Using metaphor to illuminate quality in early childhood education

Fenech, Marianne; Harrison, Linda J.; Press, Frances; Sumsion, Jennifer

doi:10.1177/1836939120918482

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…The use of garden metaphors from this point on gives readers a sense of the environmental conditions encountered in each life story throughout the book. This use concurs with research in early childhood education that endorses metaphors as a powerful tool for understanding quality, which is complex, multidimensional and value-laden (Fenech et al, 2020). The garden metaphors encourage the reader to reflect on the complex and interrelated factors that shape conditions in baby rooms, and the dynamic interactions between babies, their families and their care teachers.…”

supporting

confidence: 81%

Book Review: On being and well-being in infant/toddler care & education: Life stories from baby rooms by Mary Benson McMullen

Cooper

2023

Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood

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Child well-being is of critical importance to who children are, what they do, and how they grow and develop in years to come (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2021). This topic is of increasing interest to scholars and in debates about quality in early childhood education. However, research-based explorations of babies' well-being as a factor of quality in early childhood education are a rare find in the literature. Mary Benson McMullen's book is a timely exception, with its main focus on the well-being of babies, their relational experiences with their families and care teachers, and the baby rooms they are part of.Based on her observations of baby rooms and experience of working with babies, families and care teachers, McMullen presents and analyses life stories to highlight both possibilities and tensions in infant/toddler care and education. I am drawn in particular to McMullen's revelation that these curated stories derive from 12 years of research observations in four baby rooms in the USA. This careful selection and history gives each story a sense of authority to teach us something of value. Even though the stories are of a particular time and place, the reader is left in no doubt about the significance of these stories for today and tomorrow through the messages they embody. As I venture further into McMullen's book, I feel excited about the possibility of using this book with my student teachers so that they, like me, may experience these stories in unique and meaningful ways.The book itself exhibits traces of many genres, from ethnographic to autobiographic, dramatic, historical non-fiction, and even romance and horror, depending on how the book is felt and experienced. No matter the genre, stories that are 'bursting to be told' ( 112) are the beating heart of this book. The protagonists are the babies, their families and their care teachers, who feature in plots that are engaging, gripping and noteworthy. Drawing inspiration from the works of Vivian Gussin Paley, McMullen's book suggests we can all be storytellers and storysharers.The 160-page book is structured as six chapters. The first chapter sets the scene and provides a rationale for why the book is needed. The definitions and explanations are steeped in personal and professional wisdom. McMullen's model of well-being, a central idea in this and other chapters, emphasises dimensions or 'senses' of well-being that have equal weighting in terms of importance. These senses include comfort and security, belonging, respect and communication, engagement and contribution, and efficacy and agency. McMullen describes her holistic model as a reimagining of Maslow's (1943) original theory, intended to highlight the interconnections between the senses of well-being for babies, their families and their care teachers. For me, McMullen's model represents a much-needed pushback on the linear progression and superficial ranking of human Book review

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confidence: 81%

Book Review: On being and well-being in infant/toddler care & education: Life stories from baby rooms by Mary Benson McMullen

Cooper

2023

Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood

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“…The learning process should encourage the learners to be active, optimistic, inclusive, adaptable, and respecting diversity (Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, 2020f). In order to be an early childhood education with high quality, each school should have the element of synergy, leadership, active children, and love (Fenech, Harrison, Press, & Sumsion, 2020). Government plays an important role in mitigating long-term impacts of the Pandemic.…”

Section: The Barriers To Implement Of Urgent Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

Distance Learning of Indonesian Early Childhood Education (PAUD) during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Solekhah

2020

International Journal of Emerging Issues in Early Childhood Edu

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The outbreaks of Covid-19 influence the Indonesian education nationally, including early childhood education (PAUD). Since the school closures in March, the teachers have attempted to implement the distance learning. This study is conducted in a school in Kendal. The teacher shared her experiences in conducting the learning based on the emergency curriculum. It is found that the government has given the support by publishing the twelve books for the learning at home policy and providing the internet data. Most of the books are about playing with children and positive communication. Parents’ roles in distance learning have greater proportion than the teachers. Parents in this situation have the duties to supervise the learning, to conduct the learning, and to assist teachers in assessment. The teachers construct the weekly lesson plan, communicate the steps of learning process, and evaluate the students’ progress. However, both teachers and parents experience barriers due to the lack of skills in using technology and inability to provide learning materials to support six aspects of child development.

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“…They can help educators make sense of their own language and convey it to the other side. Therefore, use of metaphors in education should be valued and adopted in practice (Fenech et al, 2020;Gallagher & Lindgren, 2015).…”

Section: Metaphor and Art Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metaphorical Perceptions of Preservice Teachers Enrolled in Different Departments About the Concept of “Art”: The Case of Bartın University, Faculty of Education

YILDIRIM,

KÜÇÜKŞEN ÖNER,

EYÜPOĞLU

et al. 2024

Bartın Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi

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The purpose of this study is to identify, using metaphors, the perceptions of preservice teachers, who study in different departments at the Faculty of Education of Bartın University, about the concept of “art”. The study is based on the case study model, which is one of the qualitative research methods, and the study group consists of 198 preservice teachers who are enrolled in the programs of Turkish Language Education, Social Sciences Education, Psychological Counselling and Guidance (PCG), Science Education, Elementary Mathematics Education, Foreign Language Education, and Primary Education at Bartın University, Faculty of Education. The research data were obtained through the “Art Metaphor Survey Form” and analysed using the content analysis method. Based on the research results, the metaphors for the concept of art were grouped under 9 categories including “art as born and enhanced under difficulties and pressure”, “art as a complex structure”, “art as the fruits of labour”, “art as reflective and expressive”, “art as relaxing”, “art as immersive”, “art as a vital need”, “art as liberating” and “art as radiant and supportive”. The results also revealed that preservice teachers enrolled in different programs interpreted art considering different semantic properties. In this context, it was observed that preservice teachers in Turkish Language and Social Sciences Education Programs mainly described art as “liberating”, those in PCG as “reflective and expressive”, those in Science Education as “relaxing”, and those in Elementary Mathematics Education as “a vital need”. On the other hand, preservice teachers in Foreign Language Education Program focused on two different categories and described art as “complex” and “reflective and expressive”, whereas those in Primary Education mostly characterised art as “reflective and expressive”.

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Using metaphor to illuminate quality in early childhood education

Cited by 8 publications

References 31 publications

Book Review: On being and well-being in infant/toddler care & education: Life stories from baby rooms by Mary Benson McMullen

Book Review: On being and well-being in infant/toddler care & education: Life stories from baby rooms by Mary Benson McMullen

Distance Learning of Indonesian Early Childhood Education (PAUD) during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Metaphorical Perceptions of Preservice Teachers Enrolled in Different Departments About the Concept of “Art”: The Case of Bartın University, Faculty of Education

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