Young children’s beliefs about including others in their play: Social and moral reasoning about inclusion and exclusion


Autoria(s): Wainman, Briony M.; Walker, Sue; Brownlee, Joanne M.; Boulton-Lewis, Gillian M.; Cobb-Moore, Charlotte; Johansson, Eva; Whiteford, Chrystal
Data(s)

2011

Resumo

Previous research has emphasised the importance of active citizenship in the early years for the development of a tolerant and cohesive Australian society. This paper presents findings related to young children’s beliefs about exclusion based on gender and race. The findings draw from a larger study exploring the development of children’s moral and social values and teachers’ beliefs and practices related to teaching for moral development, in the early years of school in Australia. This current study examined reasoning about exclusion in early childhood with children aged 5-8 years. One hundred children from seven schools (Preparatory to Grade 3) answered questions relating to two scenarios in which the children had to make a decision about whether to include others of different gender or race in their play. The majority of children believed that others should be included in their play, regardless of their gender or race. When asked to explain, the children primarily gave reasons related to moral concern and fairness. Children were then asked whether they would continue to include or exclude if their friends (social consensus) or teachers (authority) suggested otherwise. The majority of children maintained their beliefs when beliefs to the contrary were voiced by their peers and teachers. The implications of these responses are discussed.

Formato

application/pdf

Identificador

http://eprints.qut.edu.au/45872/

Publicador

Early Childhood Australia Inc.

Relação

http://eprints.qut.edu.au/45872/2/45872.pdf

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/about_ajec.html

Wainman, Briony M., Walker, Sue, Brownlee, Joanne M., Boulton-Lewis, Gillian M., Cobb-Moore, Charlotte, Johansson, Eva, & Whiteford, Chrystal (2011) Young children’s beliefs about including others in their play: Social and moral reasoning about inclusion and exclusion. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 37(3), pp. 137-146.

Direitos

Copyright 2011 Early Childhood Australia Inc.

Fonte

Office of Education Research; Faculty of Built Environment and Engineering; Faculty of Education; School of Early Childhood; School of Design

Palavras-Chave #130102 Early Childhood Education (excl. Maori) #Early childhood, social and moral reasoning, social inclusion and exclusion, children’s play
Tipo

Journal Article