Involving children in the Games is a perfect fit with the Te Whariki curriculum – focusing on wellbeing (physical and mental health), belonging, contribution (including good sportsmanship), communication, and exploration.
Children become inspired in seeing their heroes and following the achievements and stories of their own country’s represent
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Group size refers to the number of children who interact together with the same teachers in a defined space, and research shows that small groups are essential for responsive relationships, healthy development, and high‑quality ECE. NZ’s regulations allow the total licence size to act as the group size, a practice that conflicts with international evidence and undermines efforts to ensure quality ECE.
Early childhood teachers continue to struggle to implement content within Te Whāriki. This article draws on literature and data to investigate whether the lack of specific content within Te Whāriki means it should be considered a philosophy rather than a curriculum. Read the full paper below. Or to order a pdf copy of the article go to the main NZIRECE Journal page.
Full reference: Davis, T. (2025). Exploring educator and parent perceptions of the impact of digital technologies on young children’s physical literacies. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 27, pp. 31-42.
Login to read the full research paper below. Or order a pdf copy of the article from the main NZIRECE Journal page.
ABSTRACT:
Digital technologies are increasingly present in early childhood settings, raising questions about their effects on young children’s physical literacy development. Physical literacy – encompassing physical competence, confidence, motivation, and understanding to engage in physical activity – is crucially developed in the early years. This article reports on a doctoral research project exploring how educators and parents perceive the impact of digital technology use on the physical literacies of children from birth to five years. A literature review highlights international and Australasian perspectives on digital technology integration in early childhood education and the concept of physical literacy in the early years, revealing a gap in research on stakeholder perceptions at this intersection. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory provide the theoretical framework, situating children’s technology experiences within layered environmental contexts and sociocultural interactions. A qualitative, interpretive case study with a phenomenological lens is proposed, using semi-structured interviews with educators and parents in an Australian kindergarten and a long day care centre. The article argues that understanding adult perceptions can support more intentional, balanced integration of digital technologies.
Key words: Digital technologies; physical literacy; teacher perceptions; parent perceptions.
Travel in Teachers’ Professional Development. By Kathy Goouch and Hazel Bryan.
There has been increasing interest shown by those concerned with young children’s learning in international policy and practice. By travelling ourselves, we sought to understand the imperative for practitioners to look beyond their own geographical and cultural
Losing my Hearing – Signs of Hearing Loss for Early Childhood Teachers and What You Can Do.
Children are by nature noisy, and working in an early childhood setting can therefore be a noisy working environment -and especially during bad weather when children are stuck indoors all day. Children screaming can damage adult ears.
Employers do h
Equality and acceptance of LGBT teachers in the New Zealand education system is still far from established.
Discrimination can be subtle, such as whispering the word ‘gay’ so that the children can’t hear, but can also be obvious and inappropriate through direct discrimination and exclusion.
Teachers, and particularly leaders, in early c
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