Early Childhood Professionals Research Articles

Feasibility of Remote Coaching With Early Interventionists: NDBI Strategies in Part C

Early intervention supports infants and toddlers with confirmed or suspected autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in achieving optimal outcomes, and caregiver-implemented NDBIs are recommended as a developmentally appropriate intervention approach for very young children and their families. Research highlights discrepancies between early interventionists’ perceptions of their practices and their observed practices, possibly contributing to implementation gaps. Remote coaching is a viable method of supporting early childhood professionals’ use of recommended practices, yet limited research has examined remote coaching with early interventionists in community systems (e.g., Part C). The current feasibility study explored differences between early interventionists’ reported and observed practices and compared bug-in-ear versus video review coaching methods with early interventionists working with families of toddlers with confirmed or suspected ASD. Results demonstrated (a) early interventionists reported higher quality practices than observed, and (b) remote coaching is a community-viable professional development approach in supporting early interventionists’ use of recommended practices.

Preschooler Screen Time During the Pandemic Is Prospectively Associated With Lower Achievement of Developmental Milestones.

The aim of this study was to assess the developmental risks associated with total screen time, and specifically newer mobile devices, in the context of the pandemic. This study uses parent-reported data from a prospective cohort of Canadian preschool-age children. The exposure variable is child daily screen time measured at the age of 3.5 years categorized as light (<1 hr/d), moderate (1-4 hr/d), or intensive (>4 hr/d) use (N = 315). Time spent on mobile devices was considered separately as a continuous variable. Our outcome is child global development scores, which combine assessments of communication, cognitive, personal-social, and motor skills measured at the age of 4.5 years using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) (N = 249, 79% retained). ASQ scores were dichotomized to distinguish children at risk of developmental delays (below the 15th percentile) from those not at risk. We estimate associations between child screen time and later global development using multiple regressions adjusted for child sex and temperament, and parent education. We also examine whether associations are moderated by child and parent characteristics. Logistic regressions revealed that intensive users were more at risk of global developmental delays compared with light users (OR = 4.29, p = 0.020). Mobile device use was also associated with lower global scores (β = -3.064; p = 0.028), but not with risk of delays. We found no evidence that associations were moderated by child sex and temperament, or parent education. The findings suggest that intensive screen time may be associated with delays in child global development. Early childhood professionals should encourage families with preschoolers to prioritize screen-free activities to promote optimal cognitive, language, social, and motor development.

Le neurodéveloppement et la neuroprotection du jeune enfant

In France, the most pessimistic estimates put the prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) at 15 % of births. The two largest populations of newborns at highest risk of NDD are premature babies and babies born into siblings with one or more infants who already have an autism spectrum disorder or another NDD. The high prevalence of these disorders justifies a health promotion policy, centred on the child and his or her family. Prevention is based on the early identification of high-risk factors, by informing families and training pregnancy and early childhood professionals, and implementing perinatal prevention protocols for high-risk newborns (antenatal corticosteroid therapy and magnesium sulfate for women at risk of preterm delivery before 32 weeks, developmental care, therapeutic hypothermia for full-term infants with early neonatal encephalopathy presumed to be anoxic). Preventing the severity of NDD depends on their early identification, as early as possible in the highest plastic “1000 days” developmental window, a smooth flow of diagnosis and care for mothers and children, and the establishment of an ecosystem that includes multi-modal early intervention, at the best in multi-disciplinary teams such as the early medical and social action centres, support for families through guidance programs and inclusion in the community, first in day-care centers and then in nursery schools.

The ‘it’ factor: expectations of ‘good’ early childhood teachers in Australia

ABSTRACT Preparing early childhood teachers for the workforce is a national priority for Australia due to shortages of qualified early childhood professionals and increases in children attending early childhood centres. A workforce strategy (2022–2031) has been developed to ensure a sustainable, high-quality workforce, but there is little information about what is recognised by the profession as ‘good’ teachers and teaching. Drawing on interpretivist theory, and data from focus groups and interviews, we identify what constitutes a ‘good’ early childhood teacher from the perspectives of experienced early childhood mentor teachers. Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, field, and doxa are used to understand the dynamics of what is interpreted by mentor teachers as ‘good’ teachers in the profession and to consider implications for early childhood and teacher education in general. Findings show that specific skills and dispositions were repeatedly identified as essential to achieve ‘good’ teacher status, highlighting prior experience and natural ability.

Early Childhood Professionals’ Challenges, Persistence, and Sensemaking in Teacher Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective/Research Question: Community college coursework is a crucial entry point for early childhood professionals seeking to advance their careers in education. In this study, we examine how degree candidates at a small community college experienced the shift to online learning and their reasons for persistence in college during the pandemic. Methods: Drawing on the theoretical framework of sensemaking, we conducted a thematic analysis of data from interviews with 19 early childhood professionals enrolled in teacher education coursework within one community college. Results: We found that degree candidates experienced the shift to online learning as both a barrier and facilitator to their educational obtainment, and that, during the pandemic, they remained highly committed to completing their degrees, motivated by financial advantages, career advancement, professional skill development, and the opportunity to be a role model for their own children. Conclusions/Contributions: Increasing the proportion of early childhood professionals who complete college degrees holds promise for improving children’s educational opportunities and addressing persistent structural inequities in the teacher workforce. By investigating how early childhood professionals made sense of the educational changes associated with the pandemic, this study provides insight into how community colleges can support students in their educational pursuits moving forward.

Early Childhood Professionals and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Look at Well-Being, Job Satisfaction, and Self-Efficacy

Early Childhood Education (ECE) professionals faced unprecedented challenges, including the disruption of instructional programs and routines, since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The purpose of this study was to examine the physical and psychological well-being, job satisfaction, and job-related needs of early childhood educators and administrators during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 117 diverse participants from Southern California participated in this study. Results found that ECE professionals maintained close relationships with children and families, experienced low depression, and reported high job satisfaction despite all the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Open-ended questions related to challenges and self-efficacy also were explored. This paper includes ways to support ECE teachers and administrators and their well-being and job satisfaction, under the guidelines of the Family and Consumer Sciences Body of Knowledge, as the pandemic continues.

Exploring the Path of Curriculum Construction for Preschool Care in Secondary Vocational Schools under the Background of 1+X Certificate System

The 1+X certificate system is a new talent development and evaluation model that has emerged in the process of vocational education development in China in recent years. 1 refers to the educational certificate obtained by students studying in vocational schools after three years of on-campus learning, passing all theoretical examinations and skills tests, and completing corresponding internship tasks. X refers to obtaining a vocational skill certificate related to the major while obtaining the educational certificate. Taking the employment status and talent competence requirements of the intermediate professional early childhood education major as the starting point, and using the course 0-3 Years Infant and Toddler Care and Education as an example, this research aims to explore the curriculum construction path of the intermediate vocational early childhood education major through the integration of course and certificate, and cultivate students in this major with a solid foundation of professional knowledge, strong practical abilities, and competitiveness in the job market.

Promoting care for the wellbeing of early childhood professionals in Australia

Promoting care for the wellbeing of early childhood professionals in Australia

Understanding reform discourses in complex times of change: Positions and practices of early childhood professionals from Victorian kindergarten settings

Australian early childhood education and care [ECEC] has faced a series of change and reform since 2009, including the introduction and later revisions of key curriculum and qualify frameworks, increased qualifications, shifting theoretical knowledge and pedagogies, and challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, early childhood professionals [ECPs] have been confronted with a succession of substantial changes impacting their professional practice. This paper reports on a qualitative, post-structural study identifying workplace and learning discourses as key influences for the reform engagement of eleven ECPs from kindergarten settings in Victoria, Australia. Foucauldian Discourse Analysis [FDA] revealed specific subjective positions and discursive practices among participants. Recommendations are offered to address issues related to the uptake of reform initiatives. It is anticipated that these findings may generate greater opportunities to support our existing, emerging and future generations of ECPs as they lead the transformation of ECEC and transition through complex times of uncertainty.

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

Abstract Early 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.

Trauma-Informed Research-Practice Partnership Building to Support Early Childhood Educators in an Appalachian Community

Trauma-informed initiatives that prioritize educator well-being through equitable research-practice partnership (RPP) building are necessary to advance trauma-informed education and care for young children in rural Appalachian communities. Early stages of partnership building that consider dimensions identified by Henrick et al. (2017) foster trusting relationships, address the goals of partnering organizations, and work toward capacity building. Burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue are common problems faced by early childhood professionals who may be exposed to high levels of stress and trauma in their work with young children. Thus, any initiatives with early childhood educators should include short- and long-term strategies to address the status of the workforce. Recognizing how trauma and social determinants of health impact the rural early childhood workforce and their ability to implement trauma-informed practices in the classroom is a first step toward holistic professional development. The purpose of this article is to highlight how the early stages of a partnership study with a rural Appalachian pre-kindergarten (pre-K) program and two universities provided a foundation for future research, practice, and partnership activities. Often, trauma-informed professional learning relies on classroom strategies and swift problem-solving techniques that do not consider the primary and secondary trauma faced by early childhood educators and how these traumas directly impact educators’ ability to improve classroom practices.

The Mediating Role of Fear of COVID-19 in the Association between COVID-19-Related Work Stressors and Subjective Well-being: Path Analysis by Cross-sectional Evidence in the Child Care Sector across Three Samples.

COVID-19 has changed work conditions and instilled fear. However, research overlooked the contributing factors to fear of COVID-19 and its impact on well-being. We addressed this research gap and focused on the essential workforce of child care. Three samples of early childhood professionals (ECPs) ( NT1 = 423, NT2 = 142, NT3 = 584) were gathered in Germany between June 2020 and May 2021. We tested via path analysis whether (1) fear of COVID-19 relates to well-being, (2) COVID-19-related work stressors relate to fear of COVID-19, and (3) fear of COVID-19 mediates the relationship of work stressors and well-being. Findings of N T1 and N T3 lent support, while results of N T2 differed. This study underlines the importance of adapting the work conditions during pandemics to reduce the fear of infection and thus preserve ECPs' well-being.

Exploring the Effectiveness and Sustainability of Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) as a Trauma-informed Approach in Two Tasmanian Child and Family Learning Centres

AbstractThe impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is well documented and poses challenges for all those living and working with children who have experienced early adversity. The need to be trauma-informed when working with children in all educational settings is now recognised as essential if healing and learning are to take place. There are an increasing number of trauma-informed approaches available, but empirical evidence that supports their efficacy, particularly in the early years of education, is currently scarce. This paper presents the findings of a small-scale study which explored early childhood professionals’ perceptions of the effectiveness and sustainability of one trauma-informed approach, Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®). Used widely across the US and Europe, TBRI® is relatively new to Australia and was trialled for the first time in this Tasmanian study. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA, 2014) concept of trauma and guidance for a trauma-informed approach was used to provide a theoretical framework. Online surveys were used to gather data after each professional learning workshop and three and six-months later. Participants reported several positives of TBRI®, including self-development and improved outcomes for children. Whilst challenges/barriers to using the approach were noted, many related to contextual issues rather than to TBRI® specifically. Findings also showed that equipping families with a similar skill set would be advantageous and integral to effecting sustainable change.

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.

Preparing for partnership: using dilemmas to help teacher candidates apply anti-bias praxis to problem solving

ABSTRACT Teacher educators are charged with supporting adult learners as they prepare to collaborate with diverse families and colleagues . In this research, we examined how a cohort of teacher candidates (N = 29) developed over a semester in their understanding, dispositions, and knowledge of strategies for partnership through the dilemmas writing assignments using a Grounded Theory approach. The assignment and range of responses from teacher candidates are described, as are implications for teacher educators in helping candidates develop and articulate an anti-bias praxis and build an understanding of their ethical commitment as early childhood professionals to promote equity .

Ideologies of poverty and implications for decision-making with families during home visits

Early childhood professionals are increasingly called upon to be responsive to children and families experiencing poverty. Such responsiveness requires consideration of ideologies of poverty, including beliefs and assumptions about poverty that are deeply embedded within educational policy and practice. This investigation explored how four Early Head Start home visitors enacted ideologies of poverty with 12 families of infants and toddlers through their decision-making talk with families during home visits. Drawing on Gee's D/discourse theory, ideological assumptions about poverty were identified through discourse analysis of home visit transcripts, and supplemented by qualitative analysis of home visit documents and individual interviews with home visitors and families. In emphasizing parents’ ability to redress poverty through personal responsibility and individual action, identified assumptions predominantly reflected individualistic ideologies of poverty. Findings offer insight into how ideologies of poverty constrained decision-making and subtly reinforced deficit-based messages about families, despite home visitors’ empathy.

Families’ experiences with supports after receiving a prenatal diagnosis of down syndrome

In the United States, families whose infants or toddlers have a diagnosis that results in a high likelihood of developmental delay or disability are automatically eligible for early intervention (EI). When families know prenatally of this diagnosis, they are not eligible for EI until their baby is born despite other developmental programs starting during pregnancy. Seventeen families who had a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome shared their experiences with formal, intermediate, and informal resources during their pregnancy. Findings centered on families’ appraisals of those resources to meet their desire for a positive, hopeful pregnancy and parenting vision. Implications are discussed for early childhood prenatal home visitors, early childhood professionals overall, and EI systems and professionals.

Femininity, class & status: the societal devaluation of the female early years workforce

ABSTRACT This thesis responds to contemporary debates about early childhood education and the gendered nature of the workforce, drawing on feminist theory, interpretive methodologies and practitioner accounts. This project amplifies the female voice of practitioners in the workforce, using data drawn from semi- structured interviews with 11 early years practitioners. Drawing on intersectional feminist theories surrounding women’s liberation from misogyny, and Foucauldian conceptualisations of power, this project will highlight the role of femininity on predominantly working-class early childhood practitioners, and how it distorts their identity and their relationships with colleagues under the current neoliberal regulation of the sector. Through analysing the qualitative data, this thesis will explore the impact of the assumption that women are the traditional caregivers on practitioners themselves; how the patriarchy reproduces this norm by perpetuating misogyny and marginalisation; and how this notion affects women’s oppression and the consequent movements towards liberation. This thesis offers two conceptual and empirical contributions to the field of early childhood education research. Firstly, the theoretical underpinnings of Foucauldian and feminist theory with interpretive methodologies to explore women’s oppression in the early childhood workforce. Secondly, in exploring the role of gendered language and gossip in interactions between early childhood professionals, this thesis analyses the extent to which patriarchal language surrounding gossip is used to trivialise and devalue the female voice and probes the extent to which gossip is a form of power for women. This study contributes important perspectives on how current drives towards the ‘educationalization’ of early years settings can have harmful consequences for the professional development of early childhood educators, rather than raising the standards of childcare in the UK.

What are Convergence and Divergence in How Parents and Educators Interpret Child Development When Preschoolers Transition to Kindergarten?

This study investigated the interrater agreement between parents of young children and the early childhood professionals working with their family as they transition from preschool to kindergarten. The goal of this research is to identify clusters of greatest congruence and divergence. We examined clusters of agreement between 24 parent and educator dyads from  rural Head Start programs in the Midwest. Differences in parent and professional assessment are represented, as well as areas where there are strong convergence. Results draw attention to the items where parents and professionals have greatest difference in the assessment. This study has implications for co-production of services for children and their families with professionals.

Leadership learning design principles: Co-creating dialogic and critical pedagogy within cohort and community contexts

The purpose of this paper is to share our pedagogical evolution as graduate faculty in relationship with increasingly diverse cohort communities of early childhood professionals learning across the landscape of leadership roles engaged with young children, families, and other adults. The early childhood leadership program described in this paper offers a graduate certificate where annually, a cohort of 18-22 early childhood professionals from across Colorado in the United States learn together for 13 months. As faculty, we share a strong commitment to both learning about our teaching and to inviting student voices, the early childhood professionals, through dialogic processes in participatory study as we co-learn and grow our practices of learning and teaching. This paper introduces and explores four leadership learning design principles: (1) identity and agency, (2) socially constructed pedagogy, (3) contextually relevant learning experience, and (4) appreciative stance. As we go, the story will unfold around how we engaged cohort members of the 2019-2020 program year through initial survey reflections and then deepening our shared understanding of these leadership learning design principles through iterations of dialogue after the program was concluded. We end the paper with reflections on how this process of study has ultimately brought us to an awareness and eagerness to engage in relational forms of inquiry, placing student voices at the center with even more intention and depth.