Young children with disabilities, marginalised and voiceless: A case of Eswatini

Significantly, many people with disabilities are victims of classification over generalizations with the assumption that disability is equal to inability. This study focused on challenges faced by children with disabilities in accessing Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) services in Manzini Region of Eswatini. Anchored on the Critical Disability Theory which views disability as a cultural, historical, relative, social, and political phenomenon, the study assessed and analysed the disability issues on the accessibility to ECCD services for young children. Through interviews, data was collected from10 ECCD centres in Manzini which were purposively selected. Ten ECCD teachers, 5 principals, and 5 parents/caregivers participated in the study. The results revealed that failure by these children to access ECCD services in the community impacts negatively on their holistic development. Sadly, young children living with a disability in Eswatini face significant challenges, one of the reasons, just like most of our African countries, being that those who have some form of disability were bewitched or inflicted by some bad spirits. ECCD specialist educators highlighted the need for comprehensive training services that will help them cater to children with special needs. The study recommended for extensive awareness programmes to sensitize communities on the rights of the child, regardless of body, mental or sensory condition.

Early childhood care and education in the cultural context of Aotearoa (New Zealand)

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Early childhood care and education in the cultural context of Aotearoa (New Zealand)

© 2018 Taylor and Francis. Early childhood care and education in Aotearoa (New Zealand) has been celebrated through the international interest in the innovative sociocultural curriculum, Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa (New Zealand Ministry of Education, 1996). This document is now 20 years old, and is at the time of writing being updated by the New Zealand Ministry of Education. 1 In this chapter, a brief overview of the historical and cultural contexts of early childhood care and education leads into a discussion of some key cultural constructs and values that are recognised in Te Whāriki; in particular, those of the Indigenous people, the Māori. Discussion of the narrative assessment models that were developed to support the implementation of Te Whāriki is followed by an outline of implications for teacher education. The chapter ends with some reflections on aspirations for the future of early childhood care and education in Aotearoa.

Accessible Portfolios: Making it Happen in My Centre: an Action Research Study

<p>This thesis explores how I improved my portfolios assessment practices by making children s portfolios freely available to children, their parents and whānau in the early childhood care and education centre where I worked. As the teacher researcher I present an insider perspective, my world view on how I improved my pedagogical practices in order to gain a deeper understanding of children s learning, and my role in supporting children s learning. This study has two components, a) the writer as the teacher researcher and, b) accessibility of children s portfolios and the involvement of children in the portfolio process. This study uses a qualitative research design, a mixed methodology of self-study action research and case study. Three theories, ecological, sociocultural, and Donald Schön s (1983) theory of learning and practice have informed and guided this research. This eclectic mix of theoretical frameworks provided me with some valuable insights on ways of examining and using portfolios with children, and understanding children s views on their portfolios. The findings in this study are particular to the centre where I worked and they may not be generalisable to other early childhood care and education centres. Nonetheless, my experiences highlight the potential importance of the process and issues that arise from making portfolios accessible. The findings revealed that my experiences of engaging in self-study action research promoted within the centre a community of learners, and an enquiry approach to teaching and learning. The findings of this study suggest that making portfolios freely available provides children with an understanding of the purpose, contents and ownership of their portfolios. When children frequently use and share their portfolios with peers and teachers it can promote critical self-reflection and self-assessment of their learning. Involving children in the portfolio process makes visible to children the value of their contributions to their learning. Overall, this study has significantly improved my pedagogical practices. It has enhanced teachers learning which has in turn, benefited the children s learning. Beyond that, making the portfolios accessible has strengthened parental understanding of their children s experiences at the centre.</p>

Accessible Portfolios: Making it Happen in My Centre: an Action Research Study

<p>This thesis explores how I improved my portfolios assessment practices by making children s portfolios freely available to children, their parents and whānau in the early childhood care and education centre where I worked. As the teacher researcher I present an insider perspective, my world view on how I improved my pedagogical practices in order to gain a deeper understanding of children s learning, and my role in supporting children s learning. This study has two components, a) the writer as the teacher researcher and, b) accessibility of children s portfolios and the involvement of children in the portfolio process. This study uses a qualitative research design, a mixed methodology of self-study action research and case study. Three theories, ecological, sociocultural, and Donald Schön s (1983) theory of learning and practice have informed and guided this research. This eclectic mix of theoretical frameworks provided me with some valuable insights on ways of examining and using portfolios with children, and understanding children s views on their portfolios. The findings in this study are particular to the centre where I worked and they may not be generalisable to other early childhood care and education centres. Nonetheless, my experiences highlight the potential importance of the process and issues that arise from making portfolios accessible. The findings revealed that my experiences of engaging in self-study action research promoted within the centre a community of learners, and an enquiry approach to teaching and learning. The findings of this study suggest that making portfolios freely available provides children with an understanding of the purpose, contents and ownership of their portfolios. When children frequently use and share their portfolios with peers and teachers it can promote critical self-reflection and self-assessment of their learning. Involving children in the portfolio process makes visible to children the value of their contributions to their learning. Overall, this study has significantly improved my pedagogical practices. It has enhanced teachers learning which has in turn, benefited the children s learning. Beyond that, making the portfolios accessible has strengthened parental understanding of their children s experiences at the centre.</p>

Troubled Pedagogies and COVID-19: Fermenting New Relationships and Practices in Early Childhood Care and Education

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities, tensions, and possibilities in the Canadian early childhood education and care system. This paper experiments with the metaphor of fermentation to critically reflect on the ways we, as ECEC postsecondary instructors, were challenged in upholding our pedagogical commitments. Through retrospective analysis of emails, meeting notes, and other personal communications, we examine and describe how our work and pedagogical thinking with students has been contaminated by COVID-19. We highlight the need to refigure relationships to the troubling events and reconceptualize contamination as a potent opportunity to pedagogically ferment practices in the postsecondary classroom through which living and learning well can flourish.