Early Childhood Education Settings Research Articles

Te whāriki, citizenship and young children: re-considering the ‘pioneering’ pedagogies of early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand

Te whāriki, citizenship and young children: re-considering the ‘pioneering’ pedagogies of early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand

Benefits of Time Spent Outdoors in Early Childhood Education: A Systematic Review

Several studies have provided evidence that time spent in nature (i.e., in natural environments or the outdoors) plays a beneficial role in child development by positively influencing children’s cognitive processes and states (Bowler et al., 2010; Bratman et al., 2012; 2014; Cameron-Faulkner et al., 2018; Kaplan, 1995; Mitchell et al.). However, to date, no study has looked systematically at the overall literature addressing the benefits nature plays in early childhood education, primarily through outdoor learning or time spent outside in natural environments. The purpose of the current study is to provide a systematic review of the empirical literature evaluating outcomes linked to children spending time outdoors through outdoor play, forests, gardens, or school playgrounds. A systematic search of PsycINFO was conducted to identify critical studies linking the outdoors with outcomes during early childhood. Inclusion criteria were as follows: research studies conducted with children enrolled in early childhood education programs (age 2-5-year-olds) related to nature base experiences in the United States and peer-reviewed articles written in English. This search yielded 12 empirical studies. Codes were developed to examine a) what outcomes have been measured for children spending time outdoors in their early childhood education settings and b) what approaches were used to measure these outcomes. The two most measured outcomes included in studies were children’s behavior (N = 3; 25%) and educational or learning outcomes (N = 3; 25%). Most activities were child-led (N= 6, 50%) while children engaged in free-play (N = 5, 29%) and physical activities (N= 5, 29%). The most common method utilized was a quasi-experimental design (N=5, 29%), followed by secondary research designs (N=2, 16%). A few studies used rigorous methods to examine the links between children spending time outdoors and their specific beneficial outcomes. Implications for future research in this area are discussed.

Co-design in virtual environments with 3D scanned childcare rooms in social virtual reality

AbstractThis research proposes a virtual environment (VE) for co-designing in early childhood education and care settings using a social VR platform with 3D-scanned childcare rooms. Co-design workshops were analyzed focusing on perceived presence and experience and workshop outcomes. The results indicate a high level of presence in the VE, with unique advantages like facilitating 3D prototyping. However, challenges such as unbalanced prototyping tools distribution were also noted. The study highlights the potential of VEs with 3D scanned rooms in co-design.

Sociocultural Theory in Early Childhood Education

Early childhood education (ECE) is pivotal for children's development, with Lev Vygotsky and Urie Bronfenbrenner's sociocultural theory stressing social interactions and family engagement. Sociocultural principles advocate for tailored learning within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and emphasize language's role in cognitive development. However, ECE faces challenges like funding shortages and staff turnover, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sociocultural theory suggests collaborative partnerships to address these issues, stressing educator-student and family-school connections. It also advocates for community involvement to bridge financial gaps and highlights the importance of professional development for teachers. Family participation is crucial, recognizing diverse family influences and educational styles. Sociocultural theory promotes inclusive practices accommodating diverse needs, temperaments, and learning styles, fostering creativity, problem-solving, and socialization in ECE settings. Early childhood education (ECE) is pivotal for children's development, with Lev Vygotsky and Urie Bronfenbrenner's sociocultural theory stressing social interactions and family engagement. Sociocultural principles advocate for tailored learning within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and emphasize language's role in cognitive development. However, ECE faces challenges like funding shortages and staff turnover, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sociocultural theory suggests collaborative partnerships to address these issues, stressing educator-student and family-school connections. It also advocates for community involvement to bridge financial gaps and highlights the importance of professional development for teachers. Family participation is crucial, recognizing diverse family influences and educational styles. Sociocultural theory promotes inclusive practices accommodating diverse needs, temperaments, and learning styles, fostering creativity, problem-solving, and socialization in ECE settings.

Using picturebooks to support student teachers to address complex social justice issues in early childhood education settings

ABSTRACT Aotearoa New Zealand society is diverse in its ethnic, cultural and linguistic composition. Teachers in all education settings in this country are required to develop learning focused-cultures that are collaborative, respectful and inclusive for all children/students and their families. In this article, we report on a case study describing how picturebooks were utilised in a compulsory graduate course entitled ‘Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing’ for preservice early childhood education (ECE) student teachers. Thirteen picturebooks selected to match weekly topics were shared with students in face-to-face and online classes. Weekly reflections by the tertiary lecturer/teacher educator relating to the picturebooks, associated readings and subsequent discussions by students were analysed to explore student teacher responses to the picturebooks. The findings are discussed in relation to exploring the power of picturebooks as pedagogical tools in a tertiary environment and as advocacy and activism provocations for student teachers and teachers to use with children/students and their families.

Tracing the Ontological Beliefs of Norwegian Educators Concerning Technology use in Early Childhood Education and Care

AbstractNested in the socio-cultural theory and the related concepts of dialogue in thinking (Mercer & Littleton, 2007) and dialogic teaching in classrooms (Mercer & Howe, 2012), this study explored knowledge and technology as dynamic meaning-making processes in Norwegian early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. Group-reflections from thirteen Norwegian early childhood educators and their ontological beliefs concerning digital technology in ECEC were analysed with a theory-driven thematic analysis. The analysis highlights two tensions between individual and collective reasons for using digital technology in ECEC: a tension between the educators’ ontological beliefs about the need for children’s collective experiences and children’s individual use of digital technology, and another tension related to the educators’ own individual learning and collective knowledge construction about technology. We derive time as the key reason for the individual-collective tensions. Educators need time to develop good experiences with digital technology for all children, and they need time to develop their own learning, individually and collectively. Given the urgent demand to support technology use in Norwegian ECEC for young children, we underscore time constraints as a key factor influencing individual-collective tensions, impacting educators’ capacity for effective implementation and professional development.

‘They broke it again’: examining violence against girls in kindergarten

ABSTRACT Violence against girls in schools is an ongoing problem, even in early childhood education settings like kindergarten. Dominant views of children and play as neutral and innocent have operated to silence the early normalization of violence against girls. In this paper, I examine some of the ways that violence against girls occurs in kindergarten play spaces. I draw on feminist standpoint as a theoretical framework to interrogate play-based learning from the vantage point of girls and illuminate its hidden gendered effects. Analysis of ethnographic data collected in two Canadian kindergarten classrooms revealed that a common form of violence boys enacted against girls involved the destruction of girls’ building work in play. While girls resisted boys’ domination, the daily destruction of their work in play limited girls’ abilities to equally access kindergarten education. The findings presented in this paper call for a re-thinking of play-based learning in kindergarten and specifically for a theoretical shift in early education curricula, policies, and teacher education and development programmes.

Educators’ perspectives on parental belonging in preschool communities

ABSTRACT While academic interest in belonging in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings has increased in recent years, the interplay between parental and educators’ notions of belonging is under-researched. This article explores preschool educators’ experiences of working with families of young children and their perspectives of parental belonging in the preschool community. Nineteen educators from five preschools in different neighborhoods in Reykjavík, Iceland, participated in focus group interviews in the spring of 2023. The findings suggest that preschool educators frame parental belonging in performative terms and base it on communication and interaction in the preschool community. A lack of parental interaction and ‘disinterest’ was identified as the main challenge with indications of it having negative effects on the educators’ own performativity of belonging. However, the educators reported reaching far beyond their job descriptions to provide cultural brokerage to parents of foreign backgrounds, to assist them in navigating the welfare system, and to facilitate wider social engagement. The findings have implications for preschool educators’ expectations towards their engagement with parents of young children.

Gender socialization and supportive school settings for elementary-aged LGBTIQ+ children

Despite a breadth of research, policy, and legislation, significant barriers to inclusion continue to persist for LGBTIQ+ children across many educational settings, particularly among Early Childhood Education (ECE) and elementary school spaces. This work aims to address the vulnerabilities of LGBTIQ+ children in school spaces by highlighting the socialization of heteronormativity and cisnormativity in ECE and elementary settings as a key intervention point for children’s mental health. Through a narrative literature review, we identify the current realities experienced by many gender and sexually diverse students in schools, including the impact of overlapping systems of oppression (i.e., homophobia, transphobia, racism, and sexism) putting queer students at increased risk of harmful mental health outcomes, along with a review of literature on protective factors that have been shown to mitigate these risks. Lastly, we discuss key whole-school interventions in the socialization of cisheteronormative gender in elementary school spaces, which include rights-based frameworks for students, inclusive curricula, and policies. We posit that these universal strategies provide both upstream and responsive support to the mental health needs of all students, including LGBTIQ+ children. Through this study of key literature, and integration of theory on the socialization of gender, we aim to provide educators and school administrators with tools to better support the wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ children and youth now and into the future.

ESG 교육 유무에 따른 ESG 중요성 및 인식과 사회문제 인식 연구

Objectives The purpose of this study is to verify the difference between the importance and awareness of ESG, as well as social problem awareness, according to the completion of ESG education.
 Methods The subjects of the study are 255 students majoring in early childhood education at four-year universities located in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, Chungcheong-do, Gyeongsang-do, Jeolla-do and others (Gangwon-do, Jeju, etc.). Using SPSS 25.0, the difference verification according to the completion of ESG education was analyzed by t-test, and the relationship between the research variables(importance and awareness of ESG, social problem awareness) was examined by Pearson's correlation coefficient. Furthermore, explored trends and normality.
 Results The main findings are as follows. First, the importance and awareness of ESG, social problem awareness showed higher with the students who completed ESG education than who did not, which had a statistical significance. Second, there was a statistically significant positive correlation between the importance and awareness of ESG, social problem awareness. However, a statistically significant correlation was not found between social problem awareness and the sub-factor of ESG awareness, specifically social awareness.
 Conclusions The results of this study are meaningful in that it aims to validate the effectiveness of ESG education, considering the characteristics of early childhood education. The intention is to provide guidance for the implementation and content of ESG education in early childhood education settings.

‘Don’t Pick, Don’t Lick’: Connecting Young Children’s Risky Play in Nature to Science Education in Australian Bush Kinders

AbstractThe forest school approach to nature learning has gathered momentum in the UK and across parts of Europe including Scandinavia for well over 50 years. In other contexts that include Canada, China, New Zealand and Australia, nature-based early childhood education and care settings, influenced by European forest school approaches, are in a rapid expansion phase as educators and policy makers acknowledge the benefits for children from time spent in nature. It is known that science education opportunities exist in these nature-based settings, yet this area has only garnered limited research attention to date. An example of a nature-based approach to early childhood education which emerged in the 2010s is the Australian ‘bush kinder’. Four- to five-year-old preschool children experience and learn from nature through play in bush kinders. This paper highlights the intersections that occur between risky play and science teaching and learning in the context of bush kinders. Through analysing research in early years science education, guiding curriculum frameworks and early childhood learning, I propose the importance of children’s risky play to early childhood science education. Drawing on vignettes from ethnographic fieldwork data, the merits of risky play in bush kinders to embed science knowledge is illustrated here. Participant observation was used to build a profile of each site and to gather data relating to how educators draw on children’s risky play to seek out opportunities to teach children about physical, chemical and biological science.

A Qualitative Study of Preschool Children's Perspectives on an Oral Health Promotion Program in New South Wales, Australia.

In Australia, dental caries are observed in almost half of children starting school. Oral health promotion programs are being implemented in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings to promote oral health. This study examined children's perceptions of one such program, the Bright Smiles Bright Futures (BSBF) program in ECEC settings in New South Wales, Australia. Data were collected using focus group discussions from 15 children aged 3-5 years, transcribed verbatim, and analysed through inductive thematic analysis. Three themes were identified as follows: (i) oral health knowledge of children, (ii) oral hygiene practices routine and skills development, and (iii) evaluation of the oral health promotion kit and opportunities for improvement. Children's perspectives highlight the BSBF program's success in communicating key messages to promote oral health. The integration of family-centric approaches, acknowledgement of children's preferences, and the use of interactive tools collectively enhance the overall effectiveness of the oral health promotion program.

Cultivating young minds: Exploring the relationship between child socio-emotional competence, early childhood education and care quality, creativity and self-directed learning

Creativity and self-directed learning (SDL) have been identified as two key skills that children need to develop for success in the 21st century. As such, developing such skills has become a priority. High quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) can play a pivotal role in supporting a myriad of children's developmental outcomes. This study uses multi-level modeling on 484 children between 30 and 75 months of age (Mean age = 48) across 87 ECEC classrooms in Toronto. We tested associations between two skills (creativity and SDL), children's social and emotional competence (hyperactivity, prosocial behaviour, and emotional problems) and ECEC quality (professional development, ratios and emotional support). We found significant relationships between children's social and emotional outcomes and their creativity skills, but not their SDL. In addition, the proportion of professional development opportunities conducted onsite was positively associated with children's creativity. Implications for future research, policy and practice are discussed. Educational relevance statementThis study contributes to the understanding of how to support two skills needed in the wake of the fourth industrial revolution. First, we examine the relationship between children's social and emotional development and their creativity and self-directed learning. We then examine the role played by the quality of their early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings as contexts to learn these important skills when accounting for their children's social and emotional development. Finally, we test the robustness of these associations by controlling for important contextual factors (age, months in the program, family income, and maternal education).

Correlates of Fundamental Motor Skills in the Early Years (0–4 Years): A Systematic Review

Aim: This systematic review aims to summarize evidence on correlates of fundamental motor skills in typically developing children aged 0–4 years. Methods: A literature search (PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscus) was performed from 2000 till 23 May 2022. Inclusion criteria was cross-sectional and prospective studies examining associations between a potential correlate and fundamental motor skills in typically developing, apparently healthy children aged 0–4 years. Two independent reviewers performed screening and methodological quality assessment. Results: Eighty-three studies met eligibility criteria and were included. Thirteen studies were of high methodological quality. In children aged <1 year, we found no evidence for family income, breastfeeding-related, sleep-related, home environment, and socioeconomic variables. In children aged 1–2 years, we found no evidence for sex, growth-related variables, singleton birth, and family income. In children aged 2–4 years, we found no evidence for screen behavior, toxicity, parental education, family income, socioeconomic variables, and maternal depression/anxiety and moderate evidence for a positive association with early childhood education and care setting type. For other examined correlates, we found insufficient evidence (inconsistent findings or only one study available). Conclusions: We found insufficient evidence for over half of examined potential correlates of fundamental motor skills. We recommend investing in better research methodologies and improved reporting.

예비유아교사의 전자그림책에 대한 은유분석

Objective: This study aimed to explore the formation of conceptual metaphors by pre-service early childhood teachers concerning electronic picture books. The goal is to gain insights into how these metaphors may impact the integration of electronic pictures books within early childhood education settings.
 Methods: A total of 210 pre-service early childhood teachers participated in this study and responded to a metaphorical questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
 Results: The research findings categorized the 210 metaphorical expressions into the following eight main categories: Convenience, Visual Effects, Innovation, Developmental Hindrance, Immersion, Educational Effects, Ambiguity, and Enjoyment.
 Conclusions: This study analyzed metaphorical expressions and their underlying rationales among prospective preschool teachers regarding electronic picture books. The aim is to provide guidance and support for prospective teacher education to foster a proper understanding and effective utilization of electronic picture books.

프로젝트 접근법 기반 유아 생태전환교육 프로그램 개발 및 적용

The purpose of this study is to develop and implement a young children's eco-logical transition education program based on the project approach, with the aim of exam-ining changes in young children's awareness of sustainable development, ecological liter-acy, and problem-solving abilities. The program was applied to 28 five-year-old children in E preschool located in S City focusing on the selected themes of ‘Marine Life’ and ‘Companion Animals and Animal Welfare’ during morning activities over an 8-week period. The collected data, including research journals, play observation logs, interviews, photo-graphs, etc., were qualitatively analyzed during the process of implementing the program To examine changes based on the timing of program implementation, quantitative data collected through observation checklists were subjected to repeated measures analysis of variance. The results of qualitative and quantitative analyses revealed positive changes in young children's awareness of sustainable development, ecological literacy, and prob-lem-solving skills as they engaged in play related to interesting topics they chose during the project-based activities. The significance of this research lies in presenting an eco-logical transition education program applied through children's expressive play with self-selected themes. The findings suggest that this approach could be utilized as a case for implementing play-centered and child-centered educational programs in early childhood education and care settings to promote ecological transition education for a sustainable society.

Teacher perceptions of parent collaboration in multi-ethnic ECEC settings

IntroductionFor teachers working in multi-ethnic early childhood education and care settings, a strong collaboration with parents may be an important mechanism for supporting young children's language development. However, little research has investigated how teachers perceive their communication with parents from diverse backgrounds and what centre-level factors predict the quality of teacher-parent collaboration.MethodsThis study sought to explore teacher-parent collaboration within early childhood education and care in urban multi-ethnic areas of Norway, using survey data from 266 teachers across 56 centres and 198 classrooms. We examined whether teacher characteristics (education, experience and self-efficacy) and centre linguistic diversity were related to teacher perceived communication with parents regarding ways of supporting children's dual language development and teacher experienced challenges in parent collaboration.ResultsResults revealed that teachers with higher self-efficacy communicated more with parents and experienced less challenges in collaboration with them. Furthermore, more experienced teachers working in more linguistically diverse centres identified more challenges in parent collaboration, while these characteristics were not related to communication. Teacher education was not associated with communication nor challenges in parent collaboration.DiscussionOur results indicate that professional development measures targeted at strengthening teacher self-efficacy might be an important mechanism to promote parent collaboration, particularly in multi-ethnic education settings.

The network professional learning community approach: an effective model for individual and group learning

ABSTRACT Networked approaches to professional learning have been shown to offer broad influence and unique benefits to teachers’ continuing development. However, despite decades of research into the professional learning community (PLC) approach within single schools, there is a paucity of research about network PLCs and a lack of models for effective practice in facilitating networks. The mixed methods study reported in this article involved a case study about a network PLC focused on visual arts in early childhood education (ECE) in New Zealand. The case study explored what elements of a network PLC were effective and found that the nexus between reflective and practical learning improved teacher efficacy. Both individual and collective learning were shown to be influential on pedagogy in the member ECE settings. Leadership practices supported participants to apply new learning in practice with children, and to share learning with colleagues for further effect and embedded change in pedagogy.

Feasible Peer-Mediated Intervention for Autistic Children Using Minimal Speech: A Qualitative Intervention Development Process.

Qualitative engagement with stakeholders in the development of interventions can provide insight into strategies to maximize feasibility in real-life settings. We engaged stakeholders (autistic adults, early childhood educators, early childhood sector leaders and policy influencers, parents of autistic children, and speech-language pathologists) to inform the development of an educator-led peer-mediated intervention (PMI) for autistic preschoolers who use minimal speech that is feasible to implement in inclusive early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. A qualitative iterative intervention design process was utilized. Stakeholders (N = 15) attended an online workshop and completed a document review exploring the acceptability and feasibility of the proposed embedded PMI. A two-step analysis procedure using the Theoretical Domains Framework and template analysis was conducted to identify the barriers, enablers, and supports to the implementation of embedded PMI in early childhood settings. While embedded PMI was unanimously acceptable to stakeholders, several participants expressed concerns regarding feasibility. Barriers to the successful integration and implementation of PMI in inclusive preschool contexts included access to skills, knowledge, and resources. Participants identified strategies to overcome modifiable barriers and to enhance the existing enablers. These strategies are reflected in the following themes: build on the familiar, build capacity in augmentative and alternative communication, adopt a whole center approach, adapt to meet the needs of the ECEC setting, and engage in proactive implementation. To address barriers to the implementation of embedded PMI, action is needed at various levels: macro (national/policy), meso (organization/setting), and micro (individual). https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25155770.

Supporting leaders in early childhood education settings: an evaluation of a clinical supervision program for centre directors

Supporting leaders in early childhood education settings: an evaluation of a clinical supervision program for centre directors