The intensification of performativity in early childhood education

Operating within a neoliberal education reform context, performativity and teaching in schools has been a focus of study for a number of years. However, less is known about the effects of performativity on teaching and curriculum in the early childhood (preschool) context. Making a case for the intensification of performativity in Australian early childhood education, this paper reports on findings from a doctoral study and draws on research literature from the past fourteen years to illustrate how performative measures have increasingly affected teaching and curriculum. The way that performativity has intensified is discussed in three chronological phases, performativity emerging, consolidating and normalised. Teacher interview transcripts and curricular related policies were analysed using critical discourse analysis and Ranson’s typology of accountability regimes. Findings reveal that early childhood teachers have different ways of responding to performativity, with the teacher featured in this paper displaying three types of performative accountability: anxiety, confidence, and disregard. An implication arising from this paper’s findings illustrates how the effects of performativity on teaching and curriculum can be complex, contradictory and at times, unintended.

Building a model of support for preschool children with speech and language disorders

Speech and language disorders impede young children’s abilities to communicate and are often associated with a number of behavioural problems arising in the preschool classroom. This paper reports a small-scale study that investigated 23 Australian educators’ and 7 Speech Pathologists’ experiences in working with three to five year old children with speech and language disorders. The participants responded to a questionnaire relating to the types of SaLD; social and emotional challenges experienced by children; their role in providing support and issues confronting both professions. The findings highlighted that educators play a valuable role in supporting children’s speech and language disorders through the social context of the preschool classroom. Furthermore inter-professional practice between Speech Pathologists and educators was viewed as highly valuable. Drawing upon these findings, a model of support is presented to improve interventions for holistic development.

Enhanced Alphabet Knowledge in Preschool Children

Providing a child the opportunity to succeed in school is a main worry of parents and teachers. When children are able to connect letters with their corresponding sounds allows for literacy to grow. Using Enhanced Alphabet Knowledge (EAK) instruction will allow children to evolve their literacy skills by connecting.

The complexity of preschool children’s dramatic play behaviour and play styles in Australia: a mixed methods study

Dramatic play is recognised as an important source of learning and development for preschool children, yet there are increasing reports that the quality of dramatic play is declining. This paper aims to report on the findings of a mixed method study that examined the constructs of Australian preschool children’s dramatic play behaviour. Video observations and the Smilansky Scale for the Evaluation of Dramatic and Socio-Dramatic Play (Smilanksy & Shefatya, 1990) were used with 101 preschool children aged 4 to 6 years in selected early childhood educational settings in Melbourne, Australia. Findings reveal that the overall level of children’s dramatic play behaviour was low. A typology of four play styles will be presented. Implications on educators’ pedagogy are discussed.

Early childhood education and care educators supporting parent-child relationships: a systematic literature review

Building strong relationships between children and parents is vital for children’s social and emotional development. A majority of children attend early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings where they experience a range of relationships (educator–child, educator– parent, parent–child). Educators build relationships with children and parents, yet their influence on parent–child relationships is not well understood. Therefore, an evaluation of interventions/programs designed to promote parent–child relationships in ECEC settings (long day care, occasional care and preschool) and a range of settings (play groups, community groups and health centers) was conducted. The search revealed 21 peer-reviewed studies and seven interventions: two conducted in ECEC settings and five in a range of parent–child support settings. All studies reported intervention efficacy, yet none examined educators’ influence on parent–child relationships. Investigation into current educator practices is recommended to ensure educators are supported to promote and nurture parent– child relationships, consequently strengthening children’s social and emotional development.

An Analysis of preschool children’s involvement in dramatic play.

The outcomes of this research revealed that dramatic play is a significant activity of children’s involvement while at preschool. Specifically, the findings show that educators have a crucial role to support children in dramatic play. The findings have implications for early childhood pedagogy, professional learning and pre-service training.

2016-2017 SC Farm to Preschool and SC Farm to School Program Sites

This is a list and map of South Carolina schools involved in the SC Farm to Preschool and SC Farm to School Program.

SAP-Related Education - Status-Quo and Experience

Integrating Enterprise Systems solutions in the curriculum of not only universities but all types of institutes of higher learning has been a major challenge for nearly ten years. Enterprise Systems education is surprisingly well documented in a number of papers on Information Systems education. However, most publications in this area report on the individual experiences of an institution or an academic. This paper focuses on the most popular Enterprise System - SAP - and summarizes the outcomes of a global survey on the status quo of SAP-related education. Based on feedback of 305 lecturers and more than 700 students, it reports on the main factors of Enterprise Systems education including, critical success factors, alternative hosting models, and students’ perceptions. The results show among others an overall increasing interest in advanced SAP solutions and international collaboration, and a high satisfaction with the concept of using Application Hosting Centers.