Early Education Programs Research Articles

Dress like a winner: mathematical investigations in a design workshop in an early childhood education teacher education programme

ABSTRACT This article investigates alternative ways doing of mathematics in an Early Childhood Education Teacher Programme using aesthetic forms of expression, the body and reflections on ethics, gender and responsibilities in the transition from student teacher at university to a qualified preschool teacher of children aged 4–5 years. The purpose of the article is to explore an interdisciplinary mathematics workshop in which student teachers investigate mathematics with body- and hands-on crafting to better understand how young children experience learning situations. The research design draws on feminist activist social science research, including in-making and crafty research methods. Theoretically and methodologically, inspiration is drawn from relational materialism and Donna Haraway’s scientific engagement with ‘speculative fabulations’ and Anna L. Tsing’s development of ‘arts of noticing’. The study shows that learning mathematics through the body, concrete materials, scientific concepts and fiction can be helpful in the transition from student teacher to preschool teacher.

From Birth to Weaning: A Window of Opportunity for Microbiota.

(1) Background: The first 1000 days of life constitute a critical window of opportunity for microbiota development. Nutrients play a crucial role in enriching and diversifying the microbiota, derived not only from solid food but also from maternal dietary patterns during gestation. (2) Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature review using the PubMed database, covering eleven years (2013-2023). We included English-language reviews, original research papers, and meta-analyses, while excluding case reports and letters. (3) Results: Consensus in the literature emphasizes that our interaction with a multitude of microorganisms begins in the intrauterine environment and continues throughout our lives. The existing data suggest that early nutritional education programs, initiated during pregnancy and guiding infant diets during development, may influence the shaping of the gut microbiota, promoting long-term health. (4) Conclusions: Further research is necessary in the coming years to assess potential interventions and early nutritional models aimed at modulating the pediatric microbiota, especially in vulnerable populations such as premature newborns.

Lottery-Based Evaluations of Early Education Programs: Opportunities and Challenges for Building the Next Generation of Evidence

Lottery-based identification strategies offer potential for generating the next generation of evidence on U.S. early education programs. The authors’ collaborative network of five research teams applying this design in early education settings and methods experts has identified six challenges that need to be carefully considered in this next context: (a) available baseline covariates that may not be very rich; (b) limited data on the counterfactual; (c) limited and inconsistent outcome data; (d) weakened internal validity due to attrition; (e) constrained external validity due to who competes for oversubscribed programs; and (f) difficulties answering site-level questions with child-level randomization. The authors offer potential solutions to these six challenges and concrete recommendations for the design of future lottery-based early education studies.

Policies addressing suspension and expulsion in state early care and education subsystems: A national census of policy alignment and integration

Exclusion from early care and education (ECE) programs creates employment challenges for families and disrupts learning for children, often differentially impacting children placed at-risk due to income, race, and disability. Federal policy guidance and changes in the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Block Grant requirements are meant to influence states to create policies that will both regulate and prevent disciplinary exclusions, especially suspension and expulsion. We present a national census of states’ CCDF plans, center-based child care licensing regulations, and state pre-K policies addressing suspension and expulsion. Using content analysis methodology, we evaluate the presence of key policy components of suspension and expulsion prevention including data collection, parent/family involvement in the process of exclusions, accessing community resources, and the use of developmental information to inform the use of exclusionary discipline. Our results indicate that expulsion and suspension policies vary widely both across states, and within the same state's subsystems. The component found most frequently across all subsystems is an expulsion policy, with noticeable variation in specifying and defining suspension. Our findings also point to a great deal of variance in policy alignment, with pre-K including the most information on expulsion and suspension policies and prevention. As state-level policymakers seek to adopt policies that reduce exclusion in ECE, our findings point to a need to consider the importance of creating policies that protect children, especially those over exposed to exclusionary discipline, and then aligning those components within and across ECE subsystems to promote equitable access to ECE. This is particularly important for low-income families, Black children, children with disabilities, and boys.

A systematic review of programs and interventions for reduction of sickness absence in nursing staff with work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Negative consequences of musculoskeletal pain and injuries on the nurses' health and well-being can increase job dissatisfaction and impose high costs on healthcare centers due to lost workdays and compensation claims. This study aimed to identify policies, programs, and interventions that might be effective in the prevention and reduction of sickness absence and improvement of work outcomes in nursing staff with these problems. The systematic review was conducted according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Electronic databases were searched up to November 9-23, 2022. The keywords "musculoskeletal disorders", "nurse", "return to work", "sickness absence", and "sick leave" and their equivalents were combined using Boolean operators OR/AND. Reference lists of eligible literatures were also screened to identify related studies. In this study, a total of 3365 records were retrieved. After two rounds of screening, 15 studies were selected for qualitative synthesis. These studies included seven randomized controlled trial, five pre-post studies, two cohort, and one cross-sectional. Six types of interventions identified including back college, early workplace-based intervention, physical activity/training, psychosocial education, multifaceted intervention, and ergonomics program. There is insufficient evidence to identify effective interventions in preventing and reducing sickness absence, and improvement of work outcomes in nursing personnel with work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Numerous factors affected the occurrence of such disorders, and their consequences, therefore comprehensive strategy tailored to the injured person's needs should be considered.

Early Childhood Teacher Education Students’ Online Learning Readiness and Course Satisfaction: Best Service from the Indonesian Open University

Comprehensive online learning has been implemented in Indonesia, particularly in universities, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Universitas Terbuka is considered the most prepared institution for distance learning because it equips students with technology skills for education. Student satisfaction with learning is affected by the transition from traditional face-to-face instruction to online learning. Therefore, a survey was conducted to enhance the learning quality for students at Universitas Terbuka. This research aims to establish the relationship between online learning readiness and satisfaction with online courses among students enrolled in the Early Childhood Teacher Education program. This quantitative study employed a survey design with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis involving 286 participants. The results of PLS-SEM indicate that satisfaction with online courses is significantly influenced by several factors. Learning motivation (0.265) emerges as the most important predictor of online course satisfaction, followed by student control (0.257), computer/internet self-efficacy (0.210), online communication self-efficacy (0.159), and the independent learning factor (0.114). This information ensures that Universitas Terbuka Indonesia’s excellent services have helped distance students become better prepared for online learning and have supported the university in formulating strategic goals to achieve the highest quality of education.

지속가능발전지향 유아인성 증진 프로그램 개발을 위한 영유아교사의 인식 및 요구

This study conducted a survey of 230 teachers in Busan to find out the perceptions and demands of early childhood teachers for the development of a sustainable development-oriented infant personality promotion program, and the results of the analysis with the SPSS 23.0 program are as follows. First, as a result of examining the perceptions of early childhood teachers about sustainable development education and early childhood personality education programs, the awareness and necessity of sustainable development education were high, and teaching and learning methods were high in terms of experience and difficulty in implementation. Next, the number of implementations of early childhood personality education programs was the highest every day (often), and the lack of data was high in difficulty. Second, as a result of examining the needs of early childhood teachers for the development of a sustainable development-oriented infant personality promotion program, it was found that the appropriate time was 20-30 minutes and the appropriate age was 5 years old, and the necessity of program development was very necessary.

유아기후변화교육에 대한 유아교사의 인식 및 요구

This study investigates early childhood teachers' perceptions and requirements concerning climate change education for young children, aiming to inform improvements and the development of early childhood climate change education programs. The research involved 356 early childhood teachers from Seoul and Gyeonggi regions, with data collected through online surveys and analyzed using SPSS 25.0. Qualitative analysis was applied to open-ended questions related to the definition of 'climate change.' Key findings include early childhood teachers demonstrating a robust awareness of climate change's gravity. However, they often perceive 'climate change' as primarily 'environmental destruction and natural disasters,' indicating a limited understanding of the concept. Despite 98.8% recognizing the need for early childhood climate change education, the implementation is challenged by high workloads and inadequate preparation time. Vital requirements for effective implementation include the development and distribution of materials suitable for young children's developmental stages and specific climate change educational resources for teachers. Teachers emphasize a proactive, practical educational approach that fosters understanding of climate change causes and impacts while promoting active responses and adaptation. Notably, even though over half of the teachers lacked prior climate change training, roughly 80% expressed intent to participate in future training. These findings lay the groundwork for discussions on early childhood climate change education and teacher training.

A call for early, effective, and scalable parent education programs for high-conflict separated/divorcing parents: A synthesized perspective from prevention science and family law.

Conflict between parents is stressful and disruptive to children living in the midst of parental separation or divorce. Although some level of post-separation/divorce conflict is understandable in an emotionally-charged separation/divorce, it undermines the extent to which parents protect their children from short- and long-term problems. In this article, we weave together a synthesized perspective informed by our respective training and experience in prevention science and family law on the role of parent education programs for high-conflict separating/divorcing parents. To do so, we first describe the research on the effects of high interparental conflict on children's outcomes and then discuss current approaches and challenges to reducing these negative effects by offering parent education programs for high-conflict separating/divorcing parents. Then, we propose and describe a new model for early, effective, and scalable parent education programs with the ultimate goal of protecting children after separation/divorce.

유아교사교육과정에서의 인공지능 관련 교과목 개설현황 및 현직교사의 경험

Objectives This study analyzed the current status of AI-related curriculum offered in early childhood teacher edu-cation programs and explored the experiments of current teachers regarding AI education.
 Methods To achieve this, the study analyzed the websites of 61 universities with departments of early childhood education that had established AI-related curriculum, frequency and percentages were calculated. Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted with seven current teachers who had experience with AI education, using a qualitative data analysis approach to examine their experiences.
 Results The results of the study are as follows: Firstly, in terms of the current status of AI-related curriculum in early childhood teacher education programs, 49 courses were offered in four-year universities, and 45 courses were offered in three-year(or two-year) colleges. Both four-year universities and three-year(or two-year) col-leges offered the highest number of courses in the first semester of the first year. While four-year universities offered courses with major studies worth three credits, three-year(or two-year) colleges had more courses with general education worth two credits. Secondly, from the perspective of current teachers' experiences with AI ed-ucation, the study identified how current teachers get rid of a sense of vague apprehension, anxiety and negative perceptions, and specified the experiences of engaging with AI education through play.
 Conclusions This study contributes foundational data for the implementation of AI education in pre-service early childhood teacher education programs.

Partners for quality: building professional pathways for diverse adult learners in early childhood education

PurposeThis paper describes the rationale and key aspects of how one school-university partnership leveraged resources to create, implement and refine an innovative professional pathway called the Early Childhood Certificate (ECC) program which reflects the National Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) Essential Guideline 4: Reflection and Innovation. The ECC program is an innovative, career-building model that leverages resources between a predominantly white regional state university, a nonprofit organization serving as a Head Start grantee, a large urban school district and community-based education settings across a Midwestern metropolitan region.Design/methodology/approachThis descriptive narrative documents how the ECC program developed as a professional pathway for early childhood educators to scale up their skills for teaching young children while strengthening their capacities and credentials within the early childhood education (ECE) profession pipeline. The narrative includes relevant literature and examples from the field.FindingsThis paper includes a discussion of the benefits and challenges related to the design, implementation and refinement of the professional learning ECC program.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a descriptive narrative. As such, generalizability is lacking. Research is needed to determine the effectiveness and sustainability of innovative teacher education programs.Practical implicationsRelevant research and lessons learned provide guidance for other school–university partnerships to consider how to meet workforce and career needs for educators in the field of ECE.Social implicationsSchool–university partnerships can be change agents and positively impact early childhood educators' career development.Originality/valueThis paper addresses the need for understanding how predominantly white early childhood teacher education programs can partner with schools and agencies and then together leverage resources to support workforce and career development opportunities.

Initiatives supporting student retention in early childhood teacher education qualifications

This paper describes a case study using quantitative and qualitative approaches to investigate student engagement and retention within an online early childhood teacher education program at a regional Australian university. Two key interventions, the identification and support of disengaged students and the Embedded Tutors Program are described and examined. Initial findings on these retention initiatives, developed to support Early Childhood Education undergraduates studying in the online environment, are presented. Additionally, discussion of the findings through the theory of practice architectures highlights the practices and institutional arrangements that create the conditions to support student retention. This study is significant in planning for Early Childhood Education workforce quality and supply. It may offer guidance to institutions for their retention practices with early childhood teacher undergraduates studying in the online environment.

Early childhood preservice teachers’ beliefs of creativity, creative individuals and creative environment: Perspectives from China

This qualitative study employs a phenomenological approach to comprehensively investigate the beliefs of early childhood preservice teachers (PTs) in China regarding creativity, creative individuals (children and teachers), and the creative learning environment. Data was collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 13 PTs. The findings suggest PTs exhibit limited understanding regarding the concept of creativity, which consequently affects their beliefs of creative individuals. PTs perceive both general personal characteristics and specific capacities relevant to the ECE context. However, motivation-related traits were not identified by PTs. Three themes concerning PTs’ beliefs about the creative environment emerged. PTs demonstrate positive attitudes toward fostering creativity in the ECE context, and they perceive multiple strategies of creative pedagogy. However, a gap exists between PTs’ attitudes valuing creativity and their actual pedagogical practice. The reasons contributing to the gap were discussed in the study. The findings have important implications for early childhood teacher education programs.

Effects of parental migration on early childhood development of left-behind children in Bangladesh: Evidence from a nationally representative survey.

In Bangladesh, as in other low- and middle-income countries, parents frequently migrate to other areas, often for employment opportunities, leaving their children behind with the hope that their earnings will contribute to securing a better future for them. However, the absence of parents due to migration can have negative implications for the well-being of these left-behind children. Despite the existence of studies investigating this phenomenon, the evidence thus far has produced inconclusive findings, with no specific data available from Bangladesh. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the effects of parental migration on the early childhood development of left-behind children in Bangladesh. The present study utilized data from the Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted in 2019. A sample of 8,833 children aged 3-4 years was included in the analysis. The Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI) and its individual domains served as the outcome variables of interest. The primary explanatory variables considered in the analysis were father migration, mother migration, migration of both parents, and migration of either parent. To assess the association between the outcomes and explanatory variables, multilevel logistic regression analysis was employed, controlling for relevant covariates. Approximately 29% of all children in the study were not developmentally on track, as measured by the ECDI. When examining the individual domains of the ECDI, only 9% of the total children demonstrated developmental progress in the learning domain. Regarding the association between parental migration and ECDI outcomes, we observed a 26% decrease in the likelihood of overall ECDI among children with a migrated father (OR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.54-0.93). This decrease became even more pronounced, reaching 37% (OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.48-0.97), among children with both parents migrated, compared to children with neither parent migrated. The findings of this study indicate that parental migration, especially when both parents are involved, has a substantial negative impact on the likelihood of achieving favourable ECDI outcomes for children in Bangladesh. To ensure the optimal development of children with migrating parents, it is crucial to strengthen early childhood development education programs and implement robust social safety nets. These efforts should specifically target the unique needs and challenges faced by children with migrated parents, providing them with the necessary support and resources for their holistic development.

The Lighthouse Framework: Proposing a Movement-Based Constructivist Framework for Early Childhood Music Education and Pre-Service Education Programs

This article aims to provide practical strategies and examples for pre-service early education programs and early education teachers to develop music- and movement-based curricula for teacher preparation programs and early childhood music classrooms. To address the inconsistencies in early childhood music programs, the authors developed the Lighthouse Framework, which utilizes constructivist ideology to help students learn through and adapt the teaching model while simultaneously learning music- and movement-based content. Through this proposed framework, pre-service teachers can gain authentic teaching experience, real-time feedback, and an adaptable framework for their future curriculum planning.

Early Childhood Educators Pay Equity: A Dream Deferred

AbstractInsufficient wages and unequal pay create challenges in attracting and retaining highquality early educators, critical for young children’s success in early care and education (ECE) programs. While ECE professional wages are already lower than similar workers, there may be wage disparities based on race/ethnicity and gender within the workforce. To examine whether hourly wages were associated with race/ethnicity and gender after considering demographic and professional characteristics, this study used a nationally representative sample of 5,192 ECE professionals in the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) workforce survey. Multivariate regression analyses showed that compared to their White counterparts, Black, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, and other races, educators earned lower hourly wages. Additionally, this study revealed that the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender has a compounding effect on pay equity among early childhood educators. For example, the wage gap between Black/African American male and female educators is significant, with male educators earning higher hourly wages. Moreover, the study found that women of color, including Black, Hispanic/Latina, Asian, and other races, had the lowest average hourly wages compared to other ECE workers. Additionally, the study’s results indicate that Black and Hispanic/Latino men had higher average hourly wages than women of color but lower average hourly wages than white women. The study explored possible reasons for these findings and their implications for policies and support.

What Shapes Principals’ Early Education Leadership Practices? A Mixed-Methods Study of North Carolina School Leaders

ABSTRACT Principals can play an important role in the effectiveness of early education programs and early grade levels in their school. The purpose of this study is to describe the relationship between principals’ backgrounds and their self-assessed early education leadership practices. Using a mixed-methods approach that draws on surveys and interviews from school leaders in North Carolina, we found that principals often lacked experience or training in early education. We also identified factors (e.g., training in early education) that predicted higher self-assessed early education leadership practices. We conclude by discussing the implication of these findings for research, policy, and practice.

More than procurement: Examination of a farm-to-early-care and education pilot

Although there is a wealth of research on farm-to-school programs (FTS), less has been published about farm to early care and education programs (ECE). This paper examines the results of partici­pating in a farm-to-ECE procurement pilot pro­gram on provider practices across the three core elements of farm to ECE: (1) purchasing, (2) gar­dening, and (3) nutrition and education activities. In order to address the geographic and funding constraints of an existing procurement pilot, Michigan offered an expansion of this model so that ECE sites could take part in a learning collab­orative. They did this by examining the effective­ness of evidence-based practices in obtaining locally grown foods from a variety of sources among ECE sites, for statewide replication. Partici­pation included self-assessment of learning envi­ronments using a nationally available, validated instrument to determine pre- to post-test changes in farm-to-ECE practices and what, if any, changes in practices might have occurred for those partici­pating in the procurement pilot, with the goal of sharing what was learned statewide. Key findings include improvements of statistical significance from pre-test to post-test and changes in best prac­tices among participants using Go NAPSACC, with the top three most improved practices involv­ing garden-based practices. The role of self-assess­ment, funding, and limitations are discussed, along with implications for practice and further research.

The relationship between parental mental health and preschoolers’ stress hormone and development

Abstract Background Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) has been identified as a biomarker that reflects chronic physiological stress. However, research on the association between mental health and HCC has been limited and yielded inconsistent results. This study thus aims to investigate the relationship between parental mental health and HCC and explore the relationship between parental mental health and HCC in preschoolers and their development. Methods Data from the ongoing project of Longitudinal Examination Across Prenatal and Postpartum Health in Taiwan (LEAPP-HIT) conducted in Taipei between 2017 and 2022 was utilized. A total of 131 families completed a self-reported questionnaire and provided hair samples from early pregnancy to four years postpartum. Of these families, 68 were followed up until the postpartum years and provided information on their preschoolers’ developmental outcomes. Multiple regression was utilized for analyses. Results We found that paternal eudaimonia was significantly negatively associated with paternal HCC (r= -0.49, p < 0.05) and maternal anxiety (r = 0.21, p < 0.05) and perceived stress (r = 0.39, p < 0.05) were significantly positively associated with maternal HCC. Furthermore, maternal higher HCC was associated with preschoolers’ higher HCC (β = 0.34, 95%CI=0.05-0.53) and higher risks of preschoolers’ suspected developmental delay (odds ratio (OR)=3.25; 95%CI=1.02-10.3). Conclusions Poorer mental health was associated with elevated cortisol levels in mothers and fathers. Maternal higher HCC was positively associated with preschoolers’ HCC and their higher risks of suspected developmental delay. We thus highlight the importance of early screening and health education programs during pregnancy for both mothers and fathers to reduce parental stress and the following risks of developmental delay in preschool-aged children. Key messages • Parental Hair cortisol may effectively reflect the association between mental health and physical stress. • Maternal higher HCC was associated with preschoolers’ higher HCC and higher risks of preschoolers’ suspected developmental delay.

Integral education and Ubuntu: A participatory action research project in South Africa

Background: South Africa is beset with violent, antisocial practices and ways of life hindering peaceful co-existence and participatory democracy. This makes a targeted early education programme to develop a socially responsible generation imperative.Aim: Based on a larger research project, this study aimed to highlight the value of participatory action research in determining the outcomes of an early childhood development (ECD) Integral Education (IE) and Ubuntu approach for incorporation in the education and training of practitioners.Setting: Three ECD practitioners were selected to participate in this study, which was located in a township in the south of Durban in three preschools (urban, semi-urban and rural).Methods: Lewin’s PAR method was used to explore, develop and evaluate an intervention for change. Data were collected through focus group and participant interviews, observations and journal entries and then analysed thematically.Results: The findings revealed that, personally and professionally, the practitioners experienced positive changes through adopting an integral approach that included becoming more introspective and reflective in their practice.Conclusion: Educating and training early childhood practitioners to develop the appropriate knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to adopt and implement an ECD IE and Ubuntu approach are essential for developing a new generation of socially responsible citizens for participatory democracy in South Africa.Contribution: The findings highlighted key components of an ECD IE practitioner training programme based on the integrality of the mind, body, heart, spirit and community. Thus, the development of a caring, compassionate and humane society in democratic South Africa can be enabled.