Lyndal O'Gorman

Ecological Footprinting: Its Potential as a Tool for Change in Preservice Teacher Education

Environmental and sustainability issues pose challenges for society. Although education is seen as being a contributor to addressing sustainability, teacher education has been slow to act in preparing future teachers to teach sustainability. Recent Australian curriculum documents nominate sustainability as one of three cross-curriculum priorities. In one Australian university course, an Ecological Footprint Calculator tool has been employed to challenge preservice early childhood teachers to consider the sustainability of their lifestyles as a means for engaging them in learning and teaching for sustainability. Students enrolled in an integrated arts and humanities subject voluntarily engaged with the online calculator and shared their findings on an electronic discussion forum. These postings then became the basis of qualitative analysis and discussion. Data categories included reactions and reflections on reasons for the ‘heaviness’ of their footprints, student reactions leading to actions to reduce their footprints, reflections on the implications of the footprint results for future teaching, reactions that considered the need for societal change, and reflections on the integration of sustainability with the visual arts. The power of the tool’s application to stimulate interest in sustainability and education for sustainability more broadly in teacher education is explored.

'Push-Me' or 'pull-You'? An opportunity for early childhood leadership in the implementation of Queensland's early years curriculum

Recent developments in the Queensland early childhood context have seen the phased-in introduction of a full-time Preparatory Year to replace current part-time preschool provision. Surrounding this development has been discussion of the potential role of the play-based Early Years Curriculum in shaping the implementation of early primary schooling. This article explores this change to early childhood provision in Queensland and the opportunity it provides for leadership from the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC). Will those from the ECEC field step forward to articulate the value of a play-based curriculum such that it influences the curriculum in the early years of school? Could we see a ‘pull-you’ of early childhood philosophy rather than a ‘push-me’ of more formal approaches? This article draws on two research projects to raise questions about the potential for leadership in the new world of Queenslands Preparatory Year. It suggests four key elements, which include knowledge of self, the field and the context, and the challenge that might be considered by those who would advocate early childhood philosophy in primary schools.

‘Are you working or playing?’ Investigating young children’s perspectives of classroom activities

ABSTRACT Play is valued conceptually and pedagogically, although its place in early years settings is under increasing pressure. Framed by the sociology of childhood and understandings of children’s agency, this article reports on an ethnographic study with children aged five years in the first year of primary school in Australia. The study investigated childrens understandings of play in classroom activities involving different periods of teacher-framed and child-selected activities. Drawing on children’s accounts and video-recorded observations, the study found that children’s participation was influenced by teacher-framed agendas, and the agency afforded to them to engage in self-chosen activities and to design and negotiate their play spaces. For instance, children generally were unenthusiastic about writing activities and called these activities ‘work’ if they were directed by the teacher, and yet they consistently chose to engage in writing activities during periods of freely chosen activities. The findings raise questions about what counts as ‘play’ and ‘work’ for children, and the important function of play and free choice to mobilise participation in foundational academic activities such as writing. These understandings generate opportunities for educators to reflect upon ways to enhance children’s participation in everyday play activities in the classroom as supporting foundational academic activities.