Cathie Harrison

The combined Bachelor of Education Early Childhood and Primary degree: Student perceptions of value

THE FIELD OF EARLY CHILDHOOD education and care (ECEC) in Australia is a highly dynamic one. Increased government interest and funding during the years of the Labor Governments from 2008–2012 strengthened the sector in terms of increased funding, policy development, level of staff qualification and measures of quality. While this support resulted in increased numbers of children enrolled in ECEC settings and greater numbers of students enrolled in early childhood teacher education degrees, it also contributed to increased workforce pressures and a shortage of qualified early childhood teachers. In this paper we report on a quantitative study that investigated the nature of student experience in a combined Bachelor of Education Early Childhood and Primary degree, and student perceptions of value. The results of the study indicate positive responses to the inclusion of both early childhood and primary content and professional experience undertaken in both prior to school and school settings.

Australian Play School: viewing and post-viewing behaviours in young children

Australian Play School is a children’s television programme developed in collaboration with early childhood educators. It is screened free to air across Australia. Two hundred and twenty-four adult carers of young children aged 1–8 years completed an online survey via a link on the Play School website. The survey addressed child behaviours during and after viewing, and adult perceptions about which programme segments were most engaging to the child. Play School elicited a large number and variety of behavioural responses from children during and after viewing. The types of responses elicited suggest that viewing the programme may be beneficial for children’s development and learning. Results were tempered by the age of the child and this, as well as the impact of carer attitudes and carer input during and after viewing, needs to be explored further before results are translated into recommendations for programming and optimal viewing strategies.

Looking Deeper: Play and the Spiritual Dimension

This chapter investigates the connections between play and the spiritual dimension. Curriculum and policy documents in early childhood education frequently make reference to play and the ‘whole child’ and holistic approaches which include the spiritual and moral dimension. Such comments reflect both historical influences and philosophical perspectives in early childhood education and current understandings of the importance of play for learning; for physical, social and emotional well-being; and for authentic experience in relationship with others. These perspectives on children’s play help to position play as complex and fundamental to the child’s emerging sense of self and connectedness. An examination of the literature on the nature of spiritual and sacred encounters during early childhood provides further insight to the multifaceted and complex phenomenon of children’s play by drawing attention to aspects of play which may be overlooked. We include vignettes of children’s play to illustrate the nature of play and the spiritual dimension, and these examples position children as experts of play and the sacred. The child’s spiritual encounters in play are subsequently juxtaposed with the neo-liberalist economic agenda that currently prevails in Australian political discourse. We argue that this discourse threatens aspects of early childhood education that may be the most important for long-term individual and community well-being. We propose that the processes and dispositions evident in play and the sacred are fundamental to human flourishing and are fertile ground for generating community and connectedness.

‘Play School’ – a catalyst for play

The Australian childrens television program Play School has been inviting young children to play for 45 years. Based on the original BBC production, Play School has been screened across Australia twice each weekday on the national broadcaster since 1966. Recent developments in early childhood education and care education in Australia have highlighted the importance of play for learning and wellbeing. This paper outlines results from research investigating the contribution of Play School to a healthy start to life for young Australian children. The results of the research indicate that key elements of the program support the play and learning of young children both during and subsequent to the viewing experience. The findings have significant implications for children, educators, parents, and makers of childrens television and indicate that television designed in the interests of children can serve as a catalyst for play.