Above and beyond: exploring outcomes and practices of Scope Southern Region Early Childhood Intervention Service for children with disability

This research project is an exploration of the early childhood intervention service (ECIS) provided by Scope Southern Region. The research seeks to examine the benefits and outcomes for families and children. In doing so, the project’s emphasis is on key practices such as family centred practice and transdisciplinary practice, while examining the enablers and barriers to providing positive benefits to families and children. The central question is whether the interventions are of assistance to families and children.

Empowerment in early childhood intervention : perspectives of parents of children with disabilities

There have been various changes to the manner in which early intervention services for children with disabilities have been provided in recent decades. One of the most significant paradigm shifts that has accoured pertains to a change in the level of family involvement in early intervention, so that families are now required to be equal partners with professionals in the service provision process. It is now policy in Victoria that early intervention services follow a family-centred model of practice. Services adopting this model aim to empower parents, so that they may have impact on their lives, and the lives of their family members, both during and beyond the years of direct service participation. Much of what is known about empowerment to date is based on theory, author opinion, and research that is largely survey-based. There has been little interview-based research, particulary involving parents of children with disabilities, as well as little Australian research conducted regarding empowerment. To the researcher's knowledge, there has been no interview-based research that specifically asked parents of children with disabilities about their perspectives on empowerment and disempowerment. Parents of children with disabilities are not invited to contribute their opinions in services and research. Empowerment is an individual concept and this research provided parents with an opportunity to express their views on this topic. Parent's perspectives on empowerment are vital for service providers who aim to follow the intervention model required by policy. This research, which was guided by the principles of ecological theory and critical theory, involved to individual semi-structured interviews with 37 Victorian families of children with disabilities. Twenty-one of these families had children currently participating in early intervention services, and 16 families had children of mid-primary school age, who had previously participated in early intervention experiences; the factors that they believe influence empowerment and disempowerment; and helpful and unhelpful experiences with early intervention staff and other people in their lives. Data were analysed primarily inductively, in the context of grounded theory. Responses from the two groups of parents were then compared, as were different emergent themes according to helpfulness and empowerment. The nature of enduring empowerment, one of the key objectives of early childhood intervention, was also considered. From the analysis of data, several themes emerged as influential in the empowerment process for both groups of parents including: information, education and knowledge; meeting and talking with other families of children with disabilities; decision-making and choice; having confidence; participation, involvement and input; meeting or addressing families' practical needs; and having a child with a disability. The results of this research provide valuable information for parents, professionals, agencies, organisations, and the wider community, regarding how families can be supported more effectively and how power can be more equitably balanced.

Parents’ choice of early childhood education service in Hong Kong : a pilot study

The introduction of a voucher scheme for early childhood education in Hong Kong has resulted in significant changes in the field. This paper reports data from a pilot study that aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of how parents chose early childhood education service following the introduction of a voucher scheme in Hong Kong. Eight-six Chinese parents with children aged three participated in interviews and focus group discussions. This group of parents had just gone through the process of selecting a kindergarten or nursery for their child for the school year of 2007-2008. Parents from a range of socioeconomic circumstances and educational levels who had selected non-profit kindergartens and nurseries in public and private housing estates participated. Results showed that what parents looked in their choice of service matched closely with how they defined quality. As evidenced in the study, parents’ changing views on quality shared a great deal of resemblance with the specific notion of quality being heavily promoted by recent reform policy. The findings pointed to the complex interactions of policy, choice and practices of early childhood education. The new voucher scheme is intensifying the governing of the self and the field, the impact of which can be worrying.

Changing personal epistemologies in early childhood pre-service teachers using an integrated teaching program

This study investigated changes in pre-service teachers’ personal epistemologies as they engaged in an integrated teaching program. Personal epistemology refers to individual beliefs about the nature of knowing and knowledge and has been shown to influence teaching practice. An integrated approach to teaching, based on both an implicit and explicit focus on personal epistemology, was developed by an academic team within a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood). The teaching program integrated content across four units of study, modelling personal epistemologies implicitly through collaborative reflexive practice. The students were also required to engage in explicit reflections on their personal epistemologies. Quantitative measures of personal epistemology were collected at the beginning and end of the semester using the Epistemological Beliefs Survey (EBS) to assess changes across the teaching period. Results indicated that pre-service teachers’ epistemological beliefs about the integration of knowledge became more sophisticated over the course of the teaching period. Qualitative data included pre-service teachers’ responses to open ended questions and field experience journal reflections about their perceptions of the teaching program and were collected at the end of the semester. These data showed that pre-service teachers held different conceptions about learning as integration, which provided a more nuanced understanding of the EBS data. Understanding pre-service teachers’ epistemological beliefs provides promising directions for teacher preparation and professional enrichment.

The technological knowledge of early childhood pre-service educators

With the current introduction of new national and state Early Years Frameworks and the increased interest and activity in educating early childhood educators, it was timely to investigate what knowledge, if any, early childhood educators had when it came to design technology. Although not prescriptive around technological understanding, the new Framework highlights children's learning related to "creativity", "exploration", "collaboration", and "problem-solving", in the context of connecting with people and technologies. This small pilot project asked 20 pre-service educators a number of questions designed to elicit both their understanding and their practices relating to technology. Responses were recorded and from those given, it was apparent that the Early childhood educators not only included technological activities in their daily practices with children, but generally had a basic understanding of technology, differentiated from other forms of learning activities.

Three year follow-up of an early childhood intervention : is movement skill sustained?

Background
Movement skill competence (e.g. the ability to throw, run and kick) is a potentially important physical activity determinant. However, little is known about the long-term impact of interventions to improve movement skills in early childhood. This study aimed to determine whether intervention preschool children were still more skill proficient than controls three years after a 10 month movement skill focused intervention: ‘Tooty Fruity Vegie in Preschools’.

Methods
Children from 18 intervention and 13 control preschools in NSW, Australia were assessed at ages four (Time1), five (T2) and eight years (T3) for locomotor (run, gallop, hop, leap, horizontal jump, slide) and object control proficiency (strike, bounce, catch, kick, overhand throw, underhand roll) using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2. Multi-level object control and locomotor regression models were fitted with variables time, intervention (yes/no) and a time*intervention interaction. Both models added sex of child and retained if significant, in which case interactions of sex of child with other variables were modelled and retained. SPSS (Version 17.0) was used.

Results
Overall follow-up rate was 29% (163/560). Of the 137 students used in the regression models, 53% were female (n = 73). Intervention girls maintained their object control skill advantage in comparison to controls at T3 (p = .002), but intervention boys did not (p = .591). At T3, there were no longer intervention/control differences in locomotor skill (p = .801).

Conclusion
Early childhood settings should implement movement skill interventions and more intensively target girls and object control skills.

Three year follow-up of an early childhood intervention: what about physical activity and weight status?

Fundamental movement skills are a correlate of physical activity and weight status. Children who participated in a preschool intervention had greater movement skill proficiency and improved anthropometric measures (waist circumference and BMI z scores) post intervention. Three years later, intervention girls had retained their object control skill advantage. The study purpose was to assess whether at three year follow up a) intervention children were more physically active than controls and b) the intervention effect on anthropometrics was still present.

A consumer's guide to outcomes in early childhood intervention /

Developed under a grant from the Illinois Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Who wants to work in childcare? Pre-service early childhood teachers' consideration of work in the child care sector

Australia is currently witnessing considerable change in conceptualisation of the role of child care. This is a response to the strong evidence from developmental science that demonstrates the lifelong impact of early experiences. The recent commitment made by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) (Communiqué, December 2009a) to improved qualifications and quality of those working in child care is a manifestation of this shift and highlights the importance of the childcare workforce. This study focused on the considerations of a third year cohort of B.Ed (EC) pre-service teachers (n = 55), about entering the childcare workforce. It examines their willingness to work in child care and identifies barriers and incentives for so doing. Our results indicate that, although attitudes to maternal work and child care were largely positive, few would prefer to work in child care under the current conditions. Key barriers were the pay and work conditions, particularly as they compare to other forms of potential employment. Incentives were the opportunity for leadership, creativity and a commitment to advocate for the rights of children. Those more willing to consider work in child care were distinguished from those less willing by altruism—foregoing personal gain to advocate for improved quality as a child’s right.

Can population-level variation in early childhood development be measured in a manner that supports service planning and intervention?

Background: The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is a population-level measure of five developmental domains at school-entry age. The overall aim of this thesis was to explore the potential of the EDI as an indicator of early development in Ireland. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 47 primary schools in 2011 using the EDI and a linked parental questionnaire. EDI (teacher completed) scores were calculated for 1,344 children in their first year of full-time education. Those scoring in the lowest 10% of the sample population in one or more domains were deemed to be 'developmentally vulnerable'. Scores were correlated with contextual data from the parental questionnaire and with indicators of area and school-level deprivation. Rasch analysis was used to determine the validity of the EDI. Results: Over one quarter (27.5%) of all children in the study were developmentally vulnerable. Individual characteristics associated with increased risk of vulnerability were being male; under 5 years old; and having English as a second language. Adjusted for these demographics, low birth weight, poor parent/child interaction and mother’s lower level of education showed the most significant odds ratios for developmental vulnerability. Vulnerability did not follow the area-level deprivation gradient as measured by a composite index of material deprivation. Children considered by the teacher to be in need of assessment also had lower scores, which were not significantly different from those of children with a clinical diagnosis of special needs. all domains showed at least reasonable fit to the Rasch model supporting the validity of the instrument. However, there was a need for further refinement of the instrument in the Irish context. Conclusion: This thesis provides a unique snapshot of early development in Ireland. The EDI and linked parental questionnaires are promising indicators of the extent, distribution and determinants of developmental vulnerability.

Effectiveness of child protection training for pre-service early childhood educators

International evidence confirms that early childhood educators can enter professional practice unprepared for child protection due to inadequate pre-service preparation. This paper makes an original contribution by using the Child Protection Questionnaire for Educators (CPQE) to examine the pre- and post- intervention child maltreatment and protection knowledge of early childhood and primary teaching students. While students’ knowledge increases significantly after participating in a child protection training programme, Pastoral Pathways, as part of their undergraduate study, post-intervention scores vary between groups. The study provides evidence of programme effectiveness and future training needs of pre-service educators. Findings are relevant to teacher educators and child care training providers in relation to programme content development and evidencing knowledge and skills acquisition.

Promoting child protection : early childhood education and care services playing their part

Over recent years, there has been a shift in government social policy in Australia toward interest and investment in family support, prevention and early intervention. Central to this new approach to supporting families and promoting better outcomes for children is the development of a continuum of services able to respond to different and changing family needs. This continuum or integrated service system seeks to better connect key human services, such as health, child care, education and family support. This paper explores the role of early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in promoting child protection and strengthening the safety and wellbeing of children.