The Early Childhood Australia (ECA) Code of Ethics has been warmly and enthusiastically embraced ... more The Early Childhood Australia (ECA) Code of Ethics has been warmly and enthusiastically embraced by the early childhood sector for more than 20 years. The commitments articulated in the Code are both affirming and challenging and continue to remind us all of what we ought to do in our connection with children, families, colleagues and the community.
Since Early Childhood Australia (ECA) adopted its first Code of Ethics in 1990, the Code has prov... more Since Early Childhood Australia (ECA) adopted its first Code of Ethics in 1990, the Code has provided guidance for educators making decisions concerned with the complexities of their work with children, families, communities and colleagues. Commitment to the Code is regarded as a hallmark of being an early childhood professional. However, a Code of Ethics remains an effective tool for guiding decision making only if it is reviewed regularly to ensure its relevancy for contemporary contexts and times.
This paper reports on Aboriginal parents’ perceptions about their involvement in a Western Austra... more This paper reports on Aboriginal parents’ perceptions about their involvement in a Western Australian pilot initiative called KindiLink. The program seeks to support parents as their child’s first teacher and thereby enhance Aboriginal children’s early-years development, while strengthening relationships between families and schools. A constructivist paradigm was used to inform the methodology which placed Aboriginal voices at the centre of the research. Data were collected from 125 participating family members, over two years and across 37 school-based KindiLink sites. The results show that parent contribution to and engagement in KindiLink provided a powerful context to acknowledge, encourage, and support parents. Parents identified the development of strong and mutually respectful relationships; the engagement in working with their child; and the incorporation of families’ cultural and linguistic knowledge into the program as positive contributing factors. The paper concludes with recommendations and implications for the further development, implementation, and evaluation of Kindilink and other programs targeted at disadvantaged communities.
From 2016, all Western Australian schools were mandated to implement the National Quality Standar... more From 2016, all Western Australian schools were mandated to implement the National Quality Standard (NQS) in Kindergarten through to Year 2. Over the first year of implementation, this mandate had varying degrees of success in adoption. This study examined four schools which were identified as having implemented the NQS. A qualitative methodology was employed to examine those factors that supported implementation. A key finding was the integral role played by distributed leadership in adopting new initiatives. Using Activity Theory to conceptualise the data, it was found that psychological ownership was a key factor in enabling distributed leadership. Ownership was enabled when community differences were acknowledged, and time was given for the NQS tool to be reassessed and reconfigured as one’s own. Once staff had psychological ownership, they were more likely to support implementation of the NQS. This study has implications for leaders and those implementing the NQS or other initia...
This paper reports on findings from four case studies, as part of a large-scale study undertaken ... more This paper reports on findings from four case studies, as part of a large-scale study undertaken to evaluate the KindiLink initiative across Western Australia in remote, regional and metropolitan communities. KindiLink is an educator-led playgroup initiative in public school sites in Western Australia targeted at Aboriginal children and their families. KindiLink aims included the cultivation of Aboriginal families’ and children’s developing sense of belonging and engagement at their local primary school. A constructivist paradigm was used to describe the subjective experiences of individuals, which was important to ascertain if the aims of KindiLink had been met. To complement the meaning-making of the experience, qualitative data were collected via detailed studies of four KindiLink sites to capture similarities and differences of the settings and gain depth of experience through the voices of the participants. The study found KindiLink successfully connected Aboriginal children an...
PurposeIn Australia, political imperatives that drive the Tertiary Education Quality and Standard... more PurposeIn Australia, political imperatives that drive the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) and Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) call for a new understanding of assessment at the tertiary level. Assessment strategies are under the microscope to provide accountability but are increasingly called to measure a wider set of attributes considered important in equipping graduates to meet 21st century opportunities and challenges. This paper reports on a shared benchmarking exercise between two universities to ensure the current assessment strategies in their undergraduate early childhood programs meet such requirements.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using qualitative methodology and conceptualised using an interpretivist frame that enabled the collaborative groups to socially construct the meaning of assessment and identify what was specific, unique and different across the two programs. A cross-case analysis enabled a r...
THE INTEGRATION OF MINDSET THEORY into classrooms can assist children in optimising academic achi... more THE INTEGRATION OF MINDSET THEORY into classrooms can assist children in optimising academic achievement, increasing their agency for learning. The development of a growth mindset allows children to exercise autonomy over their learning, helping them to develop positive lifelong learning habits for the twenty-first century. This paper explores early childhood teachers’ perspectives of mindset and the role of a growth mindset in developing children's agency for learning. Despite increasing research in this field, little is known about the perspectives that early childhood teachers have of mindset. This paper reports on the data from a study that describes teachers’ perspectives towards fostering a growth mindset in children in the early years of school. Ninety-five Western Australian early childhood teachers from Kindergarten to Year 2 completed a survey that examined their perspectives of growth mindset. The analysis revealed competing knowledge about what teachers believe about...
IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA, EARLY childhood educators have been asking whose agenda does early childhoo... more IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA, EARLY childhood educators have been asking whose agenda does early childhood knowledge serve and for what purpose? This has come to the forefront of debate as play as a pedagogical tool is disappearing from programs for four- and five-year-old children in favour of early academics through a pushdown curriculum. Such a trend was confirmed from research conducted with 200 Western Australian early years educators (mainly teachers) to discuss their most concerning early childhood pedagogical issue. This paper describes the educators' most significant concern, which was the erosion of play-based learning and the tension about the use of play as a legitimate pedagogical tool in early years programs. The analysis revealed competing knowledge about current moves in early childhood education. The knowledge shared by educators has implications for quality learning and teaching in the early years and impacts on children, educators, parents and schools, and in particul...
Stories appear frequently in the Australian media regarding parent and teacher perceptions and at... more Stories appear frequently in the Australian media regarding parent and teacher perceptions and attitudes towards the National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy. However, thorough empirical investigations of parent perceptions are sparse. This study presents a survey of 345 parents across Years 3 and 5 from a sample of Independent schools in Western Australia. A representative sample of teachers from these schools were also surveyed in order to compare and contrast parent and teacher perspectives about the transparency and accountability associated with testing, the usefulness of results for helping individual students, and the perceived clarity of communication of results. Findings reveal mixed positive and negative views that reside within an overall prevailing low opinion of the testing. Some ways for improving the perception of the testing with the general public are discussed.
The Hairytales of Heroboy programme was implemented in two communities, one metropolitan and one ... more The Hairytales of Heroboy programme was implemented in two communities, one metropolitan and one regional, in Western Australia in 2012. The programme, which targeted the reading skills of six- to nine-year-old children, aimed to encourage them to read for pleasure, to build their reading confidence and to improve their literacy skills. The programme was managed by librarians in each community who made contact with children in their local schools to encourage their participation. Teachers in the local schools were provided with
TRANSITION PRACTICES THAT ENSURE continuity between early childhood settings have been shown to b... more TRANSITION PRACTICES THAT ENSURE continuity between early childhood settings have been shown to be important in assisting children's short-term and long-term growth and development (Vogler, Cravello & Woodhead, 2008). In Western Australia many young children move from and between long day care (LDC) settings to kindergarten. In that state, kindergarten is a non-compulsory sessional program for four-year-olds, conducted on school grounds and administered by the school principal. This paper describes the perceptions and practices of kindergarten teachers concerning transition processes and continuity of experience for the children who had attended long day care centres prior to kindergarten entry. Evidence from the study suggests that, although the majority of teachers considered transition to be important, in practice continuity appeared to range from fragmented to non-existent. Factors that appeared to inhibit effective transition and continuity are identified and a number of qu...
ABSTRACT The Better Beginnings READ! 3 pilot initiative, conducted through public libraries in We... more ABSTRACT The Better Beginnings READ! 3 pilot initiative, conducted through public libraries in Western Australia, sought to engage adult readers who were either emerging readers or who had ‘lost the reading habit’ in a three month reading challenge. The challenge involved adult readers reading three items in three months and being rewarded for their involvement through certificates and prizes. In seeking to make contact with those adult readers, it was suggested that librarians or library officers make contact with various community groups or businesses, or with adults directly. This qualitative study examined how the initiative was implemented and promoted in three libraries and identified the range of issues that had impact on its implementation. The study collected data from participants at each site in two stages: during the implementation of the initiative; and at the conclusion of the initiative. The study found that librarians and library officers either acted as drivers, themselves, or needed coordinators of community groups to act as co-drivers to enhance the implementation of the initiative. Various issues at each site affected the implementation of the initiative and a consideration of these issues enabled this study to offer recommendations for future implementation of similar initiatives.
The Early Childhood Australia (ECA) Code of Ethics has been warmly and enthusiastically embraced ... more The Early Childhood Australia (ECA) Code of Ethics has been warmly and enthusiastically embraced by the early childhood sector for more than 20 years. The commitments articulated in the Code are both affirming and challenging and continue to remind us all of what we ought to do in our connection with children, families, colleagues and the community.
Since Early Childhood Australia (ECA) adopted its first Code of Ethics in 1990, the Code has prov... more Since Early Childhood Australia (ECA) adopted its first Code of Ethics in 1990, the Code has provided guidance for educators making decisions concerned with the complexities of their work with children, families, communities and colleagues. Commitment to the Code is regarded as a hallmark of being an early childhood professional. However, a Code of Ethics remains an effective tool for guiding decision making only if it is reviewed regularly to ensure its relevancy for contemporary contexts and times.
This paper reports on Aboriginal parents’ perceptions about their involvement in a Western Austra... more This paper reports on Aboriginal parents’ perceptions about their involvement in a Western Australian pilot initiative called KindiLink. The program seeks to support parents as their child’s first teacher and thereby enhance Aboriginal children’s early-years development, while strengthening relationships between families and schools. A constructivist paradigm was used to inform the methodology which placed Aboriginal voices at the centre of the research. Data were collected from 125 participating family members, over two years and across 37 school-based KindiLink sites. The results show that parent contribution to and engagement in KindiLink provided a powerful context to acknowledge, encourage, and support parents. Parents identified the development of strong and mutually respectful relationships; the engagement in working with their child; and the incorporation of families’ cultural and linguistic knowledge into the program as positive contributing factors. The paper concludes with recommendations and implications for the further development, implementation, and evaluation of Kindilink and other programs targeted at disadvantaged communities.
From 2016, all Western Australian schools were mandated to implement the National Quality Standar... more From 2016, all Western Australian schools were mandated to implement the National Quality Standard (NQS) in Kindergarten through to Year 2. Over the first year of implementation, this mandate had varying degrees of success in adoption. This study examined four schools which were identified as having implemented the NQS. A qualitative methodology was employed to examine those factors that supported implementation. A key finding was the integral role played by distributed leadership in adopting new initiatives. Using Activity Theory to conceptualise the data, it was found that psychological ownership was a key factor in enabling distributed leadership. Ownership was enabled when community differences were acknowledged, and time was given for the NQS tool to be reassessed and reconfigured as one’s own. Once staff had psychological ownership, they were more likely to support implementation of the NQS. This study has implications for leaders and those implementing the NQS or other initia...
This paper reports on findings from four case studies, as part of a large-scale study undertaken ... more This paper reports on findings from four case studies, as part of a large-scale study undertaken to evaluate the KindiLink initiative across Western Australia in remote, regional and metropolitan communities. KindiLink is an educator-led playgroup initiative in public school sites in Western Australia targeted at Aboriginal children and their families. KindiLink aims included the cultivation of Aboriginal families’ and children’s developing sense of belonging and engagement at their local primary school. A constructivist paradigm was used to describe the subjective experiences of individuals, which was important to ascertain if the aims of KindiLink had been met. To complement the meaning-making of the experience, qualitative data were collected via detailed studies of four KindiLink sites to capture similarities and differences of the settings and gain depth of experience through the voices of the participants. The study found KindiLink successfully connected Aboriginal children an...
PurposeIn Australia, political imperatives that drive the Tertiary Education Quality and Standard... more PurposeIn Australia, political imperatives that drive the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) and Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) call for a new understanding of assessment at the tertiary level. Assessment strategies are under the microscope to provide accountability but are increasingly called to measure a wider set of attributes considered important in equipping graduates to meet 21st century opportunities and challenges. This paper reports on a shared benchmarking exercise between two universities to ensure the current assessment strategies in their undergraduate early childhood programs meet such requirements.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using qualitative methodology and conceptualised using an interpretivist frame that enabled the collaborative groups to socially construct the meaning of assessment and identify what was specific, unique and different across the two programs. A cross-case analysis enabled a r...
THE INTEGRATION OF MINDSET THEORY into classrooms can assist children in optimising academic achi... more THE INTEGRATION OF MINDSET THEORY into classrooms can assist children in optimising academic achievement, increasing their agency for learning. The development of a growth mindset allows children to exercise autonomy over their learning, helping them to develop positive lifelong learning habits for the twenty-first century. This paper explores early childhood teachers’ perspectives of mindset and the role of a growth mindset in developing children's agency for learning. Despite increasing research in this field, little is known about the perspectives that early childhood teachers have of mindset. This paper reports on the data from a study that describes teachers’ perspectives towards fostering a growth mindset in children in the early years of school. Ninety-five Western Australian early childhood teachers from Kindergarten to Year 2 completed a survey that examined their perspectives of growth mindset. The analysis revealed competing knowledge about what teachers believe about...
IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA, EARLY childhood educators have been asking whose agenda does early childhoo... more IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA, EARLY childhood educators have been asking whose agenda does early childhood knowledge serve and for what purpose? This has come to the forefront of debate as play as a pedagogical tool is disappearing from programs for four- and five-year-old children in favour of early academics through a pushdown curriculum. Such a trend was confirmed from research conducted with 200 Western Australian early years educators (mainly teachers) to discuss their most concerning early childhood pedagogical issue. This paper describes the educators' most significant concern, which was the erosion of play-based learning and the tension about the use of play as a legitimate pedagogical tool in early years programs. The analysis revealed competing knowledge about current moves in early childhood education. The knowledge shared by educators has implications for quality learning and teaching in the early years and impacts on children, educators, parents and schools, and in particul...
Stories appear frequently in the Australian media regarding parent and teacher perceptions and at... more Stories appear frequently in the Australian media regarding parent and teacher perceptions and attitudes towards the National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy. However, thorough empirical investigations of parent perceptions are sparse. This study presents a survey of 345 parents across Years 3 and 5 from a sample of Independent schools in Western Australia. A representative sample of teachers from these schools were also surveyed in order to compare and contrast parent and teacher perspectives about the transparency and accountability associated with testing, the usefulness of results for helping individual students, and the perceived clarity of communication of results. Findings reveal mixed positive and negative views that reside within an overall prevailing low opinion of the testing. Some ways for improving the perception of the testing with the general public are discussed.
The Hairytales of Heroboy programme was implemented in two communities, one metropolitan and one ... more The Hairytales of Heroboy programme was implemented in two communities, one metropolitan and one regional, in Western Australia in 2012. The programme, which targeted the reading skills of six- to nine-year-old children, aimed to encourage them to read for pleasure, to build their reading confidence and to improve their literacy skills. The programme was managed by librarians in each community who made contact with children in their local schools to encourage their participation. Teachers in the local schools were provided with
TRANSITION PRACTICES THAT ENSURE continuity between early childhood settings have been shown to b... more TRANSITION PRACTICES THAT ENSURE continuity between early childhood settings have been shown to be important in assisting children's short-term and long-term growth and development (Vogler, Cravello & Woodhead, 2008). In Western Australia many young children move from and between long day care (LDC) settings to kindergarten. In that state, kindergarten is a non-compulsory sessional program for four-year-olds, conducted on school grounds and administered by the school principal. This paper describes the perceptions and practices of kindergarten teachers concerning transition processes and continuity of experience for the children who had attended long day care centres prior to kindergarten entry. Evidence from the study suggests that, although the majority of teachers considered transition to be important, in practice continuity appeared to range from fragmented to non-existent. Factors that appeared to inhibit effective transition and continuity are identified and a number of qu...
ABSTRACT The Better Beginnings READ! 3 pilot initiative, conducted through public libraries in We... more ABSTRACT The Better Beginnings READ! 3 pilot initiative, conducted through public libraries in Western Australia, sought to engage adult readers who were either emerging readers or who had ‘lost the reading habit’ in a three month reading challenge. The challenge involved adult readers reading three items in three months and being rewarded for their involvement through certificates and prizes. In seeking to make contact with those adult readers, it was suggested that librarians or library officers make contact with various community groups or businesses, or with adults directly. This qualitative study examined how the initiative was implemented and promoted in three libraries and identified the range of issues that had impact on its implementation. The study collected data from participants at each site in two stages: during the implementation of the initiative; and at the conclusion of the initiative. The study found that librarians and library officers either acted as drivers, themselves, or needed coordinators of community groups to act as co-drivers to enhance the implementation of the initiative. Various issues at each site affected the implementation of the initiative and a consideration of these issues enabled this study to offer recommendations for future implementation of similar initiatives.
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