Context Of Early Childhood Education Research Articles

Building a Better Wall: Assessing Children’s Design Technology Learning in Nature-Based Early Childhood Education

The teaching and learning of design technology that occurs in nature-based early childhood education and care (ECEC) contexts such as nature kindergartens remains under-theorised. There is a growing body of scholarship that describes how teaching and learning occurs in these contexts as well as highlighting the benefits for young children learning in the natural environment. Recently, in the perspective of the Australian ECEC sector, how students experience design technology in nature-based contexts (bush kinders, an adaption of the European forest school approach to ECEC) was reported on. Despite design technology being accounted for in bush kinders as part of play-based learning of STEM, assessment of how this learning is supporting student’s comprehension of design technology remains an area for further attention. Often, educators rely solely on observations and anecdotal note taking for assessment which points to a need to support teachers with more rigorous assessment models. This paper adapts an assessment model for science learning and reconsiders it in terms of design technology teaching and learning. The paper’s aim is to support educators to develop children’s deeper understandings of design technology and make learning meaningful in nature-based education settings. Using vignettes, the children’s learning of design technology available in natural surroundings is analysed. This paper proposes that bush kinders are a valuable context for teaching and learning as they allow educators to develop skills to assess children’s design technology knowledge. The analysis of the data and its consideration against one play-based learning assessment model is also valuable in generating a broader narrative that deepens insights into the teaching and learning experience of design technology education in early childhood nature-based contexts.

The Komunikasi Partisipatif Antara Sekolah Dan Keluarga Dalam Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini di RA At Thoriq Batam

Early childhood education plays a crucial role in shaping a child's developmental foundation. In an effort to understand how early childhood education can be enhanced, this research delves into the theme of "Participatory Communication Between School and Family in Early Childhood Education at RA At Thoriq Batam." The research employs a qualitative approach and analyzes the dynamics of communication and family involvement within the context of early childhood education. This research underscores the significance of effective communication between the school and families in establishing a balanced educational environment. The research findings reveal various strategies and factors influencing the level of family involvement in early childhood education. These findings provide a profound insight into how participatory communication can strengthen collaboration between the school and families, ultimately yielding positive impacts on the development of young children. The implications of this research underscore that efforts to build and maintain effective communication between schools and families must be a priority in the context of early childhood education.

Creating early language education affordances in two pre-primary education classrooms

Recently, interest in language education in the early childhood education context has increased in research, curricula, and practice. This study contributes to this field by examining what kind of early language education (ELE) affordances are provided in Finland in two pre-primary classrooms, with two teachers, one using English and one using Swedish as a target language in the classroom. The data consist of video recordings of teaching, observation notes, and interviews with the teachers. The analysis using qualitative reflexive thematic analysis is informed by van Lier’s (2004) and Aronin and Singleton’s (2012) theorisation of affordances. The findings suggest that material affordances included using songs, stories, and pictures. Pedagogically, the teachers combined other curriculum contents with ELE and both shared the objective of implementing playful and action-based ELE, although neither teacher actively collaborated with their team of educators in planning or implementing ELE in practice. The social affordances provided for children by the teachers included promoting a positive atmosphere, pedagogical translanguaging through the teachers’ own use of languages, and creating opportunities for the children to become familiar with and learn the target language. The teachers also enabled social affordances produced by the children in form of their active participation, sharing ideas, and inventing novel ways to approach language education and peer collaboration. The findings offer insights into practices in ELE, the importance of varying ELE affordances for children’s learning and the value of integrating pedagogical translanguaging with whole-day pedagogy.

Mixed methods study supporting the piloting and scaling of a Gender-Responsive Play-Based Learning training package for pre-primary teachers in Rwanda and Mozambique

Despite significant investments to increase access to and improve the quality of primary school education, fewer than half of the world's primary-level pupils have gained grade-level literacy and numeracy skills. While the learning crisis is complex, high-quality early childhood education (ECE) can be a critical piece of this puzzle. Integrating the use of gender equitable, gender responsive and play-based pedagogies into ECE curricula can be an important step towards enhancing the quality of ECE and supporting the school readiness of girls and boys, also in low-income contexts. This study explored the effectiveness of a Gender-Responsive Play-Based Learning (GRPBL) training package for ECE teachers Rwanda and Mozambique on classroom environment and child early learning and development. The study was mixed methods and used Focus Group Discussions, in-depth interviews and standardized classroom and child assessments using the globally validated International Development Early Learning Assessment (IDELA) toolkit. The study showed that in Mozambique, the training had positive effects on classroom environment and consequently on child early learning outcomes, with the strongest effect found on emergent literacy. The training did not succeed at improving the same outcomes in Rwanda. Contextual factors such as high student to teacher ratios, lack of teaching experience and limited support by school leaders and parents, likely constrained teachers in Rwanda to make deep changes to their instructional practices while we did see evidence of such changes in Mozambique. A training on GRPBL, can thus have powerful effects on classroom and child outcomes, even in low resource settings. However, effects may vary depending on the implementation context. To support policymakers, local and international implementers in their journey to improve the quality of ECE, more time needs to go into understanding what type of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) aligns with the existing ECE context and systems so that teachers, children and parents can optimally benefit from CPD opportunities.

Enhancing Early Childhood Literacy through Reading Corners: A Phenomenological Study at Thiflah Early Childhood Education, Aceh Besar

This study explores the effectiveness of reading corners in enhancing literacy among early childhood learners at Thiflah Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aceh Besar, Indonesia. Employing a phenomenological research design with qualitative methods, this study aims to understand the subjective experiences of educators and learners about literacy enhancement strategies. The research incorporated observations, interviews, and documentation, with a focus on the role of the reading corner in fostering literacy. Results indicated significant improvements in children’s engagement and comprehension in reading, writing, and arithmetic, attributed to the interactive and play-oriented learning environment. However, challenges such as insufficient resources and reliance on student teachers with limited experience were identified. The findings suggest that the reading corner approach, aligning with Indonesia's National Literacy Movement, can be a viable model for enhancing early literacy in various educational settings. The study recommends further research into the effectiveness of reading corners in diverse ECE contexts and emphasizes the need for resource enhancement and teaching methodology improvements. These insights are crucial for developing engaging, child-centric learning environments for early literacy development and overall child growth, contributing significantly to Indonesia's National Literacy Movement.

Introducing the PETaL approach in ECE classrooms in Indonesia

The study explores the implementation of the PETaL approach as a strategy to cultivate Intercultural Education (IE) in Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Indonesia through the lens of kindergarten teachers. The study implemented Mixed Methods Approach (Creswell & Clark, 2017) to provide reliable data about how the PETaL approach is perceived by teachers, and how it is actually being executed in the ECE context in Indonesia. The implementation included four hours of interventions to train participating teachers about Intercultural Education and a thorough introduction to the PETaL approach. This study used interviews and semi-structured observations as the instruments of the research. The data analyzed reported positive feedback from kindergarten teachers regarding the implementation of the PETaL approach in the Indonesian context. In accordance to how this approach has been applied, the study reported medium to high success rate in the application of the PETaL approach as the mean value showed 1,21 out of 2 in average with moderate to high variations. Conclusions indicate that the PETaL approach had been applied well by participating teachers of ECE in Indonesia, adhering coherently to its principles. Nevertheless, further training and continuous guidance are needed to improve the pertinence level of implementation in the Indonesian context.

Strategies for Enhancing Early Childhood Science Literacy Through STEAM Education

The primary objective of this study is to enhance young children's comprehension of scientific concepts by implementing the STEAM approach within the context of Early Childhood Education (PAUD). The STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) pedagogy for preschoolers emphasizes dynamic learning, stimulates cognitive engagement, facilitates problem-solving, nurtures structured and methodical reasoning, and enhances critical thinking skills. Conducted using the Classroom Action Research method guided by the Kemmis cycle model, this study involves a cohort of 15 participants from group B, aged 5-6 years, and spans across preliminary cycles, Cycle I, and Cycle II, comprising phases of planning, execution, observation, and reflection. The comprehensive deliberation's outcome establishes the potential for enhancing scientific literacy among young children through the implementation of STEAM education. This advancement in scientific understanding is facilitated through captivating balloon experiments, utilizing colors that resonate with children's preferences. The attainment of scientific knowledge, as evident through the STEAM approach, manifests at a rate of 10% during the Pre-Cycle, 26% during Cycle I, and an impressive 72% during Cycle II. The cumulative findings unequivocally underscore the profoundly positive role of STEAM pedagogy in augmenting scientific cognizance during the formative years of early childhood.

Understanding Middle Eastern parents’ expectations for their children’s early education in New Zealand: Early childhood teachers’ perspectives

The Middle Eastern population in New Zealand has grown significantly in the past two decades. However, little is known about Middle Eastern parents’ expectations and their children’s experiences of the New Zealand early education system. The PhD research on which this article is based was an attempt to address this gap. The findings discussed in this article derive from semistructured interviews with four case-study teachers. Using thematic analysis and drawing on constructs from critical multiculturalism and funds of knowledge, I argue that there is a lack of congruence between the early childhood discourses promoted by the New Zealand teachers and Middle Eastern parents’ expectations for their children’s early education. Possible implications for early childhood pedagogy are suggested to meet the needs of increasingly ethnically and culturally diverse early childhood educational contexts.

Measuring Quality in Two Early Childhood Education Contexts: Centre-Based Childcare and Four-Year-Old Preschool

The quality of early childhood experiences is crucial to a child’s development and educational success. Yet few early childhood education and care services in the world today offer a consistently high level of educational quality. In particular, educational quality depends on the context’s characteristics. The aim of this study was therefore to measure and compare the educational quality experienced in two distinct educational contexts, located in Quebec: early childhood centres and 4-year-old preschools. Results of the study indicate that there are very few significant differences between these two educational contexts in terms of interaction quality and pedagogical orientations quality, while variables related to structural quality vary greatly. Correlational and regression analyses carried out separately on each educational context show that few variables are predictive of interaction quality levels, suggesting that other variables, notably related to pedagogical orientations quality, would better explain variations in adult-child interactions predictive of child development. These results have implications for initial training curriculum aimed towards adults working in early childcare and for future directions in research on educational quality, including rethinking the importance of pedagogical orientations and structures in the ecosystemic model of quality.

Development of Makassar Tribal Local Wisdom Theme in Early Childhood Education Main Activities

The present study focuses on the development of themes in play activities within the context of Early Childhood Education (ECE). The primary aims of this study are to ascertain the characteristics and requirements associated with the incorporation of local wisdom from the Makassar Tribe into children's play activities. The aim of this study is to determine the design of a prototype that incorporates the theme of indigenous wisdom from the Makassar Tribe within the context of early childhood education. The aim of this study is to evaluate the authenticity of the indigenous knowledge theme within the Makassar Tribe, specifically in relation to Early Childhood Education. The primary aim of this research is to evaluate the viability of integrating the indigenous wisdom of the Makassar Tribe into the framework of Early Childhood Education. This research methodology employs the process of Research and Development (R&D), encompassing the sequential steps of Define, Design, Development, and Dissemination. Nevertheless, this study only attained the Development phase. The data collection process encompassed the use of observation, questionnaire administration, and documenting approaches. The acquired data were subsequently subjected to a statistical analysis to evaluate the validity and usefulness of the product. The findings indicate the need of incorporating learning themes centred around the Makassar tribe local wisdom into early childhood play activities. The research has yielded several products, including prosem, RPPM, RPPH, and teaching guidebooks that document the advancement of the indigenous knowledge theme of the Makassar Tribe. The outcomes of the validity and practicality assessments indicate a high level of validity, suggesting that the created items are highly suited for use. This study investigates the evolution of indigenous knowledge within the Makassar Tribe, with a particular emphasis on many dimensions including language, music, clothing, regional dances, and traditional sports. The outcomes derived from this research will facilitate educators in effectively fostering children's learning via play, aligning with the Visitation Assessment Instrument (IPV) BAN PAUD and PNF (National Accreditation Board for Early Childhood Education and Non-Formal Education).

Optimization of the game improvement and data analysis model for the early childhood education major via deep learning

An ever-growing portion of the economy is dedicated to the field of education, intensifying the urgency of identifying strategies to secure the sector’s enduring prosperity and elevate educational standards universally. This study introduces a model for enhancing games and optimizing data analysis within the context of early childhood education (ECE) majors, hinging on deep learning (DL). This approach aims to enhance the quality of instruction provided to ECE majors and refine the effectiveness of their professional pursuits. This study commences by examining the incorporation of DL technologies within the domain of ECE and delving into their fundamental underpinnings. Subsequently, it expounds upon the design philosophy underpinning ECE games operating within the framework of DL. Finally, it outlines the game improvement and data analysis (GIADA) model tailored to ECE majors. This model is constructed upon DL technology and further refined through the integration of convolutional neural networks (CNN). Empirical findings corroborate that the DL-CNN GIADA model achieves data analysis accuracy ranging from 83 to 93% across four datasets, underscoring the pronounced optimization prowess bestowed by CNN within the DL-based GIADA model. This study stands as an invaluable reference for the application and evolution of artificial intelligence technology within the realm of education, thereby contributing substantively to the broader landscape of educational advancement.

Examining the Implementation of Artificial Intelligence in Early Childhood Education Settings in Ghana: Educators’ Attitudes and Perceptions towards Its Long-Term Viability

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has witnessed significant advancements in recent years, with potential applications in various sectors, including education. Early childhood education (ECE) is a critical stage that lays the foundation for a child’s future development and learning. This study aims to explore the attitudes and perceptions of educators in Ghana towards implementing AI in ECE settings, focusing on its long-term viability. The research employs a qualitative approach, utilising interviews and focus group discussions to gather data from educators in selected ECE settings across four (4) early childhood settings in Ghana. The study investigates eight (8) educators’ experiences, concerns, and expectations regarding integrating AI technologies into their teaching practices. It explores the factors influencing their attitudes towards AI, including familiarity with the technology, pedagogical beliefs, cultural context, and training opportunities. Preliminary findings indicate a diverse range of perspectives among educators towards AI implementation in ECE settings. Some educators perceive AI as promising for enhancing teaching and learning experiences, providing personalised instruction, and facilitating early childhood development. They recognise the potential benefits of AI in supporting cognitive, social, and emotional growth among young learners. Concerns are expressed regarding the implications of AI on human interaction, child privacy, and the role of educators in fostering holistic development. This study contributes to the emerging field of AI in education by examining the context of ECE in Ghana. The findings informed policymakers, educational institutions, and AI developers about the perceptions and concerns of educators, ultimately guiding the development and implementation of AI technologies in a manner that aligns with the needs and aspirations of the Ghanaian ECE community.

Animated movements, animating methods: An interaction geography approach to space and affect in early childhood education

This article uses a comparative case study to examine how a methodological approach called interaction geography provides alternative ways to animate space, movement, and affect within the context of early childhood education. We take animation to incorporate the methods for representing space, movement, and affect; the social-material environment which animates the people and things we study; and the lively, energetic talk-in-interaction that takes place as people and things move. Our first case uses interaction geography to animate what we call gestural energies and choreographies between a teacher, students, and materials in a bilingual kindergarten classroom activity. Our second case uses interaction geography to animate a young child’s excitement for learning and teaching through movement in a cultural heritage museum. Together, our analysis demonstrates how interaction geography provides alternative ways to conceptualize the multimodal nature of literacy practices and contributes to a recent turn to affect in literacy research. We discuss how this work has implications not only for literacy researchers, teachers, and teacher educators, but also for architects, administrators, and researchers concerned with the physical design of literacy spaces.

Bush Kinders: Building Young Children’s Relationships with the Environment

AbstractEarly childhood is an important time for building children’s affinity with nature and the environment. Early childhood professionals play a crucial role in developing young children’s understanding of the natural world. Over the past 50 years, there has been a movement in early childhood education and care contexts to provide young children with the opportunity to learn in natural surroundings such as forest schools and nature kindergartens. This research, occurred in four bush kinders, an Australian example of nature-based, early years education influenced by the forest school approach to education. In this paper we interrogate key ideas concerning environmental education, drawing on seminal empirical research, guiding curriculum documents such as Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework and government policy documents to build understandings of how children’s play can be observed by educators who can then support the children to develop their understandings of the natural world around them. Through ethnography, a methodology that uses both participation and observation of research participants, it became apparent that young children’s play-based learning offers opportunities for development of understandings of the environment. Applying a recent definition of environmental education from the US Environmental Protection Authority (2022), we analysed four vignettes which provide examples of educators and children’s interactions supporting children to build an affinity with nature observed during the research. This research’s implications are novel when considering the relatively new bush kinder approach to early childhood education as the findings remind us of the benefits of bush kinders in generating opportunities for young children’s environmental education.

Teachers’ expressed understandings concerning sustainability in the Norwegian ECE context

Education for Sustainability (EfS) seeks to empower children with knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes to address global challenges while adhering to sustainability principles. This study investigates the conceptual understanding and pedagogical practices of EfS among early childhood education (ECE) teachers in Norway. Using mixed-methods design, data were collected through reflection notes, surveys, and didactic development projects, revealing fragmented understanding primarily focused on action-oriented, fact-based, and normative aspects of sustainability. The teachers emphasised waste sorting, recycling, and nature experiences, with limited attention to holistic and pluralistic perspectives. Despite curriculum mandates, sustainability had low implementation in ECE educational plans and collaboration meetings. The findings highlight the need for comprehensive teacher education and support to promote EfS and foster agents for sustainability in the context of ECE.

Outdoor activities promoting mental and physical health and well-being in Sámi Early Childhood Education and Care institutions

This article explores the current situation of outdoor play for children in Sámi Early Childhood Education and Care institutions (ECECs) in Norway. The main objective is to discover how Sámi ECEC practices contribute to outdoor play and learning in early childhood education and community contexts by addressing the following research questions: How do Sámi ECEC staff emphasize outdoor activities and play in their daily practice, and how can these activities be regarded as a way of promoting mental and physical health and well-being? The sample comprises practitioners from seven Sámi ECEC institutions (ECECs) participating in focus-group and individual interviews. The main focus of the interviews was on Sámi ECECs as health-promoting arenas, and outdoor activities appeared to be important in this context. Stepwise-Deductive Induction was used as a qualitative research strategy in the analysis. The staff underline the importance of letting children attempt to be autonomous when it comes to physical and practical activities. They point to the importance of knowing the children and encouraging autonomous achievements. Traditionally, Sámi upbringing places emphasis on doing handicraft and daily work together with the children. The staff describe doing such daily outdoor activities as harvesting, handicraft, and food preparation together with the children as a way of maintaining Sámi culture. The main conclusion is that outdoor activities are important for promoting, experiencing, and contributing to Sámi pedagogy and children’s well-being in the Sámi ECECs.

Early childhood professionals’ pedagogical decision making

ABSTRACT The present study sought to determine how and where pedagogical decisions are made, as well as how such pedagogical decisions construct pedagogy, in the early childhood education context. The data was collected through interviews conducted with 46 early childhood education professionals, both teachers and practical nurses. The questions focused on the participants’ perceptions of the children’s learning and their own role in the process. Both data-based and theory-driven analyses were employed. The theory-driven analysis was based on the ecological dimensions introduced by Bronfenbrenner [Bronfenbrenner, Urie. 1976. “The Experimental Ecology of Education.” Educational Researcher 5 (9): 5–15. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X005009005] and Sheridan (Sheridan, Sonja. 2007. “Dimensions of Pedagogical Quality in Preschool.” International Journal of Early Years Education 15 (2): 197–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760701289151, 2009. “Discerning Pedagogical Quality in Preschool.” Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 53 (3): 245–261. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313830902917295). We found that teachers and practical nurses generally make pedagogical decisions based on their knowledge of child development. Moreover, they use their knowledge of pedagogy and learning theories when making decisions as they make plans for the child or a group of children in advance.

Supporting service integration through early childhood education: challenges and opportunities in regional contexts

IntroductionChildren and families residing in regional Australia experience higher rates of vulnerabilities coupled with inadequate access to the early childhood health and early intervention services which pose increased risk to their health, development and wellbeing. The current study was designed to respond to the inherent complexity of supporting effective integrated service provision in regional communities, with a view to develop a model of effective service integration that leverages the capacity and opportunity of universal early childhood education (ECE) provision.MethodThe study adopted a qualitative multiple case study design to explore the perceptions of ECE professionals across six regional ECE services and two early intervention professionals operating from a regional early childhood intervention (ECI) organization. Data included an initial audit of the service system landscape coupled with facilitated discussions (focus groups and interviews) to identify facilitators and challenges to service integration and current patterns of service usage and engagement.ResultsFindings highlighted the foundational importance of relationships for establishing trust, engagement and service sustainability, as well as the need for embedding structural supports, including the professionalization of educators, the utilization of a key worker model, and staff retention. Systemic constraints, including limitations and inconsistencies in community infrastructure, program atrophy, and the complexity of referral systems, were seen to undermine effective service integration.DiscussionFindings speak to the potentiality of the ECE context as a hub for effective service integration within a functional practice framework for ECE. We conclude by offering a suggested model to ensure service connections, and enhance professional capacity and sustainability.

Early Childhood Educators’ Physical Literacy Predict Their Self-Efficacy and Perceived Competence to Promote Physical Activity

ABSTRACT Research Findings: Early childhood educators’ own disposition has been suggested to contribute to their ability to promote physical literacy (PL) in young children. There is currently limited evidence of educators’ own PL, and studies have not explored how PL relates to teaching knowledge and behaviors in the early childhood education (ECE) context. This current study examined the relationships of teachers’ perceived PL with their self-efficacy and perceived professional competence in relation to promoting physical activities in ECE settings. A total of 338 early childhood educators from Hong Kong responded to an online survey that consisted of the Perceived Physical Literacy Inventory (PPLI), Chinese version of the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (C-TSE(R)), and Teachers’ Professional Competence (TPC) questionnaire. The findings revealed that educators’ perceived PL is moderately associated with self-efficacy and professional competence when conducting physical activities in ECE contexts. The PL attributes of self-expression and communication, and knowledge and understanding were significant predictors of educators’ self-efficacy in classroom management and teaching strategies, as well as their professional knowledge and attitudes. Practice or Policy: The findings suggest that ECE teachers’ training should consider aspects of their own PL to enable their self-efficacy and perceived competence for conducting physical activities in ECE settings and thereby promote the PL of young children.

Expectations of leadership in the changing context of Finnish early childhood education

In this study, we explore the discourses and dilemmas embodying Finnish early childhood education leaders' expectations regarding their leadership. The data were collected in three focus group interviews with leaders in three municipalities. Four discourses were identified: the discourse of leadership in change, the discourse of leading an expert organisation towards a vision, the discourse of leadership style, and the discourse of leading the ECE mission. Contextual change is the framework in which expectations occur. Leaders experience many dilemmas affecting their leadership. The dilemmas focused on leading change in the administrative hierarchy, leading an expert organisation, approachability, and leading according to one's mission. Leaders themselves should identify the dilemmas. Strengthening leadership in a changing work context requires the identification of dilemmas.