Early Learning Research Articles

Belonging in the Law Classroom: Preliminary Reflections from a South Australian Case Study

This article reports the findings of the Belonging in the Law Classroom Project (Belonging Project) – a qualitative research project undertaken during 2022 with the support of an UniSA Early Career Researcher Teaching and Learning Grant. The Belonging Project aims to improve the experience and retention of first-year Law students by better understanding and fostering their sense of belonging in the online or physical classroom. The idea that students can and need to belong to a higher education community has become engrained within higher education policy and practice. Past studies have identified a strong causal link between students’ sense of belonging at University and student retention. This has led to a sustained focus on developing institutional strategies to improve student engagement, largely focused on extra-curricular supports or activities, but less focus on what happens in the classroom to foster student belonging. By focusing on student belonging in the classroom, and enacting dialogic approaches to provide students with opportunities to talk and explore within the classroom setting, as well as connecting with their life worlds and funds of knowledge to help students identify the existing skills and resources that they bring to the law studies, the Belonging Project provides a fresh perspective for teaching staff to understand student retention and engagement This article will explore some of the practical frameworks, exemplars and resources complied during the Belonging Project to provide first year law teachers with building blocks that they can utilise to foster student belonging in their classroom.

Postnatal Zika and Dengue Infection and their Effects on Neurodevelopment Among Children Living in Rural Guatemala.

Prenatal Zika virus (ZIKV) infection leads to microcephaly and adverse neurodevelopment. The effects of postnatal ZIKV infection on the developing brain are unknown. We assessed the neurodevelopmental outcomes of children exposed postnatally during the ZIKV epidemic. A prospective study enrolled infants 0-3 months of age and their mothers, and children 1.5-3.5 years of age in rural Guatemala from 2017 and were followed for 12 months until 2019. Neurodevelopment was evaluated using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL). ZIKV and dengue virus (DENV) infections were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using active surveillance. Serological analyses, stratified by age group flavivirus serostatus at enrollment, were conducted using a focus reduction neutralization test. Of 1371 enrolled participants, 1187 (86.6%) completed the study. No PCR-confirmed ZIKV infections were identified during the study period. One-third of 1.5-3.5-year-old children were ZIKV-seropositive at enrollment (likely postnatal infection). Twenty participants (5.8%) tested positive for DENV by PCR (11 infants, 5 children and 4 mothers); 15 (75%) were DENV-3 infections and 5 were DENV-2. The incidence of DENV infection in infants was 2.6%. No significant differences in MSEL scores were found between infants born seropositive versus seronegative for ZIKV or DENV. DENV seropositivity at enrollment in 1.5-5-year-old children was associated with lower MSEL scores for fine motor, visual reception and language, and microcephaly at 12 months versus seronegative children (all P < 0.05). Postnatal ZIKV infection in children from rural Guatemala was not associated with worse neurodevelopmental outcomes. DENV seropositivity was associated with a higher risk of microcephaly in infants and worse neurodevelopmental outcomes in children.

Effect of a youth-led early childhood care and education programme on children's development and learning in rural Sindh, Pakistan (LEAPS): a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised implementation trial.

In low-income and middle-income countries, an estimated 181·9 million (74·6%) preschool-aged children do not receive adequate nurturing care in health, nutrition, protection, learning, and responsive care, thus jeopardising their healthy development across the life course. Working alongside the health sector, multisectoral actions including social protection and education are necessary to achieve child health and development outcomes. Innovations are needed to expand access to high-quality early childhood care and education (ECCE) for young children and opportunities for youth development. Youth Leaders for Early Childhood Assuring Children are Prepared for School (LEAPS) is a two-generation programme that trains female youth aged 18-24 years to deliver ECCE. We evaluated the effectiveness of LEAPS to improve children's school readiness when delivered at scale in rural Pakistan. We implemented a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial with three steps from Dec 3, 2018, to June 30, 2021. 99 villages (clusters) in four districts in rural Sindh, Pakistan, were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to introduce LEAPS across three steps. Eligible clusters were those that had a feeder primary school run by the National Commission for Human Development, a department of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training; were safe; had space for a LEAPS preschool; could identify a female youth to deliver the ECCE service; and had not previously participated in the pilot study. Government partners trained female youth, aged 18-24 years, to provide community-based ECCE, enrolling up to 20 children, aged 3·5-5·0 years, per class. Population-based cross-sectional surveys were conducted at baseline and after each step for children who were eligible if they resided in the cluster, were aged 4·5-5·5 years at the time of the survey, and without any severe clinical health conditions or disability. The primary outcome was children's school readiness using the International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA) composite score comprising emergent numeracy, emergent literacy, socio-emotional development, and motor skills. An intention-to-treat analysis was conducted, using linear mixed models accounting for clustering and the stepped-wedge design. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03764436). LEAPS was implemented in 91 of 99 villages. In eight clusters, a LEAPS preschool could not be set up. For the intervention programme, the average enrolment of children in a LEAPS preschool was 19 (SD 3, range 12-20). A total of 3858 children (n=3852 with complete IDELA data) were assessed across the four survey rounds conducted between Jan 1, 2019, and March 31, 2021. LEAPS increased school readiness (standardised mean difference: 0·30 [95% CI 0·20-0·40]; p<0·0001) as compared with the control condition. LEAPS offers a scalable solution to expand access to high-quality ECCE and promote children's school readiness while providing employment for female youth in rural Pakistan and settings with similarly low ECCE participation. Dubai Cares; and Saving Brains, Grand Challenges Canada. For the Urdu translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

When Passion Projects Must Wait: The Benefits of Gaining Broader Experience Before Pursuing Your Ultimate Career Goals

This paper explores the research-backed benefits of gaining broad, diverse work experiences early in one's career, rather than immediately pursuing a narrow "dream" role. While passion is important, jumping straight into a specialized field can leave professionals ill-prepared for the complex realities of the modern working world. Social science and management research demonstrate that exposure to various functions, industries, and responsibilities promotes flexibility, strategic thinking, and well-rounded competencies - skills prized by top employers. By building expansive professional networks and discovering alternative strengths outside their initial passions, early career "generalists" emerge uniquely qualified to adapt and excel as industries evolve. The paper highlights how leading organizations in consulting and technology value this type of multi-faceted experience, allowing new hires to rotate through different roles, projects, and locations, and outlines practical strategies for professionals to facilitate broader early learning - an approach that proves the ideal path for developing future-proof skills and positioning oneself for sustained career success, even in ultimately achieving one's most ambitious goals and dreams.

Toward ethical praxis in longitudinal research with children: Reflecting on ethical tensions in participatory research

The field of early foreign language learning research has witnessed an increasing trend to employ participatory methods, stemming from a paradigm shift in how children are viewed in research. In contrast to more traditional approaches that place children as the objects of research, children are considered active agents and participants in research with expert knowledge of their own lives. In this paper I discuss the ethical tensions that surfaced prior, during, and after a research project that employed participatory methods with young children. I reflect on how the methodology broadened understanding of emerging power differences in the researcher–participant relationship, such as how asymmetry in knowledge and participation alternate and manifest during a longitudinal project, engaging the researcher and the children in recurring negotiation of roles and power. While ethical considerations are often presented as a checklist with do's and don't’s for how to proceed, with this article I draw on experiences from my own project and aim to dismantle the complex and messy picture of the ethical process in research with young children. I argue that while the application of participatory methods in early foreign language learning research alleviates ethical tensions to an extent, such as by helping reduce epistemic and institutional power between the researcher and the participants, it is essential to report and reflect on the ethical weighing and reflection undertaken throughout the study as unequal power structures will remain regardless of method.

Supporting Refugees Participating in the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters in Regional Australia

The uncertainty of transition to school for refugee children can be alleviated through early childhood programs that cater to children, families, and communities. This paper reports findings from a Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY), where free, home-based early childhood learning occurs during the critical period of the child’s transition to full-time school. The project aimed to support Ezidi parent’s capacity to prepare their children for Australian school contexts and to build a sense of belonging among Ezidi children in their new community in regional New South Wales (NSW), Australia. This qualitative study was based on a case study informed by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological theory. Data were analyzed for themes using NVivo software. Findings indicated the HIPPY program supported Ezidi children's transition to school. Challenges such as parents’ English language proficiency and limited knowledge about the program resulted in the parents not being fully involved.

Review of the European Union Clinical Trials Regulation: Key Early Learnings from the United Kingdom Drug Information Association Medical Writing Committee.

The European Union Clinical Trials Regulation (EU CTR) provides new regulatory requirements for the preparation and submission of clinical trial documents. The United Kingdom Drug Information Association Medical Writing (UK DIA MW) Committee, with members from across the pharmaceutical industry, have reviewed the EU CTR and in this report, provide expert guidance on writing documents for submission in the EU CTR Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) portal. Medical writers should be aware that the Investigator's Brochure containing the Reference Safety Information (RSI) must align with the annual safety report, and the RSI format must comply closely with the EU CTR. For clinical study protocols, medical writers should prepare a single integrated EU protocol that receives consolidated approvals from all participating EU member states, with different versions of a protocol for different EU member states no longer permitted. This report also provides details of experiences and recommendations on protocol synopses from the UK DIA MW Committee. In addition, plain language summaries are new EU CTR documents required for each study presenting summaries of clinical trial results for laypersons. Some of these documents will be published in the publicly accessible CTIS portal which has created concerns amongst many companies who are keen to protect commercially confidential information (CCI). Medical writers may help reduce CCI through lean writing, but specifically identifying CCI may require specialist legal evaluation. This report by the UK DIA MW Committee highlights the key processes for medical writers to ensure compliance with the EU CTR when preparing documents for submission to the CTIS portal.

Early Learning Curve in Robotic-Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Single-Center Experience

Early Learning Curve in Robotic-Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Single-Center Experience

Developmental and Functional Outcomes Amongst Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Autistic Children.

Children typically learn by attending to other people. Autism traits may impact access to social stimuli fundamental to early learning, increasing children's likelihood of a learning disability. Recent reports have highlighted that Autistic children from minority backgrounds have a higher likelihood of co-occurring intellectual disability. This study aimed to firstly confirm that early autism traits are concurrently and prospectively associated with lower developmental quotients, and secondly to examine the developmental and functional gains in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) and non-CALD Autistic children following one year of Group-based Early Start Denver Model (G-ESDM). Secondary data on 114 non-CALD and 91 CALD Autistic preschoolers receiving the G-ESDM was utilised to address the study aims. Children were administered the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) at entry into the service. The Mullen Scales of Early Learning and the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales-II were administered at both entry (Time 1) and 12 months later (Time 2). While no concurrent associations were found between autism traits and Developmental Quotient (DQ), significant associations were found prospectively with ADOS scores at Time 1 and DQ at Time 2, holding for both groups after controlling for DQ at Time 1. Autistic children made significant gains in cognition and functional behaviour following one year of early therapy, with no differences between the two groups. The results indicate that young Autistic children make significant gains in early development and add to the sparse research on the developmental and functional outcomes of Autistic children from CALD communities.

Mapping Australian Culture and Society in the Animated Series Bluey—The Use of Audiovisual Material in Early EFL Learning

Bluey stands as the current pinnacle in children’s television series, lauded and adorned with multiple accolades for its educational and social merits. It stands out for its portrayal of childhood social learning within familial settings, offering a realistic depiction of everyday challenges. In addition, Bluey is based on the everyday life of Australian society, clearly reflecting the country’s customs, social values, and natural environments, making it an invaluable resource for enriching the cultural learning of the English language and culture from an Australian point of view, an issue that is rarely addressed in the specialist literature. Thus, this study seeks to identify the cultural and societal facets of Australia depicted in it, with the aim of assessing its pedagogical value in teaching English to non-native learners within the context of primary education. Thirty evaluators analyzed the 52 episodes of the first season of Bluey, endeavoring to identify elements across nine thematic areas. To mitigate variances among evaluators, elements were verified only if agreement was reached by at least three evaluators. In total, evaluators identified 3327 elements representing Australian culture, comprising these categories: (1) Childhood; (2) Devices; (3) Lifestyles; (4) Food; (5) Language; (6) Sports; (7) Animals; (8) Nature; and (9) Places. A total of 1223 elements received verification by the requisite number of evaluators. The resulting catalog of Australia-specific elements per episode serves as a valuable tool in selecting the most instructive episodes for English-language and Australian cultural education for non-natives. This compilation facilitates a nuanced approach to teaching English, rooted in the diverse and culturally rich Australian context, thus breaking away from strictly British and American cultural associations and embracing a broader linguistic and cultural landscape.

Social Ecological Factors Influencing Children's School Readiness in Low-Income South African Communities

ABSTRACT Research Findings: School readiness is highly salient in South Africa (SA), a country with extreme and persistent inequities that undermine early childhood development. The aim of this short-term longitudinal study was to identify social ecological factors associated with school readiness in young children from low-income settings in Cape Town, SA. Participants were 152 3–5-year-old children (55% female, not attending early childhood care and education (ECCE) settings at recruitment) and their primary adult caregiver from low-income settings. Linear regressions found that, compared to home- and community-level factors, child-level factors were the strongest predictors of scores on the International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA, total and subscale scores for literacy, numeracy, social emotional, and motor). At the child level, attending ECCE services was the strongest predictor, followed by early numeracy and age. Household socioeconomic status positively predicted social emotional scores; dysfunction in the parent–child relationship negatively predicted literacy and total school readiness scores. Practice or Policy: These findings contribute to a contextually relevant understanding of school readiness in low-income SA settings. Greater understanding can lead to more effective mitigation of risks and amplification of protective factors within policy and practice so that early childhood development can be optimized in these settings.

Revitalizing preschool minds: a fresh approach to arts-based brain health interventions

IntroductionBrain health interventions seek to cultivate enduring, health-promoting behaviors for an enhanced quality of life. Despite this objective, achieving sustained adoption and engagement of healthy lifestyle behaviors remains a challenge, prompting the exploration of innovative avenues for promoting brain health. The potential of integrating brain health education in younger populations is particularly promising, given the likelihood of these habits persisting into adulthood. This study thus aimed to identify parental perspectives on a performing arts-based brain health intervention for implementation in preschool settings.MethodsPreschool parents and early learning center staff participated in three focus co-design groups (n = 12) to create a prototypical performing arts brain health intervention. Each focus group was recorded, transcribed and analyzed using deductive thematic analysis.ResultsThree main themes for effective brain health interventions in preschool settings were identified: optimizing logistical processes to ensure efficient delivery and scalability, recognizing motivation as a central factor influencing sustained engagement across all stakeholders, and tailoring educational content with specialized explanations for children to enhance comprehension and relatability. A new implementation approach was proposed to support an arts-based brain health intervention designed for preschools.ConclusionsThese findings have important implications for the future of brain health education focusing on youth populations and a lifelong approach to dementia risk prevention strategies. By addressing logistical challenges, prioritizing motivation, and tailoring explanations to the unique needs of children, future programs can be more adaptable and successful in fostering positive and sustainable brain health behaviors.

Effect of a playful parenting programme on early childhood development and care outcomes of young children in vulnerable communities: findings from a quasi-experimental study

BackgroundWorld Vision launched the Inclusive Playful Parenting for a Brighter Childhood (IPP4BC) project in identified vulnerable communities in Nepal and Uganda to mitigate risk for children at risk of poor development due to COVD 19. The intervention, based on the nurturing care framework, offered a customized parenting curriculum for young children, emphasizing holistic development through behavior change approaches tailored to local contexts.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of the IPP4BC project, on early childhood development (ECD) and care outcomes of children under 6 years in vulnerable communities in Nepal and Uganda, particularly those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThe intervention was delivered by trained facilitators over a 7-month period in different arms defined by the dosage: high (10 group sessions, 4 home visits) medium (5 group sessions, 2 home visits) or low (delivery of key messages through media) dose. An endline evaluation designed as quasi-experimental non-equivalent control groups post-test only study, assessed the effect of the project utilizing the Malawi Development Assessment Tool (MDAT) for child outcomes and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) for caregiver outcomes. Additionally, an implementation survey was conducted to assess program fidelity and participant engagement.FindingsIn Nepal, higher intervention doses were associated with significantly better child development outcomes (High dose M = 1.20, SD = 2.22, Medium dose M = 1.01, SD = 1.99; Low dose M = 0.43, SD = 2.32, p < 0.001) whereas in Uganda, only medium dose (M = -0.03, SD = 1.28) showed significant improvement (High dose M = -0.30, SD = 1.30; Low dose M = -0.28, SD = 1.51, p = 0.015). A higher proportion of caregivers in both high and medium dose reported engagement with early learning practices compared to low dose. With respect to uptake, in Nepal, a higher number of families received home visits compared to group sessions, while in Uganda, more families reported attending group sessions than receiving home visits.ConclusionThe study demonstrated that higher intervention doses were associated with better child development outcomes in Nepal and only with medium dose in Uganda, emphasizing the importance of implementation factors like dosage, quality and delivery modality in community-based interventions for improving ECD outcomes in vulnerable populations.

The development and validity of the Early Learning Tool for children 0-3-year-old in rural Pakistan.

Research has demonstrated the critical role that early learning experiences play in shaping children's cognitive, social, and emotional development. Nevertheless, tools for assessing children's exposure to early learning experiences remain scarce. This paper describes the initial validation of the Early Learning (EL) tool, which captures the levels of stimulation with playthings and people available to children 0-3-year-old in low-resource, international settings. We randomly sampled 200 mothers of children under 3-year-old in rural Sindh, Pakistan. We collected data on sociodemographic information, early learning, responsive caregiving, and child development. Psychometric analyses assessing the structural validity with confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory, criterion validity with Pearson correlation coefficients, and predictive validity with Ordinary Least Squares linear regression were conducted. We found that the EL tool is valid in this setting, capturing two factors of early learning: stimulation with playthings and stimulation with people. Stimulation with playthings and people were strongly and positively correlated with responsive caregiving, maternal education, and wealth, indicating criterion validity. Stimulation with playthings and people were also strongly associated with child development, measured by the Bayleys Scales of Infant Development. The EL tool is a promising instrument for measuring early learning in low- and middle-income countries, and its use can lead to more effective and inclusive monitoring and development of early learning initiatives.

Infusing Taoist Principles into Early Literacy Professional Learning

Infusing Taoist Principles into Early Literacy Professional Learning

Digital image processing to detect adaptive evolution.

In recent years, advances in image processing and machine learning have fueled a paradigm shift in detecting genomic regions under natural selection. Early machine learning techniques employed population-genetic summary statistics as features, which focus on specific genomic patterns expected by adaptive and neutral processes. Though such engineered features are important when training data is limited, the ease at which simulated data can now be generated has led to the recent development of approaches that take in image representations of haplotype alignments and automatically extract important features using convolutional neural networks. Digital image processing methods termed α-molecules are a class of techniques for multi-scale representation of objects that can extract a diverse set of features from images. One such α-molecule method, termed wavelet decomposition, lends greater control over high-frequency components of images. Another α-molecule method, termed curvelet decomposition, is an extension of the wavelet concept that considers events occurring along curves within images. We show that application of these α-molecule techniques to extract features from image representations of haplotype alignments yield high true positive rate and accuracy to detect hard and soft selective sweep signatures from genomic data with both linear and nonlinear machine learning classifiers. Moreover, we find that such models are easy to visualize and interpret, with performance rivaling those of contemporary deep learning approaches for detecting sweeps.

Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Educators as Champions for Children’s Rights: Introduction of the Children's Rights Advancement Framework

This article aims to further the representation of children's rights in literature and practice of Early Childhood Education (ECE) and introduces the Children's Rights Advancement Framework (CRAF). Despite theoretical alignment between the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and ECE policies, practical implementation and actualization remains elusive. During a conference presentation the authors of the article discovered through an anonymous survey that nearly 80% of the attendees, Early Childhood Educators, had little knowledge of UNCRC and its articles. Inspired by the work of the late Landon Pearson, an advocate for the rights of children, this paper critically reviews existing literature, identifies barriers to implementation in the Early Learning field, and introduces the CRAF as a transformative model. Drawing on a rights-based approach, the CRAF includes stages of conceptualization, implementation, application, and actualization of children's rights. The article emphasizes the need for awareness, education, and scaffolding knowledge of rights for both educators and children. The article highlights the transformative potential of the CRAF and offers practical implications and policy recommendations for advancing children's rights in ECE.

Preservice Teachers’ Visions and Understandings of Classroom Documentation and Displays of Children’s Work in Elementary Schools

AbstractAt present, research exploring educator’s understandings of displays of student work is scant yet such displays are regularly exhibited within the community spaces of early learning and elementary schools. These displays communicate messages to those within the space about teacher and student agency, curricular priorities, children and their work, and the relationship between teaching and learning. Grounded in a framework of documentality and teacher vision, this paper explores the ways in which preservice teachers (PSTs) understand teacher-cultivated, student work documentation. This research used a Photo-Elicitation Interview methodology to develop a descriptive account of PSTs' visions and understandings of teacher-cultivated, classroom documentation and displays of children's work. Findings reveal that PSTs held paradoxical views of student work documentation teetering between an appreciation of an adult-centered aesthetic disconnected from their academic and creative capacities to an expressed valuing of an agentic positioning of children in the experiences of the classroom.

Recent research and a critique of theories of early geometry learning: the case of the angle concept

Recent research and a critique of theories of early geometry learning: the case of the angle concept

A Scoping Review of Motor and Language Measurement Tools Used in Early Childhood Research

Early childhood is a critical period characterized by rapid development of motor and language skills. Reliably assessing motor and language development in early childhood is difficult, and there is a lack of agreement on measurement tool use. This scoping review aims to identify measurement tools used to examine motor and language skills in infants and young children (0–5 years) when the relationship between these two domains is studied. A scoping review of existing literature on motor and communication skills was conducted across studies measuring gross and/or fine motor and language development in children aged 0–5 years. Systematic searches were conducted in six online databases using carefully selected keywords and search parameters. The resulting corpus of existing literature was reviewed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses. Sixty motor and 99 language measurement tools were found. The most used measurement tools for motor and language skills were the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddlers Development, Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Mullen Scales of Early Learning, MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, and Gross Motor Function Classification System. Of these, the measurements used to address language skills did not include reference to all language aspects, particularly lacking were emphasis on skills associated with phonology, morphology, and pragmatics with more focused attention on the semantic language component. This study refines existing knowledge about commonly used early childhood measurement tools. This may help to inform research and encourage consistent measurement use across studies as well as in clinical practice to improve reliable comparisons across outcomes and use measurement tools with diagnostic purpose. Further, a broader inclusion of discrete language components within measurement tools is warranted to better determine the rich, nuanced relationship between early motor and language skills.