Transforming Education through School-community Partnerships: Lessons from Four Rural Early Childhood Development Schools in Zimbabwe

This article presents and discusses the findings of a multi-case study that was conducted in four remote rural early childhood development (ECD) schools located in the Chiredzi district, in Masvingo province, Zimbabwe. The article explored how school heads enhanced resources mobilisation in remote rural ECD schools through school-community partnerships in order to improve teaching and learning conditions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the school heads, deputy heads and teachers in charge. Document reviews and observations were also used to augment data from interviews. Invitational leadership was used as an analytic tool for the study. The findings suggest that the school heads succeeded to some degree in bringing parents and various stakeholders to the ECD schools to deal with the challenges facing them. Various strategies were used including tapping into local knowledge to ensure that parents who could afford to pay fees managed to do so.     

An Analytic Study of the Professional Development Research in Early Childhood Education

Research Findings: The goal of this study was to examine empirical research on the design, delivery, and measurement of the effects of professional development (PD) for early childhood educators in order to provide insight into what the field has accomplished as well as suggest directions for future PD programs and research. Through the use of rigorous inclusion criteria outlined by S. M. Wilson, R. E. Floden, and J. Ferrini-Mundy (2001 Vu, J., Jeon, H. J., &; Howes, C. (2008). Formal education, credential, or both: Early childhood program classroom practices. Early Education &; Development, 19, 479–504.[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), 73 studies were included and analyzed. On average, 25% (M = 12.68, SD = 9.99) of references in each study were specifically about PD. The majority of studies (n = 39) targeted some form of language and literacy instruction, whereas only 5 studies targeted math and 1 study targeted science. A total of 35 different delivery mechanisms were used to provide PD, with 40 studies including some form of coaching and 45 including training workshops. The studies used a wide range of methods to measure PD-related outcomes: 51% (n = 37) of studies examined changes in teacher practice, 18% (n = 13) measured changes in teachers’ knowledge, 40% (n = 29) measured changes in children’s learning, and 11% (n = 8) measured changes in children’s behavior. Practice or Policy: Based on the results of this study, there are 4 major ways in which PD for early childhood educators can be developed. Researchers and providers of PD should (a) continue to draw from multiple resources to inform PD implementation designs, (b) include more diversity in the content of instruction targeted by PD, (c) experiment with innovative formats for delivering PD, and (d) create better means of evaluating PD.     

展望内地幼教体制改革之路——从香港经验说起

本文分析总结了回归十年来香港幼教改革和发展的四点经验(﹕1)改革未动﹐师训先行(。2)设立基金﹐资助科研。(3)三角架构﹐全面保障(。4)实施教育券制度﹐全面资助幼儿及幼儿园。据此得出六点重要启示(﹕1)发展幼教是政府不可推卸的责任(。2)经费投入是保证幼教健康发展的关键。(3)建构科学合理的幼教管治架构是保证幼教健康发展的前提(。4)将幼教推向市场并不意味着政府可以减少投入或完全不干预市场(。5)专家到园支持园本发展是教改成功的保障(。6)提供专业培训﹐提升教师素质是当务之急。最后,笔者展望内地幼教体制改革之路,指出当前内地幼教改革有四大急务(﹕1)明“确幼教是政府不可推卸的责任”(。2)保证政府对幼教的经费投入(。3)建构科学合理的幼教管治架构(。4)委托学术机构﹐开展科学研究和科学规划。     

推动儿童早期发展——从个体到社会

多项研究成果表明,儿童早期发展对个体的身体发育、大脑发展、心理健康有着长远影响,甚至会影响下一代的健康和福祉。数据显示,全球中低收入国家有近2.5亿儿童处于风险之中(极端贫困或发育滞后),他们的发展是促进经济增长、推动社会公平、实现全人类福祉的关键。母亲孕期及哺乳期的护理和喂养知识的普及、回应式养育照护的实施、对心理健康的关注等措施,能够有效提高孕产妇及婴幼儿的营养及健康状况。本文由儿童早期大脑发育规律及面临的风险开始,从干预内容、政府参与以及干预成本效益等方面,对有效的儿童早期发展干预项目进行了系统描述,并指出政府参与儿童早期发展的重要性,希望为未来各国在该领域的探索提供新的启示。     

Teacher Research Experiences, Partnerships With Scientists, and Teacher Networks Sustaining Factors From Professional Development

This study examined some long-term impacts of a professional development program, Teachers in the Woods. Several outcomes of the program were acknowledged by participants as having been valuable: a network of like-minded teachers, a network of scientists and teachers, and an increase in teachers' ecological knowledge and field skills. The authors made 3 observations with regard to professional development. First, engaging teachers in real-world field science research is an effective way for them to gain ecological knowledge and skills. Second, the collegiality among teachers and scientists developed during the period of field work can enhance science learning. Third, collegiality among teachers provides opportunities to discuss pedagogy-related issues. Both aspects of collegiality provide support mechanisms that sustain teachers' efforts to modify their teaching practices.     

儿童早期发展入户项目和公共政策:巴西经验

在整个生命周期中,生命系统的早期奠定了生物有机体各方面内外功能的基础,是大脑可塑性最强的时期。相较于后期的投资,生命早期的投资具有最高的社会回报。世界各国已经意识到制定儿童早期发展政策的重要性。处于中等收入水平的巴西政府作为大力推动儿童早期发展项目的先行者之一,发起了一个具有开拓性的儿童早期发展项目——PIM (Primeira Infancia Melhor或Better Early Childhood)项目,之后在该项目的基础上又启动了一项全国性的儿童早期发展项目,即"快乐儿童项目"(Programme Crianca Feliz),并承诺为该项目提供大量资金的保证,成立专门的政府部门来资助和推广这个项目。巴西政府在早期儿童发展项目上,有着长达15年的项目经验及与之相关的公共政策经验,特别是其入户模式的项目经验以及全国各州政府部门的跨部门协作方式和经验值得关注。具体来说,可以概括为以下三点:第一,国家和地方政府的联盟。这种联盟是基于地方的具体特点和需要,由国家长期提供技术和财政资助,然后通过行动的协调来取得项目预期的结果。同时,与多边机构加强合作,促进成功经验在特定领域内的交流和传播,从而强化干预方案。第二,社区参与的关键性。社区参与能够促进家庭的参与,促进人们对儿童早期发展的认识,并且建立一个共同努力的网络。第三,家庭的核心性。家庭是儿童早期发展项目实施成功的核心要素,充分重视以家庭为核心的项目实施导向。     

Exploring a Community of Practice Model for Professional Development to Address Challenges to Classroom Practices in Early Childhood

This study explored whether or not, and how, an on-site and research–teacher community of practice model for professional development addressed the challenges to classroom practices in a Head Start program. Data sources included interviews with teachers, videos of planning and teaching sessions, and the researchers' fieldwork log and reflective notes. Qualitative analysis revealed (a) five major challenges to classroom practice that aligned with previous research—existing practices did not always cohere with research-based practice, lack of teacher buy-in, lack of planning between the lead and assistant teachers, lack of assistant teacher participation in instruction, and high teacher turnover; (b) five aspects of professional development that aligned with the community of practice model—sharing stories with teachers, being on-site and interacting with teachers and children, inviting all teachers to participate, beginning by building on existing practices, and negotiating practices by reflecting with teachers; and (c) how these aspects of our professional development model addressed the challenges to classroom practice in the focal classroom. Implications for in-service professional development and teacher education are discussed.     

Professional Development Opportunities for Early Childhood Educators in Community-Based Child Care Centers

In this study, the staff development opportunities among early childhood educators in community-based, nonprofit child care centers were investigated. The trends for professional development and implications for future staff development were determined from data gathered from surveys completed by 12 lead teachers, 5 paraprofessionals, and 5 administrators from 5 community-based child care centers in New Jersey. The results indicated that the teachers preferred enhanced or advanced professional development on subjects in which they already possessed an adequate level of knowledge and experience. In addition, teachers and administrators stated they preferred workshops as the professional development format. The findings were consistent with typical formal professional development, but contrary to the research that promotes effective learning and efficient staff professional development.     

儿童早期发展项目:拉丁美洲的实践和政策推广

个体生命的最初1000天是大脑发育的关键时期,同时也是人的一生中人口资本投资回报率最高的时期。在拉丁美洲国家如墨西哥和秘鲁,尽管儿童的健康和营养状况已经得到较大改善,但其在认知、语言、社会情感方面仍未得到充分发展,儿童早期发展滞后情况仍然比较严重。为了解决这个问题,拉丁美洲国家在儿童早期发展领域不断进行尝试,通过家访计划等项目改变照养人的养育行为,从而改善儿童早期发展滞后问题。通过介绍拉丁美洲国家儿童早期发展项目的试点(牙买加项目)及其政策推广(秘鲁SAF项目),并用科学的影响评估方法测量项目效果及存在的问题,为中国政府在儿童早期发展领域的实践提供借鉴,希望能够加大国家在儿童早期发展领域的投入,推广解决中国农村贫困地区儿童早期发展问题的政策,共同促进儿童早期的全面发展,提高国家人力资本实力,促进经济发展。     

Technology and Early Childhood Education: A Technology Integration Professional Development Model for Practicing Teachers

Despite the promise of technology in education, many practicing teachers are faced with multiple challenges of effectively integrating technology into their classroom instruction. Additionally, teachers who are successful incorporating educational technology into their instruction recognize that although technology tools have the potential to help children, they are not ends in themselves. This article describes a Summer Institute project that the authors facilitated in a medium sized midwest public university. The summer workshop afforded participating early childhood education teachers exciting opportunities to interact with various instructional tools and technology applications. Further, the practicing teachers explored various strategies to integrate specific technology tools into their lessons in a manner consistent with constructivist pedagogy. This article is intended to stimulate reflections on the need to adopt a suitable technology integration professional development model in early childhood education classrooms to support young learners.     

An Examination of Mathematics Professional Development Opportunities in Early Childhood Settings

This study investigates how and to what extent preservice and inservice early childhood educators are being prepared to develop mathematics skills and processes in young children, age birth to five, in one southeastern state in the United States. Utilizing a multi-phase mixed methods study and a follow-up survey central to the research question, findings from this study indicate that professional development in mathematics is inadequate. Few of the professional development opportunities focus on specific mathematical content areas or address the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics. In addition, the majority of the professional development opportunities are short, hourly sessions with little to no follow-up. Implications of the results and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

大脑发展研究及其对儿童教育的意义

虽然直至今天仍然没有足够的研究能够证明大脑发展与教育之间存在着关联,但是有许多研究证明那些消极的环境会和基因产生负面的相互作用。本文在简要介绍大脑发展研究新进展的基础上简要分析了这些研究对儿童教育的意义,旨在促进幼教工作者关注大脑发展研究的信息。例如关于大脑神经元和突触的精简现象就有很多的教育意义。     

Reconstructing Early Childhood Development Services in South Africa: From apartheid to democracy

A miracle has occurred in South Africa. A country bent on self‐destruction changed course over the past 5 years and achieved an extraordinary reconcilliation amongst its diverse people. The process of democratization and liberation has brought freedom to millions of South Africans previously governed by racial separation. The reconstruction and development of the nation is led by President Nelson Mandela.

Our youngest children have not been untouched by this. For the first time in our history there is a political commitment to serve young children and to provide resources for this.

Supported by intense research and investigation, and a sector deeply committed to improving conditions for young children, their families and communities, a comprehensive national policy and training framework for early childhood education and care has been developed.

This article begins by setting the context for early childhood education and care in South Africa. The article focuses on the principles which direct programme and service delivery, the development of a training framework, the role of lobbying and advocacy networks, strategies for improving the quality and increasing quantity of provision, and the role of non‐governmental organisations in service delivery.     

The Hammer and the Carpenter: Lessons From the Field for Effective Professional Development by Teaching Artists

This article draws on lessons from the field to offer further guidance for arts organizations and teaching artists leading professional development.