Early-years Practitioners Research Articles

Adapting lesson study for early-years practitioners

This viewpoint article considers the challenges of adapting mathematics lesson study for early-years practitioners working in pre-school settings.

The WellComm Toolkit: Impact on Practitioner Skills and Knowledge and Implications for Evaluation Research

The WellComm toolkit is used across many areas of the UK to identify and support early years children with their speech, language and communication. There is some evidence for positive outcomes for children who are assessed and supported using the toolkit. However, wider implications of implementing the toolkit have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to explore the impact of implementing the WellComm toolkit on practitioners, practically and for their knowledge and skills. An additional aim was to reflect on the impact this may have on evaluation research. Early years practitioners (EYPs) in the UK completed an online survey asking about their experiences of using the WellComm toolkit, and a sub-sample participated in interviews. Survey and interview respondents spanned different early years settings. Practitioners described positive ways in which using the WellComm toolkit had impacted their knowledge of speech, language and communication, supported improvements in practice, and the quality and specificity of speech and language referrals. Negative implications, such as time costs and staffing burdens, were also discussed but were found not to outweigh the benefits of use. The positive implications of using the WellComm toolkit on practitioners’ own development and knowledge are likely to support the outcomes of children, though the usefulness of the WellComm toolkit for children who speak English as an additional language (EAL) and children with special educational needs (SEND) is questioned. Such findings have implications for the work of evaluation researchers, who need to be sensitive to the use of such toolkits in settings where interventions are being evaluated.

“It Felt Like Waking up From Zombie Nation”: Introducing Early-Years Practitioners in Higher Education to Issues of Social Justice for Transformative Learning

21st century early years practitioners are expected to become agents of change by challenging societal inequalities and embracing anti-oppressive approaches. Yet, research suggests that many practitioners hold negative attitudes about children and families who are ethnically, culturally, linguistically and economically different from those in the mainstream and appear oblivious to how their own practice may contribute to the educational inequalities experienced by these children. This article draws on research carried out with early-years practitioners completing a Foundation degree in early years and an Early Childhood Studies BA (Hons) Top-Up course in England, which examined the practitioners’ perspectives of a transformative pedagogy for social justice. Findings suggest the pedagogy inspired practitioners to work towards eradicating enduring societal inequalities. However, when the emotional impact of the transformation is overwhelming, transformative learning may not only inhibit action but also lead practitioners to a state of liminality that requires time to emerge from.

The Pursuit of Happiness: Leadership Challenges of Recognising and Supporting Child Health and Wellbeing in the Early Years

This study examined the leadership approach to child health and wellbeing within the early-years sector; it drew upon the evidence from thirty-two practitioners and ten nursery managers. Practitioners evidenced the challenges in recognising the signs and symptoms of low wellbeing and in monitoring progress. A constructivist paradigm enabled qualitative data to be collected from an interactive questionnaire and three focus groups of nursery managers. Analysis was supported by two wellbeing models: the PERMA model (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment) and the SHANARRI wheel (Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, Included). The findings accentuated the lack of confidence of practitioners in identifying the precursors of health and wellbeing, and their ability to monitor the progress to support children. In conclusion, a clear definition of health and wellbeing should be adopted by managers; their leadership is vital to support the training of practitioners sharing their knowledge and experience to less-qualified staff. The main issues to transpire highlighted that clear mandatory guidance should be available for early-years practitioners, and the creation of a bespoke early-years model to measure child health and wellbeing.

Exploring the implementation of mindfulness approaches in an early years setting

Children as young as pre-school are experiencing difficulties related to stress, anxiety and inattention which could be supported through the use of mindfulness. However, there is very little research on how to effectively deliver mindfulness approaches within Early Years (EYs) practice. A year-long action research project was conducted with an EYs setting to explore how EYs practitioners can effectively deliver mindfulness, understanding their perceptions of the impact, facilitators and challenges to successful implementation. Findings revealed various facilitating factors including: developing effective and inclusive mindfulness approaches; reflecting on practice; working collaboratively and creating a supportive community. Challenges included issues related to the school context and delivery of mindful approaches. Findings revealed perceived benefits for the children, staff and the EYs setting. Implications for practice suggest it is feasible for school psychologists to support EYs settings to develop mindfulness practices using an action research approach. Future research and study limitations are discussed.

Tangible interfaces in early years’ education: a systematic review

This paper presents a systematic review of the literature on Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) and interactions in young children’s education by identifying 155 studies published between 2001 and 2019. The review was based on a set of clear research questions addressing application domains, forms of tangible objects, TUI design and assessment. The results indicate that (i) the form of tangible object is closely related to the application domain, (ii) the manipulatives are the most dominant form of tangible object, (iii) the majority of studies addressed all three stages of TUI development (design, implementation and evaluation) and declared a small sample of young children as a major shortcoming, and (iv) additional empirical research is required to collect evidence that TUIs are truly beneficial for children’s acquisition of knowledge. This review also identifies gaps in the current work, thus providing suggestions for future research in TUIs application in educational context expected to be beneficial for researchers, curriculum designers and practitioners in early years’ education. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first systematic review specific to TUIs’ studies in early years’ education and is an asset to the scientific community.

The Messiness of Ethics in Education

This article considers the multifaceted concept of ethics and how, despite being a familiar notion within education, it is still much contested within literature and professional practice. Drawing on postmodern, feminist and political literature, the authors explore (re)conceptualisations of ethics and ethicality in relation to ethical identity, professionalism and practice. Applying philosophical and metaphorical tools, such as the rhizome and nomad (Deleuze and Guattari, 1987), the authors suggest there is the potential to accommodate the multiple and often divergent facets of ethics, thereby engaging with different ethical possibilities. It is argued that the propensity for reducing ethics to merely procedural protocols and guidelines marginalises the richness of ethics and, all too frequently, leaves practitioners ill-equipped to navigate the reality of day-to-day ethics.The article is positioned within the field of early years (EY) practice and training EY practitioners. This reflects the authors’ own specialism but also celebrates the propensity of the EY practitioner to reflect upon, question and challenge their own practice and ethical identities. This does not reduce the applicability of the subject matter which is relevant to educators of children of any age. The term ‘practitioner’ is used throughout to refer to any adult working with children in an educative role, this includes, but is not limited to nursery nurses, teachers or teaching assistants.

What are the experiences of speech and language therapists implementing a staff development approach in early years settings to enhance good communication practices?

Interventions designed to improve communication environments and the quality of adult–child interactions in early years (EY) settings are an important part of facilitating children’s communication skills both for children with identified Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) and children without SLCN. One such intervention devised and delivered by speech and language therapists (SLTs) in Nottinghamshire is the Language Lead Approach (LLA), where SLTs deliver a formalized but flexible package of support and training to EY practitioners who go on to become Language Leads (LLs) for their setting. Nine SLTs delivering the LLA were interviewed to explore their perspectives on the implementation and impacts of the LLA. Interviews were analysed thematically. Three key themes were identified, the first of which related to factors internal to the setting and included aspects relating to the nature of initial and sustained engagement with an LL and the setting manager, time pressures and the impact of different setting organizational cultures. The second theme which emerged related to the individual qualities and characteristics of the LL, as SLTs noted that the response of LLs to the role varied considerably and was influenced by their confidence, experience and leadership capacity, as well as the degree of autonomy in the role. The final theme, external influences on implementation, reflected the SLTs own working practices and workload. Overall, SLTs felt the LLA was effective and could be implemented alongside their daily workload. SLTs reflected on their lack of training to implement such interventions, the challenges to sustaining the LLA at the setting and County level, and the challenges of evidencing effectiveness. This research has implications for those designing and evaluating training and mentoring approaches as well as for those SLTs who are seeking to develop the effectiveness of their consultative working with Early Years Educators (EYEs).

Stretchy time or screen time: how early years practitioners conceptualise time in relation to children’s digital play

ABSTRACT There is a tension between the early years (EY) ideal of ‘stretchy time’ for free-flow play and discourses surrounding children’s digital play, which emphasise the need for time limits. To explore this tension further, we engaged in collaborative reflective dialogue with 20 EY practitioners in a workshop exploring apps for young children. Based on a thematic analysis of the written notes made by practitioners during the workshop, we present four conceptualisations of time adopted by practitioners in relation to digital play: balance, limitation, self-regulation and open exploration.. We then present three factors that shape these conceptualisations of time: 1) whether apps are seen as tools or activities, 2) pedagogic emphasis on purposefulness versus playfulness and 3) take-up of popular discourses of concern. Based on the findings, we suggest how practitioners might use observation, reflection and their own playful experiences as a way of generating new possibilities for managing time around digital play in EY environments.

Vocational Pedagogies for the Formation and Training of Early Childhood Educators: Perspectives of VET Lecturers and Level 5 Early Years Learners

This paper examines the kind of pedagogical approaches used in Higher Vocational Education, more specifically initial training programmes for early-years practitioners, from the perspectives of both VET lecturers and students currently involved or enrolled in these programmes. The focus is on understanding the ways in which the pedagogical models and tools adopted carefully match the requirements for the successful formation of early-years professionals. More specifically, this paper seeks to explore and understand the factors that influence the vocational pedagogical strategies used, the extent to which these pedagogies are learner-centred, the opportunities and challenges that Higher VET lecturers experience in their classrooms when embracing pedagogical innovation, the benefits for learners, as well as the impact on the quality of the training provided. Adopting a grounded theory methodology, with the aim of building theoretical ideas grounded in the data, two main data collection methods were used: one-to-one semi-structured interviews with a group of VET lecturers and a focus group with a group of Level 5 early-years learners who at the time of the study were in the process of completing the two-year higher diploma. Through a process involving inductive-abductive logic and the constant comparison, coding, and analysis of the data, a theoretical model of vocational pedagogies for the training and formation of early childhood educators emerged. The findings indicate the need for clear pedagogical direction and informed choices to be made individually and collectively by the team of lecturers teaching the programme; this requires the presence of an ethos and climate of critical reflective practice and life-long learning through the creation or seeking of opportunities for continuous professional development. Its relevance becomes more pronounced in the context of a training programme that prepares future educators as there is a greater application of the pedagogy used at higher vocational training level for its transfer to early-years classrooms and settings. The role of the VET lecturer as a role model is highlighted as being significant in the formation and training of early childhood educators by both sets of participants. The current pedagogical picture portrays a situation where different lecturers adopt different pedagogical approaches that range from the traditional, teacher-focused ones to more innovative, participatory, and practice-based strategies. There is a consensus about the validity of adopting more learner-centred, hands-on pedagogical approaches though this is usually influenced by contextual, cultural-historical, and philosophical factors. The topical debate on professionalizing the Early Years sector is also reflected in the data and seems to influence expectations that both lecturers and learners have on the quality of the programme and the need for more focused exploration of effective vocational pedagogies. The importance of a strategic plan on the relevance and advancement of the teaching and learning practices within the vocational training programmes is highlighted.

The Effect of Professional Development on Multilingual Education in Early Childhood in Luxembourg

While multilingual programmes have been implemented in early childhood education in several countries, professionals have shown to be unsure of how to deal with language diversity and promote home languages. Therefore, there is a need for professional development. The present article discusses the outcomes of a professional course on multilingual education in early childhood delivered to 46 early-years practitioners in Luxembourg. Using a questionnaire administered prior to and after the course as well as interviews, we examined the influence of the training on attitudes to multilingual education and activities to develop Luxembourgish and home languages. The analysis drew on content analysis, paired samples t-test and correlational analysis. The findings show that the course positively influenced the professionals’ knowledge about multilingualism and language learning, their attitudes towards home languages, their interest in organising activities in the children’s home languages and the implementation of these activities. The results shed light on special interest areas such as the quality of input that future professional development courses could focus on.

Book Review: A Healthy Start: A Best Practice Handbook for Health and Early Years Practitioners

Book Review: A Healthy Start: A Best Practice Handbook for Health and Early Years Practitioners

What is the impact of university work-based learning for early year's practitioners in Norway and England? Examples of processes, outcomes and impact from the undertaking of work-based projects

This paper is focused on partnership work between academics in Norway and England involved in the teaching of university and work-based learning programmes. Initiated four years ago, the collaboration has developed into a community of practice involving a range of shared activities. These activities include academic and student exchanges, nursery visits, seminars and workshops, which culminate in a joint conference presentation. This paper explores the cultural and curricula differences between the two programmes, and considers how these impact on the individual practitioners undertaking them and on the settings in which they work. The data draws on four students' experiences to exemplify learning in a work-based context. Ethical issues were addressed in a manner consistent with the British Education Research Association (BERA) (2011) guidelines for educational research, and the study utilised theoretical frameworks that drew on concepts of work-based learning (e.g. Colley et al., 2003). Findings suggest that, despite the significant differences in culture and curricula approach, both programmes appear to enhance the practice of practitioners in early years. Key impacts of the programme included evidence of personal change and professional development (Mpofu-Currie, 2015), which were reflective of democratic rather than instrumental notions of professionalism (Atkins and Tummons, 2017). There was also evidence of significant gains in knowledge, manifested through improved pedagogy and more meaningful engagement with the children in each setting. This work demonstrates the benefits of knowledge exchange and dialogue to promote cross-cultural learning experiences. The authors hope that it will inform the development of innovative work-based learning programmes and wider policy in relation to work-based learning, as well as knowledge transfer between Norway and England.

Perspectives on the “Silent Period” for Emergent Bilinguals in England

This article draws together the research findings from two ethnographic studies as a means to problematize the “silent period” as experienced by young bilingual learners in two English speaking early-years settings in England. Most teachers and senior early-years practitioners in England are monolingual English speakers. The children (regardless of their mother tongue) are taught through the medium of spoken and written English in and through all subject areas. Bilingual learning through the mother tongue is not only disregarded in most schools in England but even actively discouraged in some. Three emergent bilingual learners were re-examined as case studies. Suki and Adyta, of Japanese and Punjabi descent, respectively, and Nazma, of Kashmiri descent, were observed while they each negotiated new ways of knowing within and through an English preschool setting. Sociocultural insights into how these young children employ their silenced mother tongue to negotiate their learning creates a fuller and richer portrait of the emergent bilingual learner both in and outside of preschool. These collaborative research findings present the silent period as agentive and as a crucial time for self-mediated learning within the early-years community of practice.

‘It’s the way you talk to them.’ The child’s environment: Early Years Practitioners’ perceptions of its influence on speech and language development, its assessment and environment targeted interventions

Speech and language delay occurs in approximately 6% of the child population, and interventions to support this group of children focus on the child and/or the communicative environment. Evidence about the effectiveness of interventions that focus on the environment as well as the (reported) practices of speech and language therapists (SLTs) and other Early Years Practitioners (EYPs) in this regard are limited. One-to-one, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 12 EYPs from one city in North England in order to reveal their beliefs about the impact of the child’s environment on language development and how they report assessing and intervening where they have concerns about child language development, in children aged from birth to 5;11 (5 years, 11 months). Interviews were analysed thematically. Results are presented as three themes: (1) environmental influences on language development (people, physical objects, experiences and opportunities, the auditory environment); (2) assessment of the child’s environment, including how and what assessment is carried out; and (3) the interventions provided, including what interventions (interaction with children, the physical environment and play) and how they are carried out (strategies, individualization of intervention, sensitivity and modelling). Implications for services are discussed, including increasing parental awareness of the importance of early language input, the perceived value of home-based assessment, sensitivity in referral and individualized interventions. There remains a need to test out practitioners’ expressed beliefs and practices and their impact on child language outcomes.

Exploring the continuing professional development needs of pedagogical practitioners in early years in England

This article is based on quantitative and qualitative data that have been generated since 2009 on the study skills needs of early years practitioners working in England. The research has identified that developing information technology skills appears to be a particular professional development need for these practitioners. The practitioners are associated with six UK higher education institutions. The research data are from students and tutors associated with the Early Years Sector Endorsed Foundation Degree at these six higher education institutions. A main finding is that pedagogical practitioners in early years appear to lack confidence when they use information technology for learning and teaching activities with children aged up to eight years old. This suggests that there is a continuing professional development (CPD) need in this area of professional practice. The article’s theoretical content considers the implications of Janet Hale’s ‘curriculum mapping’ by developing the argument that the current standards-driven approach to education in early years in the United Kingdom and beyond may not be ideal in supporting the CPD needs of these pedagogical practitioners. This is because standards-driven education does not appear to be facilitating the reflective practice that might enable effective CPD.

Challenges of Early Years leadership preparation: a comparison between early and experienced Early Years practitioners in England

Leadership has been under-researched in the Early Years (EY) sector of primary schools in England, especially in leading change for professional development. The aim of this paper is to theorise what the leadership culture for EY practitioners looks like, and how Initial Teacher Training providers and schools are preparing practitioners for leadership. Using case studies of EY practitioners in different stages of their career in primary schools, we offer an insight into their preparedness for leadership in EY, the implication being that leadership training requires an understanding and embedding of the EY culture and context. Interviews with both sample groups allowed for deeper insight into the lived world. Interviews were also conducted with the head teachers to gain an overview of the leadership preparation they provided. The main findings suggest that newer EY practitioners are better prepared for leadership from their university training in comparison to more experienced EY practitioners.

Integrating New Technologies in UK Classrooms Lessons for Teachers from Early Years Practitioners

(2003). Integrating New Technologies in UK Classrooms Lessons for Teachers from Early Years Practitioners. Childhood Education: Vol. 79, Global Perspectives on Educational Technology, pp. 261-267.

The specific professional nature of early years education and styles of adult/child interaction

SUMMARY The first part of this article will attempt to show the profoundly interactive reality of early-years teaching. The second part will report on an empirical study to compare the interaction profile (in educational contexts) of Protuguese and English early-years practitioners and will attempt to explain the differences between the two profiles.

Breaking through the barriers: professional development, action research and the early years

This article is based on a paper delivered at the CARN Conference, 1995. The authors, who are both early-years professionals, have worked as research associates on the ‘Principles into Practice’ project based at Goldsmiths' College, London. This is an important national project involving practitioner action research in a number of local authorities. The authors examine the current context of early-years education and reflect on the increasingly marginalised and de-professionalised status of early-years practitioners working with the 0-8 years age range. They examine the impact of recent government policies on the early years field and present case-studies which demonstrate how action research in their own workplace helped practitioners, in a wide range of settings, break through barriers, and develop a renewed sense of professional identity and prestige. They consider the tension between professional re-empowerment and institutional power, and argue that action research can contribute to a knowledge and power base on which to build policies and practices on which all early-years practitioners can agree.