2018 NZIRECE Journal, No. 1

FULL REFERENCE: Wishart, L. (2018). Early childhood educator perceptions of children’s physical activity and the outdoors. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 21(1), 1–16.

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ABSTRACT: The importance of young children’s physical activity, movement development and outdoor experience has been highlighted in recent years in the context of worldwide trends of sedentary living, reduced nature contact and risk minimisation. It is understood that early childhood educators can be influential in young children being physically active, outdoors and connected to the natural world. This paper explores early childhood educator perceptions of the importance of children’s movement development in naturalised outdoor learning environments. More specifically, this paper investigates how early childhood educators perceive the natural features outdoors influencing children’s movement development and physical activity. Six early childhood educators were interviewed as participants in a qualitative doctoral research study. The data were analysed and coded thematically using a perspective taking framework based on Wilber’s All Quadrants All Levels (AQAL) integral theory model (Esbjoèrn-Hargens, 2010; Wilber, 1998). An analysis of the results of the study revealed a spectrum of views of physical activity and the outdoors of lesser to greater complexity, highlighting differences in how educators’ perceive associations between children’s movement development, physical activity and outdoor environments.

Key words: Movement development, physical activity, naturalised outdoor environments.

Introduction

The importance of young children’s physical activity (PA), movement development and outdoor experience has been highlighted in recent years in the context of worldwide trends of sedentary living  (Tremblay et al., 2016) reduced outdoor and nature contact (Charles & Wheeler 2012; Dowdell, Gray & Malone, 2011; Little & Wyver, 2008) and discourses of risk minimisation and challenge (Bundy et al. 2009; Little & Eager 2010).

Research on social competence, mediation strategies and how teachers can better manage conflicts between children aged 3 to 5 years in early childhood settings.

FULL REFERENCE: Watson, N.. (2018). Can early years’ practitioners facilitate social development during conflicts between young children? NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 21(1), 17–34.  

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ABSTRACT: This small-scale case study concerned the role of early years’ practitioners in managing conflict events between peers aged three to five in an early childhood setting in England. The setting is located in an area with a higher than average socio-economic status. The cohort which comprised the subject of the study reflected diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. All children were culturally European and one child was bilingual. The study aimed to identify pedagogy which optimised children’s agency, thereby potentially, supporting the development of skills in the social domain. Accordingly, the focus of the study was on conflict management rather than its resolution. The pedagogical approach at the setting was informed by a social constructivist perspective and strategies drawn from alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practices typical of adult mediation services. The practitioner researcher’s professional background included both early years’ practice and ADR with adults. A principle of mediation is that the parties in conflict own and manage the process themselves whilst a mediator facilitates by optimising communication and managing power imbalances rather than directing or imposing judgment. Findings indicated that where practitioners used mediation strategies, (including non-intervention), children rehearsed social skills. In the majority of conflict events children were able to manage their conflicts without adult support. In every conflict event where adult support was given, children rehearsed social skills.

Key words: Social competence, conflict management, mediation strategies, cessation strategies, optimal intervention.

INTRODUCTION

Being socially competent affords wide ranging benefits and the importance of social and emotional development is accepted as having a fundamental impact on all areas of learning (Barlow & Chorpita, 1998; Denham, Bassett & Zinsser, 2012; Evans & Price, 2012; Weare & Gray, 2003).  In their longitudinal study on developing children’s emotional and social competence and wellbeing, Weare and Gray, (2003, p.34) reported, “Emotional and social competences have been shown to be more influential than cognitive abilities for personal, career and scholastic success”. Promoting experiences which support social development is a key responsibility of early year’s practitioners. Children with poor social skills are likely to experience rejection by their peers, which may limit their access to social learning opportunities: “Children may lack appropriate skills simply because they do not have the opportunities to learn and practise them” (Katz & McClellan, 1997 p.9).  Matthews, (1996, p.94) reported that “children who are rejected by their peers exhibit more aggressive behavior (sic), try to exert control during an interaction and are more disagreeable”. Consequently, such children may be frequently involved in conflicts, reinforcing negative patterns of interaction and alienation from peers (Katz & McClellan, 1997; McCay & Keyes, 2001).

Research on factors that male teachers believe deter other men from joining them in the early childhood profession.

FULL REFERENCE: Kinkead-Clark, Z. (2018). Where are the men in Jamaica’s early childhood classrooms? The experiences of those who choose to teach young children. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 21(1), 35 – 46.

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ABSTRACT: With less than three percent of Jamaican teachers at the early childhood level being male, this study sought to understand some of the issues affecting men in the sector and to elicit the factors they believe prevent/ deter other men from joining them in the profession. Twenty-three males in the early childhood field participated in a focus group discussion. Using Denzin’s (2001) Interpretive Interactionist Framework to analyse the data for this qualitative study, three themes emerged from the findings: stigma, macho culture/ culture shift, and financial matters. These findings have implications for how men believe they are perceived in early childhood education. Men in the early childhood sector encounter significant challenges and they should be supported as they struggle to situate themselves and fight for acceptance and to be part of the sector.

Key words: Male teachers, men in childcare, gender, stereotype, Jamaica.

INTRODUCTION

Globally, the appeal to increase the number of males in pre-primary and lower grade primary classrooms (grades 1 -3) has by and large fallen on deaf ears and it is clear that there are ‘glass doors’ impeding male entry into teaching and retention (Koch & Farquhar, 2015).  Some countries are doing better than others in bringing more men into the predominately female workforce. In 35 OECD countries 93% or more of pre-primary teachers are women (OECD, 2017). Some exceptions are the Netherlands (13% male teachers), Norway (9%), France (8%), and Spain (7%).  New Zealand is in the bottom half of the OECD with just 2% male teachers (ibid). In Jamaica, of the 8000 teachers and practitioners in the early childhood (EC) sector, only 200 are male (2.5%).  

Varying factors account for the traditional feminised demographic of early childhood sector worldwide (Jones, 2009; Kinkead-Clark, 2015; Nelson, Carlson, & West, 2006; Sumsion, 2005).  As suggested by Alexander, Cablk, Buckingham, Butler and Ballantyne (2006) one of the main reasons is that the sector is not seen as attractive for men to enter – and for those already in it there is very little incentive to remain.

Research on the literacy and numeracy skills of New Zealand children when they start school.

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FULL REFERENCE: Boereboom, J. & Cramman, H. (2018). Primary school entry assessment in New Zealand. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 21(1), 47 – 61.

ABSTRACT: There is a wide range of assessment tools used by schools to assess children at school entry in New Zealand. The lack of consistency of uptake and reporting of results leads to sporadic national data. This highlights a need for a national standardised assessment which can be used as a reliable baseline of what New Zealand children know when they start school and how they progress in their first year. The Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) assessment is a valid, reliable and internationally respected school entry assessment. The Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring at the University of Canterbury used PIPS to collect data on 3916 students’ early literacy and numeracy skills when they started school and followed up on their progress 12 months later. This provides a useful baseline of the literacy and numeracy skills New Zealand children have when they start school. The data is useful for the early identification of special learning needs and can be used to gauge the effectiveness of year 1 programmes.

Key words: School entry, assessment, PIPS, baseline data, literacy, numeracy.

INTRODUCATION

In New Zealand children can start school on their fifth birthday and do not have to wait till the start of the next school year. Schooling is compulsory from age six but children can start primary school anytime between the ages of five and six years.  A law change will allow schools from this year to individually decide to implement cohort entry of children at the start of term closest to their 5th birthday, which for some children may mean starting school before they are five. 

Children start school at different times during the year at different stages of development and school readiness. They have different learning needs and progress at different rates. This provides a challenge for the Year 1 teacher. Assessment on school entry can provide informative data on the learning needs of children when they start school. The entrance assessment data provides information on the strengths and developmental needs of each child starting school and provides a baseline for individualised educational planning. This can inform the provision of targeted support for children who need specific kinds of learning experiences, children who without support might be more vulnerable to the demands of formal schooling, or children who have particular experiences prior to school entry.

Research on how primary school classrooms can support children’s transition from early childhood education to the school setting.

FULL REFERENCE: Postlewaight, G. (2018). Effective transition to school: Integrating philosophy, pedagogy and curriculum. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 21(1), 62 – 75.  

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ABSTRACT: Successful transition from early childhood settings to primary school involves a triadic process between children and their families and whānau, the early childhood setting and the school. This case study examines the self-review and subsequent commitment to philosophical and pedagogical changes within one primary school’s transition classrooms, undertaken to ensure the most effective outcomes for children at the school during their time of change and uncertainty. It offers an overview of the metamorphosis from reflecting on transition to a wider vision for growth and development. A focus on learning through play and discovery as a key value led the school to envisage a framework of possibilities for future school-wide reflection and self-review. Research of family and whānau experiences of transition to the school and/ or teacher reflections on their learning and transformation would offer relevant feedback to the self-review.

KEY WORDS: Transition, relationships, learning through play, continuity, communities of learning.

BACKGROUND:

Nelson Park School is a primary school catering for years 1 – 6 (5 to 11 years old) children. The school is situated in Napier, Hawke’s Bay, Aotearoa New Zealand. The Nelson Park School Curriculum [NPSC] (2011) identifies ongoing reflection on pedagogical practice and the implementation of child-centred learning as being key aspects that enhance effective transitions for children. The school promotes continuous learning beginning with a strong focus on successful transition to school from early childhood education settings. The values and beliefs that underpin the culture of learning and teaching at the school encompass a holistic, inclusive approach that enables children to contribute as members of the learning community (NPSC, 2011).

Research on differences in perspectives on quality and evaluation held by managers, teachers and parents at early childhood centres.

FULL REFERENCE: Zhang, Q. (2018). Delineating and reconciling various perspectives on quality in New Zealand early childhood services. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 21(1), 76 – 87.  

ABSTRACT: In the context of evaluation of the quality of an early childhood service, tension can be created when internal stakeholders (e.g., manager, teachers, and parents) have a different perspective on what constitutes quality compared to an external evaluation authority. This study aims to delineate such perspectival differences and explore approaches to mediating the tensions. Data is comprised of individual interviews with 27 participants from nine early childhood services (one manager, one teacher, and one parent from each service) in a North Island city of New Zealand as well as the relevant Education Review Office documents. A combination of theoretical thematic analysis and deductive qualitative analysis captures three areas of difference in perspective between the sampled early childhood services and Education Review Office documents: level of compliance, appropriateness of practice, and robustness of evaluation. In an attempt to exemplify a multiple-lens approach to addressing the three areas of difference, three theoretical lenses are considered: the self-review framework, practical hermeneutics, and critical pragmatism.

Key words: Early childhood, quality, evaluation, multiple perspectives.

INTRODUCTION

Quality early childhood education has become a priority policy area for many jurisdictions in the world (Fenech, 2011; Jackson, 2015; Logan, Press, & Sumsion, 2012). Although quality of an early childhood service is traditionally viewed to be measurable against a set of universally applicable standards (e.g., Harms, Clifford, & Cryer, 2005), more recent literature highlights its value-laden and contextual nature (Dahlberg, Moss, & Pence, 2007; Dalli, et al., 2011). Researchers recognise that different stakeholders may have different perspectives on quality of early childhood services, as vividly expressed in the parody ‘quality is in the eye of the beholder’ (Farquhar, 1993; Pence & Moss, 1994). In the context of quality evaluation of early childhood services, this can create tensions for both teaching practice and quality evaluation, particularly when a consensus cannot be reached. The present study explores ways to ‘deal with’ the tensions.

Quality and quality evaluation of early childhood services in international contexts

Research on preschool teachers’ and parents’ views on how to best prepare children for school.

FULL REFERENCE: Costales, G.S. and Anderson, R. (2018). Preschool teachers’ and parents’ perspectives on primary school preparation in Singapore. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 21(1), 88 – 99.  

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ABSTRACT: The study undertaken in Singapore sought to understand preschool teachers’ and parents’ views on school readiness with regard to primary 1 preparation to provide a common understanding on how to best prepare children for primary school. Nine preschool teachers and nineteen preschool parents completed a questionnaire and, of this group, four parents and four preschool teachers were also interviewed to gain a deeper understanding of their perspectives. The study revealed that domains of Social and Emotional Development and Aesthetics and Creative Expression were rated by the participants as the most and least important aspects of development respectively in preparing children for primary school. It is recommended that children’s transition to school reflects current research that supports the continuity between preschool and primary school with all stakeholders, parents, teachers and the community, involved.

Key words: Transition to school, primary school preparation, school readiness, school readiness perspectives. 

INTRODUCTION

Providing children with a positive transition experience from preschool to primary school confers short-term and long-term advantages (Petrescu, 2012; Serry, Imms, Froude, Joffe, Heine, & Merrigan, 2014; Yeboah, 2002) and significantly affects their academic and social performance (Chan, 2010; Dockett & Perry, 2009; Yeboah, 2002; Yeo & Clarke, 2006). School transition has been the focus of numerous research studies and educational policies worldwide (Vrinioti, Einarsdottir & Brostrom, 2010); however, limited research had been conducted on this issue in Singapore. 

Nonetheless, emphasis on school transitions is intensely magnified in Singapore, where academic meritocracy is revered as the basis of the country’s growth and development, rewarding the best students on the basis of their ability, performance and achievement (Yeo & Clarke, 2005). The concern is that parents and educators often seem to have differing beliefs on how best to prepare children for their transition to formal schooling (Ang, 2012; Graue, 2006). While preschool teachers urge a holistic approach to preparing children, parents often prefer an academic curriculum in preparing for primary 1 (Ang, 2012). Inasmuch as the community’s belief system inherently determines who is ready for school and how children become ready (Graue, 2006), it is imperative for parents and teachers to concur on a definition of readiness that is most appropriate for their social-cultural context to furnish better support for children’s transition to formal schooling (Noel, 2010). Therefore, based on its findings, this study offers a common understanding from one community of parents and teachers in Serangoon, Singapore, on how preschool children might best be prepared for primary school by identifying parents’ and teachers’ perspectives on readiness and what they deem as important for primary school preparation.

Report on a project to increase child enrolment and attendance rates at early childhood centres in socio-economically deprived areas of NZ.

FULL REFERENCE: Tyler, J., Davies, M. & Bennett, B. (2018). Increasing early childhood education enrolment and attendance rates in South Auckland, New Zealand. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 21(1), 100–111.

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ABSTRACT: This paper reports on a project to increase enrolment and attendance rates at seven early childhood education (ECE) centres in socio-economically deprived areas of Auckland, New Zealand, between January and June 2014. Participating centres used Breakthrough Series collaborative methodology with the Model for Improvement (Langley et al., 2009) to develop and test change ideas according to local context. Enrolment and attendance data were collected weekly using a custom-designed spreadsheet which provided centres with individualised data and aggregated overall project data. Data were analysed using run charts. Overall median enrolment increased from 76.4% to 88.9%, and overall median attendance increased from 44.9% to 59.2%. The project showed that staff in ECE centres can use Breakthrough Series Collaborative methodology with the Model for Improvement to increase enrolment and attendance rates without extra government funding. The project also built the capability of ECE centre staff to effect improvement, reducing future need to procure external expertise to lead change. This approach to change can contribute to closing the gaps in ECE attendance among socio-economic and ethnic groups who typically have lower rates of participation.

Key words: Enrolment, attendance, improvement methodology, participation, socio-economic deprivation, ethnicity.

INTRODUCTION

In New Zealand there is wide variation in the levels of educational success among different population groups, with those at the lower end more likely to be from Māori, Pacific Island or lower socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds (NZQA, 2015). Children who do not participate in ECE, or who attend regularly for less than one year, are disproportionately from these same groups (Mitchell, et al., 2013).

Unlike most other countries in the OECD, nearly all of NZ’s ECE services are publicly funded privately owned services. ECE services in New Zealand must be licensed as in compliance with regulations by the Ministry of Education to operate (Education Counts, 2016a). Having a licence entitles ECE services to funding, which was estimated in 2010 by the Ministry of Education to cover approximately 83% of the cost of each child’s attendance at the centre (Ministry of Education, 2010). Centres also obtain revenue from fees and charges to families and other sources such as community donations.

Over the past decade there has been a strong policy focus on increasing the number of children in ECE and the time they spend in ECE prior to starting school, along with increasing the supply of child places.  The introduction of the 20-Hours Free ECE policy in 2007 for 3 to 5 year old children made ECE more financially affordable for many families.  This was followed by  the Government making ‘promoting participation’ its major policy goal for ECE, supported by promotional campaigns and setting a Better Public Service target of 98% of children participating in ECE in the year before starting school by 2016 (Ministry of Social Development, 2012).