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2. Quality Ratings by Socio-Economic Status of Areas. Occasional Paper 7
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Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
- Abstract
This occasional paper is the seventh in a series on the National Quality Framework (NQF). It explores the quality of children's education and care services based on the socio-economic status of the area in which they are situated. The Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD) is used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to classify services by the level of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage of their local area. This paper uses SEIFA as a proxy measure to identify services that are more or less likely to educate and care for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This paper begins by highlighting contemporary research about the association between socio-economic status and developmental outcomes, and the impact of high quality education and care on children from more disadvantaged backgrounds. It then outlines the quality and availability of education and care in low socio-economic status areas, analysing service quality ratings and reassessment results. The paper also examines differences across service and provider management types, and remoteness classifications. The detailed analysis suggests that there are differences in the overall quality ratings of education and care services located in high and low socio-economic status areas. Services in relatively disadvantaged areas are slightly more likely to be rated Working Towards NQS and notably less likely to be rated Exceeding NQS than those in relatively advantaged areas.
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- 2020
3. The Quality of Physical Environments in Education and Care Services: An Analysis of Quality Area 3 of the National Quality Standard. Occasional Paper 4
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Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
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This occasional paper is the fourth in a series on the National Quality Framework (NQF). This paper offers detailed insights into education and care service quality ratings for Quality Area 3 (physical environment) of the National Quality Standard (NQS). The focus is on ensuring the physical environment of a service is safe, suitable and provides a rich and diverse range of experiences that promote children's learning and development. This paper begins with an overview of the physical environment standards and what these aim to achieve, highlighting contemporary research and theory behind sustainable environments promoting children's learning. It then outlines the operational requirements of the National Law and National Regulations for the physical environment, with a particular focus on the requirements specific to different service types. The paper also describes how service approval requirements in the National Law apply to the physical environment, and how providers may seek waivers for certain legislated requirements. The paper is intended to be of interest to people who deliver education and care services, families, people who provide training and professional development services to the sector, and to officers in the state and territory regulatory authorities that regulate education and care services.
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- 2017
4. Children's Health and Safety: An Analysis of Quality Area 2 of the National Quality Standard. Occasional Paper 2
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Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
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ACECQA has published the second in its series of occasional papers, analysing one of the most challenging quality areas -- Children's Health and Safety. Quality Area 2 addresses one of the primary objectives of the National Quality Framework -- to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of children attending education and care services. The paper examines performance across service types, socio economic and remoteness classifications, jurisdictions and management types. It also breaks down Quality Area 2 and highlights that standard 2.3 (each child is protected) and element 2.3.3 (incident and emergency planning) are the most challenging aspects of the Quality Area. One of the findings from the analysis is that services in remote and very remote areas may benefit from more support to understand and comply with the requirements of Quality Area 2. The paper also summarises recent state, territory and Commonwealth initiatives around child safe organisations, as well as some examples of the types of compliance and enforcement action that state and territory regulatory authorities have taken relating to children's health and safety.
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- 2016
5. Educational Program and Practice: An Analysis of Quality Area 1 of the National Quality Standard. Occasional Paper 1
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Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
- Abstract
This occasional paper is the first in a series on the National Quality Framework (NQF). This paper offers detailed insights into education and care service quality ratings for Quality Area 1 -- Educational Program and Practice, which focuses on ensuring that educational program and practice is stimulating and engaging, enhances children's learning and development, and meets children's individual learning and development needs. Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) has chosen to focus this first occasional paper on Quality Area 1 because of its vital contribution to child outcomes and because the evidence indicates that services are less likely to meet the National Quality Standard (NQS) in this Area. Additionally, the paper is timely given ACECQA's work in period 2014/15 with Regulatory Authorities and Professional Support Coordinators to deliver national workshops to educators to help them better understand and meet the requirements of Quality Area 1. The paper provides a brief overview of the NQS, its rating system, quality areas and overall ratings to date. It then examines Quality Area 1 looking at differences across jurisdictions, management types, service sub-types, and socioeconomic and remoteness classifications. The paper culminates by examining patterns in the distribution of Quality Area 1 ratings and discusses possible explanations for these variations, as well as implications of the report findings and future directions. The paper is intended to be of interest to people who deliver education and care services, people who provide training and professional development services to the sector, and to officers in the Regulatory Authorities that conduct quality rating. Unless otherwise stated, the paper draws on data from the National Quality Agenda Information Technology System (NQA ITS) as at 31 December 2015.
- Published
- 2016
6. Attendance in Early Childhood Education and Care Programmes and Academic Proficiencies at Age 15. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 214
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Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (France), Balladares, Jaime, and Kankaraš, Miloš
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Early years are a critical period for skill development. In this sense, the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programmes have an important role in promoting children's learning during this period. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of ECEC programmes by analysing the relationship between students' ECEC attendance and their later academic proficiency using PISA 2015 data. PISA results show that across the OECD countries, students who had attended ECEC tend to have higher scores in academic proficiencies at the age of 15. However, these differences in academic proficiencies between those who attended ECEC versus those who did not attend are almost nil when students' socio-economic status (SES) is considered. This relationship reflects differential access to learning opportunities for children from deprived contexts. Furthermore, results show that entering ECEC programmes earlier than the typical time is associated with lower proficiencies at the age of 15. Therefore, earlier entry to ECEC is not necessarily beneficial. Learning benefits of ECEC provision vary considerably across PISA countries illustrating the importance of a country-specific policy context and the quality of their ECEC provision. The analyses of several quality indicators point out that the improved quality of ECEC programmes is associated with higher academic skills at later stages. These results highlight that mere attendance to ECEC programmes is not enough to ensure better academic performance. The quality of the educational provision, especially concerning those students from disadvantaged backgrounds, should be ensured.
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- 2020
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7. Solid Foundations: Health and Education Partnership for Indigenous Children Aged 0 to 8 Years. Discussion Paper.
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Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, Carlton South (Australia).
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An Australian national task force examined a number of areas related to achieving educational equality for Australia's Indigenous peoples. This paper looks at health issues, particularly during ages 0-8, that may affect the educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Chapter 1 discusses the importance of the early years of life in terms of brain development and future potential; the low educational attainment of Indigenous students and low Indigenous participation in early childhood services; population statistics; and the national policy context on Indigenous education, including national efforts to accelerate Indigenous progress and recommendations on interagency cooperation between the health and education sectors. Chapter 2 summarizes findings on nine health issues of concern: the lower life expectancy at birth and higher mortality rates at all ages for Indigenous Australians; low birth weight and failure to thrive; malnutrition and poor quality diet; high rates of infectious diseases and high incidence of educationally significant hearing impairment due to otitis media; social and emotional well-being; substance abuse; adolescent pregnancy; childhood trauma, including that related to family violence and child abuse; and childhood injuries. Chapter 3 describes Indigenous conceptions of health and well-being as encompassing family and community, and current initiatives that link community development and capacity building to childhood health issues. The appendix presents the Adelaide Declaration on National Goals for Schooling in the 21st Century. (Contains 43 references.) (SV)
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- 2001
8. Effective Learning Issues for Indigenous Children Aged 0 to 8 Years. Discussion Paper.
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Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, Carlton South (Australia).
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An Australian national task force examined a number of areas related to achieving educational equality for Australia's Indigenous peoples. This paper looks at early childhood education and identifies issues that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Chapters cover: (1) the national policy context, Indigenous educational attainment, and demographic data; (2) provision and access to various types of early childhood education and day care, and the low levels of participation by Indigenous families; (3) developmental and learning needs of children aged 0-8, continuing tension between early childhood practices and the primary school curriculum, and school readiness issues for Indigenous children; (4) cultural differences in Indigenous children's experiences prior to schooling, and the need for culturally inclusive schooling that builds on children's cultural capital and encourages bicultural competence; (5) challenges in meeting national numeracy and literacy standards, especially for students who do not speak Standard Australian English as a first language or who come from an oral tradition; and (6) the poor level of interaction between schools and Indigenous communities, and recommendations for community development and capacity building initiatives. (Contains 30 references.) (SV)
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- 2001
9. Early Childhood in Australian Schools: Future Directions. A Discussion Paper Commissioned by the Schools Council. AECA Working Paper.
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Australian Early Childhood Association, Inc., Watson. and Gifford, Jean
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This document responds to issues raised in a Schools Council discussion paper analyzing the first years of schooling in Australia. The document is divided into nine chapters covering the following topics: (1) the national and historical context in which early childhood programs currently operate; (2) conditions that foster teachers' ability to work effectively with 5- to 8-year-old children in the schools, such as knowledge of children's characteristics, the use of developmentally appropriate practices, and appropriate staffing levels and class sizes; (3) school entry and transition issues; (4) parents and the community; (5) the accountability of school programs and school- based evaluation; (6) the role of schools in the context of social issues; (7) appropriate preparation for teachers working with 5- to 8-year-old children in schools; (8) methods of inducting teachers into the workplace, inservice training, and wider concerns of the child care industry; and (9) implications of the issues raised in this paper for education systems. A reference list of more than 130 items, a glossary of early childhood terms, and a brief description of early childhood systems in each Australian state are included. (MM)
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- 1992
10. Literature Review of the Impact of Early Childhood Education and Care on Learning and Development. Working Paper. Cat. No. CWS 53
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Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Watters, Alison
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During the past three decades, extensive literature has accumulated on the early years of life for children. Research findings unequivocally agree that these years are a critical period of intense learning for children which provides the foundation for later academic and social success. This review explores the literature on the complex relationship between developmental outcomes and attendance at early childhood education and care programs. The article reviews Australian and international literature to evaluate the impact of both the quality and quantity of early childhood education and care (ECEC), the impact for different age groups, and which groups of children benefit most. The Australian early childhood education and care policy context is also described. [Additional funding for this report was provided by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.]
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- 2015
11. Social and Emotional Wellbeing: Development of a Children's Headline Indicator. Information Paper. Catalog Number PHE 158
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Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
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The Children's Headline Indicators are a set of measures designed to focus policy attention and to help guide and evaluate policy development on key issues for children's health, development and wellbeing in 19 priority areas. They were endorsed by health, community and disability services ministers and education systems officials in 2006. Headline Indicators were defined for 16 of these priority areas. However, more work was needed on the remaining three--"family social network, social and emotional wellbeing" and "shelter"--to conceptualise and identify the most important aspects of these areas for children's health, development and wellbeing. This information paper outlines the process of developing a Headline Indicator for the "social and emotional wellbeing" priority area. Appended are: (1) Process to identify a Headline Indicator; (2) Headline Indicator Data Development Expert Working Group; (3) Social and Emotional Wellbeing Workshop participants; (4) Headline Indicators for children's health, development and wellbeing; and (5) Additional information on selected surveys and screening tools. (Contains 8 tables, 4 figures and 3 footnotes.)
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- 2012
12. Australian Association of Early Childhood Educators: Papers of the National Conference (1st, Ursula College, Canberra, May 17-18, 1975).
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Australian Association of Early Childhood Educators, Canberra.
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Papers included are: (1) Presidential Address, (2) Challenges to Early Childhood Educators, (3) The Home Start Program in the U.S.A., (4) Early Childhood Training Programs, (5) Initiatives being Taken in Early Childhood Education Field by the Australian Government, (6) Audiovisual Materials for Parents' Discussion Groups, (7) The Role of the Adult in Early Learning and Experience, (8) Recording Infant and Early Child Development, (9) Self-Concepts and Scholastic Success, and (10) Teaching Reading in the Preschool. (MS)
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- 1975
13. Current Issues in Maternal and Paternal Deprivation. Unit for Child Studies Selected Papers Number 6.
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New South Wales Univ., Kensington (Australia). School of Education. and Phillips, Shelley
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An overview of some major current issues in maternal and paternal deprivation is presented. Parts I and II focus on (1) single parents and issues in paternal deprivation and (2) sex stereotyping and issues in maternal deprivation, respectively. More particularly, Part I discusses the effects of divorce and death on children and the problem of providing for nurturance by fathers in modern society. Cross-cultural variability in fathering patterns is accented and paternal influence on child development in terms of sex role stereotyping and intellectual development is discussed. Feminization of behavior and cognitive skills in sons, and effects of father absence on daughters are considered. Part II deals with the issues of sex stereotyping as personality deprivation. The relationship of paternal and maternal deprivation to school phobia, and the issues of schizophrenia, rejection of children and child abuse are explored. Part II explores the issue of maternal employment in terms of sex stereotyping, mother's morale, delinquency, and academic performance. In conclusion, emotional, social and intellectual effects of day care are noted. (Author/RH)
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- 1980
14. Effects of Child Care on Young Children: Forty Years of Research. Early Childhood Study Paper No. 5.
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Australian Inst. of Family Studies, Melbourne., Ochiltree, Gay, Ochiltree, Gay, and Australian Inst. of Family Studies, Melbourne.
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This book provides an overview of research on infants and young children who have experienced non-maternal or non-parental care during their preschool years. It focuses on studies conducted in Australia, but also considers the vast body of research conducted elsewhere, especially in the United States. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the issues involved in research into the effects of non-maternal care and gives a context for the discussion that follows. Chapter 2 contains a brief overview of early research, which was largely concerned with whether non-maternal care affected the security of the mother-child attachment. Chapter 3 discusses the question of whether non-maternal (and sometimes non-parental) child care is harmful to infants. Chapter 4 examines research employing a broader approach which takes into account the effects of family environment when studying the effects of non-maternal care. Chapter 5 contains a description of Head Start and other early intervention programs designed to improve the educational opportunities and well-being of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Chapter 6 explores the conclusion that child care is not a substitute for home care, but rather provides children with experiences in a different setting. Contains approximately 240 references. (MDM)
- Published
- 1994
15. What Is the Purpose of Playwork?
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Shelly Newstead and Pete King
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Playwork is a recognised profession in the United Kingdom (UK) and is currently a growing area of interest internationally. However, debates about the nature and purpose of playwork have raged in the playwork field since the profession was invented in the early adventure playgrounds. This study is the first to capture data about what the now international playwork workforce understands to be the purpose of playwork. The International Playwork Census (IPC) was an online survey which asked participants from 19 different countries about their knowledge and experience of playwork. This paper reports on one question from the IPC: what is the purpose of playwork? A thematic analysis was undertaken from 193 responses on what was considered "the purpose of playwork" and three themes emerged: Facilitate and Provide for children's play; Support and Advocate. This paper describes how these three themes reflect both the historical change in understandings of the purpose of playwork and how different understandings of playwork are developed through the experience of practitioners working in range of different contexts.
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- 2024
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16. Parents' Practices of Co-Play in a Community Playgroup
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Celine P. Y. Chu, Karen McLean, and Susan Edwards
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Playgroups are a unique form of early childhood provision involving parents and their children attending together. Parents' attendance at playgroups provides opportunities for involvement in play. However, little is known about parents' practices of co-play in playgroups and the potential for these practices to enhance children's play experiences in early childhood. Drawing on practice architectures theory, this paper identifies parents' practices of co-play in a community playgroup, and the enablers and constraints on those practices. Data were collected through ethnographic methods, which included participant observation and informal individual interviews. The findings show that parents' practices of co-play consider the child's needs and interests in ways that support development and enhance children's play in the community playgroup. This research contributes new knowledge about the range of co-play practices engaged in by parents with children in community playgroups.
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- 2024
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17. Language Awareness. National Congress on Languages in Education Assembly (4th, York, England, July 1984). NCLE Papers and Reports 6.
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Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research, London (England). and Donmall, B. Gillian
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Papers sponsored by the Language Awareness Working Party, a task force of Great Britain's National Congress on Languages in Education concerned with common concerns of professionals in all areas of native and second language instruction, include: "The Report of the Language Awareness Working Party"; "Language Awareness in Six Easy Lessons" (J. M. Sinclair); "Methodology Related to Language Awareness Work" (A. J. Tinkel); "Requirements of a Language Awareness Programme for the Primary to Middle Years" (Florence Davies); "Language Awareness in a Child Development Course--A Case Study" (P. J. Downes); "Evaluation and Assessment" (B. G. Donmall, J. M. Sinclair, A. J. Tinkel); "Some Implications of Language Awareness Work for Teacher Training (Pre-Service and In-Service)" (B. G. Donmall); "Transfer, Knowledge, and Skill in Second Language Development" (S. H. McDonough); "The Relationship between Graded Objectives and Testing in Foreign Language Teaching and Language Awareness Work" (M. Byram); "Some Aspects of Australian Experience with Language Awareness Courses" (T. J. Quinn, M. Trounce); and reports of courses and initiatives in participating schools. Appendices include a 16-page bibliography, maps showing where language awareness activities are taking place, and a list of schools carrying out language awareness work. (MSE)
- Published
- 1985
18. Stakeholders, Networks and Links in Early Childhood Policy: Network Analysis and the 'Transition to School: Position Statement'
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Wallis, Jake and Dockett, Sue
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The importance of a positive start to school has been highlighted in a range of national and international research. This has stimulated considerable ongoing research attention, as well as initiatives across policy and practice, all with the aim of promoting a positive transition to school for all children. Despite the common interests across these sectors, the links and/or relationships between and among research, policy and practice remain unclear. This article maps the potential online users of the "Transition to School: Position Statement"--a document developed collaboratively by researchers, policymakers and practitioners--and organisations whose ambit includes transition to school. Using network analysis, the authors identify the online network of stakeholders involved in the field of early childhood and the links between these, before considering how such links might influence discourse and policy formation around transition to school. The analysis highlights weak cross-sectoral links and online networks dominated by government departments and agencies. Implications of these results are explored and the potential for digital research methods in research about transition to school is considered.
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- 2015
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19. A Dying Child in the Family: The Child's and Sibling's Perspective. Selected Papers, Number 60.
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Foundation for Child and Youth Studies, Kensington (Australia). and Said, John
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Children and adolescents have different understandings of death. For the baby, death is equated with separation. For toddlers, grief occurs when they realize the person is not returning. The preschool child who tends to live in the present with no clear concept of past or future will not understand the finality. Around ages 4 and 5, death is often personified as a "boogie man." Eventually by the age of 6 or 7, children have developed a clear understanding of death very similar to that of adults. Children and adolescents' experience of a sibling's death usually includes sensations of somatic distress, intense preoccupation with the image of the deceased person, strong feelings of guilt, loss of warmth towards others, and disorientation. Later adjustment problems of children and adolescents whose sibling had died include guilt that they should have died too and distorted concepts of illness and death. Parents have reported that these events were helpful in adjustment to the death: having knowledge of the diagnosis and the likely fatal outcome; participating in the patient's care; having the opportunity to say good-bye in the terminal phase; having the sibling die at home; seeing the dead body; attending the funeral or cremation by choice; being given some of the patient's possessions; and previously experiencing the death of a close relative or pet. (ABL)
- Published
- 1986
20. Preschool Children's Drawings of 'Tall and Short'
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Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia and Way, Jennifer
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The study reported in this paper contributes to the exploration of the development of children's mathematical drawing. 36 preschool children produced drawings of 'something tall and something short'. Open-ended analysis of the forms and structures of the drawings revealed four categories ranging from scribble to the base-line comparison of two objects. The variety in drawing forms and the scattering of ages across the four categories suggests that educators should be more aware of children's drawing development in association with their skills in creating mathematical representations.
- Published
- 2019
21. The Hope and Burden of Early Intervention: Parents' Educational Planning for Their Deaf Children In Post-1960s Australia
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Payne, Aaron, Proctor, Helen, and Spandagou, Ilektra
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Purpose: This article examines the educational decision-making of hearing parents for their deaf children born during a period (1970-1990s) before the introduction of new-born hearing screening in New South Wales, where the study was conducted, and prior to the now near-universal adoption of cochlear implants in Australia. Design/methodology/approach: We present findings from an oral history study in which parents were invited to recall how they planned for the education of their deaf children. Findings: We propose that these oral histories shed light on how the concept, early intervention--a child development principle that became axiomatic from about the 1960s--significantly shaped the conduct of parents of deaf children, constituting both hope and burden, and intensifying a focus on early decision-making. They also illustrate ways in which parenting was shaped by two key structural shifts, one, being the increasing enrolment of deaf children in mainstream rather than separate classrooms and the other being the transformation of deafness itself by developments in hearing assistance technology. Originality/value: The paper contributes to a sociological/historical literature of "parenting for education" that almost entirely lacks deaf perspectives and a specialist literature of parental decision-making for deaf children that is almost entirely focussed on the post cochlear implant generation. The paper is distinctive in its treatment of the concept of "early intervention" as a historical phenomenon rather than a "common sense" truth, and proposes that parents of deaf children were at the leading edge of late-20th and early-21st century parenting intensification.
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- 2023
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22. (In)Visible Perceptions of Objects ('Things') during Early Transitions: Intertwining Subjectivities in ECEC
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White, E. Jayne, Westbrook, Fiona, Hawkes, Kathryn, Lord, Waveney, and Redder, Bridgette
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Objects in early childhood education (ECEC) experiences have begun to receive a great deal more attention than ever before. Although much of this attention has emerged recently from new materialism, in this paper we turn to Merleau-Ponty's phenomenological concern with the (in)visibility of 'things' to illuminate the presence of objects within infant transitions. Drawing on notions of "écart" and "reversibility," we explore the relational perceptions objects are bestowed with on the lead up to, and first day of, infant transitions. Recognizing the intertwining subjectivities that perceive the object, a series of videos and interviews with teachers and parents across three ECEC sites in Australia and New Zealand provided a rich source of phenomenological insight. Our analysis reveals objects as deeply imbued anchoring links that enable relational possibilities for transitions between home and ECEC service. Visible and yet invisible to adults (parents and/or teachers) who readily engage with objects during earliest transitions, the significance of things facilitates opportunities to forge new relationships, create boundaries and facilitate connections. As such, our paper concludes that objects are far more than mediating tools, or conceptual agents; they provide an explicit route to understanding with potential to play a vital role in supporting effective early transitions when granted visibility within this important phenomenon.
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- 2023
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23. Parents' Perspectives of Family Engagement with Early Childhood Education and Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Levickis, Penny, Murray, Lisa, Lee-Pang, Lynn, Eadie, Patricia, Page, Jane, Lee, Wan Yi, and Hill, Georgie
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The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services and families, impacting family access to services and their communication and engagement with educators. This study aimed to examine parents' perspectives of family engagement with ECEC services during the pandemic. Primary caregivers in Victoria at the time of recruitment (September-November 2020) were invited to participate. Of the 66 participants who completed an online survey, 25 also took part in semi-structured video call or phone interviews; qualitative findings from these interviews are reported in this paper. Four key themes were conceptualised using a reflexive thematic approach: (1) disruptions to ECEC access and attendance impacting on family routines and relationships, and child development; (2) barriers to family engagement; (3) ECEC educators' support of families and children during the pandemic; and (4) increased parental appreciation of the ECEC profession. Findings revealed that disruptions to ECEC access and routines during the pandemic adversely impacted family engagement, and child learning and social-emotional wellbeing for some families. These were aggravated by other stressors, including increased parental responsibilities in the home, financial and health concerns, and changed work conditions. Findings also demonstrated successful methods used by educators to maintain communication and connections with families. Importantly, parents expressed increasing appreciation of the profession and an increased awareness of the value of family involvement in children's learning. Learnings regarding strategies for effective and alternative ways of engaging families are discussed.
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- 2023
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24. Early-Years Swimming: Creating Opportunities for Adding Mathematical Capital to Under 5s
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Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia and Jorgensen, Robyn
- Abstract
Drawing on survey data from over 2000 parents, this paper explores the possibility of early-years swimming to add mathematical capital to young children. Using developmental milestones as the basis, it was found that parents reported significantly earlier achievement on many of these milestones. Such data suggest that the early years swim environment may offer enhanced opportunities for learning skills that help transition young children into formal schooling. This paper explores those milestones that are related to early mathematics.
- Published
- 2013
25. Cultural-Historical Study of Crises in Child Role Adjustment during Transition to School within a Bi-Cultural Context
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Ma, Junqian, Hammer, Marie, and Veresov, Nikolai
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There is a consensus that the crises children encounter during the transition period might impact negatively on children's learning and development. However, from cultural-historical perspective, qualitative leap in development can hardly be achieved without crises. This paper, drawing upon cultural-historical theory as the framework and by using 'role adjustment' as the unit of analysis, discusses what the crisis means for children's learning and development. Through a case study of two second generation Chinese Australian children's role adjustment in school transition, this paper finds that the crises provide both potentials and dangers depending on how the crises are managed within the child's social situation of development. It argues against the advocates for making children's transition seamless, as it is important to utilize the developmental potentials of crises instead of eliminating them. It also enriches the cultural-historical studies by exploring not only the developmental aspect but also the dark side of the crises.
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- 2022
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26. Understanding Play Participants' Perspectives in Play-Based Learning: A Cultural-Historical Analysis in a Home Context
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Devi, Anamika
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There are some studies indicating that parents make a significant contribution to children's conceptual learning through play, whereas very few studies have been done to identify parents' pedagogical positioning in children's imaginative play for supporting their learning and development. This paper is seeking how Indian-Australian immigrant parents involve themselves and support the development of abstract concepts by taking on their children's perspectives in imaginative play. Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory was used to analyse the data to answer the research question. The data have been collected through video, audio and semi-structured interviews from four Indian-Australian immigrant families. Approximately 17 hours of data were collected from four focus children's families. The finding of this study show how to extend the play that the parent and child develop from an individual perspective by moving between inside and outside of the imaginative play. However, the study also reveals that the play participants might miss the opportunity to understand each other's perspectives by only being outside of the play. The paper suggests that future research should concentrate on studying the pedagogical positioning of the adult, which is an important dimension for understanding adults' involvement in children's imaginative play for supporting learning and development.
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- 2022
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27. 'I Am Big; 'He' Is Little': Interrogating the Effects of Developmental Discourses among Children in Inclusive Early Childhood Classrooms
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Watson, Karen
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Over past decades in early childhood education, there has been an emerging critique of developmental discourses. Despite this, the universality of child development theory persists and along with it, expectations of a linear progression via prescribed stages and ages. Developmentalism produces a normal in the classroom that sanctions comparisons, positioning any difference to the normal as problematic. In this paper, using observation and conversation data from a larger poststructural ethnographic study of three inclusive early childhood classrooms in Australia, the effects of developmental discourses on the classroom and on inclusive practice are examined. Providing an alternative view of inclusion, the paper focuses on the operations of the normal, exposing the exclusionary effects of developmental discourses on children, and among children. As children negotiate difference in the classroom, they draw on sanctioned developmental understandings in coming to know themselves and others. Interrupting the power and authority of these discourses and the way they produce certain ways of being and becoming could provide some promise for inclusive practices.
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- 2022
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28. The Role of Props in Promoting Imagination during Toddlerhood
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Yonzon, Kulsum Chishti, Fleer, Marilyn, Fragkiadaki, Glykeria, and Rai, Prabhat
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Knowing how children become oriented to imaginary play can help educators in centres better support development. But how this begins in the first years of life is not well understood. How toddlers transform through their imagination concrete objects (such as play accessories, figurines, and books) to become props in play (placeholders and pivots) for conveying meaning, remains low. Drawing upon cultural-historical theory, the study reported in this paper sought to understand the role of props for supporting the development of imagination during toddlerhood. Four toddlers aged 1.9-2.1 years from an early childhood centre in Australia were followed as they used objects as props during imaginary play. The study design was an educational experiment of a Conceptual Play World (CPW): a collective model of practice for developing play and imagination. Digital data of the CPW being implemented in the toddler room were collected through video recordings over two months. Thirteen hours of data were collected and analysed using the Vygotskian concepts of play and imagination. The findings revealed that through differentiated use of props, toddlers made transitions from the embodiment of the experience to sharing an intellectual and abstract space where objects became props in play, suggesting the genesis and development of early forms of imagination. The outcomes of the study advance theory and inform practice about the early development of imagination in toddlerhood.
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- 2023
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29. 'All the Things Children Can See': Understanding Children's Noticing in Bush Kinders
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Speldewinde, Chris, Kilderry, Anna, and Campbell, Coral
- Abstract
This paper presents data from interviews undertaken with teachers and parents of children who attend Australian bush kinders (kindergartens). The bush kinder approach is a recent adaptation of the European and UK forest school approaches, one that continues to gain momentum as increasingly teachers and parents come to understand the benefits associated with this type of outdoor learning environment. The research was undertaken using ethnography (Delamont, 1992; Madden, 2012), a useful method of research in this type of setting as ethnography enables a deep understanding of how children 'notice' in nature over time. The paper applies a discourse analysis (Gee, 2011) of teacher and parent interviews critically exploring the learning and development benefits children experience from attending a bush kinder program. Findings reveal that through their noticing, preschool children make a transition from being nature novices to nature experts. The data demonstrate the benefits preschool children can gain from learning and being 'in' and 'with' nature and the important role adults play recognising young children's noticing in nature.
- Published
- 2021
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30. The Experiences of School Staff in the Implementation of a Learn to Play Programme
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Wadley, C. and Stagnitti, K.
- Abstract
This paper aims to explore the impacts of a Learn to Play programme in specialist schools for children with multiple developmental issues. Specialist schools are schools dedicated to children with IQs below 70 and who may also have other developmental issues. The Learn to Play programme focusses on facilitating children's enjoyment and ability to self-initiate pretend play. Staff views were sought on the importance of pretend play for children with developmental delay and disability within a special school, and their views on the impacts of the Learn to Play programme and its implementation in specialist schools. Participants included 14 staff members across four schools for children with developmental disabilities and delay located across Victoria, Australia. The 14 staff members included six teachers, one assistant principal, two speech pathologists, one occupational therapist and four integration aide staff members. Data were collected through focus groups and Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the data. Five themes emerged which included: 'schools create successful programs', 'Learn to Play has created shifts in children's development', 'assessing pretend play is really important', 'structuring Learn to Play to allow for the challenge of play with children with developmental delay and disability' and 'communicating with parents about play'.
- Published
- 2023
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31. The Preschool Teacher's Assumptions about a Child's Ability or Disability: Finding a Pedagogical Password for Inclusion
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Johora, Fatema Taj
- Abstract
The advancement of inclusive education policies worldwide has given greater weight to social justice practices in educational settings. However, inclusion in preschools has received less attention from researchers. This article examines a 4-year-old child's participation in a mainstream preschool in Australia from a cultural-historical perspective. In particular, this study used the concept of secondary disability to analyse the data, and in this process identified a contradiction between the teacher's perceptions of the child's abilities and the teacher's reported understanding of the parent's perceptions of the child's abilities, which 'clouded' the child's position within the preschool setting. Eight hours of video data were gathered across eight months. The findings indicate that understanding the child's personality and potential can operate as a 'pedagogical password' for the teacher to enter on to the child's unique developmental trajectory. This paper argues that identifying the unique developmental pathway of the child is essential to reduce secondary disabilities.
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- 2023
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32. Key Transitions in Counting Development for Young Children Who Experience Difficulty
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Gervasoni, Ann
- Abstract
This paper explores the Counting development of Australian children participating in the Early Numeracy Research Project (ENRP) who were identified as low-attaining using an individually administered assessment interview and a research informed framework of growth-points. The progress of Grade 1 and Grade 2 children who participated in an intervention program was compared to children who did not. Results suggest that the intervention was more effective for Grade 1 children, but that the effectiveness of the intervention seemed to depend on the growth point transitions children needed to make. (Contains 1 figure and 6 tables.) [The ENRP was supported by grants from the Victorian Department of Education, Employment and Training, the Catholic Education Office (Melbourne), and the Association of Independent Schools Victoria. For complete proceedings, see ED500859.]
- Published
- 2003
33. Theological-Relational Pedagogy: Winnicott, Rahner, and the Development of a Theological Perspective on Relational Pedagogy
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Nuttall, Joce and Gerard McEvoy, James
- Abstract
This paper attempts to move beyond a critique of historically dominant ways of thinking about teaching and learning relationships to offer a conceptualization of relational pedagogy from a theological perspective. It offers commentary on the potential of relational pedagogy for Christian faith-based schools informed by the scholarship of German theologian Karl Rahner and the dialectical child psychotherapy of D. W. (Donald) Winnicott. An argument for a theological-relational pedagogy is outlined, followed by discussion of three features linking Rahner, Winnicott, and relational pedagogy: realizing our human-ness through relationships with others; the role of a dialectical unity between self and other; and the mystery of human subjectivity. The paper concludes by signalling some of the implications for faith-based curriculum and pedagogy arising from our argument, centred on the emergence of a new theology of childhood.
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- 2020
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34. Hear Our Heart Ear Bus Project: Supporting Families of Australian Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Children with Otitis Media
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Rees, Donna, Mills, Rachel, and Paatsch, Louise
- Abstract
Otitis Media (OM) is an important global issue that can have a long-lasting impact on a child's life. There is no easy fix! For a family who has a child with OM, the ramifications can be short term and have minimal consequences, or they can be very complex and involve medical, educational, behavioural and wellbeing issues, and may even be life-threatening. Navigating diagnosis and then the combinations of interventions in all areas is just the start of a very daunting journey. As a preventable disease, we have the opportunity to make a difference. This paper presents the development and implementation of the Hear our Heart Ear Bus Project (HoHEBP) within a regional city in western New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The HoHEBP supports families of Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous children with OM through a transdisciplinary approach incorporating health and education, in partnership with families and communities to ensure the best possible outcomes for children and young people. We present how the HoHEBP provides a unique vehicle for change in the way we approach OM as a transdisciplinary team. Longitudinal data from 2014 to 2019 shows that numbers of children and young people being tested and diagnosed with OM, and referred to medical and educational specialists through the HoHEBP have increased, with over one third identifying as Indigenous (in this paper Indigenous is used respectfully to refer to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples).
- Published
- 2020
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35. Teacher Wellbeing in Remote Australian Communities
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Willis, Alison S. and Grainger, Peter R.
- Abstract
This paper reports on a project aimed at investigating teacher wellbeing in remote communities in Australia. It utilised a multiple case study methodology to investigate the lived experiences of remote Australian teachers, particularly how remote teachers simultaneously manage the wellbeing and academic needs of their students. Findings show how the challenges of working in remote places impact teacher wellbeing and provides six practical recommendations about how to better support remote teachers. There is a present need to develop a framework of remote teachers thriving, so systems and communities are not over-reliant upon teachers' individual resilience in hard-to-staff places.
- Published
- 2020
36. Indicators for a Broad and Bold Education Agenda: Addressing 'Measurability' Concerns for Post-2015 Education Targets
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Open Society Foundations (OSF)
- Abstract
This paper and the four commissioned works on which it is based are guided by the important question: How can we start valuing practices and outcomes of teaching and learning that are difficult to reduce to numbers? As the process of developing indicators for the Post-2015 education targets unfolds, some of the targets are at risk of being dropped on account of being 'un-measurable.' However, excluding more holistic but harder to assess educational targets will inevitably remove vital focus from some of the most important aspects of high quality education provision. Three education targets, developed by the Education for All Steering Committee (EFA-SC) and the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development of the U.N. General Assembly (OWG), are the thematic foci of this paper: (1) Relevant Learning Outcomes; (2) Knowledge, Values, Skills, and Attitudes to Establish Sustainable and Peaceful Societies; and (3) Teachers and Safe, Inclusive, and Effective Learning Environments. These three targets are at risk of being excluded from the final formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in response to practical concerns about the number of targets being excessive as well as concerns that targets such as these "rely too much on vague, qualitative language rather than hard, measurable, time-bound, quantitative targets." This report also highlights some of the main ideas put forward by the authors of the four commissioned papers. The annex to this document briefly describes the commissioned papers and presents the indicators proposed by the authors. [For the commissioned papers, see "Capturing Quality, Equity & Sustainability: An Actionable Vision with Powerful Indicators for a Broad and Bold Education Agenda Post-2015" (ED610009), "Goals and Indicators for Education and Development: Consolidating the Architectures" (ED609905), "Indicators for a Broad and Bold Post-2015 Agenda: A Comprehensive Approach to Educational Development" (ED609982), and "Indicators for All? Monitoring Quality and Equity for a Broad and Bold Post-2015 Global Education Agenda" (ED609988).]
- Published
- 2015
37. Goals and Indicators for Education and Development: Consolidating the Architectures
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Open Society Foundations (OSF) and Lewin, Keith M.
- Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to review recent developments related to the development of indicators of educational progress in the context of the Post 2015 deliberations to generate a new international architecture for educational investment through to 2030. There have been a plethora of suggestions and several parallel consultation processes since 2012 to revise and replace the goals for education and development agreed at the World Education Forum in Dakar (UNESCO, 2000) and enshrined in the Millennium Development Goals (United Nations, 2000). This process is now converging on the two frameworks that are the subject of this analysis. Specifically, there are now seven goals that the Education for All Steering Committee has developed which were consolidated in the May 2014 Muscat Agreement (UNESCO, 2014); and the ten goals produced by the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development of the U.N. General Assembly (UN General Assembly, 2014). These goal statements overlap and are largely consistent with each other but contain some significant differences. This paper reconciles the differences and develops sets of possible indicators building on the work of the Indicators Technical Advisory Group (TAG-EFA, 2014) and the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC, 2014). The paper is organized in six parts. Part 1 analyses the strengths and weaknesses of the existing goals and targets for education and development to frame subsequent discussion in the context of the evolution of Education for All since 1990. Part 2 offers a necessary clarification of the relationship between goals and objectives, and targets and indicators. Part 3 reviews and discusses the process of developing indicators that are fit for purpose. Part 4 highlights characteristics of different types of indicator. Part 5 develops a list of preferred goal statements from the Muscat Agreement and OWG goals, links these to a discussion of existing and proposed indicators, and consolidates promising indicators that could be used to assess progress. The last part of the paper collects together forward looking conclusions that profile key issues that will shape how new indicators are devised to monitor the sustainable development goals for education.
- Published
- 2015
38. The Complex Trajectory of Children's Transition to School within a Bi-Cultural Context: A Case of a Chinese Immigrant Child in Australia
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Ma, Junqian
- Abstract
Transition to school is a critical period in child development and has raised great concern among contemporary studies. However, most studies focus on vertical transition and only a few investigate vertical and horizontal transitions as a whole. To bridge the gap, this paper explores how an immigrant Chinese child makes the horizontal transition between dominant institutions within a bicultural-context and the vertical transition from preschool to the primary school period as a whole unity, and how the child learns and develops throughout this trajectory. The data (46 hours) being analysed are selected from observations and interviews. Drawing upon the cultural-historical theory, this paper argues that: (1) transition process is not linear, (2) every child has his/her unique transition trajectory and mapping the trajectory is a way to identify the child's challenges and needs, and (3) culture is not a separate factor, but rather is embedded in the social situation of development in which the child is situated.
- Published
- 2019
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39. The Relations between Ideal and Real Forms of 'Small Science': Conscious Collaboration among Parents and Infants-Toddlers (Cultural Studies of Science Education)
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Sikder, Shukla and Fleer, Marilyn
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Vygotsky (in: Rieber, Carton (eds) The collected works of L.S. Vygotsky, vol 1, Pleneum Press, Newyork, pp 167-241, Retrieved from http://images.lib.monash.edu.au/edf5411/04118997.pdf, 1987) stated that academic or scientific concepts require a level of conscious awareness on the part of the child within everyday situations. Academic concepts can be any kind of concept, such as science concepts, mathematics concepts, language concepts and so on. Vygotsky theorised how these academic concepts could be developed by school aged children, but he said less about the prior to school period. Scientific concepts do not instantly develop in their final form but rather follow a process of conceptual development guided through adult--child interaction. It is understood that not any kind of social interactions can be considered developmental, but rather it is interaction which is purposeful and which is viewed as useful for a child's development. Any kind of conceptual development requires the interaction with the ideal form as presented through adult interaction in social contexts. In any stage of development, ideal forms need to be present in the real context. Ideal in the sense that it acts as a model for that which should be achieved at the end of the developmental period; and in contrast, the real form represents the beginning point of child development (Vygotsky, in: Veer, Valsiner (eds) The Vygotsky reader, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, pp 338-350, 1994). Many studies have documented the interactions between adults and children for developing scientific concepts in formal settings but little is understood about what happens in family homes for the prior to school age period. We do not know how scientific concepts develop during infants-toddlers everyday life at home. What kinds of social interactions in everyday family life support infants and toddlers to develop early forms of science concepts? This paper presents the findings of a study of infant and toddler learning of science at home. A total of around 30 h of video data were collected from three Bangladeshi families in Australia and Singapore. Three children aged from 10 to 36 months were filmed over 1 year in their everyday context. Informed by cultural-historical theory, the findings indicate that a form of conscious collaboration between parents and infants-toddlers is the key for developing "small science" concepts from rudimentary to final form. Small science has been defined as simple scientific narration of the everyday moments that infants and toddlers experience at home with their families. It was found that it was the families who filled the gap in understanding, through actively supporting the development of their infant-toddler's higher mental function. Here the relations between infant-toddler real forms of development were carefully considered by the parents in relation to the ideal form that they created through collective dialogue of small science moments in the environment. If infants-toddlers learn these small concepts in their everyday settings, it is probable that they could link these early forms of understandings to learning abstract concepts later in school. This study contributes to understanding the nature of social interaction patterns for developing small science concepts in the everyday context of family life. This paper also provides pedagogical suggestions for early childhood science education.
- Published
- 2018
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40. Teacher's Creation of Conditions for Peer Interactions and Relationships
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Neri Tejada, Jillianne, Hammer, Marie, and Li, Liang
- Abstract
Teachers have the ability to influence a child's sense of belonging and peer relationships in the classroom which are important for a child's social development. Currently, little is known about the ways in which they do this. Vygotsky's concept of the social situation of development and Hedegaard's model for learning and development were used to discuss the conditions teachers created that promote peer relationships within the classroom. Digital video observations and interview of one grade 1 classroom teacher from the western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria were analysed using Hedegaard's dialectical-interactive approach. This paper demonstrates how the societal demands on institutions influence the activity settings that students participate in and argues that teachers need to create conditions for peer interactions that satisfy societal needs as well as being meaningful for their students and their social situation of development.
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- 2022
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41. Is There a Place for Children as Emotional Beings in Child Protection Policy and Practice?
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Drake, Gabrielle, Edenborough, Michel, Falloon, Jan, Fattore, Tobia, Felton, Rhea, Mason, Jan, and Mogensen, Lise
- Abstract
The emotional aspects of children's social relations have generally been marginalised in social science discourse. Children, who participated in the Australian segment of the Children's Understandings of Well-being (CUWB) project used various media to 'voice' the importance for their well-being of emotional relatedness with family, friends, animals and places. In this paper we place our construction of children's discussion of emotional relatedness in the context of the 'emotional turn' in research and briefly describe how the methodology for our project facilitated an understanding of the importance of children's emotions for their lives in the present. We then focus on the significance for child protection policy and practice, of what children tell us about feeling safe, as this relates to the importance of agency and relatedness with people and also with places.
- Published
- 2019
42. How an Educational Experiment Creates Motivating Conditions for Children to Role-Play a Child-Initiated PlayWorld
- Author
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Fleer, Marilyn
- Abstract
Government guidelines are demanding greater educational outcomes and intentional teaching in Australian preschools. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a study of how children incorporate concepts into child-initiated play. A cohort of 18 children (aged 3.0-5.8, mean age of 4.8) were digitally observed over seven weeks (153.3 hours' digital video observations). It was found that rather than formalising preschooling to increase cognitive outcomes, the leading activity of the preschool child to play can be preserved when children experience a PlayWorld where curriculum concepts act in service of the children's play.
- Published
- 2022
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43. The Dialectical Relation of Real and Digital Conceptual Playworlds in Family Day Care
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Fleer, Marilyn, Rai, Prabhat, and Fragkiadaki, Glykeria
- Abstract
Play acts as the source of children's development in the preschool period. Yet, the global pandemic has changed children's play conditions in ways that are not yet fully understood. With movement restrictions, families have struggled to find ways of bringing children together for play. We studied how family day care (FDC) educators across a remote region of Australia used a digital platform to collectively play in a Conceptual PlayWorld. The central question was: How do the dialectical digital and real world conditions of play create developmental opportunities for children? To answer this, we researched how family day care educators, their leaders (n = 7) and the children (n = 38) from their respective FDC homes, simultaneously played at home and remotely using a zoom platform with a storyteller-player. 797.46 min of digital data were generated and analysed using the Vygotskian conception of the dialectical relation between rudimentary/real and ideal/mature forms of play. In drawing on previous cultural-historical theorisations of digital play, this paper discusses the new developmental conditions created in this real world and virtual context of FDC. We introduce new concepts for explaining the developmental processes and outcomes for these children.
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- 2022
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44. Learning Stories and Children's Powerful Mathematics
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Perry, Bob, Dockett, Sue, and Harley, Elspeth
- Abstract
The approaches to teaching and learning mathematics in Australian preschools and schools can be quite different. These differences arise from what can be termed different "cultures" within the prior-to-school and school settings. Even the first years of school can be characterized by teacher-centered, syllabus-driven lessons and written, group-based assessment, while the preschools tend to adhere to their child-centered, play-based approaches. The result of these differences can be a hiatus in the children's mathematics learning and the teachers' assessment of this learning. This paper reports on one attempt to bridge this gap, not, as so often happens, by "forcing down" the primary school curriculum into the preschool but by maintaining a focus on appropriate learning approaches in this period of the children's lives. The Southern Numeracy Initiative (SNI) was established in 2004 in high schools, primary schools, and preschools situated in the southern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. Its general aim was to improve mathematics and numeracy outcomes through a sustained, collaborative program of professional development and action research, particularly in the areas of pedagogy and assessment. This paper reports work done with preschool educators as part of SNI. It traces how "powerful ideas" in mathematics were identified in current preschool practice, how they were linked to the Developmental Learning Outcomes in the mandatory curriculum documents, and how the technique of learning stories (narrative assessment) was established as a valid assessment regime compatible with key principles of preschool education. The professional development focus on children's powerful mathematical ideas, combined with action research that encouraged educators to identify these ideas within children's experiences and to document these through learning stories, form the basis of this paper.
- Published
- 2007
45. Case Studies of Children's Development of Structure in Early Mathematics: A Two-Year Longitudinal Study
- Author
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Mulligan, Joanne, Mitchelmore, Michael, and Prescott, Anne
- Abstract
Two-year longitudinal case studies of 16 Sydney children extended a study of 103 first graders' use of structure across a range of mathematical tasks. We describe how individual's representations change through five stages of structural development. Children at the pre-structural stage showed inconsistent development presenting disorganised representations and incoherent mathematical ideas. High achievers progressed to a more advanced stage of structural development depicted by an increased level of abstraction. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.) [For complete proceedings, see ED496851.]
- Published
- 2005
46. Relationship between screen-time and hand function, play and sensory processing in children without disabilities aged 4-7 years: A exploratory study.
- Author
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Dadson P, Brown T, and Stagnitti K
- Subjects
- Australia, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Male, Parent-Child Relations, Child Development physiology, Motor Skills physiology, Play and Playthings, Psychomotor Performance physiology, Visual Perception physiology
- Abstract
Introduction: Screen-time has become a regular occupation for young children at home and school, with little evidence of its impact on children's developmental skills. This study explored the association between children's screen-time, fine motor, in-hand manipulation (IHM), visual-motor integration (VMI), sensory processing (SP) and parent-reported play skills., Method: The fine motor, IHM, VMI, SP and play skills of a sample of 25 Australian children without disabilities (M age = 6.2 years, SD = 1.03; 64% girls) were assessed using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Second Edition, Test of In-Hand Manipulation-Revised, Berry Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration Sixth Edition, Sensory Processing Measure-Home Form and Pretend Play Enjoyment Developmental Checklist (PPEDC). Parents completed a week-long log of their child's screen-time. Spearman's rho correlations and linear regressions with bootstrapping were used for data analysis., Results: Statistically significant moderate level negative correlations were found between Total Screen-Time (TST) and VMI skills (r = -.67, p < .01); Interactive Screen-Time and IHM abilities (r = -.46, p < .05) and TST and bilateral coordination skills (r = -.42, p < .05). There were significant negative correlations between SP ability and both TST (r = -.53, p < .01) and Watching Screen-Time (r = -.66, p < .01). When the PPEDC Object Substitution variable was entered into a regression model as a co-variate of hand function, it appeared to lessen the impact of TST as an independent predictor variable of children's VMI and bilateral coordination skills (p < .23 and p < .61)., Conclusion: Playing with toys and using object substitution in play (e.g. a child uses an object for something else other than its intended use when playing with it) potentially appear to be a moderating factor of the impact of children's screen-time on their bilateral coordination and VMI skills. Clinicians can encourage children's active and dynamic involvement in games and play pursuits to counteract the potential impact of increased use of devices that involve screen-time., (© 2020 Occupational Therapy Australia.)
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
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47. Modelling factors for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child neurodevelopment outcomes: A latent class analysis.
- Author
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Strobel NA, Richardson A, Shepherd CCJ, McAuley KE, Marriott R, Edmond KM, and McAullay DR
- Subjects
- Adult, Australia epidemiology, Birth Weight, Child Protective Services statistics & numerical data, Child, Preschool, Cohort Studies, Female, Hospitalization statistics & numerical data, Humans, Indigenous Peoples, Infant, Premature, Latent Class Analysis, Male, Mothers psychology, Needs Assessment, Sex Factors, Siblings, Western Australia epidemiology, Young Adult, Child Development, Gestational Age, Maternal Age, Mental Health Services statistics & numerical data, Mothers statistics & numerical data, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander statistics & numerical data, Neurodevelopmental Disorders epidemiology, Social Class
- Abstract
Background: The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) provides a measure of early child development upon school entry. Understanding which combination of factors influences Aboriginal child neurodevelopment is important to inform policy and practice., Objective: The primary objective was to use latent class analysis (LCA) to model AEDC profiles and identify the highest need profiles. The secondary objective was to determine the associations of these high need profiles on the likelihood of a child becoming developmentally vulnerable., Methods: We designed a prospective population-based birth cohort study (n = 2715) using linked data sets with information on Aboriginal cohort children, and their mothers and siblings in Western Australia. Specific developmental indicators in the 2009 and 2012 AEDC were used to assess developmental vulnerability. LCA methods were used to determine need profiles and their association with developmental vulnerability., Results: 49.3% of Aboriginal children were vulnerable on at least one developmental domain, and 37.5% were vulnerable on two or more domains. LCA found six unique profiles. High needs family, High needs young mother, and Preterm infant comprised 42% of the cohort and were considered to have high need configurations. These groups were at least 1.7 times as likely to have children who had at least one or two developmental vulnerabilities compared with the Healthy family group., Conclusion: Many Aboriginal children in Western Australia enter school with at least one developmental vulnerability. This study highlights a range of unique profiles that can be used to empower Aboriginal families for change and develop targeted programmes for improving the early development of young Aboriginal children., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
- Published
- 2020
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48. Patterns of Young Children's Development: An International Comparison of Development as Assessed by Who Am I?
- Author
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Human Resources Development Canada, Hull (Quebec). and de Lemos. Molly
- Abstract
There has, in recent years, been a reemergence of interest in the early years and a renewed emphasis on the importance of early education programs to ensure that all children start school ready to learn. At the same time, the move toward evidence-based policy development has led to the need to demonstrate the effectiveness of early education programs in terms of measured outcomes. Questions have also been raised with regard to the effectiveness of different types of programs and approaches, and the age at which such programs should be introduced. In order to evaluate the outcomes of early education programs, it is necessary to have a measure that can assess the impact of programs in terms of the development of the underlying skills that are associated with subsequent learning and achievement at school. This paper provides information on a measure that was developed to assess children's level of development at preschool and entry to school level, as well as their readiness for formal schooling. This measure, "Who Am I?," is based on early copying and writing skills, and is designed to identify the broad stages of development that underlie children's readiness for more formal learning in a school situation. Although originally developed in Australia, "Who Am I?" has now been used in studies in a number of different countries, including Canada. Data from these studies provide some insight into the variations in development that are associated with different patterns of preschool provision and different ages of entry into an educational program. The results reported in this paper indicate variations in the patterns of development of young children according to both age and schooling. Development of early copying and writing skills is accelerated in cases where children enter preschool at an early age and are exposed to formal teaching of early reading and writing skills, as in Hong Kong. However, less formal preschool programs and later entry to school, as in Sweden, result in a delay in the acquisition of early writing skills. Delayed development is also noted in the case of children from relatively poor home backgrounds who do not attend preschool prior to entry to school, as in the case of children in a remote rural area of Northern India. However, there are close similarities in development between children of the same age in Canada and in Australia, who are either at the end of their senior kindergarten year or in their first year of school. Using "Who Am I?" as a measure of school readiness, it was found that by age six years virtually all children had reached a level of development where they were able to copy geometrical forms and to write at least some letters or words, indicating that they were ready to benefit from a more structured school program. The results of these studies indicate that "Who Am I?" provides a valid measure of development across different language and cultural groups, and can, therefore, be used as a tool to evaluate the effectiveness of different forms of early childhood provision, as well as children's readiness for more formal learning in a school situation. One appendix is included: (1) Background and Technical Information on Who Am I? (Contains 2 figures, 14 tables, 10 footnotes, and a bibliography.
- Published
- 2002
49. Diversity in Early Childhood Services in Australia.
- Author
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Ebbeck, Marjory
- Abstract
This study used structured interviews to examine the views of 101 South Australian immigrant families, grouped by country of origin, concerning their educational expectations for their children ages birth to 8 years. The overall research questions were: (1) What are the parental expectations of immigrant groups for the early education of their children? (2) How do these educational expectations differ and are there commonalities across the selected groups? (3) What are early childhood teachers' educational expectations for the children they teach? and (4) What are the areas of congruence or difference between the expectations of parents and teachers? The findings indicated differences between groups and between parents and teachers in the importance placed on early childhood education, preparing the child for school, helping the child's social and emotional growth, helping the child's moral growth, helping the child to care for the environment, and helping the child adjust to school (social aspect). (EV)
- Published
- 2001
50. Embracing Postmodernism in Classroom Practice.
- Author
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McKay, Heather
- Abstract
One of the greatest dilemmas about implementing competency-based training in Child Studies, as prescribed by the Australian National Training Authority, is not what is stated in the training packages but what is left unsaid--the underlying assumptions. Issues such as cultural beliefs and attitudes are addressed, but generally only at the level of "variable." The culture ("other" culture) is considered as a variation within the framework of the competencies, but the cultural construction of the competencies themselves is not considered. Students in child studies classes should be taught to challenge the assumptions of the competencies by interrogating the underlying meanings of different practices, questioning the obvious, and being aware of the possibility of multiple understandings so that they can better understand and work with the children they will teach. For example, the instructor can present examples such as child abuse, immunization, "guiding" children, safety issues, and multiple interpretations of child behavior and challenge students to decide how they should be handled and what other interpretations they may not have considered. In this area of competency-based training, postmodernism and internationalization must be factored into classroom practice in order to inspire in students a spirit of inquiry and lifelong learning. (KC)
- Published
- 2001
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