Family,child and location factors and parents’ reasons for multiple concurrent childcare arrangements in the years before school in Australia

Research suggests that multiple non-parental care arrangements may have adverse effects on young children, yet little is known about their prevalence, factors associated with their use, or parents’ reasons for making these care arrangements. This longitudinal study reports on 677 children and their families recruited from government-regulated child care centers and family child care services in urban and rural New South Wales, Australia. Multiple concurrent care arrangements were relatively common, with one third of children attending at least two child care arrangements per week. Multiple child care was found to be more likely for children who were older, with better health, or with employed mothers, and who were living in rural rather than urban areas. Results suggest that parents’ reasons for using multiple care arrangements were based largely based on preferences that were made in the best interests of the child and on convenience. The deliberate choice by parents to use multiple child care arrangements to benefit their child challenges the assumption in previous literature that mixed care is not the parents’ first choice.     

Keeping connected: exploring the potential of social media as a new avenue for communication and collaboration in early childhood education

Parent and family engagement has long been a significant element in early childhood (EC) education. Lack of family involvement can lead to a number of consequences in children’s physical and emotional development. However, attempts and strategies used by early learning centres and childcare centres to resolve this issue are often unsuccessful. Face-to-face interactions as the traditional way of communication are becoming inadequate due to parents and families’ busy schedules. Through interviews with 17 participants, including EC professionals and parents, from three childcare centres in Northern Tasmania, Australia, the project being reported in this paper explored the readiness of the two stakeholder groups to use social media tools to facilitate better communication, collaboration and family involvement. Findings of the research revealed an interest in adopting social media tools by both EC professionals and parents. Concerns were also expressed from a number of aspects, such as confidentiality and time constraints.     

Understanding How Families Use Magnifiers During Nature Center Walks

This analysis uses a sociocultural learning theory and parent–child interaction framework to understand families’ interactions with one type of scientific tool, the magnifier, during nature walks offered by a nature center. Families were video recorded to observe how they organized their activities where they used magnifiers to explore in the outdoors. Findings include that families used magnifiers for scientific inquiry as well as for playful exploration. Using the concept of guided facilitation where families develop roles to support their joint endeavor, three roles to support family thinking were found to be: (a) tool suggester, (b) teacher, and (c) exploration ender. Some families struggled to use magnifiers and often, parents and older siblings provided support for younger children in using magnifying lenses. Implications to informal science learning theory are drawn and suggestions for future family learning research are offered: (a) inclusion of sociocultural and situated perspectives as theories to study informal learning in outdoor spaces, (b) further study on the role of siblings in family interactions, (c) design-based research is needed to encourage family role-taking when engaging in science practices, and (d) new conceptualizations on how to design informal programs that support science learning while leaving space for visitors’ personal agendas and interests that can guide the families’ activities.     

Chicken Club: schools and their relationship with families

Over time, schools have developed systems that include the families of children. Families often sign a home school agreement and attend parent forums or more formal meetings designed to plan provision for children with special educational needs. These endeavours, however, are arguably inadequate when the full influence of the family is properly acknowledged. Research makes clear that the main influencer on the child’s self-efficacy and therefore learning behaviours, is the family. This article reports findings from literature and a case study looking at making the most of the partnership between families and schools in order to meet the learning needs of individual children. It also addresses many barriers that families face in approaching schools and three ways schools in Cornwall, a rural county in South West England, are 'opening out’ their practice. The case study provides evidence of the progress children made in learning as a response to the new school and family partnership.     

New insights into family learning for refugees: bonding,bridging and building transcultural capital

For over 20 years, researchers and evaluators worldwide have criticised the traditional formula of family learning courses for their narrow vision, and have emphasised their potential to provide a bridge between home and school experiences, building on resources that parents already have, but which are unknown or unacknowledged. This article argues that research into family learning can usefully be linked to Bourdieu's theory of ‘symbolic capitals’ to acknowledge the stores of wealth that refugee families may possess, which can be activated in the new environment to create ‘transcultural capital’– a relatively new concept in the area of migration studies. Putnam's notions of bonding and bridging capital are also helpful in the design of family learning programmes to consider how best to stimulate social cohesion at the present time. An ethnographic study of a family learning course for refugee parents in two South London schools highlights the need for an understanding of the specific strengths and needs of refugee parents. However, this can only be achieved by taking time to find out about their existing networks, the experience that they bring with them, involving them in course design and delivery, and engaging in discussion about their plans for the future.     

Teaching literacy in primary schools using an interactive whole-class technology: facilitating student-to-student whole-class dialogic interactions

Much of the research conducted on the use of interactive whole-class technologies in primary school classroom focuses on teacher-to-student interactions. This paper, drawing on a social theory of learning, reports on a qualitative case study undertaken with two primary school classes in one school in New South Wales, Australia where the interactive whiteboard (IWB) was used. Here the focus of the lessons was on literacy where students were learning to write reviews. The results of the study demonstrate that the use of the IWB can provide for learning in a whole-class setting where interactions between students feature. Consequently, the teacher is able to take on a facilitator’s role.     

Supporting families: a nurturing teacher education strategy in Nauru

There has been little recent documentation concerning Pacific family support for family members locally involved in university study in their Pacific home country and how such responses affect both parties. Some studies dealing with family support for student family members, including Pacific families residing in the USA, have been published. A New Zealand Ministry of Education report on Pasifika students’ educational success rates raised the need for effective family support contexts. Another study researched the family support negotiation patterns of mature-age part-time students in Australia, Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea. Only one University of the South Pacific research focused on Pacific family and community expectations of family members studying and residing with their families in their Pacific home countries. This Nauru-based study describes mixed support responses from Nauruan families towards their teacher education student family members and Nauru Department of Education student engagement and well-being development strategies.     

Book Reviews

The changing face of midwifery practice and education in Australia is challenging the previously accepted notions of the birth experience, the options of care that are available for women and their families, and the role of the midwife in that experience. The role of the midwifery educator is also challenged by the move away from a predominantly clinical and skills‐based education towards a university‐based education that focuses on knowledge, attitude, skills, research and lifelong learning. As an experienced midwife, and a student of adult education theory and practice, the opportunity has arisen for me to re‐examine the midwifery profession from the critically reflective stance of the adult educator. By drawing on literature associated with adult education, this article is a reflective account that will explore central issues, including conflicts, in my midwifery practice, in my pedagogical practices as a midwifery educator, and in my role/s and identity as a culturally inclusive adult educator in my workplace. The article will also include an analysis of the politics of representation, power dynamics and my personal positioning, as a midwife, and an educator, where expectations can be complex and contested.     

Transitions and critical events in the family life cycle: Implications for providing support to families of children with disabilities

Recognizing that parental adaptation to having a child with a disability is a life-long process that occurs within the context of the family's developmental life cycle, psychologists are becoming increasingly interested in life-cycle transitions and critical events of families with a child who is disabled. Professionals are just now beginning to examine systematically the potential for periodic changes in adaptation throughout a family's life cycle and ways in which professionals can support family members. This article reviews the literature regarding transitions and critical events that present challenges to families and the sources of support that families use during such times. Implications for providing support to families are discussed.     

A Cross-cultural Study of Classroom Learning Environments in Australia and Taiwan

This research is distinctive in that it not only provides an example of one of the few cross-cultural studies in science education, but also it used multiple research methods from different paradigms in exploring classroom learning environments in Taiwan and Australia. This article describes the validation and use of an English and Mandarin version of the What is Happening in this Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire in junior high school science classes in Australia and Taiwan. When the WIHIC was administered to 1,081 students in 50 classes in Australia and to 1,879 students in 50 classes in Taiwan, data analysis supported the reliability and factorial validity of the questionnaire, and revealed differences between Taiwanese and Australian classrooms. Although the study commenced from a more positivistic framework, favouring a more objectivist view, as the study progressed, it employed an interpretative framework and drew on elements of constructivist and critical theory paradigms. This article outlines the researchers' use of multiple research methods including classroom observations, in-depth interviews and narratives. The themes which emerged from the data gathered using these methods helped to make sense of classroom environments that were created in each country.

     

汉武帝的豪强政策与地方豪族的士族化

汉武政权从政治、经济乃至社会生活方方面面对豪族势力进行压抑、打击乃至杀伐。这一层可称之为堵；另一方面，通过化与政治相结合，为豪族势力开放了一条进入政治的通道，这一层可称之为放。一堵一放，自然将豪族势力，从皇朝政治的对立面引入皇朝政权结构之中。豪族势力通过读书为士而入仕途，成为“士大夫”，又通过经学传承，由累世经学而累世为官，经营家族势力，即，地方强宗豪族之士大夫化和士大夫之家族化。     

Implications of social capital for the inclusion of people with disabilities and families in community life

This paper seeks to ascertain the usefulness of the theory of social capital as a framework for developing and sustaining the inclusion of people with disabilities and families in community life. We discuss the theoretical elements of social capital and assess its relevance when understanding both the experiences of people with disabilities and their families and the possible implications for policy and programme efforts to promote inclusion. Preliminary findings from two studies of the experiences and social networks of people with disabilities and their families in communities in regional and rural Australia are presented. It is argued that to date, people with disabilities and their families have largely been excluded from the broader social capital debate and that social capital thinking has had minimal influence on efforts to achieve the inclusion of people with disabilities into community life. It is further argued that new paradigms of support are needed that build capacity and social capital through working alongside individuals and families to influence not only outcomes for them, but also for the communities on which they live. The local area coordination model as it has developed in Australia since 1989 provides some instructive signposts for integrating individual, family and community approaches. It is concluded that social capital theory can make a contribution to inclusion theory and practice but we should use it with circumspection.     

A taxonomy of emotion and cognition for student reflection: introducing emo-cog

ABSTRACT

Reflective practice can support student learning by enabling praxis: the bridging of the theory of the classroom with the students’ learning experience. Students’ written reflections are the most common mode for practising and documenting reflection. Available typologies for coding the level of student written reflections focus on the cognitive domain. The coding of student reflection data from four locations (Australia, Denmark, Hong Kong and South Korea; n?=?760) revealed that the focus on the cognitive domain could not capture the role and contribution of the affective domain of reflection for learning. This study conceptualises and presents our new two-domain emo-cog taxonomy, together with empirical evidence to substantiate a new way of thinking about reflection for learning. Emo-cog identifies multiple levels of affective responses along with traditional cognitive reflections. Emotions are found to make a significant contribution to student reflections. Learning is clearly a matter of head and heart.     

Families’ perceptions of early childhood educators’ fostering conversations and connections by sharing children's learning through pedagogical documentation

ABSTRACT

Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia emphasises that families have an important role in their children's learning and it recognises that their earliest development is influenced through these relationships and adds that partnerships can be fostered with families by early childhood educators sharing the children's documented experiences. The research discussed employed an in-depth structured questionnaire. It involved 37 families with children aged from three to five years who attended an early learning centre in Northern Tasmania, Australia. The aim of this research was to determine these families’ perceptions, beliefs and experiences of educators sharing children's learning through pedagogical documentation. The documentation included hard copy and digital formats of the children's learning, capturing their voices and explorations. The findings show that families consider the sharing of documentation fosters family conversations about the children's learning experiences and helps to create stronger connections between the centre, home and extended family. Another recurring theme from the families’ responses was that children gain pride and a positive sense of identity when their documented work is shared with families.     

Social learning theory of the family: An analysis

Recent research which has investigated relationships between family environments and the cognitive performance of children has lacked a sound theoretical framework and has trivialized the nature of the relations between structural social forces and social-psychological environment variables. In the present study, a social learning theory of the family which links cognitive performance with distal and proximal environment variables is tested. Factor scaling is used to construct new environment scales to measure the proximal learning environment of the family. Canonical analysis is used to examine the theory. The findings suggest that our understanding of the differences in the cognitive performance of children will be enriched by starting from a theoretical perspective which analyzes relationships between structural social forces and the family learning environment defined in terms of parents' expectations and the cognitive stimuli and reinforcement provided in families.     

Risk for reading disability as a function of parental history in three family studies

Inverse Bayesian analyses were applied to data from three large family studies of reading disability to estimate the posterior probability that an offspring will be affected, given that a parent reported a history of learning problems. Prior analyses presented elsewhere (Pennington et al., 1990), suggest that family transmission in these three studies is consistent with major gene or polygene influence. Posterior probability rates are presented in this paper for male to female sex ratios of 3.5:1 and 1:1, with population incidences estimated at 0.05 and 0.10. Results indicate that offspring risk rates are significantly elevated if a parent reports a history of RD. Specifically, an offspring's risk was increased 2 to 80 times over population expectancies when there was an affected parent. While the posterior probabilities and relative risk rates were fairly similar across studies, there was also some variation, which may reflect the different genetic mechanisms operating in these families. This study concludes that both absolute and relative risks are sufficiently increased in families with RD parents to warrant use of family history as a component in clinical evaluation. It is also evident from these results that consideration of the apparent mode of genetic transmission in families may provide even better information as to offspring risk, when family history is obtained.     

Common Misconceptions about Students from South‐East Asia Studying in Australia

International students from South‐East Asia who study in Australia are often portrayed negatively compared to local students in terms of learning and study practices. This article discusses some of the misconceptions held by university teachers and administrators about South‐East Asian students studying in Australia and examines them in the light of recent research. In particular, it challenges the views that students from South‐East Asia are surface learners, passive non‐participants in class who prefer the company of other Asian students. These findings challenge university teachers to reconsider accepted beliefs and practices when teaching all students, but particularly students from South‐East Asia.     

重叠影响阈：美国学校与家庭伙伴关系的一种理论解释框架

家庭与学校之间应该具有什么样的关系,是教育学术与政策研究十分关注的重要课题。作为美国学校与家庭伙伴关系建立的一种理论基础,重叠影响阈理论认为,家庭、学校与社区为学生成长承担共同的责任时对孩子的关系发生了重叠的影响,他们之间的影响力会不断累积,将孩子们置身于一个关怀型社区之中。文章主要阐释重叠影响理论与六种家庭参与学校教育的实践框架模式,希望对我国建立新型的家庭与学校关系提供有意义的思考。     

Ecologies of Heritage Language Learning in a Multilingual Swedish School

The field of heritage language (HL) education is a rapidly growing area of educational linguistics research and pedagogy. While considerable research has looked at identity in relation to HL learning in adolescents and adults, this article focuses on the identities and language attitudes of young HL learners of Arabic and Somali at an elementary school in Sweden. Analyzed through an ecology of language framework, data reveal that students regard HL as a tool to foster belonging within their multilingual communities, and resist pressures to assimilate within the context of immigration. Findings also suggest that learners’ agency and language use influenced classroom pedagogies, and indicate the promise of a dynamic conception of HL education that affirms the creative use of language to support students’ linguistic and cognitive growth. This article fills a gap in theory and pedagogy, addressing the role of HL learning for the learner, the family, and the local and global community.