Early Childhood Education Journal最新文献

{"title":"Engaging Families in the Education of Children with Special Needs: Challenges and Strategic Recommendations","authors":"Yakup Yildirim","doi":"10.1007/s10643-024-01835-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01835-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite the legal requirements for families to participate in the education of children with special needs, the implementation of these requirements is often inconsistent due to a lack of awareness among both families and educators. This study was conducted to critically examine the roles, challenges, and effective strategies for family involvement using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory to explain the complex relationship between family and educational systems in supporting child development. Using a mixed-methods research design, this study combines quantitative data from a survey of 157 preschool teachers with qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 16 educators who have experience in inclusive classroom settings. Quantitative analysis showed no significant differences in the implementation of family involvement strategies based on teachers’ professional seniority or gender (p &gt; 0.05). However, educators who implemented classroom adaptations for students with special needs showed higher levels of effective family involvement (p &lt; 0.05). Qualitative findings identified significant barriers to family involvement, such as time constraints due to parents’ work commitments, socio-economic and educational disparities, and inadequate communication between families and schools. Educators proposed solutions, including flexible scheduling, targeted awareness initiatives, and enhanced collaboration among stakeholders to overcome these obstacles. The insights from this study are essential for policymakers, educators, and families working to create inclusive educational environments that effectively address the needs of children with special needs. Recommendations for future research include expanding the study to diverse geographic regions and educational levels and conducting a comprehensive examination of the long-term effects of family involvement on children’s academic and social outcomes, as well as on teachers’ professional development and satisfaction within inclusive education frameworks.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"32 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142887373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early Childhood Teachers’ Use of Discipline Practices and Social Emotional Supports","authors":"Elizabeth A. Steed, Dorothy Shapland Rodriguez, Nancy L. Leech","doi":"10.1007/s10643-024-01815-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01815-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p>There has been increased attention on teachers’ use of exclusionary discipline with the youngest learners in elementary schools; however, little is known about early childhood teachers’ use of particular discipline practices and social emotional supports. The present study reports results from a survey of 936 teachers working in elementary schools in preschool through second grade classrooms regarding their use of discipline practices and social emotional supports. We found that teachers across grade levels used several positive social emotional teaching supports and overall reported a low use of harsh discipline practices such as suspension and expulsion. However, teachers reported using some exclusionary discipline practices, such as timeout, especially in kindergarten. Several social emotional supports were not well-utilized especially in early elementary grades. Findings are discussed in the context of supporting teachers to use recommended and supportive practices with young children across the early grades.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142887376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Supporting the Development of Executive Function Skills Through Structured Play: A Qualitative Study of South African Preschool Teachers","authors":"Elsa Etokabeka","doi":"10.1007/s10643-024-01827-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01827-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Executive function encompasses various cognitive skills that govern our thoughts and actions when completing a task. The skills include self-regulation, memorisation, and cognitive flexibility to ultimately foster autonomy, planning, and problem solving skills. Various interventions have been used to develop executive function skills; however, the use of structured play has not been adequately assessed. Therefore, this qualitative study explored how the development of executive function skills can be supported in preschool settings using structured play. Since acquiring new knowledge and skills is particularly effective during social interaction, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory was the conceptual framework. A qualitative approach was deemed the most suitable choice as it relied on direct observation of the phenomenon. Eight South African preschool teachers were selected from four preschools with different curricula (National Curriculum Framework, Independent School Association of South Africa curriculum, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia). Research data was obtained using semi-structured interviews and lesson observations. The data was then analysed and coded to arrive at six themes. The themes include: (1) guiding, (2) modelling, (3) instructing, (4) repeating, (5) incorporating child-led activities, and (6) considering children’s interests. Overall, the data supported active engagement through social experiences as a route to develop executive function skills. Given the psychosocial benefits of acquiring executive function skills at an early age, the contribution of this study suggests that play-based strategies are effective in enhancing executive function skills. These strategies are applicable in different learning environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"41 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142886803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Qualitative Study of Center Director, Teacher, and Parent Input for Delivering a Virtual Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Model in the Aftermath of COVID-19","authors":"Sara M. St. George, Elizabeth Howe, Carolina Velasquez, Anais Iglesias, Tomilola T. Awojobi, Yaray Agosto, Alejandra Casas, Rebecca J. Bulotsky-Shearer, Jason F. Jent, Ruby A. Natale","doi":"10.1007/s10643-024-01809-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01809-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Given disruptions to early care and education following the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to mitigate long-term impacts of the pandemic on child development among ethnic and racial minority children. Our team is implementing an early childhood mental health consultation (ECMHC) model, or a multi-tiered intervention to support young children’s social-emotional development, that utilizes mental health consultants to deliver a virtual toolkit to ethnically and racially diverse early care and education centers. Understanding the perspectives and ongoing needs of center directors, teachers, and parents is critical to intervention delivery. Between February and April 2023, 18 participants (<i>n</i> = 6 center directors, <i>n</i> = 6 teachers, <i>n</i> = 6 parents) across 12 early childcare centers completed individual interviews in English or Spanish. We used a rapid qualitative analysis to generate four themes related to participants’ perceived impact of COVID-19, including how it (1) exacerbated existing financial and administrative challenges, (2) increased their need for adaptability, (3) highlighted the importance of support for staff facing educational challenges during a public health emergency, and (4) highlighted the value of partnerships between parents and centers. We generated five additional themes specific to participants’ ongoing needs and suggestions, including (1) increased financial support, (2) outside behavioral support, (3) enhanced center staff self-care, (4) balancing in-person interaction with planned virtual delivery, and (5) use of existing smartphone applications for communication with parents. In addition to informing adaptations to our model, including expanding upon program pillars (e.g., expanding our safety planning pillar to include financial safety via linkages to community resources), these data may be used to inform the delivery of other ECMHC programs for diverse populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"140 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142879635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Asset-Based Computational Thinking in Early Childhood Classrooms: Centering Students’ Expertise in a Community of Learners","authors":"Lori Czop Assaf, Sean Justice","doi":"10.1007/s10643-024-01825-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01825-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Computational thinking CT is central to computer science, yet there is a gap in the literature on the best ways to implement CT in early childhood classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how early childhood teachers enacted asset-based pedagogies while implementing CT in their classrooms. We followed a group of 28 early childhood educators who began with a summer institute and then participated in multiple professional learning activities over one year. Examining a subset of the larger group, findings illustrate how teachers intentionally created learning communities that empowered students and utilized their expertise to guide CT learning in their classrooms. Teachers recognized that asset-based approaches to CT instruction empowered not just their students but also themselves. By using asset-based CT pedagogies, early childhood teachers can better support students from marginalized communities, reducing achievement gaps and inequities in digital learning.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"275 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142869937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs in Early Childhood Education: A Scoping Review","authors":"Yihan Sun, Helen Skouteris, Andrea Tamblyn, Emily Berger, Claire Blewitt","doi":"10.1007/s10643-024-01836-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01836-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The need for cross-disciplinary collaboration to meet the diverse needs of young children in Early Childhood Education and Care [ECEC] is evident. When multi-disciplinary professionals work together collaboratively, children with special educational needs are more likely to receive child-centred, holistic, and integrated support. This scoping review systematically (1) identified the research evidence available on cross-disciplinary collaboration initiatives that include inclusive ECEC settings as one collaborating party; (2) compared and clarified key terminologies and definitions around collaboration; (3) categorised the enablers and barriers reported towards cross-disciplinary collaboration within ECEC; and (4) explored the preliminary outcomes of cross-disciplinary collaboration. A total of 20 articles were included. Findings contribute to the emerging field of cross-disciplinary collaboration in ECEC, offering valuable insights for future research and implementation efforts aimed at optimising outcomes for young children.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"53 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142869899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Self-Assessment Strategy for Writing and Publishing a Quantitative Research Article","authors":"Marisa Macy","doi":"10.1007/s10643-024-01829-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01829-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Publishing scholarly papers can be difficult and authors may not get their work published due to technical flaws with their writing (e.g., literature review, methodology, results, or discussion). This article provides a self-assessment strategy for writing a quantitative research article. It outlines ten technical aspects of a quantitative research manuscript and provides a checklist for writing and reviewing a journal article. The final section shares recommendations for supporting the writing process. This article is meant to be used by authors, reviewers, and graduate students for creating scholarly writing that gets published in an academic journal.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"64 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142869897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Direct and Inverse Functions in Pre-school: A Case Study with a 4 Year-Old","authors":"Sandra Fuentes, María C. Cañadas","doi":"10.1007/s10643-024-01826-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01826-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper is part of a broader research initiative examining algebraic thinking. It presents a case study involving a 4 year-old female student, examining her functional perspective through individual work. Our interest lies in early childhood functional thinking. Specifically, our research objective is to describe how the child completed two tasks involving linear functions and their respective inverse functions. We posed questions related to specific near numbers, specific far numbers, and the generalizations themselves. We gathered data from her individual written work on the two tasks and from an individual interview. We analyzed the strategies she employed to generalize, the representations and generalizations she made, and how she established relationships between variables. We observed that she used pictorial and verbal representations to complete the proposed tasks and successfully achieved generalization. As a strategy, she counted drawings; however, when verbalizing her approach, she created groups of similar elements and innately distributed them into equal groups when working with the inverse function.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"80 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142849090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How Elementary School Principals made Sense of Supporting Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Teachers: A Case Study in Texas","authors":"Christopher Pierce Brown, Lauren C. McKenzie","doi":"10.1007/s10643-024-01820-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01820-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p>As prekindergarten and kindergarten (PreK/K) programs continue to expand into public elementary schools, a key actor in this process of integration and alignment is the school principal. While there is a growing body of scholarship that examines how principals integrate and align these programs with the later grades of elementary school, little is known about how principals identify the support prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers need to be successful in educating and preparing their students for school success; such information can provide insight into principals’ understanding of the work PreK/K teachers are doing daily in their classrooms. This case study examines this issue by investigating how a sample of elementary school principals in Texas made sense of the support PreK/K teachers require to be successful in their positions. Such findings reveal principals’ sensemaking of PreK/K teachers and their programs. These findings also illuminate what principals and their teachers might need from district and state administrators to lead these programs more effectively so that all students can begin their academic careers on a trajectory to thrive in elementary school.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"200 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142820661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Navigating Digital Childhoods: An Investigation of Preschoolers’ YouTube Engagement","authors":"Ahmet Sami Konca, Omer Faruk Akbulut, Busra Somuncu Coksagir, Seda Sarioglan, Cilem Tugba Koc","doi":"10.1007/s10643-024-01818-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01818-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The rapid proliferation of digital media has significantly transformed childhood experiences, necessitating an understanding of its impact on preschoolers’ development. This study illuminates the nature of YouTube interactions among preschool-aged children, underlining the importance of this research in the broader context of digital media’s role in early childhood. Addressing a vital gap, the work explores how these interactions influence aspirations and consumer behavior within a Turkish cultural framework. Employing semi-structured interviews, data was meticulously gathered from 25 parent-child pairs, providing a narrative-driven exploration into digital engagement. The findings reveal a dual-faceted impact: children exhibited emotional responses and altered aspirations post-YouTube exposure, with a marked inclination towards consumerism influenced by digital content. This underscores the potency of social learning through digital platforms. However, the research scope was confined to a specific locale, necessitating caution when extending conclusions beyond this demographic. The results prompt a reevaluation of parental mediation practices, suggest potential for educational integration of digital media, and advocate for the necessity of culturally attuned digital content regulation. Implications for future research include diversifying methodologies and participant demographics to further substantiate the findings and expand their applicability.</p>","PeriodicalId":47818,"journal":{"name":"Early Childhood Education Journal","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142816134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}