Early Childhood Research Articles

Three-Dimensional Geometric Morphometric Characterization of Facial Sexual Dimorphism in Juveniles

Background: The characterization of facial sexual dimorphic patterns in healthy populations serves as valuable normative data to tailor functionally effective surgical treatments and predict their aesthetic outcomes and to identify dysmorphic facial traits related to hormonal disorders and genetic syndromes. Although the analysis of facial sexual differences in juveniles of different ages has already been investigated, few studies have approached this topic with three-dimensional (3D) geometric morphometric (GMM) analysis, whose interpretation may add important clinical insight to the current understanding. This study aims to investigate the location and extent of facial sexual variations in juveniles through a spatially dense GMM analysis. Methods: We investigated 3D stereophotogrammetric facial scans of 304 healthy Italians aged 3 to 18 years old (149 males, 155 females) and categorized into four different age groups: early childhood (3–6 years), late childhood (7–12 years), puberty (13–15 years), and adolescence (16–18 years). Geometric morphometric analyses of facial shape (allometry, general Procrustes analysis, Principal Component Analysis, Procrustes distance, and Partial Least Square Regression) were conducted to detail sexually dimorphic traits in each age group. Results: The findings confirmed that males have larger faces than females of the same age, and significant differences in facial shape between the two sexes exist in all age groups. Juveniles start to express sexual dimorphism from 3 years, even though biological sex becomes a predictor of facial soft tissue morphology from the 7th year of life, with males displaying more protrusive medial facial features and females showing more outwardly placed cheeks and eyes. Conclusions: We provided a detailed characterization of facial change trajectories in the two sexes along four age classes, and the provided data can be valuable for several clinical disciplines dealing with the craniofacial region. Our results may serve as comparative data in the early diagnosis of craniofacial abnormalities and alterations, as a reference in the planning of personalized surgical and orthodontic treatments and their outcomes evaluation, as well as in several forensic applications such as the prediction of the face of missing juveniles.

The challenges of challenging behaviour: early childhood educators’ understandings of child behaviour and impact on occupational wellbeing

The challenges of challenging behaviour: early childhood educators’ understandings of child behaviour and impact on occupational wellbeing

Student teacher timeline: a tool for capturing early childhood teacher candidate well-being

Teacher education faculty have used a variety of methods (e.g. exit interviews, questionnaires) to capture early childhood education teacher candidates’ experiences as student teachers. Most often the focus is on the professional details of student teaching without attending to the personal aspects that impact teacher well-being and performance. This study examined the development and use of a Student Teacher Timeline tool to visually represent critical professional and personal events during the student teaching experience. Results indicate that this tool, unlike exit interviews, is easily administered, captures both the personal and professional aspects of student teaching, and facilitates understanding the impact of these events on professional and personal well-being. In addition, it can provide teacher educators with information to better support teacher candidates during their final field experience.

Satun province’s research-based learning initiative under Thailand’s “education sandbox” policy: design, implementation and outcomes

PurposeThis study aims to enhance the quality of education in Thailand by exploring an educational innovation emphasizing community identities, available resources and needs. It describes the design and implementation of the Satun research-based learning (RBL) initiative under Thailand’s Education Innovation Area Act B.E. 2562, which allowed 10 pilot schools in Satun to develop curriculums for early childhood and primary school levels that incorporated localities’ contexts during the 2018–2019 academic year.Design/methodology/approachTo evaluate the innovation’s impacts, primary data were collected and verified through methodological triangulation and cross-validation, and then qualitatively analyzed using content analysis.FindingsStudents demonstrated improvements in reading and writing, analytical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, public presentation and creativity. Teachers were more engaged in students’ learning development and felt closer to students. School administrators embraced collaboration with teachers, school committees, parents and communities. Parents recognized students’ eagerness to study and academic improvements. Quantitatively, a difference-in-differences analysis of all 6th-grade Satun students’ standardized test scores from 2016 to 2019 showed that improvements in the participating students’ Thai and English scores were statistically significant at the 0.05 level. These findings suggest that policymakers can improve educational quality by accounting for community contexts and constraints.Originality/valueThe originality of this study lies in the large-scale RBL initiative under investigation and its approach to evaluating the quantitative impacts of this initiative.

Prenatal exposure to greenness and early childhood pneumonia: A nationwide study in Japan

Prenatal exposure to greenness and early childhood pneumonia: A nationwide study in Japan

The Childhood Opportunity Index 2.0: Factor Structure in 9–10 Year Olds in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

The built physical and social environments are critical drivers of child neural and cognitive development. This study aimed to identify the factor structure and correlates of 29 environmental, education, and socioeconomic indicators of neighborhood resources as measured by the Child Opportunity Index 2.0 (COI 2.0) in a sample of youths aged 9–10 enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. This study used the baseline data of the ABCD Study (n = 9767, ages 9–10). We used structural equation modeling to investigate the factor structure of neighborhood variables (e.g., indicators of neighborhood quality including access to early child education, health insurance, walkability). We externally validated these factors with measures of psychopathology, impulsivity, and behavioral activation and inhibition. Exploratory factor analyses identified four factors: Neighborhood Enrichment, Socioeconomic Attainment, Child Education, and Poverty Level. Socioeconomic Attainment and Child Education were associated with overall reduced impulsivity and the behavioral activation system, whereas increased Poverty Level was associated with increased externalizing symptoms, an increased behavioral activation system, and increased aspects of impulsivity. Distinct dimensions of neighborhood opportunity were differentially associated with aspects of psychopathology, impulsivity, and behavioral approach, suggesting that neighborhood opportunity may have a unique impact on neurodevelopment and cognition. This study can help to inform future public health efforts and policy about improving built and natural environmental structures that may aid in supporting emotional development and downstream behaviors.

Understanding emotion in early age: a systematic review of the role of emotional awareness in early childhood education

ABSTRACT The emotional development of children is importance to their overall growth and maturation, particularly during the formative years. Emotional intelligence (EI) is defined as the capacity to recognize one’s own emotions and those of others, to motivate oneself, and to regulate emotions in oneself and in relationships with others. The aim of this study is to examine the role of emotional awareness in early childhood and its influence on early childhood development and learning. This research employs a systematic literature review with four principal stages. The review used 14 eligible articles related to emotional awareness in early childhood. The findings show that emotional awareness plays an important role in several areas of early childhood development, including social-emotional development, cognitive development, language development, physical development, and creativity development. Each development has a positive relationship to support each other. Emotional awareness also influences play and learning activities in early childhood. Emotional awareness has been shown to positively support children’s play, academic success in school, and reduction of problem behaviors. Other findings show that emotional awareness can be influenced by children’s health history. A child with a history of epileptic seizures has difficulty with emotional awareness and even long-term development.

Association Between Maternal Physical Activity From Pre-pregnancy to Child-rearing and Their Children’s Physical Activity in Early Childhood Among Japanese

This study aimed to determine the association between cumulative maternal physical activity level and their children's physical activity in early childhood. We also compared the influence of each maternal physical activity on children's physical activity in early childhood. We analyzed the data from 1,067 Japanese mother-child pairs. Maternal physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Cumulative physical activity level in mothers was computed based on the categories (low, moderate, and high) of physical activity from 5 time points (pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, 1.5, 3.5, and 5.5 years postpartum). Children's physical activity level was measured at age 5.5 years using the WHO Health Behaviour School-aged Children questionnaire and defined as engaging in physical activity for at least 60 minutes per day for more than 5 days. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between maternal and children's physical activity levels. The results showed the positive association between cumulative maternal physical activity and children's physical activity level (P for trend < 0.001). Furthermore, maternal physical activity during pregnancy (P for trend = 0.031) and 5.5 years postpartum (P for trend < 0.001) was positively associated with children's physical activity. A positive association was observed between the cumulative maternal physical activity level and the physical activity level of their children at 5.5 years of age. Furthermore, maternal physical activity during pregnancy and at 5.5 years postpartum were positively associated with the level of children's physical activity.

Supporting Early Childhood Preservice Teachers to Effectively Integrate STEM in Their Future Teaching Practice

I t is critical that teachers are equipped with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills and knowledge as we move into a digital future. By integrating STEM into early childhood education, we can provide young children with invaluable opportunities to build their scientific knowledge from the very start, setting them up for success in their later STEM educational journeys. However, many educators within early childhood settings find it challenging to create engaging STEM-based activities for young children. Unfortunately, there is a scarcity of information on how teacher educators can support preservice teachers in developing their STEM competence. This study examined the perspectives of early childhood preservice teachers (PSTs) regarding their confidence and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in integrating STEM into their teaching practice. Utilising a qualitative multi-case study approach, semi-structured interviews with 11 PSTs and a document analysis of their assignment tasks and teaching artefacts were conducted to deepen our understanding of PCK skills. Data were analysed using Bryman’s thematic analysis, revealing key themes through a narrative analysis of PSTs’ responses. Several crucial themes emerged, with PSTs acknowledging that embedding STEM content into both theoretical classwork and practical placement significantly enhanced their content knowledge and confidence when teaching STEM in early childhood settings. It is essential for future research to explore and expand university–preschool partnerships to create immersive STEM experiences that benefit preservice teachers and future in-service teachers in this field.

Exploring Developmental Outcomes for Children Attending Community-based Pre-Schools in the Ermera and Viqueque Municipalities of Timor-Leste

ABSTRACT There is a substantial body of evidence which indicates that early childhood programmes have a positive effect on children's school readiness, academic achievement, and social and emotional development. Indeed, these benefits can last into adulthood. Based on this evidence base, many countries that strive to build their early childhood education offer to enhance later chances of prosperity. LINKS is an NIHR-funded study, carried out by a team from Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University, with support from UNICEF. The project aims to explore the impact of early childhood development programmes on social cohesion/peacebuilding in six conflict-affected low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); Timor-Leste, Viet Nam, Mali, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. This paper will focus on research carried out as part of the LINKS study in Timor-Leste which aimed to evaluate the impact of UNICEF community-based alternative pre-schools (CBAPs) in Timor-Leste. This research, carried out in 2020, employed a quasi-experimental pre- post-test design with a public pre-school control group. A total of 607 children were recruited to participate from 33 pre-schools: 508 completed post-tests after nine months of pre-school exposure to the CBAP programme. The East-Asia Pacific Early Childhood Development Scales (EAP-ECDS) were used to assess the development of children in the current study. Results of the post-test suggest that despite differences in time children spend in pre-school and infrastructure between the school types, attendance at CBAPs appears to close the developmental gap seen at the pre-test (baseline) between children in the two groups. The findings underline the importance of pre-school access and early learning experiences to the development of children at the highest risk of not reaching their developmental potential. The results point to the need to scale the intervention and to carry out an experimental effectiveness evaluation of this promising programme.

Is Confidence in Mathematics Pedagogy Enough? Exploring Early Childhood Teachers’ Mathematics Beliefs and Confidence

Abstract A multicentre cross-sectional study of early childhood teachers (ECTs) from one large Australian not-for-profit early childhood organisation in preschool (3–5 years) classrooms, was conducted. This study was part of a quasi-experimental online Mathematics Professional Learning Program intervention aimed at developing ECTs’ mathematical pedagogical content knowledge; we report on ECTs’ (n = 325) pre-program survey scores, investigating their beliefs and confidence around mathematical pedagogy and their beliefs of preschoolers’ mathematical abilities. Scores were high, especially for confidence in pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical ability in helping children learn mathematics, and several survey constructs were significantly inter-related. However, more than half of the ECTs did not agree that most children enter preschool with some mathematics abilities, and confidence in their own mathematical abilities in areas of numeracy and spatial awareness varied. Mathematics focussed Environmental Rating Scale, Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale—Extension (ECERS-E) and Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Wellbeing (SSTEW) scale, item scores were evaluated for a representative subgroup of ECTs (n = 102) and overall showed minimal (3 out of 7) quality learning environments. Mathematical beliefs and confidence had a weak association with mathematics focused ECERS-E scores and no association with SSTEW scores. The results show that while beliefs and confidence were high, they did not predict the quality of the preschool learning environment. ECTs may be unaware of the specific mathematical content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge required to effectively teach mathematics to preschool children and develop children’s complex mathematical thinking. Implications for professional learning are discussed.

Meningkatkan Kecerdasan Visual Spasial Pada Anak Usia Dini Melalui Permainan Building Blocks

This study aims to enhance the visual-spatial intelligence of early childhood through building block play. Visual-spatial intelligence refers to the ability to understand, process, and think visually, including recognizing shapes, sizes, colors, and the capability to create and comprehend visual information in two or three dimensions. The research method employed is a literature review, analyzing relevant books and journal articles. The findings indicate that building block play stimulates children’s creativity, imagination, and logical thinking skills. This activity allows children to learn essential concepts such as shapes, sizes, patterns, and directions, significantly supporting the development of their visual-spatial abilities. Additionally, the play enhances children’s social, emotional, and collaborative skills through group interactions. Using a systematic approach involving stages such as introduction, observation, construction, creative challenges, and evaluation, building block play proves to be an enjoyable and effective educational tool for early childhood. This study recommends that educators and parents integrate building block play into daily learning activities as an effective means to support the development of visual-spatial intelligence, creativity, and critical thinking skills in young children. Appropriate support from the surrounding environment will maximize children’s learning potential, enabling them to grow and develop optimally.

ILSI Europe Systematic Review: The Impact of Digestible and Nondigestible Carbohydrate Consumption for Toddlers (1-4 Years) in Relation to Health Outcomes.

Early dietary habits play a crucial role in shaping long-term health outcomes. Understanding the effects of different carbohydrate types on physiological markers is essential for developing evidence-based nutritional guidelines for toddlers. The aim was to systematically evaluate the impact of both digestible and nondigestible carbohydrate intake during early childhood (1-4 years of age) on various health outcomes, including growth patterns, metabolic parameters, and the development of risk of cardiovascular diseases. PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL databases were searched up to April 2022 to identify studies investigating carbohydrate consumption in toddlers. The types of carbohydrates consumed, their sources, and their associations with growth parameters and metabolic markers were extracted. Thirty-one publications, including 18 cohort studies and 2 randomized controlled trials, were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. A narrative synthesis was performed, with a visual summary table of the direction of effects. In toddlers, the negative impact on health risks later in life is more pronounced for digestible dietary carbohydrate intake in liquid forms, such as sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice, compared with solid forms. Higher nondigestible carbohydrate (dietary fiber) intake during early childhood showed a beneficial trend on later lipid profile. Further studies are required to comprehensively assess the effect of digestible and nondigestible carbohydrate intake in toddlers on cognitive and psychomotor development, infections, bowel function, and gut microbiota.

Association between aggression and ADHD polygenic scores and school-age aggression: the mediating role of preschool externalizing behaviors and adverse experiences.

Individual differences in physical aggression (PA) are largely heritable. However, it remains unclear how genetic propensity for aggression manifests early in life and relates to school-age PA. Preschool externalizing behavior problems (EXT) and adverse experiences are known predictors of school-age PA and also partly heritable. We investigated whether early childhood EXT and adverse experiences mediated the association between polygenic scores and school-age PA. Genotype data collected from 721 participants in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (45% males) were used to derive polygenic scores for aggression (PGSAGG) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (PGSADHD). PA was reported annually or biennially on six occasions between ages 6 and 13 by distinct teachers. Mothers reported EXT (PA, hyperactivity, opposition) and adverse experiences (peer difficulties and harsh parenting) on three occasions between ages 3½ and 5. Both PGSs proved significant predictors of school-age PA. However, no early behaviors or adverse experiences mediated the association between PGSAGG and school-age PA. Contrastingly, hyperactivity and opposition each partially mediated the association between PGSADHD and school-age PA. Notably, when both mediators were included in the same model, only hyperactivity remained significant. This study contributes to identifying early manifestations of genetic risk for PA, which may serve as early targets for intervention.

Tooth brushing behavior and oral health care of people with early childhood autism in Germany

ObjectivesOnly a little is known about the tooth brushing behaviors and oral health care of people with early childhood autism (P-EA). To remedy this, a survey was carried out with P-EA of all ages.Materials and methodsIn summer 2021, an online survey questionnaire with 124 questions, addressed only at caregivers of P-EA, was sent to all members of the Bundesverband Autismus Deutschland e.V. Our present study evaluated the 20 survey questions related to dental self-care.ResultsIn total, 130 questionnaires were evaluated. The mean age of the P-EA was 22.7 years (min: 3y; max: 60y; SD ± 14.1y). Only 17.7% (n =23) of the P-EA were female, while 82.3%(n =107) were male. Overall, 54.6% (n = 71) of P-EA are always actively assisted in tooth brushing. Although 57.7% (n = 75) of P-EA brushed teeth twice daily, 39.2% brushed for one to two minutes (n = 51). P-EA younger than 18 years old selected toothpaste primarily for taste reasons (32.7%;n = 18). Only 9.3% (n = 7) of adult P-EA selected toothpaste because of the fluoride content. Manual toothbrushes were preferred by 40.8% (n = 53) of the P-EA, and electric toothbrushes by 34.6% (n = 45). Almost three quarters (71.5%;n = 93) did not use additional dental care implements. The same number (75.4%;n = 98) of P-EA had not practiced supervised brushing in a dental office.Conclusions/Clinical relevanceActive support in dental self-care is crucial for a majority of the P-EA in Germany, regardless of their age. Professional support needs to be fundamentally improved. Clinical concepts for practical instruction in dental hygiene should be developed for P-EA.

Leadership Practices That Enable and Constrain Retention in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings in Australia

Australia’s early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector is in crisis, with educator job tenure decreasing and workforce supply threatened. Despite worsening retention rates, many highly skilled educators remain and thrive within ECEC settings, ensuring strong relationships and positive outcomes for children. While research has uncovered the complex organisational factors contributing to workforce retention, the leadership’s influence on educator retention remains under-researched. This paper describes a small-scale Australian qualitative study of ECEC leaders and educators using a social constructivist lens. The present study explored how positional leaders in two high-quality ECEC sites enabled educator retention, considering the perspectives of leaders and educators. Data from semi-structured interviews were analysed using the theory of practice architectures to uncover the practices and practice architectures that enable and constrain retention. This research discovered six key practices of leaders. These six practices were flexible approaches to managing individuals, proactive approaches to creating and building professional relationships with educators, prioritising educators’ professional growth, positioning themselves to enable educators’ practice, creating cohesive teams, and valuing educators and their work. The practices of leaders and practice architectures illuminated in this study may be employed by organisations in the sector to support the retention of educators.

Volatile Organic Compounds in Early Childhood Education Facilities: Simultaneous Indoor and Outdoor Measurements in the Haifa Bay Area

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is of great importance, as people spend up to 90% of their time indoors, leading to significant exposure to air pollutants. The IAQ in early childhood education (ECE) facilities is of particular interest since young children are more vulnerable and poor air quality may have possible long-lasting impacts on them. In the present study, simultaneous indoor and outdoor VOC measurements were carried out in three ECE facilities in the Haifa Bay area, Israel. Three sampling campaigns were utilized, each lasted for a minimum of one week, encompassing four consecutive working days and at least one weekend. During working days, sampling was performed during daytime activity hours and at nighttime (off hours). Twenty-three VOCs were identified, quantified, and classified into six chemical groups—aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic alkanes, terpenes, alcohols, carbonyls, and “others”. The total outdoor VOC concentration was 23 μg m−3 during the daytime and 22 μg m−3 at night, with carbonyls and aromatic hydrocarbons accounting for ~80% of it. Despite the heterogeneity of the study area, outdoor concentrations depicted a smaller spatial and temporal variability than was observed indoors. In the ECE facilities, the total VOC reached 134 and 204 μg m−3 during the daytime and nighttime, respectively, and were strongly impacted by the air exchange rate. Carbonyls, alcohols, and terpenes were more prevalent indoors, accounting for 77.5–81.1% of the total. Their high indoor/outdoor ratios, especially for formaldehyde and limonene, suggest a significant contribution from indoor emission sources. Exposure calculations were compared to reference values for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects. While the lifetime average daily dose (LADD) did not exceed the available reference values, the upper-limit estimates of continuous lifetime exposure to measured indoor levels indicate that formaldehyde and acetaldehyde surpassed their respective limits by factors of 10 and 3, respectively.

Interpreting for Equity? A Case Study of Interpretation Practices in EI/ECSE for Spanish-Speaking Latinx Families

Interpretation practices in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) are critical to delivering services to Spanish-speaking Latinx families raising emergent bilinguals labeled as disabled (EBLADs). This study examines the experiences and perspectives of Spanish-speaking mothers, their interpreters, and their bilingual and monolingual EI/ECSE providers to understand interpreting practices. Using intersectional theoretical frameworks of Disability Studies Critical Race Theory (DisCrit) and Raciolinguistics, we employed a case study approach to examine interpretive practices within the boundaries of an EI/ECSE system. Our study uncovered several barriers to providing effective interpretation practices within EI/ECSE services, such as the institutional failure to prioritize time for preparation, collaboration, and resource allocation to support EI/ECSE providers and interpreters, resulting in fragmented services to racialized families needing interpretation support. Our study also found recommendations to reimagine interpretation services, such as prioritizing prepping time with interpreters and investing in culturally responsive professional development. Our findings highlight the need to reimagine how EI/ECSE interpretation services are operated to fulfill their promise and federal obligation to provide responsive and family-centered interpretation services to families needing interpretation.

Exploring the Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Teacher Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire Across Four European Countries

Teacher well-being is a psychological asset for educators, often associated with job engagement and retention. However, sophisticated measures to comprehensively assess teacher well-being are still under investigation. This study explores the factor structure and cross-country comparability of the Teacher Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (TSWQ) among 393 early childhood education teachers from four European countries. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses generally supported the TSWQ’s proposed dimensionality, identifying teaching efficacy and school connectedness as two distinct latent factors, along with indications for the existence of a general, higher-order factor. Additionally, measurement equivalence was established at all levels across the four countries. Discriminant validity analyses highlighted culturally specific nuances in the relationship between teacher well-being and burnout. The findings underscore the TSWQ’s potential to advance theoretical and methodological research on teacher well-being and broaden the instrument’s applicability across diverse educational settings.

Immigrant parents’ experiences and perspectives on the early childhood education stages in Nordic contexts

To explore the state of research on immigrant parents’ experiences in early childhood education (ECE) stages, we conducted a literature review through a qualitative meta-synthesis of 22 studies. Guided by sociocultural theory, which emphasizes the co-construction of meaning and the interplay between individual agency and social context, the synthesis highlights both the barriers immigrant parents face and opportunities for enhancing inclusion and support within Nordic ECE contexts. While the articles acknowledge these challenges, they also found that some parents increasingly appreciate Nordic ECE values and practices over time. Communication emerges as a central theme in the reviewed literature; it deeply impacts the integration process of immigrant parents in Nordic ECE systems. Synthesized findings across the studies highlight communication as a key factor shaping parents’ experiences within the categories of “initial experiences and adaptation,” “parental concerns,” and “cultural and social integration.” The review reveals a predominance of host-country researchers, the majority being female, with minority groups underrepresented, which could potentially lead to biases. Despite methodological limitations that impact the understanding of immigrant parents' experiences, the studies offer valuable insights into the parents’ reported experiences and provide a foundation for improving inclusivity and understanding in Nordic ECE.