Marianne Fenech

Using metaphor to illuminate quality in early childhood education

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Date: 21-04-2020

DOI: 10.1177/1836939120918482

Abstract: This paper reports on a study in which educators from four early childhood centres used metaphor to discuss their provision of high-quality early childhood education. Qualitative mining of focus group data confirmed ‘quality’ to be complex, multi-dimensional and value-laden. Findings contribute to understandings of quality in early childhood education through four key themes: ‘quality’ as a synergetic flow the facilitative stance and impact of leaders in the enactment of leadership children as active contributors to quality and the role of love. Metaphor is shown to be a valuable tool that can highlight tangible and intangible quality contributors, how these contributors link together and the contextual specificity from which quality in in idual early childhood education settings emanates.

Influences on Parents’ Child Care Choices: A Comparative Analysis of Preschool and Long Day Care Users

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Date: 02-05-2018

DOI: 10.1007/S10566-018-9452-3

The role and influence of educational leaders in centres rated as providing high quality early childhood educational programs

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Date: 21-04-2022

DOI: 10.1177/18369391221089382

Abstract: Despite the role pedagogical leadership plays in quality early childhood education and care services, limited research to date has explored the appointment and enactment of educational leaders in Australia. This qualitative study explored the role and influence of two educational leaders in a high-quality rated service. Findings revealed that these educational leaders’ exercising of distributed and transformational leadership enabled ongoing quality improvement. Appointing the ‘right’ person a supportive, effective and cohesive team the whole-of centre valuing of the educational leaders and their role investment of resources and professional autonomy, were identified as key enablers of quality education across the service. As the first study to investigate the educational leader role in an ‘excellent’-rated service in Australia, this study highlights that the effectiveness of an EL is dependent on the person in the EL role and the context in which they are working. Implications for policy and service providers are discussed.

Systems advocacy in the professional practice of early childhood teachers: from the antithetical to the ethical

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Date: 27-07-2016

DOI: 10.1080/09575146.2016.1209739

Problematising Australia's Nanny Pilot Program as evidence‐based policy: A reconstruction of the problem of childcare

Publisher: Wiley

Date: 26-05-2017

DOI: 10.1002/AJS4.12

Educators’ perceptions of Australia’s early childhood education and care quality assurance rating system

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Date: 10-05-2023

DOI: 10.1080/1350293X.2023.2211758

The representation of the national quality framework in the australian print media: silences and slants in the mediatisation of early childhood education policy

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Date: 27-07-2019

DOI: 10.1080/02680939.2018.1502815

Attracting, retaining and sustaining early childhood teachers: an ecological conceptualisation of workforce issues and future research directions

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Date: 11-01-2021

DOI: 10.1007/S13384-020-00424-6

Supporting parents’ informed early childhood education and care choices through playgroups

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Date: 12-2018

DOI: 10.23965/AJEC.43.4.02

Abstract: PROVIDING INFORMATION TO FAMILIES about quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) is important for supporting informed choices. The Australian Government has attempted to build parents’ capacity to make informed choices through the National Quality Framework and the National Quality Standard (NQS) rating system. Many families, however, have limited or no knowledge or understanding of the NQS. This study investigated the potential of playgroups as a site for raising awareness about quality ECEC and the NQS ratings among families. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six supported playgroup coordinators, and focus groups were held with families from seven playgroups. Findings suggest that playgroups could be an effective avenue for disseminating information about quality ECEC. For supported playgroups, the informal and trusted approach of the playgroup coordinator may play an important role in raising awareness about quality ECEC, and they could be better supported in this role through accurate, up-to-date information and resources that are respectful of families’ erse backgrounds and needs.

More than a shortage of early childhood teachers: looking beyond the recruitment of university qualified teachers to promote quality early childhood education and care

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Date: 27-04-2009

DOI: 10.1080/13598660902804022

Parental Knowledge and Use of the National Quality Framework in their Childcare Decision Making: Informed Believers, Informed Dismissers and Indifferent Disregarders

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Date: 12-2017

DOI: 10.23965/AJEC.42.4.08

Abstract: THE INTRODUCTION OF THE National Quality Framework (NQF) aimed to improve the quality of formal early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings across Australia, and enable parents to make informed childcare choices. Since this Framework was only introduced in 2012, research has yet to determine if these intended outcomes have been achieved. The impact of this policy on the choices of prospective parents is explored. Findings suggest that prospective parents' knowledge of the Framework is low and their use of NQF quality ratings to inform ECEC decision making even lower. Various influences on prospective parents' ECEC choices appeared to prevent those who knew about the ratings from using them effectively. Notwithstanding efforts to promote the NQF and quality ratings as tools for parents when choosing ECEC for their children, findings suggest that the use of these tools is highly influenced by market failures.

Employers’ perspectives of how well prepared early childhood teacher graduates are to work in early childhood education and care services

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Date: 29-06-2020

DOI: 10.1177/1836939120935997

Abstract: With an unprecedented number of children in early childhood education and care in Australia, demand for early childhood teachers is increasing. This demand is in the context of recognition of the importance of the early years and increasing requirements for more highly qualified early childhood teachers under the National Quality Framework. Increasingly, evidence shows the value-added difference of university-qualified teachers to child outcomes. Within Australia there are multiple ways to become an early childhood teacher. Three common approaches are a 4-year teaching degree to teach children aged birth to 5 years, children aged birth to 8 years, or children aged birth to 12 years. There is, however, no evidence of how effective these degree programmes are. This paper presents the perspectives of 19 employers of early childhood teachers in New South Wales regarding how well prepared early childhood teacher graduates are to work in the early childhood sector in Australia. Although participants noted the strengths of new graduate early childhood teachers, they also identified several areas in which they were less well prepared to teach in the early years.

Early childhood education and care in the app generation: Digital documentation, assessment for learning and parent communication

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Date: 15-12-2021

DOI: 10.1177/1836939120979062

Abstract: While early childhood educators’ use of digital applications (apps) to document children’s experiences and support parent communication is increasing, there is limited empirical research about the impact of these applications on children’s experiences and educators’ practices. This article provides a critical analysis of the findings from this body of research with a focus on affordances and challenges. While the research supports potential benefits for parent engagement and pedagogy, a range of challenges relating to content, access, equity, workload and ethics are highlighted. Features of the neoliberal contextual that may enable the increasing use of apps and shape the way they are used are considered, and opportunities for future research to further critique, enhance understandings and inform practice proposed.

Quality early childhood education through self, workplace, or regulatory support: exploring the efficacy of professional registration for early childhood teachers in Australia

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Date: 12-10-2022

DOI: 10.1007/S13384-022-00575-8

Abstract: Teacher registration is increasingly utilised as a governance mechanism to audit teachers’ work and drive professional practice. There is limited and mixed empirical evidence, however, as to whether registration drives teaching quality. Our study extends this limited empirical base by critically examining the policy trajectory in Australia to bring early childhood teachers into a uniform system of registration with primary and secondary teachers. Adopting a relatively novel methodology, the study intertwined a critical social policy framing with a national quantitative survey. Results showed that respondents perceived their professional self, followed by their workplace (colleagues and employer) as key influencers of quality practice, and neither agreed nor disagreed that teacher registration was beneficial. Findings problematise the need for, and benefits of, teacher registration. That early childhood teachers’ practice and development was most driven by intrinsic motivation and, to a lesser extent, being employed in high-quality, not-for-profit, and preschool settings where other early childhood teachers are employed, suggests that more effective and progressive policy approaches to support quality early childhood education require an addressing of the contexts and conditions in which early childhood teachers work.

Building parents’ understandings of quality early childhood education and care and early learning and development: changing constructions to change conversations

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Date: 06-08-2019

DOI: 10.1080/1350293X.2019.1651972

Correction to: Attracting, Retaining and Sustaining Early Childhood Teachers: An Ecological Conceptualisation of Workforce Issues and Future Research Directions

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Date: 12-03-2021

DOI: 10.1007/S13384-021-00441-Z

Far From Ideal Everyday Experiences of Mothers and Early Childhood Professionals Negotiating an Inclusive Early Childhood Experience in the Australian Context

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Date: 05-2008

DOI: 10.1177/0271121407313525

Abstract: Using narrative interviews underpinned by an ecocultural framework, this Australian study investigated the experiences of 39 mothers of children with disabilities and 27 staff members from the early childhood services which these children attended. The data highlight serious limitations of current government policy and provisions in Australia to facilitating the inclusion of children with disabilities into mainstream children's services. The small number of successful inclusions evident in this study appears to be in spite of current government policy and may be attributed more to staff personnel. This article concludes by calling for policy change that actively facilitates the successful inclusion of children with disabilities into generalist early childhood services.

Identifying high-quality centre-based childcare using quantitative data-sets: what the numbers do and don't tell us

Publisher: Informa UK Limited

Date: 12-2010

DOI: 10.1080/09669760.2010.531615

Representations of childcare in the Australian print media: An exploratory corpus-assisted discourse analysis

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Date: 02-02-2017

DOI: 10.1007/S13384-016-0225-4

Discovery Projects - Grant ID: DP0881729

Start Date: 2008

End Date: 06-2011

Amount: $257,196.00

Funder: Australian Research Council

Linkage Projects - Grant ID: LP130100129

Start Date: 11-2013

End Date: 12-2018

Amount: $163,000.00

Funder: Australian Research Council

Linkage Projects - Grant ID: LP180100142

Start Date: 06-2020

End Date: 06-2024

Amount: $399,000.00

Funder: Australian Research Council