Early Childhood Education And Care Settings Research Articles

Danish Early Childhood Education and Care

Abstract This special issue presents a selection of current research on Danish early childhood education and care (ECEC) aimed at an international audience. The Nordic tradition of child-centred, local and holistic pedagogy is dominant within the Danish educational culture, but the Danish pedagogical approach is the focus of an ongoing dialogue involving political preoccupations with ECEC quality and what is best for the children’s development and learning. Since 2004, Danish ECEC settings have been obliged to work on children’s learning based on a pedagogical curriculum organised around six previously established themes prepared at each local ECEC centre according to specific guidelines. In 2018, a more detailed description of the content of the curriculum and a common pedagogical foundation was introduced in a strengthened curriculum – partly because the previous curriculum led institutions too far away from the existing pedagogical culture. The strengthened curriculum points to key elements such as play, child-centredness, communities of children and a broad concept of learning – to constitute the understanding and approach to work on children’s well-being, learning, development and formation in ECEC. New research from Danish professionals is presented, revolving around key areas in the strengthened curriculum in order to invite further dialogue with international colleagues about children’s play, fun and well-being, quality cultures, children’s communities, transitions, aesthetics and vulnerability.

Educators’ Construction of a Sense of Belonging in ECEC: An Australian Case Study

The involvement of refugee families in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is a complex issue in many countries. In this paper, we explore how early childhood (EC) educators construct refugee families’ sense of belonging in two metropolitan and one regional EC setting in Victoria, Australia. We undertook a multiple case study, analyzing interview data. We implemented Bourdieu’s notion of cultural capital and identity capital, drawing on the Provision Articles from the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and the Australian Early Years Learning Framework 2.0. Our study revealed the tensions between creating a sense of belonging and recognizing the identity and cultural capital of refugee children and their families as they access ECEC programs. We conclude with suggestions for ways forward to navigate this space, including the need for greater awareness of research on the importance of a sense of belonging for refugee families in ECEC settings.

Barriers and enablers to a healthy food environment in Australian childcare services: Exploring directors' perspectives.

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings are ideal environments to optimise nutrition and positively influence children's food behaviours. However, recent research has identified the need to improve nutrition policies, food provision, and mealtime environments in Australian ECEC settings. This study explored the perceptions of ECEC directors regarding barriers and enablers to a health-promoting food environment within ECEC services. Eleven directors from ECEC services in Nerang, Queensland, and surrounding areas, participated in qualitative interviews between March and May 2021. Transcripts were analysed using qualitative content analysis that followed a deductive-inductive approach employing nutrition-related domains from the Wellness Child Care Assessment Tool, these being: (i) nutrition policy; (ii) nutrition education; (iii) food provision; and (iv) mealtimes. Transcripts were coded independently by two researchers in NVivo and consensus for barriers and enablers was achieved through discussion. Barriers and enablers were reported across four domains (nutrition policy, nutrition education, food provision, and mealtimes). Comprehensive nutrition-related policies were an enabler to a healthy nutrition environment but were sometimes described as lacking detail or customisation to the service. Nutrition education for children was described as competing with other activities for time and resources in an already-crowded curriculum. Financial and time pressures faced by families were a barrier to healthy food provision in services where families provided food for children. The ability of staff to sit with children and engage in conversation during mealtimes was an enabler; however, competing demands on time and the unavailability of food for staff were cited as barriers to health-promoting mealtimes. Directors in ECEC services report both barriers and enablers to a healthy food environment. Nutrition policies were an enabler when comprehensive and relevant but a barrier when vague and not tailored to the service environment. ECEC services should be supported to develop and implement service-specific nutrition policies and practices by engaging with parents and staff. SO WHAT?: The barriers and enablers reported in this study should be considered when designing and implementing future evidence-based interventions to improve the nutrition environment in ECEC services.

Trauma-informed Interventions in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings: A Scoping Review.

Trauma in early childhood is a significant public health concern. Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services are uniquely positioned to buffer the negative impact of early childhood trauma on children. This scoping review synthesized studies evaluating trauma-informed interventions in ECEC settings through a systematic search of four relevant online databases (PsycINFO, Medline, ERIC, A+ Education). Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria, with 12 ECEC center-based trauma-informed interventions evaluated. Types and components of trauma-informed interventions, outcomes, and measures are presented. Findings suggest that trauma-informed interventions in ECEC settings are nascent but growing. Increasingly, programs are adopting multi-tiered system of support to address early childhood trauma, with these models suggesting promising results. The predominant focus of ECEC center-based trauma-informed interventions was upskilling teachers through training and coaching, with studies focused on assessment of teacher-level outcomes. Child, organization, and caregiver-level outcomes are not explored to the same extent, with evaluation of organizational outcomes relying predominately on qualitative methods. Whilst the short-term outcomes of trauma-informed approaches in ECEC have been examined, longer-term impacts and the causal mechanistic pathways of such programs have yet to be explored.

Professionalism and everyday practices in early childhood education and care: Singaporean pre-service teachers’ perspectives

ABSTRACT Notions of professionalism are central to how EC teachers enact practice. We explore how a group of Singaporean early childhood education and care (ECEC) pre-service teachers (PSTs) understand the notion of professionalism in this paper, drawing on their identity text work. The analysis is grounded by de Certeau’s thinking on the practice of everyday life, examining ideas about space, strategies and tactics. Findings show that PSTs’ notions of professionalism involve creative tactical use of resources and space in ECEC settings. We argue that this reflexive identity work challenges ways of knowing, foregrounding alternative spaces for understanding professionalism.

Emotional Sensibility Observation Scale: Measuring Quality Relationships and Early Childhood Educators’ Emotional Perceptibility in Responding to Children’s Cues

An educator’s ability and willingness to be perceptive and responsive to the cues of children in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings can affect the quality of the relationships built. Although several instruments that aim to measure quality relationships currently exist, these instruments are often not exclusive to the educator–child dynamic, fail to be context-sensitive, and do not mitigate scope for observer subjectivity. The Emotional Sensibility Observation Scale (ESOS) was developed in collaboration with ECEC stakeholders (teachers, educators, centre directors, and researchers) in Australia to address the aforementioned gaps while acknowledging the unique relationships between educators and children in ECEC settings. It is proposed in the paper that the ESOS may serve as a useful tool for researchers and educators to assess Early Childhood (EC) educators’ ability to accurately read and respond to children’s cues and to measure the quality of relationships built over time.

Effects of multilingualism on Australian infants’ language environments in early childhood education centers

This study investigates differences in the language environments experienced by multilingual and monolingual infants in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. The Language Environment Analysis (LENA) technology was used to collect day-long audio-recordings from 181 one-year-old infants (age range from 12 to 21 months). We examined whether infants’ multilingual status predicts the amount of educators’ language input (adult word count, AWC), child vocalizations (CVC) and conversational turns (CTC), as well as interaction effects on AWC, CVC and CTC of infants’ multilingual status and other infant, home and ECEC characteristics. Multilevel mixed effects models revealed no main effect of infants’ multilingual status on the language environment outcome variables. Instead, infant gender significantly predicted adult word count, with female infants hearing more words from educators than male infants. There was a significant interaction effect between the infants’ multilingual status and both their age and length of time in an ECEC setting on child vocalizations. While monolingual infants produced more vocalizations as their age increased, multilingual infants did not show this increase in vocalizations with age. Further, the difference between monolingual and multilingual children’s vocalizations decreased as the length of time in ECEC increased. There were no significant predictors of conversational turns. Findings from this study suggest that early childhood educators do not adjust their talk according to the multilingual status of the infants. However, multilingual infants do not increase their vocalizations as their age increases to the same extent as do their monolingual peers. The interaction effect between multilingualism and the length of ECEC attendance also implies that ECEC environments may be particularly beneficial for supporting multilingual infants’ vocalizations. This study highlights the need to provide pedagogical support to educators to help them to encourage multilingual infants’ vocalizations in ECEC settings.

Workplace Bullying in Early Childhood Education Settings: Prevalence and Protective Factors

Workplace bullying in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector is a pervasive and significant issue in Australia and globally. Workplace bullying can negatively impact early childhood professionals’ mental health, contributing to staff turnover and attrition. Given the current, and predicted, future shortages of ECEC staff, it is critical that strategies be implemented to support staff well-being and maintain healthy and safe workplaces. The aims of this study were to examine the current prevalence of workplace bullying in the ECEC sector in Australia and to identify protective workplace factors associated with lower prevalence of workplace bullying. Using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, findings are drawn from qualitative and quantitative survey questions within a large study on ECEC educators’ well-being conducted in Australia. Participants were 591 early childhood professionals working in ECEC a variety of ECEC settings. Findings indicated that 24.6% of respondents reported experiencing workplace bullying and that most bullying was perpetrated by co-workers. Some workplace factors were related to lower rates of bullying, including positive teamwork, better supervisor relations, lower work-related stressors and having greater influence on workplace decisions. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to informing policy and practices to address workplace bullying in the ECEC sector by identifying aspects of the workplace that serve as protective factors.

Together from kindergarten: exploring quality to inform inclusion in early childhood settings in Bulgaria

ABSTRACTThe Bulgarian Government has made a commitment to inclusive early childhood education and care (ECEC) systems for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). High-quality ECEC settings are more inclusive and responsive to children's individual learning needs. In partnership with UNICEF, the Ministry for Education established a pilot project, ‘Together from Kindergarten’, to enhance quality and support early childhood settings in creating and maintaining quality conditions that support all children's right to access and participate in ECEC. As part of this project, the ECERS-3 was used as a broad measure to explore quality across 40 kindergarten settings. Evidence suggests that despite the positive attitudes of ECEC teachers towards inclusion, the quality of the kindergartens was low, with particular challenges concerning teacher–child interactions and individualised learning supports. The study offers important insights into how ECEC settings in Bulgaria can enhance quality to develop conditions that support children with SEND to participate in mainstream ECEC provision.

Parental perspectives on ECEC settings that foster child well-being: a comparison across nine European countries

ABSTRACT Parents play a vital role in identifying children’s needs for support and Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) features that support children’s well-being. This study examined parental perspectives on features of ECEC that foster young children’s well-being under and above the age of 3 years by interviewing 359 parents across nine European countries (England, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Portugal). Results revealed that parental perspectives largely converged with quality features discussed in ECEC research. Process quality features were mentioned more frequently than structural features for all children 0- to 6-years-old in almost all countries. However, care-oriented features were mentioned more frequently for under 3 years, and educational-oriented features were mentioned more frequently for the older group. Regarding structural features, patterns of responses across the two age groups were similar in most countries. Age differences were not more pronounced in countries with a split governance system.

Risks of Social Exclusion Among Children in ECEC Settings: Assessments by Parents and ECEC Teachers

Recognizing children at risk of social exclusion (RSE) is one of the key prerequisites for providing direct and appropriate support to children and their families. Timely and proper identification of children at RSE requires collaborative and team-based assessments that include standardized procedures outlined in protocols to accommodate child personality, family factors, and other needs. The objective of the research is to analyze the capacities of early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers to assess the RSE of children by comparing their assessment with the assessment of parents. We used the data about 443 children between 5 and 7 years of age who were attending 10 ECEC institutions in Croatia. Children were assessed with two versions of the questionnaire. Data were analyzed on a descriptive level, and Cohen’s kappa coefficient was used to determine the agreement between parents’ assessments and ECEC teachers’ assessments. It was found that at least 30% of children in Croatian ECEC institutions had one or more RSE. The results indicate a low proportion of children at RSE recognized both by parents and by ECEC teachers. The Croatian ECEC teachers are not familiar with information that is important for a child’s development, such as poverty, quality of family relationships, and involvement in specialized treatments. These data highlight the need to improve the capacity of Croatian ECEC teachers to participate in the process of assessing the RSE of children.

More than words – how second language learners initiate and respond during shared picture book reading interactions

ABSTRACT Initiating conversations and responding to initiations of others via gestural and verbal means are prerequisites for participating in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) interactions. However, research to date has not addressed the multimodal initiations and responses of young second language learners (SLLs) in natural ECEC settings. This study investigated their initiations and responses during shared picture book reading interactions with ECEC practitioners with a focus on modalities, strategies, as well as the multimodal meanings and types of utterances. Participants were 30 SLLs in German ECEC institutions. Results showed that SLLs responded to the initiations of the practitioners predominantly verbally and initiated interactions mostly multimodally. Furthermore, the children produced more combinations of multi-word utterances and gestures in their initiations than in their responses. These findings complement the body of work demonstrating the varied communicative skills young SLLs use in their interactions as well as by underlining the importance of gestural cues in everyday ECEC interactions.

The Design of Early Childhood Teacher Education Programs: Australian Employer Perspectives with International Program Comparisons

Provision of quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) supports children’s learning with strong agreement that early childhood teachers (ECTs) are central to quality provision. In many countries, it is mandatory that ECEC services employ ECTs. However, Australian ECT employers report that early childhood graduates are not always well-prepared to work in ECEC settings. This may be because what constitutes optimal early childhood initial teacher education programs (EC ITE) is unclear. To investigate the design of EC ITE programs this research reports on (i) design of EC ITE programs across international contexts; and (ii) 19 Australian ECT employers’ perspectives on EC ITE program design. Findings indicate little consensus on the design of EC ITE programs, with inconsistencies across and within countries. Australian employers identified shortcomings in graduates knowledge. This research highlights recommendations to understand how programs prepare ECTs, by conducting research tracking preservice teachers from EC ITE programs into ECEC teaching.

Partnerships in multicultural ECEC settings in Norway: Perspectives from parents and professionals

Partnerships between parents and professionals in early childhood education and care (ECEC) are wellestablished as being important for children’s well-being and learning, and may be especially significantfor children with immigrant backgrounds. The present study uses data from the Inclusive Education and Social Support to Tackle Inequalities in Society (ISOTIS) project to investigate perspectives from parents and professionals regarding their mutual partnership as well as their views on multicultural and multilingual education in culturally and linguistically diverse ECEC settings in Norway. The findings indicate positive partnership views among the parents and professionals, but also suggest the opportunity to create a more shared understanding of the child’s behaviour and potential. The findings further suggest that both parents and professionals value educational practices that promote cultural diversity. However, beliefs regarding multilingual education diverge, indicating that although ECEC may play an important role in children’s multilingual education, there is little agreement on how this role should best be played.

Implementing active play standards: a qualitative study with licensed childcare providers in British Columbia, Canada.

With an increasing number of children attending regular early childhood education and care (ECEC), this setting presents an opportunity to develop physical activity habits and movement skills of children. These behaviours play an important role in the development and well-being of children. In 2017, an Active Play Standard was introduced in British Columbia, Canada, to mandate practices related to physical activity, screen time and movement skill development in licensed ECEC. A capacity-building initiative including training and online resources was released alongside these guidelines to support implementation. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine the barriers and facilitators ECEC practitioners faced in implementing the standard, and to explore the role of the capacity-building initiative. Data were collected via semi-structured telephone interviews with educators (n = 23). Data were coded using thematic analysis and sorted into three major themes influencing provision of physical activity opportunities: attributes and impact of the Active Play standard and capacity-building workshop, characteristics of providers and characteristics of ECEC settings. Future studies should consider targeting factors including organizational culture and climate, and provider capacity to provide physical activity and fundamental movement skill programming, and support for facility level policies and collaborative planning processes that create a positive physical activity culture.

신경건축학 문헌이 유아교육기관 실내 공간 구성에 주는 함의 - 신경생리반응을 측정한 국내외 학술 문헌을 중심으로 -

This study aimed to review experimental studies in Neuro-architecture in order to draw implications to design and organize a desirable indoor environment for early childhood education and care (ECEC). Experimental studies measuring participants’ neuro-physiological responses to examine spatial components’ effects were selected. A total of 63 studies were reviewed, and were classified into four categories according to what aspects of the effects each of the studies focused on: 1)Recovery and Healing, 2)Tension, Arousal and Relaxation, 3)Aesthetic Preference, & 4)Cognitive Performance. Types of spatial components investigated in the studies were twelve in total, most of which were concentrated in color, thermal environments, lighting, and landscaping. Concerning neuro-physiological measures, 19 indicators were found to be used, being also concentrated in a few, such as brain waves, heart rates, blood pressures, etc. Sixty-one out of 63 studies showed significant results, which strongly suggests that space users’ physical, cognitive, affective, and psychological functions are indeed affected by indoor spatial components. The study results were discussed in terms of implications to design and organize an ideal indoor educational settings for young children and to refine legal provision and guidelines pertaining to ECEC settings.

Adoption of Pedagogical Documentation in Finnish ECEC Settings

According to educational research, pedagogical documentation, utilised in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings in several countries around the world, can enhance participation and quality. However, the use of pedagogical documentation does not have an unequivocal meaning and the impact depends on the context and how pedagogical documentation is implemented and adopted. This study investigated how pedagogical documentation was used and adopted among professionals in Finnish ECEC in the wake of a new normative curriculum in 2016 that made pedagogical documentation mandatory. Theoretically, the study is based on educational research that has a close affinity to the Reggio Emilia approach to documentation. The empirical data (N = 135) was derived from a questionnaire that was sent out to ECEC centres in one larger municipality in Finland. Our empirical data was examined using a mix of quantitative and qualitative content analysis. Our findings arrived at four different dimensions presenting various ways of implementing and adopting pedagogical documentation. We see the results as significant both in Finland and internationally, since pedagogical documentation requires interpretation by ECEC professionals and adaptation to local and regional conditions.

Leveraging Languages for Learning: Incorporating Plurilingual Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education and Care

Abstract: Children are members of families and communities, and the languages learnt within these contexts contribute to a child’s sense of “belonging, being and becoming” throughout life (Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations, 2009). Encouraging children to bring their home languages into early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings exposes all children to additional languages and supports key outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF; DEEWR, 2009). This article looks at the relationship between key tenets of the EYLF and conditions that support a plurilingual approach within ECEC settings, arguing that multilingualism can be encouraged and effectively supported within these environments. The authors outline Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory of development which continues to be influential in Australian ECEC, emphasizing the importance of proximal processes in child development. Examples are provided of educator behaviours set out in the EYLF that encourage linguistic diversity and promote language learning. The influence of three key variables on the valuing of languages is discussed, namely language ideologies, teacher beliefs and attitudes, and plurilingual pedagogies. Recommendations relating to the positive positioning of languages and the integration of plurilingual pedagogies into Australian ECEC contexts are provided.

Learning from comparative ethnographic studies of early childhood education and care

ABSTRACT International comparative ethnographic studies of ECEC (Early Childhood Education and Care) are difficult to conduct but worth the effort. Comparative studies featuring thick description and polysemic interpretations can challenge taken-for-granted assumptions, expand the menu of the possible, expose the provincialism of national approaches, and illuminate the global circulation of ECEC practices and ideas. Based on reflections on four major comparative international studies I have led, in this paper I describe effective strategies for conducting comparative ethnographic research in ECEC settings, explicate the rationale for doing so, and provide examples of how this approach can impact research, practice, and policy. Issues I address include the rationale for selecting countries for comparison, the formation of a research team, and distributing interpretive voice and power.

The impact of gastrostomy feeding tubes on the early childhood education and care of young children

This article explores how gastrostomy feeding tubes can impact the early childhood education and care (ECEC) experiences of children. It presents findings from a small‐scale study, which utilised the perspectives of early years educators and parents. The findings indicate that feeding tubes have both an opportunistic and restrictive impact within ECEC. Opportunity was evident through improved nutrition and health, which allowed familial respite and an increased attendance of ECEC. This enabled opportunities for social and explorative interactions. However, the complexities of having and supporting a feeding tube made accessing types of play and exploration challenging. Collaboration between the educators and parents was a crucial tool for success. Educators felt with experience and teamwork they could ensure the needs of children were met innovatively and safely. However, it was concluded clearer advice for attending ECEC settings with a feeding tube would benefit all involved and instil a sense of readiness.