Examining play-based approaches to teaching and learning in early childhood education and care. Children's learning in pre-school settings is important to their current and later educational success. This project offers a significant opportunity to examine how teachers teach, and children learn, through different approaches to play. It is anticipated that the conceptually-sustaining approach to play will support children's learning outcomes more so than other forms of play. Knowing about this ap ....Examining play-based approaches to teaching and learning in early childhood education and care. Children's learning in pre-school settings is important to their current and later educational success. This project offers a significant opportunity to examine how teachers teach, and children learn, through different approaches to play. It is anticipated that the conceptually-sustaining approach to play will support children's learning outcomes more so than other forms of play. Knowing about this approach to play will help teachers better understand the relationship between teaching, play and learning, instead of focussing only on play and learning. This will also help the field interpret the forthcoming Australian Early Years' Learning Framework, which advocates for the role of play in early childhood education.Read moreRead less
Changing relationships between children's moral reasoning for inclusion and epistemic beliefs in early years primary school classrooms. This project examines how children's beliefs about knowledge influence their reasoning about moral values and how these change as they progress through the early years of school. This study will generate new knowledge about how to promote effective moral education for promote cohesive, inclusive societies.
Education meets play: a sociological study of how the new compulsory national learning framework for children zero to five years influences educators' practice. New theorising about play and education in early childhood settings has challenged traditional notions of play. This project investigates how educators respond to the requirement for play-based learning by identifying characteristics of successful educators and professional leaders, and strategies and practices that merge education and p ....Education meets play: a sociological study of how the new compulsory national learning framework for children zero to five years influences educators' practice. New theorising about play and education in early childhood settings has challenged traditional notions of play. This project investigates how educators respond to the requirement for play-based learning by identifying characteristics of successful educators and professional leaders, and strategies and practices that merge education and play.Read moreRead less
The developmental significance of sleep transition in early childhood. This project aims to advance understanding of sleep functioning as children transition from many naps, to one nap, then none. Through an intense, objective longitudinal study of sleep from age one to five years, the project seeks to examine the interplay of sleep, care environment and ongoing child development. The project is expected to deliver much needed evidence to address the controversy surrounding care practice in fami ....The developmental significance of sleep transition in early childhood. This project aims to advance understanding of sleep functioning as children transition from many naps, to one nap, then none. Through an intense, objective longitudinal study of sleep from age one to five years, the project seeks to examine the interplay of sleep, care environment and ongoing child development. The project is expected to deliver much needed evidence to address the controversy surrounding care practice in family and early childhood education and care contexts. The expected benefit for parents and educators is improved knowledge and confidence in supporting children’s sleep. The expected benefit for children is positive development, given the known impacts of sleep on ongoing learning, behaviour and health.Read moreRead less
Learning-rich leadership for quality improvement in early education. This project aims to establish Australia's first evidence base to inform quality improvement in early childhood education services through the development of educational leaders. Effective leadership is essential to ensuring the effective implementation of the Australian government's national quality standards for early childhood education. A new theory of 'learning-rich' leadership for quality improvement will be developed to ....Learning-rich leadership for quality improvement in early education. This project aims to establish Australia's first evidence base to inform quality improvement in early childhood education services through the development of educational leaders. Effective leadership is essential to ensuring the effective implementation of the Australian government's national quality standards for early childhood education. A new theory of 'learning-rich' leadership for quality improvement will be developed to influence leadership education in the early childhood sector. Expected outcomes from this project have potential benefits for the increased effectiveness in service quality for early childhood education.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101096
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$410,500.00
Summary
A rhythm and movement intervention for self-regulation in preschool. This project aims to examine the effectiveness of a rhythm and movement intervention, delivered by early childhood teachers, to improve self-regulation for preschool-aged children living in disadvantaged communities. Coordinated rhythmic movement activities are proposed as an effective means to support the neurological bases of self-regulation and enhance motor, auditory, and self-regulatory functioning. Project outcomes will i ....A rhythm and movement intervention for self-regulation in preschool. This project aims to examine the effectiveness of a rhythm and movement intervention, delivered by early childhood teachers, to improve self-regulation for preschool-aged children living in disadvantaged communities. Coordinated rhythmic movement activities are proposed as an effective means to support the neurological bases of self-regulation and enhance motor, auditory, and self-regulatory functioning. Project outcomes will include resources designed for teachers on how to use rhythmic movement activities to improve young children’s skills to regulate attention and behaviour. This project will have significant benefits for positive school transition, and may help to address disparities in early learning and childhood wellbeing.Read moreRead less
A best practice framework for playgroups-in-schools. This project aims to identify the processes, practices and/or policies informing productive relationships between families and school-staff. Playgroups-in-schools are a burgeoning field of integrated early childhood service provision. Research shows that playgroup participation benefits parental capabilities about children’s play. High levels of parental knowledge, skills and confidence in providing children with play-experience are known to h ....A best practice framework for playgroups-in-schools. This project aims to identify the processes, practices and/or policies informing productive relationships between families and school-staff. Playgroups-in-schools are a burgeoning field of integrated early childhood service provision. Research shows that playgroup participation benefits parental capabilities about children’s play. High levels of parental knowledge, skills and confidence in providing children with play-experience are known to have a positive development and learning impact for children. An expected outcome from this project will be a best practice framework for playgroups-in-schools, which should directly inform policy and practice in schools via Playgroup Victoria's increased capacity to advise school-leaders on playgroups-in-schools.Read moreRead less
Observe, Reflect, Improve: a tool to enrich Children’s Learning (ORICL). This project aims to address long-standing concerns about the quality of education and care for children during their critical first two years. It will introduce a promising, future-focused digital tool, co-designed with practitioners and providers of early childhood services, to support infant-toddler educators’ planning and practice. Building on ground-breaking pilot work, we will undertake a national implementation and e ....Observe, Reflect, Improve: a tool to enrich Children’s Learning (ORICL). This project aims to address long-standing concerns about the quality of education and care for children during their critical first two years. It will introduce a promising, future-focused digital tool, co-designed with practitioners and providers of early childhood services, to support infant-toddler educators’ planning and practice. Building on ground-breaking pilot work, we will undertake a national implementation and evaluation of the Observe, Reflect and Improve Children’s Learning (ORICL) tool. Expected outcomes include: enhanced pedagogical practices; enriched learning experiences for children birth-two; effective communication with families; and improved resourcing for providers of early childhood education and care services. Read moreRead less
What's best for my child? Parents' perspectives of childcare quality and early learning as contributors to childcare choice. This project will explore parents' understandings of early learning and childcare quality, and how these understandings contribute to childcare choice. The project will inform the Australian Government's policy directive of giving children the best start in life and support parents' capacity to make choices that they consider are best for their child.
New play pedagogies for teaching and learning in the early years. Traditional play-based learning in early childhood education cannot account for new play: very young children's everyday play with technologies, digital media and popular culture. This project uses a recently developed web-mapping tool to create a pedagogical approach to new play. The pedagogical approach to new play comprises teaching practices and learning outcomes that capitalise on the educational potential of children's every ....New play pedagogies for teaching and learning in the early years. Traditional play-based learning in early childhood education cannot account for new play: very young children's everyday play with technologies, digital media and popular culture. This project uses a recently developed web-mapping tool to create a pedagogical approach to new play. The pedagogical approach to new play comprises teaching practices and learning outcomes that capitalise on the educational potential of children's everyday play with technologies, digital media and popular culture. It aims to enable teachers to work from a theorised and empirically validated perspective for connecting young children's everyday play with technologies, digital media and popular culture artefacts to their 21st century learning needs.Read moreRead less