EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FOR environmental sustainability (ECEfES) has become significant in the early years, as highlighted by the inclusion of ECEfES in Australia's first and current National Quality Framework (NQF) for early childhood education and care (ECEC). This article reports on the major findings from a case study (Pollock, 2014), which aimed to uncover what lies between theory and practice, as ECEC educators attempt to support young children to become environmentally responsible, through the implementation of the NQF. This article discusses some of the findings from an analysis of the documents central to the NQF as well as semi-structured interviews with three university-qualified educators. Thematic analysis revealed that although challenging educators in some respects, the introduction of the NQF has enhanced their sustainability practices. This has emphasised the importance of listening to the voices of young children, a ‘whole of settings' approach, and engaging in reflection.
This paper reports on findings from research which sought to understand, in the New South Wales (NSW) context, the factors impacting on the transition into early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres for children with disabilities from the perspective of both parents of children with disabilities and educators in ECEC centres. The study aimed to identify successes and barriers, and consider potential interventions and procedures that might increase the participation of children with disabilities in ECEC centres. This paper will discuss findings from the educator perspective only, including 37 completed questionnaires and semistructured interviews from 10 teacher participants. Thematic analysis revealed the importance of communication with parents, relationships with previous service providers, opportunities for professional learning and organisational support.
COVID-19 has impacted Early Childhood Education (ECE) globally. The cancellation of a final year leadership practicum presented an opportunity to partner with pre-service teachers as co-researchers to investigate the leadership experience of four service directors during COVID-19. A multi-case study design included four focus groups consisting of one early childhood sector leader, final year pre-service teachers and one academic mentor aimed to explore the impacts of COVID-19 on service leadership while identifying the leadership strategies that offered protective mitigation for the risks posed by the pandemic. Leadership challenges included shifting health orders, support for the home learning context and disseminating policy shifts to staff and families, all while maintaining viability, managing anxieties of staff, parents and children, while negotiating lockdowns and service restrictions. Findings spoke to the complexity of the situation for leaders, while spotlighting the protective function of high-quality practice; strong service-based philosophy; and prioritisation of relationships.
Smooth transitions through the early years of education are recognised as pivotal to later personal and academic success. However, for children considered outside the mainstream, these transitions can provide extra challenge for them, their families and educators. This paper reveals the findings of two qualitative studies investigating early years' transitions. The first study focused on the transition of children with disabilities into early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres; the second explored transition to school for emergent bilingual children. These studies highlight 'strengths-based' perspectives (Perry, Dockett, & Petriwskyj, 2013), wherein participants are understood as experts in their own lives bringing strengths as well as challenges to the new context. Despite the differences in participants, timing and methods, key themes were evident across the studies: parent perceptions of transition; educator attitudes; and home/centre or home/ school relationships. These themes are significant to all educational transitions for children considered outside the mainstream. Keywords Transition, children with disabilities, emergent bilingual children Introduction/background This paper considers two studies of transition in education that focus on children considered outside the 'mainstream'. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the 'mainstream' in any sphere consists of 'the ideas, attitudes or activities that are shared by most people and regarded as normal or conventional' (Oxford Dictionary, 2018). The first study investigates children with disabilities moving from home
The supported playgroup model has widespread popularity in Australia, though its informality may work against building the evidence base needed to sustain governmental funding. The wide uptake of the supported playgroup service model among community organisations in Australia demonstrates its potential and popularity. This article discusses the Families New South Wales (NSW) supported playgroup model and demonstrates how it can be adapted to meet the needs of a variety of target populations. Three programmes utilising the supported playgroup model are described, serving parents and carers living in areas of economic disadvantage, mothers living with mental illness and parents and carers of children with disabilities. Each case study highlights how the programme operationalises the Families NSW supported playgroup model. The article provides a conceptual framework, drawing on relevant social theory about potential impacts at the levels of policy, organisations, community and parent−child relationships, with recommendations for future research. Key Practitioner Message: •The Australian supported playgroup model combines parent peer support, child opportunities for play and referrals to community services; • This model works with a variety of populations as a prevention strategy and soft entry point for community services; • Theory supports potential outcomes at different ecological levels.
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