Sheila Degotardi

High‐quality interactions with infants: relationships with early‐childhood practitioners’ interpretations and qualification levels in play and routine contexts

This study investigated factors related to the quality of early‐childhood practitioners’ interactions with infants in play and routine contexts. Participants were 24 practitioners working with 9–20‐month‐old infants in long day‐care infant programmes. Video‐recordings of their interactions with a nominated infant during play and in routine contexts were rated for levels of sensitivity and stimulation. Practitioners were asked to interpret extracts of this video footage and these interpretations were rated according to the complexity of the interpretive narrative. Results indicated relationships between practitioner qualification, their levels of interpretive complexity and the quality of their interactions. The quality of play interactions was significantly higher than that of routine interaction. The implications of these findings in relation to the provision of high‐quality infant day‐care programmes are discussed.

Education for Sustainable Development in Early Childhood Education: A Global Solution to Local Concerns?

SummaryThis paper makes the case that Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) offers the field of early childhood a valuable base upon which to begin addressing some substantial contemporary concerns. In the paper, we outline key recent developments in the field of early childhood, particularly those related to globalisation and the spread of European American ideals. Yet ESD promotes the incorporation of local and indigenous understandings in formal education. We propose that, given; (i) broadening appreciation of the reality that early childhood education is characterised by diversity in early values and practices across sociocultural contexts, and; (ii) global interest in and commitment to early childhood education, the field is not only in need of, but also well-placed to adopt this key principle of ESD.RésuméCet article soutien que l’éducation pour le développement durable (EDD) offre au secteur de la petite enfance une base valable sur laquelle s’appuyer pour aborder des considérations contemporaines. Dans cet article, nous soulignons les récents développements dans le champ de la petite enfance, en particulier ceux liés à la mondialisation et à la diffusion des idéaux américains européens. Pourtant, l’EDD fournit des moyens pour favoriser l’intégration des questions locales et indigènes dans l’enseignement formel. Nous proposons que puisque; (i) l’éducation de la petite enfance est caractérisée par une diversité de valeurs et de pratiques à travers des contextes socioculturels, et; (ii) l’intérêt et l’engagement dans l’éducation de la petite enfance, le champ a non seulement besoin de, mais est également bien placé pour adopter ces principes d’EDD.ResumenEste artículo destaca que la educación para el desarrollo sustentable (ESD) ofrece al campo de la niñez temprana una base valiosa sobre la cual comenzar a analizar algunas preocupaciones contemporáneas sustenaciales. En el artículo, se delinean algunos desarrollo recientes claves en el campo de la niñez temprana, particularmente aquellos relacionados con la globalización y el esparcimiento de los ideales americanos y europeos. El ESD por otra parte, promueve la incorporación del entendimiento local e indígena en la enseñanza convencional. Proponemos apoyar estas ideas puesto que se destaca (i) uan apreciación mas amplia de la realidad, aspecto por el que la educación de la niñez temprana es caracterizada: la diversidad en valores y prácticas tempranas en los diferentes contextos socioculturales, y; (ii) el interés global y el compromiso con la educación de la niñez temprana, permite aprecair que el campo está no sólo necesitando, sino también bien situado para adoptar este principio dominante de ESD.

Why relationships matter: parent and early childhood teacher perspectives about the provisions afforded by young children's relationships

Abstract This study investigated the perspectives of early childhood teachers and parents regarding the importance of provisions afforded by child–teacher and peer relationships in early childhood centres. Participants were 200 parents and 71 teachers of children aged 0–5 years who responded to an online survey containing a series of relationship function statements that were rated according to their perceived importance. Results demonstrate that most functions were rated as more important in the context of child–teacher relationships than peer relationships, although statements reflecting the provision of friendship were regarded as more important in the domain of peer relationships. Ratings for particular provisions of infant relationships were significantly lower than those for older children; a result generated largely by variation in the ratings of teachers in comparison to those of parents. Findings are discussed in relation to differences between parent and teacher perspectives and implications for the development of inclusive, relationship-based pedagogies.

A longitudinal investigation of mothers’ mind‐related talk to their 12‐ to 24‐month‐old infants

Children’s exposure to mind‐related talk has been shown to foster young children’s metacognitive understanding and to orient them to the patterns of literate language long before they commence formal literacy instruction at school. In this paper, we report on a longitudinal study of the mind‐related talk of 22 mothers when their infants were aged 12, 18 and 24 months. Results revealed broad and stable individual differences in mothers’ propensity to use encouragement‐of‐autonomy, mental‐state and modulation‐of‐certainty talk to their infants during a free play session. Mothers’ talk about beliefs increased with infant age, and higher‐educated mothers used significantly more mental‐state and modulation‐of‐certainty talk than lower‐educated mothers. These findings are discussed in terms of current understandings of the discourse contexts supporting children’s developing understanding of the mind, and implications are derived for early childhood pedagogy in settings for children in the first two years of life.

Two steps back : exploring identity and presence while observing infants in the nursery

In this chapter, I employ the central constructs of Pierre Bourdieu’s (1930–2002) Theory of Practice as an analytical framework for developing a reflexive understanding of the interplay between individuals (including researchers and the researched) and their social contexts. The backdrop for the presented discussion and analysis is my experience as an observer during a three-month naturalistic observational study of infants’ relationships in an early childhood centre. In the chapter, I take the stance that observational researchers frequently become part of the context that they are studying. Accordingly, I focus on events that prompted a consideration of my own presence, identity and actions in relation to those of the infants within the nursery context.

Educators' Understandings Of, and Support For, Infant Peer Relationships in Early Childhood Settings.

This research adopted a qualitative methodology to investigate the reported beliefs and pedagogical practices relating to infant peer relationships held by three early childhood infant educators. Thematic analysis was used to derive commonalties and differences that reflected these educators’ views and practices about children’s early peer relationships. Results indicate in-depth understandings about children’s capacities that did not, however, appear to be translated into their reported practice. This research has implications for planning and programming experiences designed for social interactions, along with the significant role of the early childhood educator in recognising and fostering young children’s early peer relationships.

Who cares? Infant educators' responses to professional discourses of care

This paper explores the construction of ‘care’ in early childhood curriculum and practice. An increasing number of infants are attending formal early childhood settings in Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011. Childhood education and care, Australia, June 2011. (4402.0). Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4402.0); yet, relatively little research has considered how early childhood educators working with very young children are able to interpret and enact a new curriculum framework that does not explicitly make care practices visible. Findings are based on interviews with six university-qualified infant educators who work as team leaders in early childhood centres using a multiple case-study approach. Fisher and Trontos theory of care [(1990). Toward a feminist theory of caring. In E. K. Abel & M. K. Nelson (Eds.), Circles of care: Work and identity in womens lives (pp. 35–62). New York, NY: State University of New York] is used to frame the analysis. These findings will be discussed in relation to the complexities involved in interpreting curriculum discourse, as well as the implications of such discourse for the professional identity and practice of infant educators.

The Richness of Everyday Moments: Bringing Visibility to the Qualities of Care Within Pedagogical Spaces

Care is an epistemological construct that requires intellectual sensibility and judgment. This chapter offers a way to understand the relationship between our actions and the construction of care as a form of knowledge. Drawing upon the French tradition of examining the richness within the everyday, the concept of ‘le quotidien’, ‘the dimension of lived experience that is involved in everyday life’ (Sheringham, Everyday life: theories and practices from surrealism to the present. Oxford, Oxford University Press, p. 2, 2006) is applied to early childhood education. The notion of le quotidien brings value to the often-overlooked aspects of everyday practice within infants’ and toddlers’ pedagogical spaces by acknowledging everyday moments as a space of transformation, invention, possibility and optimism. A 3-month case study was undertaken in an Australian long day care centre to investigate the epistemological nature of care. Through the use of pedagogically documented moments between children and educators, visibility is given to the capacity of the unseen relational space to construct shared values, revealing the intersubjective and intellectual nature of care.

Creating Pretence and Sharing Friendship: Modal Expressions in Children's Play.

Friendships and play provide children with opportunities for mutual engagement, which both require and facilitate childrens language use. Modality is a semantic system in the language associated with childrens learning. One way in which modality is realised is through linguistic expressions which allow speakers to moderate the degree of certainty about the truth of propositions (expressions of possibility) and the degree of necessity with respect to proposals (expressions of obligation). No research has explored the relationship between friendship and childrens use of modality. This paper reports on the use of both types of modal expression during play between five- and six-year-old children in two friendship contexts. Results showed that possibility expressions occurred at similar rates in both contexts while obligation expressions occurred significantly more often in play in high-level friendships than in low-level friendships. Findings suggest that in high-level friendships modality was used cohesively to create and extend pretend play, whereas in low-level friendships it was used to regulate behaviour. Because modal expressions are important resources for managing interpersonal relationships, for talking about ideas and situations beyond the here and now and for writing for a non-present audience, our findings provide valuable insights for educators of young children.

The language of friendship: Genre in the conversations of preschool children

This article presents findings of a pilot project for a study investigating the language of preschool-aged peers, with particular attention to differences in genre that were evident in the dyadic play of children who self-identified as being ‘very best friends’ as opposed to ‘just a little bit’ friends. Participants were three 5-year-old boys in a preparatory class in regional Queensland, Australia. Friendship nominations were derived from a friendship circle activity during which children nominated whether their classmates were ‘very best’, ‘good’ or ‘a little bit’ friends. In this observational study, the three participating children were paired in different combinations of high- and low-level friendships, and their conversations were video- and audio-recorded during a 30-minute play session with open-ended materials. The conversations were analysed to identify the presence of specific genres within a framework driven by systemic functional linguistic theory. The analysis revealed several different genres that occurred across the three conversations and the linguistic features that accompanied these genres. Furthermore, differing levels of friendship appeared to be accompanied by differences in genre use. Findings suggest some valuable questions about the relationship between language and preschool friendships that provide avenues for future research.