Early childhood teachers' perspectives on and experience of multicultural education

The multicultural nature of early childhood services in New Zealand is highlighted by the statistical reality that 22 percent of children are Māori, 7 percent are Pasifika, and 11 percent are Asian and other non-European/Pākehā ethnicities. Multicultural early childhood education has become a vital practice underpinning educational reforms. This is evident in a range of government initiatives including, for example, building partnerships with whānau Māori to improve Māori success in education, introducing equity funding to reduce educational disparities between different community groups, and developing a Pasifika Education Plan that improves Pasifika children’s educational achievement. In this article, multicultural education is examined, considering early childhood teachers’ perspectives and experiences through the lens of Sleeter and Grant’s five approaches to multicultural education. The findings suggest that the teachers’ focus on children, culture, and community building drives their endeavours, and indicate that the use of a social reconstructionist approach has the potential to lead to transformative changes to multicultural education.

Communication keys: understanding the importance of the early childhood teacher's role in children's language and literacy development within a holistic, integrative approach to child development

Early childhood is a critical period in children’s lives during which experiences and the quality of the interactions lay the foundation for their subsequent learning and behavior, impacting upon the their lives. In response to Early Years research that identifies the positive impact of quality early years education upon children’s future learning, governments worldwide are implementing changes in policy, processes, professional learning and practice and are pouring funds into early childhood education. A range of approaches and multiple strategies are being adopted in an effort to improve children’s health, education and overall well-being, including the holistic and integrative approach such as that undertaken in Indonesia. This paper argues that high quality Early Childhood teachers play an important role within these approaches and this is discussed in light of the research - policy - praxis nexus, with language and literacy development as a focus area.

Building capacity: strategic professional development for early childhood practitioners

An innovative framework for early childhood students and professionals using an interactive program titled SAM: A Self-Assessment Manual.

This provides a strategic and guided approach to enable practitioners to respond critically to activities and questions such as: 'Where have I come from?', 'Where am I now?' and 'Where do I want to go next?' The book and an accompanying CD-ROM allow readers to practically apply the framework to everyday practice, individually or as part of a group.

Addresses an identified need within the early childhood profession for targeted career development and professional support.

Comments from those who have used the program include: 'After reflection and discussion SAM has allowed me to set myself new goals for my future career, both in the workplace now and further down the track' and 'SAM has me thinking about current practice, how this relates to different theories and where my philosophy fits in'.

A content analysis of early childhood teachers’ theoretical and practical experiences with infants and toddlers in Australian teacher education programs

 In Australia, the growth in the provision of early childhood services for very young children aged birth to three years has placed increased demands on pre-service teachers as new policy stipulates the need for qualified early childhood teachers. While many teacher education programs offer early childhood courses, they have traditionally had a greater focus on kindergarten and the formal years of schooling. Less is known about the amount of time devoted to developing the specialist educational capacity for teaching and caring for infants and toddlers. This paper explores 55 Australian early childhood teacher undergraduate education programs to provide data regarding what pre-service teachers learn about children from birth to three years of age during their formal program of study. It explores: if pre-service teachers engage in practical experiences with this age range; what content they learn; and how knowledge for this age range is assessed. Utilising information from fully accessible public program websites, data in the form of course details were examined to reveal the extent and nature of courses inclusive of teaching and learning focusing on children aged from birth to three years. Of the 55 programs, 18 programs provided practical experience with infants and toddlers, and to a lesser extent content was evident and assessed. Most of the programs which included a focus on birth to three years of age were delivered by Victorian institutions. Findings are important for the future of early childhood teacher education in Australia and hold key messages for teacher registration bodies.

Teacher knowledge, child interest and parent expectation: Factors influencing multicultural programs in an early childhood setting

© 2015, Early Childhood Australia Inc. All rights reserved. MULTICULTURAL CURRICULA/PROGRAMS assume an important role within a cultural approach to learning and teaching in early childhood education in New Zealand. Te Whariki, the national early childhood curriculum framework of New Zealand, is an emancipatory and socially constructive document that emphasises equity, social justice and the important position of culture in children's learning and development. In practice this means developing early childhood programs that are sensitive and responsive to the needs and interests of children and families of minority cultures. Drawing on a critical social constructivist framework, this study of one early childhood centre in New Zealand identifies the features of its multicultural curriculum. The paper argues that a devotion to supporting children of minority cultures has persisted in the curriculum, but there is a reliance on mainstream pedagogy focused on children's learning within the centre environment and teachers' subjective knowledge about children's needs.

Building equitable staff-parent communication in early childhood settings : an Australian case study

International research has consistently found that good staff-parent relationships in early childhood centers benefit children, staff, and parents. Given these findings, the Australian federal government's Quality Improvement and Accreditation Scheme (QIAS) requires centers to involve parents in their programs. However, international research has also found that early childhood staff are anxious about their relationships with parents. This article describes a study in which early childhood staff in Australia were asked about their experiences with parent involvement. It draws on those interviews to consider communication strategies to create equitable relationships between staff and parents.

State of play in early childhood teacher training in Victoria

The study explores the varying changes in emphasis on play within early childhood teacher training. Differing interpretations as to the importance of play are identified as well as the factors impacting on the future of a play-based curriculum.

Where to from here? Career choices of pre-service teachers undertaking a dual early childhood / primary qualification

Recent Australian government initiatives in the early childhood education and care sector are placing demands for an increase in the number of degree qualified early childhood teachers. Many universities are now offering courses with dual qualifications as a way to provide alternate career opportunities for pre-service teachers; however it cannot be assumed that an equal number of graduates will filter into both primary school and early childhood education jobs. This paper presents a study which examined the expected career choices of pre-service teachers from two Victorian universities who were undertaking a dual early childhood / primary qualification. The findings of the study have implications for teacher education curriculum design in relation to the practical components of courses. The authors therefore argue that more attention needs to be focused on the practical components of teacher training courses considering issues of quality and timing.

First choice : early childhood

The report provides recommendations to inform the development of the DEECD First Choice: Early Childhood program through the identification and documentation of early childhood student teachers’ expectations and perceptions of their workforce destination after graduating with a teaching qualification that enables employment in both a primary school and an early childhood education and care setting. The focus is on understanding the reasons impacting on the choices and perceptions of early childhood student teachers as to their employment destination.

How do early childhood teachers understand and support the needs of young English language Learners

In Australia, over one third of all children in Early Childhood programs speak a first language other than English. Despite considerable work into teachers' beliefs on cultural diversity, attention to aspects of second language acquisition in the Early Years has been limited within the Early Childhood field. This paper reports on a small study investigating how four early childhood educators understand theory of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and bilingualism, and how they cater for language-minority students in their programs. The findings revealed a complex interplay between the way participants interpret and support the needs of these children, their experience in the field, and professional education. The teachers in the study reveal various perspectives on how SLA and bilingualism manifest during the early years, and how they affect the learning of children with a Language Background other than English (LBOTE). The teachers also seemed to rely on experiential and intuitive approaches in planning and teaching English Language Learners (ELLs). This study brings new perspectives to understanding the nature of teachers' beliefs and practice regarding English language learners.

A day in the life of an early childhood teacher: identifying the confronting issues and challenges that arise

Recent emphasis upon Early Childhood as an educational priority for the Australian Government has resulted in increases in funding, government initiatives, course providers and the introduc- tion of new policies to the sector in order to improve the quality of early childhood education. The study reported here investigated the "reality" of what it means to be an Early Childhood Teacher within this changing context and identified the roles and responsibilities and the associated chal- lenges. A case study involving observation and interviews with five Bachelor qualified Teachers from varied early childhood settings was undertaken in order to gain knowledge about their ex- periences and perspectives on their work. The data were analyzed using a grounded theory ap- proach involving the identification of key themes and issues about the nature of teachers' work. The findings revealed that in their everyday practice teachers played a complex array of roles that required them to contribute far more than just their teaching skills and knowledge. They were expected to concurrently enact the roles of educator, leader, advocate, communicator, counsellor and administrator whilst juggling everyday challenges including a "lack of time", the need for "further support and more resources" and "building successful partnerships with parents".

Giftedness in early childhood

 Article explores the identification of, and response to giftedness in very young children.