Early childhood pedagogical practice in primary schools is often challenged by academic demands, ... more Early childhood pedagogical practice in primary schools is often challenged by academic demands, debate about best practice and ongoing change through new policy initiatives. This paper reports an investigation of how early childhood pedagogical leaders assist early years teachers in schools to embrace change and embed early childhood pedagogy. Framed within a constructivist epistemology, this paper reports on findings from three case studies drawn from a larger mixed-methods study from Perth, Western Australia. Data collected through shadowing pedagogical leaders, undertaking contextual interviews and analysing school documents revealed that pedagogical change was promoted, encouraged and sustained through a number of strategies. These included utilising early childhood champions, developing relational trust with staff, establishing communities of practice and empowering teachers as decision-makers. This paper highlights the critical role early childhood pedagogical leadership can ...
The Little Maths Books are packed with advice and ideas for everybody working with children in ea... more The Little Maths Books are packed with advice and ideas for everybody working with children in early years settings and aiming to meet the goals of the EYLF. All activities are carefully planned to meet the objectives for each stage of development, particularly between two and five years old. The Little Book of Colour, Shape and Number provides fun, easy-to-do maths activities for children at all developmental stages in the EYLF. The suggested activities offer many opportunities for children to build mathematical knowledge and develop mathematical language through a wide range of experiences
IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA, EARLY childhood educators have been asking whose agenda does early childhoo... more IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA, EARLY childhood educators have been asking whose agenda does early childhood knowledge serve and for what purpose? This has come to the forefront of debate as play as a pedagogical tool is disappearing from programs for four- and five-year-old children in favour of early academics through a pushdown curriculum. Such a trend was confirmed from research conducted with 200 Western Australian early years educators (mainly teachers) to discuss their most concerning early childhood pedagogical issue. This paper describes the educators' most significant concern, which was the erosion of play-based learning and the tension about the use of play as a legitimate pedagogical tool in early years programs. The analysis revealed competing knowledge about current moves in early childhood education. The knowledge shared by educators has implications for quality learning and teaching in the early years and impacts on children, educators, parents and schools, and in particul...
THE TRANSITION TO KINDERGARTEN is a period of change that can be challenging for many children an... more THE TRANSITION TO KINDERGARTEN is a period of change that can be challenging for many children and their families. While there is wide recognition for the need to support children before and during periods of transition, there is little research on the role of how supported playgroups assist children and families. This research tracked a cohort of children who attended a supported playgroup located on school grounds and their transition to kindergarten the following year. The study was conducted at a metropolitan school in a low socioeconomic suburb of Perth, Western Australia and included data from the children, families and school staff. The social and emotional development and learning dispositions of the kindergarten class were observed in the early weeks of the new school year. Interviews with the families and school staff examined perspectives on how the children transitioned into kindergarten. The supported playgroup and the relationships formed between all stakeholders were ...
Many Western countries around the world have been reviewing policy and practice aimed at enhancin... more Many Western countries around the world have been reviewing policy and practice aimed at enhancing the quality and professional practice of early childhood education. The response has been to establish government-sanctioned curriculum frameworks based on current research and the dominant discourses of educational provision. The successful implementation of a curriculum framework relies not simply on the policy or regulatory practice, but on educators; their interpretation, knowledge and understanding of the framework; and their ability to apply it to their pedagogical practices. Australia too has introduced a new national learning framework, the Early Years Learning Framework, titled Belonging, Being and Becoming. ‘Being’ is central to the framework but what does it really mean? Our Being is part of who we are and yet is difficult to describe. This article aims to provide insights into the meaning and importance of Being in the context of early childhood education and care settings....
It has been argued that the early years have the greatest potential to impact on lifelong learnin... more It has been argued that the early years have the greatest potential to impact on lifelong learning with regard to equality for sustainability (UNESCO, 2008). This study demonstrates how very young children may develop behaviours, attitudes and habits that can have a long-term influence on their actions with regard to sustainability. This research project investigated ways of thinking about poverty and food security with children in a low-income community. Fifty two children, aged six-seven years, attending a Western Australian public primary school were invited to share their ideas about families' access to food from a perspective of wealth and poverty. The single case study method demonstrated how sustainable development in broader terms may be addressed with young children to enable them to express their points of view on economic and social as well as environmental issues. Project findings indicated that the children understood the relationship between work, money and the capacity to access food. They also had an optimistic outlook on how to remove inequality, or 'how to make things fair'.
This paper reports on Aboriginal parents’ perceptions about their involvement in a Western Austra... more This paper reports on Aboriginal parents’ perceptions about their involvement in a Western Australian pilot initiative called KindiLink. The program seeks to support parents as their child’s first teacher and thereby enhance Aboriginal children’s early-years development, while strengthening relationships between families and schools. A constructivist paradigm was used to inform the methodology which placed Aboriginal voices at the centre of the research. Data were collected from 125 participating family members, over two years and across 37 school-based KindiLink sites. The results show that parent contribution to and engagement in KindiLink provided a powerful context to acknowledge, encourage, and support parents. Parents identified the development of strong and mutually respectful relationships; the engagement in working with their child; and the incorporation of families’ cultural and linguistic knowledge into the program as positive contributing factors. The paper concludes wit...
New Zealand research in early childhood education, 2009
In this paper, issues of time are examined considering a child's point of view. What often ha... more In this paper, issues of time are examined considering a child's point of view. What often happens within a child's day is dictated by the routines and schedules set by the adults in his/her life. Using Heidegger's notions of Being and Time, attention is given to children's being in time. Drawing on phenomenological research from my PhD studies, I have looked at the significance of daily life experiences and how time is used. The lived experiences of young children observed in this study reveal that their understanding of time differs to that of adults. Questions are raised about regulating a child's use of time with consideration to Foucault's theoretical position that power relations are embedded in our culture.
This paper reports on findings from four case studies, as part of a large-scale study undertaken ... more This paper reports on findings from four case studies, as part of a large-scale study undertaken to evaluate the KindiLink initiative across Western Australia in remote, regional and metropolitan communities. KindiLink is an educator-led playgroup initiative in public school sites in Western Australia targeted at Aboriginal children and their families. KindiLink aims included the cultivation of Aboriginal families’ and children’s developing sense of belonging and engagement at their local primary school. A constructivist paradigm was used to describe the subjective experiences of individuals, which was important to ascertain if the aims of KindiLink had been met. To complement the meaning-making of the experience, qualitative data were collected via detailed studies of four KindiLink sites to capture similarities and differences of the settings and gain depth of experience through the voices of the participants. The study found KindiLink successfully connected Aboriginal children an...
Young children need a rich range of child-centred, hands-on, play-based experiences and intention... more Young children need a rich range of child-centred, hands-on, play-based experiences and intentional teaching to develop the early learning required for future academic achievement. It is paramount for young children to be engaged in high-quality early childhood education programs if later academic success is to be achieved.
Children in the early years of life face many changes and transitions and the provision of a supp... more Children in the early years of life face many changes and transitions and the provision of a supported playgroup on a school site enables the continuity of early childhood programmes and offers a pathway for a smooth transition to the school environment. Research has shown that when children from disadvantaged families participate in playgroups, better social and emotional outcomes are realised. The findings of this research offer insights into the importance of the formation of relationships between parents, children and the school community when transitioning children to school.
Reflective practice plays a significant role in effective teaching. However, for pre-service teac... more Reflective practice plays a significant role in effective teaching. However, for pre-service teachers (PSTs), it can be a difficult process to not only think reflectively but to understand its importance in their teaching practice. This research focused on the development of a framework for written reflective practice embedded within professional experience (PEx) units. In tutorials, PSTs were provided with video technology to film themselves performing teaching tasks. A reflective framework provided a structure to assist in reflecting on the teaching task. Dialogical teaching and coaching by tutors as well as peer discussion scaffolded the reflective process. At the end of the semester, PSTs and tutors were invited to complete a survey on the reflective processes they had used. This paper focuses on the development of the reflective framework and the feedback received on the use of the framework as a reflective tool. The findings reveal that the PSTs and most tutors found the forma...
Early childhood pedagogical practice in primary schools is often challenged by academic demands, ... more Early childhood pedagogical practice in primary schools is often challenged by academic demands, debate about best practice and ongoing change through new policy initiatives. This paper reports an investigation of how early childhood pedagogical leaders assist early years teachers in schools to embrace change and embed early childhood pedagogy. Framed within a constructivist epistemology, this paper reports on findings from three case studies drawn from a larger mixed-methods study from Perth, Western Australia. Data collected through shadowing pedagogical leaders, undertaking contextual interviews and analysing school documents revealed that pedagogical change was promoted, encouraged and sustained through a number of strategies. These included utilising early childhood champions, developing relational trust with staff, establishing communities of practice and empowering teachers as decision-makers. This paper highlights the critical role early childhood pedagogical leadership can ...
The Little Maths Books are packed with advice and ideas for everybody working with children in ea... more The Little Maths Books are packed with advice and ideas for everybody working with children in early years settings and aiming to meet the goals of the EYLF. All activities are carefully planned to meet the objectives for each stage of development, particularly between two and five years old. The Little Book of Colour, Shape and Number provides fun, easy-to-do maths activities for children at all developmental stages in the EYLF. The suggested activities offer many opportunities for children to build mathematical knowledge and develop mathematical language through a wide range of experiences
IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA, EARLY childhood educators have been asking whose agenda does early childhoo... more IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA, EARLY childhood educators have been asking whose agenda does early childhood knowledge serve and for what purpose? This has come to the forefront of debate as play as a pedagogical tool is disappearing from programs for four- and five-year-old children in favour of early academics through a pushdown curriculum. Such a trend was confirmed from research conducted with 200 Western Australian early years educators (mainly teachers) to discuss their most concerning early childhood pedagogical issue. This paper describes the educators' most significant concern, which was the erosion of play-based learning and the tension about the use of play as a legitimate pedagogical tool in early years programs. The analysis revealed competing knowledge about current moves in early childhood education. The knowledge shared by educators has implications for quality learning and teaching in the early years and impacts on children, educators, parents and schools, and in particul...
THE TRANSITION TO KINDERGARTEN is a period of change that can be challenging for many children an... more THE TRANSITION TO KINDERGARTEN is a period of change that can be challenging for many children and their families. While there is wide recognition for the need to support children before and during periods of transition, there is little research on the role of how supported playgroups assist children and families. This research tracked a cohort of children who attended a supported playgroup located on school grounds and their transition to kindergarten the following year. The study was conducted at a metropolitan school in a low socioeconomic suburb of Perth, Western Australia and included data from the children, families and school staff. The social and emotional development and learning dispositions of the kindergarten class were observed in the early weeks of the new school year. Interviews with the families and school staff examined perspectives on how the children transitioned into kindergarten. The supported playgroup and the relationships formed between all stakeholders were ...
Many Western countries around the world have been reviewing policy and practice aimed at enhancin... more Many Western countries around the world have been reviewing policy and practice aimed at enhancing the quality and professional practice of early childhood education. The response has been to establish government-sanctioned curriculum frameworks based on current research and the dominant discourses of educational provision. The successful implementation of a curriculum framework relies not simply on the policy or regulatory practice, but on educators; their interpretation, knowledge and understanding of the framework; and their ability to apply it to their pedagogical practices. Australia too has introduced a new national learning framework, the Early Years Learning Framework, titled Belonging, Being and Becoming. ‘Being’ is central to the framework but what does it really mean? Our Being is part of who we are and yet is difficult to describe. This article aims to provide insights into the meaning and importance of Being in the context of early childhood education and care settings....
It has been argued that the early years have the greatest potential to impact on lifelong learnin... more It has been argued that the early years have the greatest potential to impact on lifelong learning with regard to equality for sustainability (UNESCO, 2008). This study demonstrates how very young children may develop behaviours, attitudes and habits that can have a long-term influence on their actions with regard to sustainability. This research project investigated ways of thinking about poverty and food security with children in a low-income community. Fifty two children, aged six-seven years, attending a Western Australian public primary school were invited to share their ideas about families' access to food from a perspective of wealth and poverty. The single case study method demonstrated how sustainable development in broader terms may be addressed with young children to enable them to express their points of view on economic and social as well as environmental issues. Project findings indicated that the children understood the relationship between work, money and the capacity to access food. They also had an optimistic outlook on how to remove inequality, or 'how to make things fair'.
This paper reports on Aboriginal parents’ perceptions about their involvement in a Western Austra... more This paper reports on Aboriginal parents’ perceptions about their involvement in a Western Australian pilot initiative called KindiLink. The program seeks to support parents as their child’s first teacher and thereby enhance Aboriginal children’s early-years development, while strengthening relationships between families and schools. A constructivist paradigm was used to inform the methodology which placed Aboriginal voices at the centre of the research. Data were collected from 125 participating family members, over two years and across 37 school-based KindiLink sites. The results show that parent contribution to and engagement in KindiLink provided a powerful context to acknowledge, encourage, and support parents. Parents identified the development of strong and mutually respectful relationships; the engagement in working with their child; and the incorporation of families’ cultural and linguistic knowledge into the program as positive contributing factors. The paper concludes wit...
New Zealand research in early childhood education, 2009
In this paper, issues of time are examined considering a child's point of view. What often ha... more In this paper, issues of time are examined considering a child's point of view. What often happens within a child's day is dictated by the routines and schedules set by the adults in his/her life. Using Heidegger's notions of Being and Time, attention is given to children's being in time. Drawing on phenomenological research from my PhD studies, I have looked at the significance of daily life experiences and how time is used. The lived experiences of young children observed in this study reveal that their understanding of time differs to that of adults. Questions are raised about regulating a child's use of time with consideration to Foucault's theoretical position that power relations are embedded in our culture.
This paper reports on findings from four case studies, as part of a large-scale study undertaken ... more This paper reports on findings from four case studies, as part of a large-scale study undertaken to evaluate the KindiLink initiative across Western Australia in remote, regional and metropolitan communities. KindiLink is an educator-led playgroup initiative in public school sites in Western Australia targeted at Aboriginal children and their families. KindiLink aims included the cultivation of Aboriginal families’ and children’s developing sense of belonging and engagement at their local primary school. A constructivist paradigm was used to describe the subjective experiences of individuals, which was important to ascertain if the aims of KindiLink had been met. To complement the meaning-making of the experience, qualitative data were collected via detailed studies of four KindiLink sites to capture similarities and differences of the settings and gain depth of experience through the voices of the participants. The study found KindiLink successfully connected Aboriginal children an...
Young children need a rich range of child-centred, hands-on, play-based experiences and intention... more Young children need a rich range of child-centred, hands-on, play-based experiences and intentional teaching to develop the early learning required for future academic achievement. It is paramount for young children to be engaged in high-quality early childhood education programs if later academic success is to be achieved.
Children in the early years of life face many changes and transitions and the provision of a supp... more Children in the early years of life face many changes and transitions and the provision of a supported playgroup on a school site enables the continuity of early childhood programmes and offers a pathway for a smooth transition to the school environment. Research has shown that when children from disadvantaged families participate in playgroups, better social and emotional outcomes are realised. The findings of this research offer insights into the importance of the formation of relationships between parents, children and the school community when transitioning children to school.
Reflective practice plays a significant role in effective teaching. However, for pre-service teac... more Reflective practice plays a significant role in effective teaching. However, for pre-service teachers (PSTs), it can be a difficult process to not only think reflectively but to understand its importance in their teaching practice. This research focused on the development of a framework for written reflective practice embedded within professional experience (PEx) units. In tutorials, PSTs were provided with video technology to film themselves performing teaching tasks. A reflective framework provided a structure to assist in reflecting on the teaching task. Dialogical teaching and coaching by tutors as well as peer discussion scaffolded the reflective process. At the end of the semester, PSTs and tutors were invited to complete a survey on the reflective processes they had used. This paper focuses on the development of the reflective framework and the feedback received on the use of the framework as a reflective tool. The findings reveal that the PSTs and most tutors found the forma...
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Papers by Marianne Knaus