An orientation to early childhood education for sustainability and research : framing the text

This publication arose from the interests of the chapter authors, ‘a small group of thoughtful people’ almost all of whom participated in one or both Transnational Dialogues in Research in Early Childhood Education for Sustainability, held in Stavanger, Norway in 2010 and Brisbane, Australia in 2011 (Refer Appendix 1 for list of participants). These meetings were the first time that a critical mass of researchers from vastly different parts of the globe - Norway, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand at the inaugural meeting, with additional participants from Korea, Japan and Singapore attending the second - had come together to debate, discuss and share ideas about research and theory in the emerging field of Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS. Some of the researchers who joined these Transnational Dialogues, had met serendipitously at earlier conferences and meetings, or corresponded via email, but many had never met face-to-face. Now a significant number are contributing authors in this text. It is a testament to these researchers’ interest in this agenda that they mostly self-funded their travel and other costs to attend the Transnational Dialogues research meetings. While most chapter authors come from the field of early childhood education, a few are more aligned with education for sustainability/environmental education, while a much smaller number are already working at the intersection of early childhood education and education for sustainability. What we share as a group is a range of perspectives and orientations to research and to the research focus at the heart of this book - young children and their actual and potential capabilities as agents of change for sustainability. As researchers, regardless of experience and perspectives, participants knew they had something extra to offer - their expertise as researchers - providing scholarly insights into the work of practitioners, applying critically reflective lenses to curricula, pedagogies and assumptions, testing of ideas and theories, and presenting a sense for where ECEfS might fit or, indeed, go beyond norms and orthodoxies. This is a text, then, for both researchers and those whose primary interests lie in daily interactions with children, families and communities.

Examining early childhood education through the lens of education for sustainability : revisioning rights

This chapter calls for rethinking about the rights base of early childhood education. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (UNICEF1989) has been seen as an important foundation internationally for early childhood education practise. In this paper, I argue that whilst the UNCRC (1989) still serves its aspirational purpose, it is an inadequate vehicle for enacting early childhood education in the twenty-first century given the pressing challenges of sustainability. The UNCRC emerged from an individual rights perspective, and despite attempts to broaden the rights agenda towards greater child participation and engagement, these approaches offer an inadequate response to global sustainability concerns. In this chapter, I propose a five dimensional approach to rights that acknowledges the fundamental rights of children as espoused in the UNCRC and the call for agentic rights as advocated more recently by early childhood academics and practitioners. Additionally, however, discussion of collective rights, intergenerational rights and bio/ecocentic rights are forwarded, offering a expanded way to think about rights with implications for how early childhood education is practised and researched.

Literacy, poverty and schooling : what matters in young people's education?

This paper draws upon several decades of literacy research in schools in high poverty environments to explore what matters in young people’s education. In dialogue with themes from Kevin Marjoribanks’ work, such as student aspirations, family environments, and teacher expectations, key insights are summarised. Referring to longitudinal case studies and a current ethnographic project, the interplay between literacy, poverty and schooling, and, young people’s aspirations and education outcomes is explored. While the work of educators in high poverty communities continues to be highly demanding, there are some schools and teachers making a durable positive difference to learner dispositions and literate repertoires. Teacher expectations and discursive practices are crucial in this process.

Investigating early childhood education for sustainability : insights from history and literature

Seemingly straightforward tasks often have a way of becoming complex. This was the case for our guest editorial team charged with creating Early Childhood Australia’s Best of Sustainability publication drawn from the the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood and Every Child. The complexities we encountered ranged from the varied terminologies and understandings of constructs such as education for sustainable development, environmental education and education for sustainability, through to the fundamental lack of published research on which to draw as the basis for a special issue. It is timely to explore these complexities as we face the global challenges of The Critical Decade (DCCEE, 2011) including rising sea levels, extreme weather events and food security. At a local level, the early childhood field in Australia is seeking to interpret sustainability with systemic support from the National Quality Standards(NQS) (ACECQA, 2011), while elsewhere environmental/sustainability education is encouraged through national curricula documents (for example, Singapore Ministry of Education, 2008; Swedish National Agency for Education,2010; Ministry of Education of Korea, 2011). Both The Critical Decade and the NQS provide imperatives to drive early childhood education’s engagement with sustainability. In other words, sustainability in early childhood education is no longer optional, but essential (Elliott, 2010). While some twenty years of advocacy has led to this somewhat subdued celebratory position, in this publication we do recognise the historical contexts that have led to early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS), as we (Elliott & Davis) phrase it, becoming almost ‘mainstream not marginal’ (Davis, 1999)— a stitching together of the isolated ‘patches of green’, first identified a decade ago by Elliott (NSW EPA, 2003). Here we weave together, through these articles, a story of the evolving history of ECEfS from our particular perspective. In so doing, we also acknowledge that there are other perspectives or ‘paths’ for this field as identified by Edwards and Cutter-McKenzie in their concluding paper to this compilation.

How do preservice teacher education students move from novice to expert assessors?

Despite the acknowledged importance of assessment in education, there has been minimal research into the preparation of preservice teachers for the important role of involving preservice teachers in marking, grading, moderating and providing feedback on student work. This article reports on a pilot project in which preservice teachers participated in an ongoing peer assessment and social moderation process in a dedicated course on assessment. The purpose of the project was to investigate specific ways in which key assessment processes can be effectively taught to preservice teachers. The research involved 96 preservice teachers who completed a Likert scale survey and free text responses to set questions. The results indicated that while preservice teachers valued the process, continual opportunities to learn the nature and purpose of essential assessment practices related to marking, grading, moderating and providing feedback are necessary to graduate competent and work-ready assessors.

Health education action research (HEAR) framework

As a mandatory assessment technique of the Health Education Senior Syllabus (QSA, 2010), action research provides an opportunity for unique insights into health related knowledge, behaviours, beliefs, attitudes and values. It has the potential to be a very motivating and engaging form of learning and assessment. Despite these benefits, action research can be a daunting prospect for some students and a challenging form of assessment for teachers to conceptualise and construct. Session participants will be provided with a visual framework for understanding, structuring and sequencing action research projects. This framework will present a series of action research phases and map them against the four general objectives and three assessable dimensions of the syllabus (QSA, 2010. Participants are strongly encouraged to bring a copy of the syllabus for reference and use during this session. Reference Queensland Studies Authority. (2010). Health Education Senior Syllabus 2010. Brisbane: QSA.

The BRAKE Driver Awareness Program & Senior Health Education

The BRAKE Driver Awareness Program provides evidence-based behaviour, risk, attitude and knowledge education for young drivers. BRAKE was founded during 2006 by Queensland Police Sergeant Rob Duncan and has been delivered to more than 35,000 senior secondary students since 2007. BRAKE is a participant directed program supported by resources provided at no cost. It includes eight parts able to be delivered in different configurations. BRAKE is endorsed by the Queensland Police and Queensland Ambulance Services. It is recognised by the Queensland Studies Authority as a Queensland Certificate of Education registered life skills course. This session is a must attend for secondary teachers, coordinators, staff in senior leadership positions and other stakeholders seeking a unique approach to adolescent road safety education. It will conclude with an opportunity to consider how BRAKE can be integrated into the senior secondary Health Education curriculum or pastoral care, social action and personal development programs.

Teacher education targeting high-poverty schools : the National Exceptional Teachers for Disadvantaged Schools program

This paper examines the Exceptional Teachers for Disadvantaged Schools (ETDS) program and demonstrates how the outcomes from this teacher education model targeting high-poverty schools have been used to expand the model across other Australian universities. The paper outlines the parameters of ETDS and stresses the importance to the program of academic excellence, a modified teacher education curriculum, targeted practicums and a network of jurisdictional and school-based partnerships. The paper presents data from ETDS that demonstrates 90% of graduates have secured employed as teachers within high-poverty Australian schools. The paper concludes by outlining the impact of philanthropic funding (2 million dollars AUD) that will allow the expansion of the ETDS model into other teacher education universities across Australia.

Health education and the control of intestinal worm infections in China : a new vision

Background: The transmission of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) is associated with poverty, poor hygiene behaviour, lack of clean water and inadequate waste disposal and sanitation. Periodic administration of benzimidazole drugs is the mainstay for global STH control but it does not prevent re-infection, and is unlikely to interrupt transmission as a stand-alone intervention. Findings: We reported recently on the development and successful testing in Hunan province, PR China, of a health education package to prevent STH infections in Han Chinese primary school students. We have recently commenced a new trial of the package in the ethnically diverse Xishuangbanna autonomous prefecture in Yunnan province and the approach is also being tested in West Africa, with further expansion into the Philippines in 2015. Conclusions: The work in China illustrates well the direct impact that health education can have in improving knowledge and awareness, and in changing hygiene behaviour. Further, it can provide insight into the public health outcomes of a multi-component integrated control program, where health education prevents re-infection and periodic drug treatment reduces prevalence and morbidity.

Issues in Learning and Education for the Ageing

The population is ageing worldwide. This chapter is a discussion of issues in ageing, the importance of learning and education for the elderly, and then the more specific issues of why, how and what elders want to learn.

Sexual abuse prevention education

Child sexual abuse is a serious problem that has received increased attention in recent years. From an ecological perspective, in which social problems are viewed in the context of characteristics of individuals, families, and broader societal systems (Prilleltensky, Peirson, & Nelson, 2001), preventing child sexual abuse involves strengthening capacity to intervene at individual, family/relationship, school, and community levels. School-based education programs have been developed in efforts to prevent child sexual abuse before it happens and to provide children who may already be experiencing it with help seeking information. Use of these programs must be based on evidence rather than ideology. Evaluations of these programs have demonstrated that sexual abuse prevention education can provide children with improved knowledge and skills for responding to and reporting potential sexual abuse. However, this learning does not seem to be maintained over time which means further attention should be given to repeated learning, opportunities for concept reinforcement and integration with other topics. School-based programs typically present information to children by presenting a series of core concepts and messages which are delivered using engaging pedagogical strategies such as multi-media technologies, animations, theatre and songs, puppets, picture books, and games. This chapter will outline the key characteristics of effective child sexual abuse prevention programs, and will provide directions for future research and practice.

What works and why? Early childhood professionals' perspectives on effective early childhood education and care services for Indigenous families

Investment in early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs is a cornerstone policy of the Australian Government directed toward increasing the educational opportunities and life chances made available to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) children. Yet, ECEC programs are not always effective in supporting sustained attendance of Indigenous families. A site-case analysis of Mount Isa, Queensland was conducted to identify program features that engage and support attendance of Indigenous families. This first study, reports the perspectives of early childhood professionals from across the entire range of group-based licensed (kindergarten and long day care) and non-licensed (playgroups, parent-child education) programs (n=19). Early childhood professionals reported that Indigenous families preferred non-licensed over licensed programs. Reasons suggested for this choice were that non-licensed services provided integration with family supports, were responsive to family circumstance and had a stronger focus on relationship building. Implications for policy and service provision are discussed.

Social justice in early years education : practices and understandings

The current political context necessitates discussions of social justice within education, and here we bring together early childhood professionals from a variety of perspectives to become part of the important debates that must be had. This special issue of Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood was first conceived at a meeting of academics interested in social justice in early childhood education in Albury, NSW, Australia. All of the editors are members of the Social Justice strand of the ARC Funded Excellence in Research in Early Years Education Collaborative Research Network (CRN), which is led by Charles Sturt University in partnership with Queensland University of Technology and Monash University. Some of the authors in this issue are also members of this research network, but their work is presented here with that of others from a variety of contexts. We believe that the combination of perspectives taken challenges old thinking about social justice in early years education in innovative ways.

Connecting theory, practice and place in today’s landscape : an education initiative

Since the establishment of Australia’s earliest formal studies in landscape architecture, landscape planning has been a traditional focus within post-graduate studies at QUT. Study in this area has evolved from an earlier emphasis on applied physical geography through to traditional techniques and processes in visual assessment and management. The emphasis on these techniques has shifted again to a more complex exploration of natural, economic, social and cultural landscapes. Recently, the School has explored more innovative and complex dimensions of human and natural landscapes. This has involved a focus on particular regions under pressure from local social and economic change. These have included the under-threat ‘picturesque’ landscapes of the Blackall Range and the Tweed Valley. Attempts to bridge the institution and the landscape have unearthed, through a studio focus, strong connections with notions of sustainable villages, roadside interpretation, way finding, local economic initiatives, special area creation, cultural heritage brokering and ecological enhancements. These initiatives have spanned both local practice interests and academic pursuits. Central to this exploration is the concept of problem solving through the investigation of the concept of ‘multiple scales’. An open, yet intensive program is being developed with a team of ‘futurist’ practitioners offering a range of experiences and perspectives to students. The program is being increasingly linked to design studios so that landscape planning and landscape design form a fabric of inquiry that works towards reclaiming complex landscapes.

On the operationalisation of conceptions of learning in higher education and their association with students’ knowledge and experiences of their learning

Conceptions of learning, as well as other associated aspects of prior knowledge, are theoretically important factors in influencing the manner in which the content and context of learning are engaged. The present study reports on: (a) the operationalisation of some of these factors aimed at isolating sources of explanatory variation that can be used for modelling purposes; and (b) a conservative exploration of the discriminatory power of, and exhibited patterns of association between, such sources of variation as have been isolated. Based on a conservative analytical approach, the results of the present study do not support a single clearly defined empirical model of conceptions of learning and associated constructs. Instead, there is consistent evidence that underlying empirical structures appear to be sensitive to the response context and other factors.