Early Childhood Education Journal最新文献

Early childhood professionals play a critical role in the lives of the children they work with, and their psychological well-being significantly impacts this relationship. Over recent years, societal changes, coupled with new policy, has increased the demands and pressures faced by these professionals. Therefore, the current mixed methods study set out to explore the well-being of early childhood providers (i.e., owner, owner-managers) in Ireland. In total, 489 participants completed the anonymous online survey, which included the WHO-5 questionnaire and an open-ended question that explored reasons for any stress experienced in the previous 2-week period. Almost 60% of participants scored 50 or lower and over 20% scored 28 or lower, indicating poor well-being and potential depression. The majority of participants reported feeling stressed in the 2-week period prior to completing the survey and frequently cited work-related issues as being the source of their stress. The major themes that emerged were burden of administration, overwhelming financial pressure, and staffing issues. These findings indicate that early childhood providers would benefit from bottom-up and top-down assistance to positively support their well-being. This is vital if they are to thrive in their professional roles and provide high quality, transformative experiences for our children.

Engaging in vivid conversations is crucial for the social and cognitive development of young children and for building their understanding of science phenomena. In this regard, educators play a pivotal role in shaping interactions with learners by providing adequate scaffolds to promote sustained shared thinking. Tablet computers are considered to have substantial potential for supporting learning, particularly in enriching communication and collaboration, as well as in making science phenomena more accessible. However, there are concerns that increased screen time may lead to social isolation. To address this situation, the present multiple-case study explores the impact of using tablet computers’ video functionality on the quality of teacher–child interactions during a specific play-based learning scenario in the domain of science. The investigation, which employed a mixed-method approach, followed two individual teachers separately during 24 lessons each in a videographic setup and isolated 200 science content-relevant interaction episodes. These episodes were coded according to their interaction quality in an inter-rater agreement procedure using MAXQDA. High-quality interactions were defined as those episodes involving a deep, prolonged, intellectual and content-specific exchange between the teacher and at least one child, based on both teacher and children playing their active roles in the participation of the talk. The results indicated that using tablets in the specific play scenario under investigation was associated with teacher–child interactions of longer duration, variable scaffold quality among teachers, and increased verbal engagement from children. These results counter the concerns that the use of digital media might lead to screen-based isolation and suggest that tablet computers can be harnessed for valuable educational interactions.

The pursuit of a Ph.D. is a demanding journey that requires doctoral students to prioritize their well-being and be mindful of their response to pressure. Mindfulness practice has shown to be effective in reducing stress and enhancing overall well-being. The current study explores the impact of an 8-week mindfulness program on the well-being of Ph.D. students in early childhood education. Four participants engaged in daily mindfulness sessions and meditations using the Healthy Minds Program application. Results indicate that mindfulness practice had a positive impact on participants’ awareness and attention, emotional intelligence and regulation, stress and anxiety levels, and compassion levels. The findings suggest that mindfulness practice can be a valuable tool for doctoral students in managing the challenges of their program and supporting their emotional well-being. While this study yields promising results, it is important to acknowledge its limitations such as small sample size and mixed outcomes, which may limit our understanding.

This study examined factors associated with four domains of school readiness among 170 preschoolers from low-income families in seven Malaysian public preschools. Direct assessments of preschool children’s performance on a battery of tasks indicated proficient levels of readiness in approaches to learning, language and emergent literacy, and socioemotional development. Relative to other domains, children demonstrated lower levels of readiness and greater variability in cognitive development. Using a multi-level modelling approach, the duration of Early Childhood Education (ECE) participation was positively associated with improvements in language and emergent literacy while controlling for child and other contextual factors. However, duration of ECE participation correlated negatively with socioemotional development. Additionally, household wealth was a significant predictor of better academic outcomes in language, literacy, and cognitive development. This study underscores the importance of nuanced educational policies that address the duration and quality of ECE and the socioeconomic disparities that affect school readiness to ensure comprehensive developmental support for Malaysian preschoolers from low-income families.

This study explores award-winning nonfiction picture books from the last ten years (2013–2023) that feature collective action for social justice in early childhood education. Drawing from a critical content analysis of Orbis Pictus and Sibert Book Medal winners, we spotlight four books that showcase historical models of collective action. These texts challenge societal norms, inviting discussions on equity and fairness. Utilizing the Recognize, Ask, Do (ReAD) framework, we propose instructional strategies to equip educators in addressing unfairness and promoting collective action. Amid concerns of censorship, we empower educators to integrate quality literature that cultivates socially just mindsets. By emphasizing texts that promote collective action and social transformation, this study contributes to the discourse on equity and inclusivity in early childhood education, laying the groundwork for a more just society.

This study explores the impact of integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) into teacher training programs through children’s literature on the knowledge and attitudes of preservice teachers towards SEL. The research involved creating SEL-themed tote bags, developing lesson plans, and participating in an SEL book reading session to prepare future PreK-4 teachers to nurture essential SEL competencies for academic success. The research used convenience sampling to select undergraduate students in Early Childhood and Elementary Education courses for interviews. The findings provide valuable insights into how preservice teachers’ knowledge and attitudes shift towards the implementation of SEL activities in their future classrooms.

The prevalence of early childhood expulsion has been documented for close to two decades, with known disparities for children of color, children with disabilities, and children who have experienced trauma. While empirical data on the lasting impact of early expulsion events continues to emerge, there has been little research focused explicitly on how expulsion impacts caregivers (inclusive of any adult that sees themselves in a primary caretaker role for a young child that had experienced expulsion, such as mothers, fathers, grandparents, and foster parents). The purpose of this research study was to examine the experiences of caregivers of young children who experienced expulsion from an early childhood setting. We used a semi-structured interview to capture caregivers’ experiences pre and post expulsion (N = 26). We used a multi-step, collaborative analysis process to analyze the interview data using thematic and constant comparative methods. Initially, most caregivers reported a positive association with their children’s early education setting. However, despite a positive start, relationships with staff deteriorated, and eventually their children were expelled. In most incidents, caregivers described feeling caught off guard by these expulsions, with lasting negative impact for their family. Implications for research and policy are discussed.

Millions of young children attend childcare settings in the United States and the quality of these early childhood settings, such as the activities children engage in and how teachers interact with children, matter for children’s development. This study was designed to test the impacts of a tech-enabled observation and feedback system focused on quality practices in early childcare. A randomized trial of 46 childcare professionals using items from a new observational quality tool outlining specific EBP, Brief Early Childhood Quality Inventory (BEQI), in Nebraska, was conducted. Treatment and control groups were observed virtually for 90 min by trained observers and received results from their observations on a set of evidence-based practices (EBP), such as engaging children in conversations about feelings and reading books. Treatment group participants then engaged in goal setting for EBP and received text-based messages for 12 weeks, while control group members only received observation results. Results indicated that treatment group members were significantly more likely to increase EBP that were targeted for change over the course of 12 weeks, with 62% showing improvement on two or more target EBP, whereas only 21% of the control group showed improvement on two or more target EBP. 70% of treatment group members agreed that the program was beneficial for the children in their care, and 73% would recommend the program to another childcare professional. Providing feedback to educators based on a simple observational tool can help promote adoption of EBP in childcare settings, with positive effects of an intervention focused on goal setting and support for specific practices through text messaging.

Kindergarten readiness plays a very important role in children’s later school success. This study investigated factors associated with kindergarten readiness in early literacy skills, mathematical knowledge, and social foundations using a hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) approach. Assessment data of 617 kindergarteners (Aged 5) in 30 classrooms nested within 28 elementary schools in one state in the southeastern United States were analyzed. Participation in a kindergarten transition program, attendance in a Pre-K program, and family engagement were positively associated with children’s readiness in all three domains. Interaction effects between school-level factors (i.e., poverty, ranking) and child-level factors (i.e., Pre-K program attendance) on children’s performance in early literacy skills were identified. The findings can be used to inform the design and implementation of transition programs as well as policymaking in early education and development. We recommend that policymakers should consider targeting resources to rural, high-poverty, and underinvested communities to promote equitable access to high-quality programs that support children and their families.

This study provides the challenges and opportunities facing the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) workforce in the United States. Acknowledging the pivotal role of early educators in children’s development, the authors argue for comprehensive policy reforms to address economic and societal challenges faced by the ECCE workforce. Examining national best practices, offers a roadmap for enhancing the ECCE sector in the United States, emphasizing the need for improved compensation, professional development opportunities, and greater societal recognition of the ECCE workforce’s value. The discussion extends to the implications of these challenges for the quality of early childhood education and the well-being of educators, suggesting a future research agenda focused on evaluating the effects of proposed reforms and exploring innovative strategies to support the ECCE workforce. This forward-looking approach aims not only to improve the status and quality of early childhood education but also to ensure a brighter future for children through a more supported, recognized, and valued ECCE workforce.