How do home-based co-ordinators support educators to notice recognise and respond to children's learning?

Abstract

Home-based services are important providers of early childhood education. Government statistics show that between 1990 and 2004, the number of New Zealand children enrolled in licensed home-based services rose from 1611 to 9922 (Ministry of Education, 2004a), an increase of 616 percent. Despite the rapid growth in enrolments, to date very little research has been published in the home-based field within New Zealand. Most of the research that has been undertaken focuses on the issue of training (for example, Everiss, 1998; Foote & Davey, 2003; Foote & Ellis, 2003). These few studies all suggest that increased training for educators is necessary to produce quality learning outcomes for children. However, there has been considerable debate within the sector about what form this training should take. As the sector engages with debates about training, it is important that these discussions avoid generalisations from research conducted in other settings (Clarke-Stewart, Vandell, Burchinal, O'Brian, & McCartney, 2002) and considers the special characteristics of the sector (Foote & Ellis, 2003). One feature of home-based early childhood education is that co-ordinators have the responsibility to ensure that the home-based educators are implementing Te Whariki, the early childhood curriculum (Ministry of Education, 1996) and providing individual plans and assessment for children. The Education Review Office noted where Coordinators are able to give caregivers [educators] clear guidance on the use of formal documentation and on putting planning into practice, some networks have been able to show high quality curriculum management (2001, p. 15). In addition, professional development for early childhood teachers/educators has been shown to have a trickle-down effect for children and a direct relation to improving their learning outcomes (Mitchell & Cubey, 2003). However, despite the co-ordinators' central role in home-based services, there has been very little research to show exactly how their work assists home-based educators to understand and promote children's learning. This project was instigated by three co-ordinators following positive Education Review Office reports of their home-based networks. It appeared that the approach developed in this setting was working well and supported quality provision for children (Education Review Office, 2005a, 2005b, 2005c, 2005d). The co-ordinators worked in partnership with a university researcher to explore these questions: * What are co-ordinators doing to support educators to notice, recognise, and respond to children's learning? * What changes are evident in educators' practice as a result of what co-ordinators do? * What factors seem to be important in this process? Full details of the study are available in Hooker, Peters, Biggar, and Bleaken (2008). Research context and participants This study was based in Hamilton Childcare Services Trust Home-based Childcare, which at the time of the research had four home-based networks. The project was led by co-ordinators from three of these networks. All three have a recognised early childhood qualification, are fully registered teachers, and have a broad knowledge of, and experience in, the early childhood sector. The focus was on the co-ordinators' role, but in order to investigate this it was important to gain data from the educators. From volunteers from the three networks, 15 were randomly selected. They had between five months' and 17 years' experience. Approval for this research was gained from the School of Education Ethics Committee at the University of Waikato. A key ethical consideration was the ongoing relationship between co-ordinators and educators. The university researcher ensured that educators could speak freely and confidentially about the training the co-ordinators provided. …