From Birth to Three: Exploring Educators’ Understandings of Agency

Abstract

The Early Years Learning Framework promotes the need to recognise children’s participation rights and for educators to be responsive to and promote child agency. This study explored how infant and toddler educators understand agency, and what role they ascribe to themselves in infants’ and toddlers’ realisation of agency. Research was undertaken in early childhood settings in Brisbane, Australia. Interviews and reflection activities were conducted with 15 educators working with children under three years, and responses coded through thematic analysis. Participants provided some working definitions of agency and examples of supporting children’s agency in their everyday practices. However, responses largely revealed confusion and limited understandings of agency. Through engaging a critical feminist paradigm, a connection between the status provided to infant–toddler educators, and the impact upon their knowledge and practice is proposed, and recommendations put forward for increased opportunities relating to birth to three pedagogy.

Rights-Based Pedagogy and Early Childhood Education Practices

“…It also makes it possible to observe and recognize the children's abilities [12]. Another study highlights the same strategy.…”

“…They see the child as a being with a mind of its own and the ability to overcome obstacles. Overall the answers show confusion and limited perception of the concept of agency [12].…”

“…Another aspect mentioned as essential is the recognition of the child's power. This implies that the adult places himself at the child's level, which has repercussions on the child's agency, by creating a feeling of emotional security [12].…”

“…Burr and Gegotardi noticed some practices, although in a minority, which were not very participatory, namely about the children's voice. Children were not always asked whether or not they wanted to participate in the learning experiences, only that they were given the opportunity as to how they wanted to participate in [12].…”