early learning environment with improved use of space and materials in an atmosphere of “unhurried time”. Themes in the evaluation of the professional outcomes for educators and artists included increased engagement with the arts; changes in pedagogy; building relationships between artists and educators; and the importance of making time for reflection and planning. The creative exchange process led to positive changes in practice and strengthened understandings, for both educators and artists, of the capabilities of young children.

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The influence of perception on the provision of early childhood education in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana

African Educational Research Journal ◽

10.30918/aerj.91.20.142 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 179-188

Author(s):

Samuel Oppong Frimpong ◽

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Early Childhood Education ◽

Young Children ◽

Developmentally Appropriate ◽

Early Years ◽

Childhood Education ◽

Child Friendly ◽

The Right ◽

Future Education

An individual is born with millions of neurons and the quality of the experiences he/she will have at the early years can potentially determine the future life of that person. This makes quality early childhood education pivotal. However, the perception people have about this influence how they prepare themselves to provide that quality early childhood education for young children. Thus, this qualitative research purposively sampled 26 participants to elicit their views about the perception they have about the criticality of early years experiences and how the perception influenced how they were providing the early childhood education within the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana. Data in the form of interview were analysed thematically. The study found that experiences through the early childhood education are criticality serving as the foundation for future education. The study also found that developmentally appropriate infrastructure (such as tables and chairs sized to the height of learners, spacious and well-ventilated classroom), teachers who are specifically trained in early childhood education and child friendly pedagogy should be in place to ensure quality early childhood education and that how early childhood education was perceived greatly influenced how it was provided. The recommendations based on the findings are that, there should be more advocacy by teachers and headteachers on the criticality of early years experiences to ensure people’s sufficient appreciation for quality early childhood education for young children. Importantly, early childhood education should be completely detached from the primary and basic school to enable it receive the due attention and the needed provision. Individuals with the right perception should be engaged with the provision of ECE.

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Implementing Inclusive Education In Early Childhood Settings: The Interplay and Impact of Exclusion, Teacher Qualities and Professional Development in Ghana

Journal of Educational Research and Practice ◽

10.5590/jerap.2021.11.1.08 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Francis R. Ackah-Jnr ◽

Hyacinth Udah

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Early Childhood ◽

Early Childhood Education ◽

Inclusive Education ◽

School Setting ◽

Early Years ◽

Effective Teacher ◽

Childhood Education ◽

Teacher Qualities ◽

Inclusive Early Childhood

Inclusive education (IE) in the early years enhances young children’s learning, socialization, and development; yet, children with disability are one group that is often isolated, excluded, or marginalized in early childhood education. This paper examines jointly the perceived exclusion practices, teacher qualities, and professional development and the interplay and impact of these factors on effective inclusive early childhood education. Drawing on data collected from individual interviews with teachers and headteachers in a large early childhood and school setting in Ghana, findings of this qualitative study indicate the exclusion practices of teachers. The findings suggest that resistance to IE limits learning, engagement, and social opportunities for children, especially those with disability. The findings also identify that effective teacher qualities and professional development enhance the provision of quality inclusive early childhood education. The study reinforces the need for improved support for teachers and to make sure that they are placed at the center of IE policy and practice.

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Social Investment and Childcare Expansion

10.1093/oso/9780198790488.003.0010 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Margarita León

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Early Childhood Education ◽

Perfect Match ◽

Preschool Education ◽

Conceptual Level ◽

Social Investment ◽

Trade Off ◽

Childhood Education ◽

Education And Care

The chapter first examines at a conceptual level the links between theories of social investment and childcare expansion. Although ‘the perfect match’ between the two is often taken for granted in the specialized literature as well as in policy papers, it is here argued that a more nuance approach that ‘unpacks’ this relationship is needed. The chapter will then look for elements of variation in early childhood education and care (ECEC) expansion. Despite an increase in spending over the last two decades in many European and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, wide variation still exists in the way in which ECEC develops. A trade-off is often observed between coverage and quality of provision. A crucial dividing line that determines, to a large extent, the quality of provision in ECEC is the increasing differentiation between preschool education for children aged 3 and above and childcare for younger children.

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Understanding Early Childhood Science Education: Comparative Analysis of Australian and Finnish Curricula

Research in Science Education ◽

10.1007/s11165-020-09980-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sari Havu-Nuutinen ◽

Sarika Kewalramani ◽

Nikolai Veresov ◽

Susanna Pöntinen ◽

Sini Kontkanen

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Science Education ◽

Early Childhood Education ◽

Comparative Study ◽

Learning Outcomes ◽

Science Curriculum ◽

Early Years ◽

Childhood Education ◽

Curriculum Framework ◽

International Comparative

AbstractThis research is a comparative study of Finnish and Australian science curricula in early childhood education (EC). The study aims to figure out the constructivist components of the science curriculum in two countries as well as locate the similarities and differences in the rationale and aims, contents, learning outcomes, learning activities, teacher’s role and assessment. The curriculum analysis framework developed by Van den Akker (2003) was used as a methodological framework for the curricula analysis. Based on the theory-driven content analyses, findings show that both countries have several components of constructivist curriculum, but not always clearly focused on science education. The Australian Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) integrates children’s science learning within their five specific learning outcomes, whereas the Finnish national core curriculum for early childhood education and care has no defined learning outcomes in general. The Finnish curriculum more clearly than EYLF encompasses science and environmental education as a learning domain, within which children participate in targeted scientific activities to gain procedural knowledge in specific environmental-related concepts. More focus should be turned to the teachers’ role and assessment, which are not determined in science context in both countries. This international comparative study calls for the need of a considered EC curriculum framework that more explicitly has science domains with specifically defined rationale, aims, content areas, learning outcomes and assessment criteria. The implications lie in providing early childhood educators with tangible and theoretically solid curriculum framework and resources in order to foster scientific thinking in young children.

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Finnish Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of Perceived Competence in Early Childhood Physical Education

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18126454 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (12) ◽

pp. 6454

Author(s):

Anne Soini ◽

Anthony Watt ◽

Arja Sääkslahti

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Teacher Training ◽

Early Childhood Education ◽

Motor Skills ◽

Perceived Competence ◽

Early Years ◽

Self Report ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Teachers Perceptions ◽

Childhood Education

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers have a central role in supporting young children’s physical activity (PA) and overall development in the early years. However, the value of early childhood education teacher training (ECETT) programmes is not widely understood. This study aimed to investigate pre-service teachers’ perceptions of perceived competence when (1) supporting a child’s PA, (2) teaching PE, and (3) observing and assessing a child’s motor skills and PA. These self-evaluations were compared with a range of individual, educational, and behavioural characteristics. Final-year Bachelor degree pre-service teachers (n = 274; 54%) from seven universities in Finland participated in the self-report questionnaire. The results of the linear regression models showed that the relevant PE studies and previous experiences of pre-service teachers predicted higher perceived competence of supporting a child’s PA, teaching PE, and observing and assessing a child’s motor skills and PA. Thus, the study findings demonstrated how teacher training could positively influence perceptions and attitudes to increase a person’s perceived competence when implementing PE in the early years. Overall, results reinforce the importance of PE in ECETT, and the time devoted to this syllabus area should be maintained or increased.

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