Early Childhood Education Experiences Research Articles

Implications of the Creative Curriculum from the Perspectives of Educators in Qatar University Early Childhood Center

To better understand the effectiveness of any implemented early childhood curriculum, it is vital to pay attention to the experiences of early childhood educators who practiced that curriculum. The purpose of this research is to investigate early childhood educators' experiences with the Creative Curriculum that has been implemented at the Early Childhood Center of Qatar University since 2015. In this phenomenological research, the methodology includes: (a) in-depth phenomenologically based interviews, (b) follow-up online interviews, and (c) a focus group meeting with the teachers. Eight early childhood educators with a wide range of experiences presented their own experiences with the Creative Curriculum. The findings revealed that by implementing the Creative Curriculum, teachers were encouraged to integrate all aspects of the Curriculum. Teachers were inspired to pay close attention to their children’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development and to respond appropriately. This research provides insights and future implications about this specific curriculum in the early childhood field.

Early childhood educator and director experiences of speech pathology-led professional development: A qualitative study

Background: Quality early childhood interactions, especially quality adult–child interactions, are known to form the foundation of future skills associated with social, academic and communicative development. Speech-language therapists (SLTs) can engage with educators in professional development to improve communication environments for children. Understanding the perspectives of early childhood directors and educators in relation to the feasibility, sustainability and impact of professional development is needed. Aim(s): This study investigated the experiences of early childhood educators and directors who participated in a SLT-led professional development training program. Method: Participants were four directors and six early childhood educators. Directors participated in one focus group; educators participated in individual semi-structured interviews. All participants were female and had between 5 and 38 years of experience. They were interviewed following the completion of an eight-week training program. Verbatim transcripts of the director focus group and educator interviews were thematically analysed using NVivo12. Result(s): Three overarching themes were developed. These were the appropriateness and acceptability of the training, impact and professional engagement with eight subsequent themes also identified. Although participants reported positive experiences participating in the training, several practical and translational challenges were identified. Conclusion: The professional development training implemented by SLTs was influenced by a number of factors that assisted or hindered educator and director experience of the program. The appropriateness, acceptability and feasibility of a professional development (PD) program should carefully consider participants’ learning needs and workplace environments.

Looking for Trouble: How Teachers’ Racialized Practices Perpetuate Discipline Inequities in Early Childhood

Racial disproportionality in school discipline is a major U.S. educational problem. Official data show that Black boys are disciplined at the highest rates of any racial and gender subgroup. Scholars suggest the “criminal” Black male image shapes teachers’ views and treatment of their Black male students. Yet few studies examine the everyday mechanisms of racial discipline disparities, particularly in early childhood. This study uses ethnography to understand first-grade teachers’ disciplinary interactions with Black and White boys. The findings uncover teachers’ racialized disciplinary practices via differential surveillance of, differential engagement with, and differential responses to noncompliance from Black and White boys as key mechanisms that reproduce unequal disciplinary experiences in early childhood education.

The lost art of joy in early childhood education

Early childhood education is a sector often mis-represented in the media and public domain, depicting a sector beleaguered by low salaries, lack of professional recognition and inadequate working conditions. Missing from this depiction is the fullness of the everyday teaching and learning experiences of early childhood educators, and subsequent joy experienced in working with young children and families and the significant contribution of this emotion to educator practice and sense of wellbeing. Using an online survey, educators were invited to share their perspectives of factors that are contributing to the crisis in the field, their daily encounters with children and the moments, both big and small, that shaped and guided their pedagogy. Findings suggested that while the concept of joy was embraced and validated by educators, it was also elusive and hard to define. Suggestions for validating the place of joy as central in early childhood education conclude the paper.

Preschool or/and kindergarten? The long-term benefits of different types of early childhood education on pupils' skills.

Developing countries have witnessed great progress in early childhood education (ECE) enrollment rate over the past three decades. Preschool and kindergarten are the two most common types of ECE in developing countries. Questions remain as to which of the two types of ECE is more effective in promoting child development in developing countries, including both cognitive and non-cognitive skills. The objective of this paper is to examine the long-term benefits of attending preschool or/and kindergarten on pupils' cognitive and non-cognitive skills in rural China. We pooled data from two large-scale surveys conducted by the authors themselves at 136 rural primary schools in 20 counties from three provinces in northwestern China in 2009. The final study sample consisted of 9,839 pupils who both reported their ECE experience and completed cognitive and non-cognitive tests. We measured pupils' cognitive skills by standardized math test scores and grade retention, and their non-cognitive skills by both self-reported self-efficacy, mental health, and teacher-reported behaviors. Inverse Probability Weighting (IPW) was used to balance the pre-treatment variables between the treatment (Any ECE, Preschool Only, Kindergarten Only, or Preschool+Kindergarten) and comparison (No ECE) groups. Results from IPW show that compared with their peers without any ECE experience, pupils with any ECE experience perform better in cognitive skills (0.118 standard deviations (s.d.) increase in the TIMSS, 7.1 percentage point (pp) decrease in the probability of grade retention) but not in non-cognitive skills. By ECE types, attending kindergarten only is associated with a 0.150 s.d. increase in the TIMSS, a 7.0 pp decrease in the probability of grade retention, and a 0.059 s.d. decrease in the index of behavioral problems of pupils. Moreover, attending both preschool and kindergarten predicts a lower probability of grade retention, but attending preschool only has few benefits. Heterogenous analyses suggest that the long-term benefits of ECE are more prominent among the Han pupils from households with higher socio-economic status. Our findings imply that increasing access to ECE can be an effective instrument to improve pupils' skills in less-developed rural areas of China, especially their cognitive skills. Among different types of ECE, attending kindergarten contributes more to pupils' skill development in rural China than other types. We call for strengthened efforts to ensure equal access to quality ECE for preschool-aged children in rural China.

Embracing Culturally Relevant Computational Thinking in the Preschool Classroom: Leveraging Familiar Contexts for New Learning

AbstractComputational thinking (CT) is an important twenty-first century skill that begins developing early. Recent interest in incorporating early CT experiences in early childhood education (i.e., preschool) has increased. In fact, the early years mark an important time during which initial competencies are acquired, interest and motivation begins to form, and in which children may develop a sense of belonging in STEM fields. As a result, providing children with access to robotics and computer science experiences to support CT that are also developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant is key. This paper uses the “powerful ideas” of computer science, seven developmentally appropriate CT concepts that children can learn, as a framework and explores the experiences of two (composite) teachers who participated in and co-developed a culturally relevant robotics program and the processes they undertake to support children’s CT development and learning. This paper considers practices that support the seven key powerful ideals while leveraging existing instructional routines and contexts that are already occurring in most classrooms, such as centers, small group activities, classroom environments, and read-alouds. Of note, this paper prioritizes approaches that acknowledge, center, and feature the ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds of young children and their families. Identifying affordable and accessible practices, this paper provides educators with tangible, integrated, and authentic practices to support children’s computational thinking, STEM learning, and sense of belonging.

Anti-Black racism in the early years: the experiences of Black families and early childhood educators in Nova Scotia.

Anti-Black racism is a social determinant of health that has significantly impacted Black children and families. Limited research has examined anti-Black racism during the early years-a critical period of development. In this study, we sought to understand the manifestations of anti-Black racism in early childhood and explore its impact on Black children and families. This qualitative research project was informed by critical race theory, Black Critical Theory and interpretive description. Early childhood educators (ECEs) and parents with Black children between the ages of 18 months and 5 years (n = 15) participated in virtual, semistructured interviews. Awareness of and protection against anti-Black racism was a constant in Black families' lives. Parents felt as though they had to remain hypervigilant and overprotective of their Black children, knowing they were liable to encounter racial violence. The early learning environment was a source of heightened stress for families, given the significant amount of time young children spend in child care. Black children were often "othered" in predominately White spaces and had been objectified by White ECE staff and children. Parents worked to instill a strong sense of self-confidence in their children to counteract the negative impacts of racial discrimination. Results from this study suggest that children as young as 18 months are experiencing racial violence and adverse childhood experiences. Findings may contribute to antiracist policy development and a focus on more inclusive early childhood education for Black children and families.

Conceptualising the education and care workforce from the perspective of children and young people

Children are significant stakeholders within education and care settings. Their views can be invaluable in thinking about what matters to conceptualising, assessing and improving quality in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) settings. As stakeholders, children’s views are rarely listened to by Australian policy makers to assess what constitutes quality and how the quality can be improved. In the process of updating two nationally approved Australian Learning Frameworks (ALFs): Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia 2.0 and My Time Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia 2.0, children’s responses provided meaningful insights into their perceptions of the practices of the educators. The children’s perspectives were gathered in a combination of research methodologies of talking circles, dialogic drawing, and visual elicitation. Their responses about experiences in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) contexts were analysed to provide a deeper understanding about the characteristics of their experiences in the settings. The research process delivered information about children’s perspectives about pedagogical principles and practices that describe the Australian children’s education and care workforce and environments. The process of gathering the children’s perspectives is not without limitations, however the information is invaluable in considering the assessment and improvement of quality in children’s services.

‘Who owns time?’: Reflecting on the temporal dimension of sustainability with Zapatista and Norwegian educators

ABSTRACT Sustainability involves a temporal dimension connecting the past, the present and the future. This article explores the significance of time for sustainability education. It discusses how the understanding of this temporal dimension shapes humans’ relationship with the world and affects the political engagement of the educator with sustainability and the view of herself as a political agent of change. To do so, the article uses an assemblage methodology inspired by Deleuze and Guattari’s (1987) rhizome to connect the experiences of Norwegian early childhood educators and members of the Zapatista organization. Using a critical theory lens and Paulo Freire’s views of educators as cultural workers (Freire 2005, 2017), the article explores two aspects of the temporal dimension that educators relate to across contexts. First, time as a resource, conditioning the relation to the present, the day-to day rhythm and work from a Marxist perspective. Secondly, sustainability’s future orientation, with its connections to the political role of the educator as the creator of social reality. The encounters between Zapatista and Norwegian perspectives show how educators’ positions and roles in reflecting upon, engaging with, and reappropriating the notion of time, are central for sustainability education.

TEACHING EXPERIENCES OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS IN THE NEW NORMAL: THE MULTI-FACETED ENDEAVOR THEORY

            Early childhood is considered to be the fastest developmental stage in human life and is essential for the formation of the physical, intellectual, social and emotional domains. Early childhood educators are expected to provide quality education to all young learners because of their high impact. However, before the COVID-19 pandemic, moderate to high levels of psychological burnout already existed among early childhood educators (Al-Adwan, Zaid, Al-Khayat, Mohammad, 2017). The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread concern globally, posing unprecedented challenges to various parts of society and education, considered one of the most vulnerable sectors (Lansangan & Gonzales, 2020 ). All the demands, expectations, and other concerns in this new normal have made teaching and learning an important and popular research topic (Sut & So, 2021). However, little is known about the teaching experiences of the early childhood educators. In this study, it sought to generate a theory in the teaching experiences of early childhood educators in the new normal. With this purpose, this paper utilized the deductive axiomatic approach in theory generation following the steps provided by Padua (2012). There are five axioms construed:
 (1) the teaching experiences of early childhood educators in the new normal echo the educators' process of development in adjusting to environmental changes; (2) the teaching experiences of the early childhood educators in the new normal involve a learning cycle on how to teach during a pandemic; (3) the teaching experiences of the early childhood educators in the new normal cultivate survival behaviors for overcoming personal and occupational challenges; (4) the teaching experiences of the early childhood educators in the new normal emphasize the fundamental roles of educators in supporting the cognitive, social and emotional needs of children and their families; and (5) the teaching experiences of the early childhood educators in the new normal point out the motivation to achieve a goal. From these five axioms, five propositions were formulated:
 (1) government agencies and academic institutions should provide substantial supports to early childhood educators to adjust with the environmental changes in teaching during this new normal; (2) professional learning communities of early childhood educators should be encouraged to reflect and share on the teaching experiences during the new normal; (3) trainings cultivating survival behaviors for overcoming personal and occupational challenges should be implemented as part of the early childhood education capability enhancement program; (4 teacher-led guidance and counseling activities for parents and children's wellness should be enhanced to support their cognitive, social and emotional needs; and(5) early childhood educators should continue to stay focus and motivated in achieving their goal by giving them opportunities for reflective narratives. With these papers, a multi-faceted Endeavor theory emerged from the classroom experiences of early childhood educators in the new normal. This theory highlights the multiple challenges and struggles early childhood educators experience in teaching in the new normal.

The state of play-based learning in Queensland schools

The literature on play and learning attests many developmental benefits for children. The Australian curriculum endorses play-based learning (PBL) as an age-appropriate teaching pedagogy. However, what enables or prevents PBL in the classroom is not well documented. The present study examined the responses of 334 teachers currently employed in Queensland Primary schools (Prep-6) in order to investigate knowledge, practices, beliefs, confidence and perspectives on matters pertaining to PBL. Findings highlighted organisational issues (space, time, resources), lack of support from leadership and curriculum issues such as assessment and reporting as barriers to PBL. Qualifications and/or experience in Early Childhood Education (ECE) resulted in greater confidence in PBL and therefore enabled PBL. Overall teachers recognised the importance of PBL, that it benefited children right across the primary school grades (Prep-6) and that there should be more PBL than what there is currently. Recommendations based on these findings have been suggested.

Pupils’ Learning Experiences in Early Childhood government Pre-Schools Using the Tanzania Institute of Education Curriculum: Focus on Kisarawe District

Early Childhood Education is becoming a greater factor in determining future learning behavior among students, yet there are various curricula in use and with varying effectiveness. The TIE curriculum is the most popular in Tanzania and it is unknown as to how effective it is in preparing learners for future learning and developing key soft skills. This study investigated pupils’ learning experience in early childhood education in schools using the Tanzania Institute of Education Curriculum [TIE] focus in the Kisarawe district. The objectives were; i) to assess the appropriateness of the teaching and learning environment of early childhood education; ii) to assess the actual learning practices of children in early childhood education in Kisarawe iii) to determine teacher’s competencies in the provision of early childhood education and iv) to examine the parents, community, and government support towards the delivery of early childhood education. The study was predominantly qualitative and employed a case study research design. Respondents were drawn from four public primary schools. It involved 4 head teachers, 8 teachers, 8 parents, 6 members of the school committee, and 4 classes with 340 pupils. The study employed purposive and snowball sampling techniques to select respondents. Interview guides, observation checklists, and documentary reviews were the instruments used to collect data. Findings indicated that the learning experience gained by pupils who use the Tanzania Institute of Education curriculum in early childhood education is low compared to what is expected and directed in the Tanzania Institute of Education curriculum. The schools in the sample had poor indoor and outdoor learning environments, and teachers were mostly uncertified and had little experience and competencies. There was low and poor support from parents and communities, and the local government who owned the schools contributed little to strengthen the learning experience and competence gained by pupils. The study recommends that education stakeholders effectively play their roles to enable the Tanzania Institute of Education curriculum to be implemented with greater success.

A Social Media Analysis of the Experiences of Chinese Early Childhood Educators and Families with Young Children during COVID-19

This study used a small stories research narrative paradigm to examine social media posts that focused on efforts to sustain the delivery of early childhood education during COVID. Inductive and deductive content analysis focused on 1303 posts from 177 government officials and 1126 individual users (including preschools, kindergartens, teachers, and parents). The results include an analysis of conversational data that document implementation of the national policy to promote continuity of young children’s learning, including digital resources used, learning content, and teaching approaches. Actor-centric contextual factors determined the success of delivering instruction remotely; however, other contextual components created the conditions that necessitated adaptation of instruction. The COVID outbreak (chrono-level) led to shifts in education delivery and informed national policy (macro-level), influenced the teachers’ and parents’ work contexts (exo-level), enhanced home-school collaboration (meso-level), and required implementation of technological solutions to support children’s learning (micro-level). Contributions to theory, methodology, and practice are discussed.

The Role of Preschool Dosage and Quality in Children's Self-Regulation Development.

The present study examined how the dosage and quality of the federal preschool program "Head Start" (HS) in the US related to children's self-regulation skills in kindergarten. Using Propensity Score Matching and multiple regression (OLS), this study explored how the number of years and hours a week of HS were related to self-regulation among 2,383 children, who entered the program either at 3 or 4years old. An additional year in HS was significantly positively associated with self-regulation in kindergarten, while the number of hours a week in HS was not. However, the quality of teacher-child interactions moderated the relation between hours a week in HS and self-regulation. Findings contribute to the growing body of evidence about how dosage and quality of early childhood education experiences relate to children's development.

Pedagogical documentation in a formative experience in early childhood education: a look at the aesthetic principle

Resumo O presente texto tematiza a documentação pedagógica e o princípio estético estabelecido nas diretrizes da educação infantil. Tem por objetivo analisar em que medida o percurso de documentar contribui para ampliar a sensibilidade, a produção de sentidos e as possibilidades de viver em companhia na educação infantil. A pesquisa, desenvolvida em uma perspectiva qualitativa, parte da seguinte questão: o gesto de documentar sensibiliza as professoras para o encontro e o viver junto na educação infantil? O estudo realizado no âmbito do mestrado em educação teve como sujeitos um grupo de dez professoras que atuam na educação infantil e que participaram de uma experiência formativa realizada a partir de um curso de extensão tecido pelo percurso de documentar. A observação participante, registros escritos, fotográficos, audiovisuais, as documentações e, sobretudo, o estar junto com as professoras foram os instrumentos de pesquisa. A partir do diálogo entre as diretrizes normativas e diferentes autores, destaca-se o princípio estético no gesto de documentar, porque o encontro com o sensível permite o alargamento de fronteiras, a possibilidade de afetação e a busca por significados e sentidos nas relações tecidas entre crianças e adultos no cotidiano educativo. A experiência formativa com professoras, construída pela via do percurso de documentar, possibilita questionar pressupostos naturalizados na prática pedagógica, realizando deslocamentos importantes nas formas de ser, estar e viver em companhia na educação infantil.

O estágio em educação infantil em meio a pandemia do coronavírus

This text aims to relate the process of planning the mandatory internship in the pedagogy course and present students’ reports on the internship experience in Early Childhood Education in an emergency remote format. For this, a report was systematized on the planning and development of the internship with Early Childhood Education, as well as a form was produced with the help of the Google tool and sent to students of the Pedagogy course at the Goias Federal University (UFG). It is hoped that the data presented can contribute to the records of this moment with teacher education in Brazil.

Crianças de seis anos no ensino fundamental: por onde caminham as práticas alfabetizadoras?

The article presents results of a research carried out during the years 2018 -2019, with 25 children aged between 5 and 6 years old in a public school, in the State of Rio de Janeiro and aimed to understand how children interpret the transition process between Early Childhood Education and the 1st year of Elementary School. The qualitative research prioritized as a theoretical and methodological procedure the studies of Kramer (2005) and Smolka (2012), the participant observation of / in the school routine, the conversations with the children and teachers and the use of the field notebook. The results lead us to affirm that before the child's entry into Elementary School, she already has a conception of school marked by the absence of play, very different from what she experiences in Early Childhood Education. Based on this result, we understand that in order to rethink this school model, new reflections on the learning processes of teaching reading and writing are necessary, based on playful, cultural and authorial experiences that can permeate the pedagogical practices in both segments, contemplating the view of children.

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.

A Mixed-Methods Study of Early Childhood Education and Care in South Korea: Policies and Practices During COVID-19.

This study of South Korea's response to COVID-19 has three purposes. First, it uses document analysis to examine policies, strategies, and resources offered by the South Korean government and public organizations to support young children and families during the first 6 months of the pandemic. Next, it uses open-ended surveys with 30 directors of early childhood institutions to explore institutional-level supports and needs during the pandemic. Finally, it looks at the discrepancies between stated policies outlining the South Korea’s response to COVID-19 and the lived experiences of early childhood educators as a route to arriving at recommendations for education policymakers and other stakeholders. To that end, we reviewed government documents (n = 84) containing early childhood education-related responses to Covid-19 established by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and other relevant government sectors. An online survey with 17 kindergarten and 13 child care center directors was also analyzed. Using content analysis, the findings revealed that the government’s policies and guidance for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) as well as the institutional supports for children and families were overall comprehensive in its scope. The analysis, based on the five tenets of the Whole Child approach, also indicated that the government’s policy responses and services for ECEC focused mainly on the ‘Safe’ and ‘Supported’ tenets, while ‘Challenged’ was given the least amount of consideration. The survey responses demonstrated different measures taken by kindergartens and child care centers highlighting the separate nature of ‘education’ and ‘care’ in South Korea, while also indicating limited resources for supporting children’s psychological well-being and for children and families in need. This overview provides a foundation for further discussion and research on the impact of Covid-19 on ECEC in South Korea and beyond.

(In)visible perceptions of objects (‘things’) during early transitions: Intertwining subjectivities in ECEC

Objects in early childhood education (ECEC) experiences have begun to receive a great deal more attention than ever before. Although much of this attention has emerged recently from new materialism, in this paper we turn to Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological concern with the (in)visibility of ‘things’ to illuminate the presence of objects within infant transitions. Drawing on notions of écart and reversibility, we explore the relational perceptions objects are bestowed with on the lead up to, and first day of, infant transitions. Recognizing the intertwining subjectivities that perceive the object, a series of videos and interviews with teachers and parents across three ECEC sites in Australia and New Zealand provided a rich source of phenomenological insight. Our analysis reveals objects as deeply imbued anchoring links that enable relational possibilities for transitions between home and ECEC service. Visible and yet invisible to adults (parents and/or teachers) who readily engage with objects during earliest transitions, the significance of things facilitates opportunities to forge new relationships, create boundaries and facilitate connections. As such, our paper concludes that objects are far more than mediating tools, or conceptual agents; they provide an explicit route to understanding with potential to play a vital role in supporting effective early transitions when granted visibility within this important phenomenon.