Teacher training in early childhood education: The case of Ghana,West Africa

Abstract

Teacher training in early childhood education in Ghana, West Africa is more of a grassroots effort rather than a formal system that is fully supported financially by the Ministry of Education. Formal teacher‐training college or university‐based early childhood teacher training has yet to be realized for the thousands of teachers of children 3–5 years old in government or government‐supported primary schools. This work chronicles the past and present teacher‐training programs available in this country that reports approximately 4.3 million children in its population under the age of 6 years.     

Conveying findings of evaluations in early childhood education to decision makers: Relevancy and politics

A substantial amount of literature has evolved on the topic of conveying evaluation findings to decision makers in a manner that assures a premium utilization of the information. The literature includes such diverse topics as techniques for report format and design, and the relationship between a view of knowledge and evaluation utilization. A considerable amount of literature also suggests that a new dimension might be added to the role of evaluator. Tha passive evaluator who assumed that scholarship would carry the message to the decision maker seems to have given way to the persuasive evaluator advocated by House (1977). Perhaps an even more active role should be considered; a “political activist” role, if evaluation findings are to be effectively conveyed and maximally utilized.Effectively conveying findings to decision makers is important. The ethics of the relationship between evaluator and client dictate that the evaluator incorporate methods to assure that the client receives maximum information from the study. In addition, advocates of the program service (e.g., early childhood education) have a professional obligation to provide decision makers with the information necessary to seek enlightened choices. This is particularly important in early childhood education, a relatively new field often represented by highly visible government programs (e.g., Head Start, day care, compensatory education) that have rather tenuous legitimacy with many decision makers. As Weiss (1975) pointed out, new and innovative programs are scrutinized by evaluation, while established programs, regardless of their effectiveness, are allowed to continue with a minimum of review. If useful and valid evaluation information is allowed to be underutilized, especially in an era of extensive badget cuts, programs needed by children might be jeopardized.     

Male teachers in early childhood education: issues and case study

Much of the debate about the desirability or otherwise, of attempting to address the gender imbalance in the early childhood teaching profession has been limited by a reliance on rhetoric rather than empirical evidence. The purpose of this article is to assist in shifting this debate to a more empirical basis by reporting findings from an exploratory empirical investigation of children's perceptions and gender positioning of their male preschool teacher. Children's drawings of their teacher and accompanying text generated in conversational interviews were analyzed inductively with the intent of gaining preliminary insights into whether the presence of a male teacher might challenge their gender stereotypes. Children focused mostly on typical teacher roles. Portrayals in which gender was salient reflected traditional gender roles and attributes. While it is difficult to draw definite conclusions from the study, for these children the presence of a male teacher did not appear to disrupt gender stereotypes. The article concludes with suggestions for future research.     

Tutoring conjunctions and construction of geometry concepts in the early childhood education: The case of the angle

Recent research concerning the understanding of geometrical concepts, such as the concept of angles, shows that children of pre-school age, as far as it concerns problems of angle comparison, systematically focus on visual comparative procedures. We suggest, however, that social interaction of a child having the role of tutor in diverse guided environments, could allow the building of this concept in the nursery school on strategies that have formed in natural settings. Sixty-four (64) subjects were accessed according to their performance in a test of angle comparison. They were introduced for an equal period to two experimental guidance conditions. In the first condition, the code of guidance is exclusively verbal and, in the second, the symbolic code of the Logo environment suceeds the verbal communication. Results show, on one hand, much more systematic improvement in a subjects performance where different contexts of guidance were used. On the other hand, in the verbal guidance experimental condition, children’s correct answers showed a dinstinct progress to the stage of finally advancing their performance.     

Early childhood education and care: politics,policies and possibilities

This paper considers some of the current knowledge about our understanding of and provision for early childhood internationally. It looks at its relative importance, offers a short overview of research and terminology, outlines a global perspective (the big picture) and provides a brief summary of the current South Australian policy and position.     

Inclusion of young children with special needs in early childhood education: The research base

Increasingly, early childhood programs include children with disabilities and typically developing children. The purpose of this paper is to review the recent empirical literature that underlies the practice of inclusion at the early childhood level in order to provide a context for the research articles appearing in this issue of ECRQ. We first describe the definitions of inclusion, rationales for inclusive classes, and demographics of inclusive programs and staff. Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory as a conceptual framework, we review research related to variables proximal to the program (i.e., microsystem and mesosystem levels) such as classroom practices, children's social interactions, teacher beliefs, and professional collaboration. Next, we examine research associated with variables occurring more distally from the classroom program (i.e., exosystem and macrosystem levels): families' perspectives, social policy, community and culture. We conclude this review with an examination of research that illustrates the influence of variables a one level of the ecological system on those occurring at a different levels and recommend directions for future research.     

Renovating early childhood education pedagogy: a case study in Vietnam

Since 2003, the Vietnamese government has prioritised curriculum reform efforts and commitment to improving the quality of the national curriculum. The Vietnamese early childhood education renovation has encountered considerable changes and challenges, particularly in the area of pedagogical approaches. Many early childhood teachers continue to favour direct instruction over more appropriate teaching practices for early childhood. This paper reviews the implementation and renovation of the revised curriculum over the past 10 years in Vietnam, and examines the changing realities of early childhood teachers' work to explore ways to implement and sustain changes in pedagogy in Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. The paper explores how changing societal expectations and the changing educational philosophies and resultant pedagogy have impacted on the beliefs and practices of early childhood teachers. The teaching profession, as a whole, is facing ongoing change and challenge; not only are ongoing educational reforms redefining teachers' work, but increasing teacher attrition and turnover also creates problems for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in Lam Dong province. The paper concludes with suggestions for areas for future research in Vietnam in the field of ECEC.     

Quality in early childhood education and care: a case study of disadvantage

Large numbers of young children spend significant amounts of time in early childhood educational settings. Concerns about the quality of this experience have increased substantially in recent years. Further, as social inequalities in Australia continue to grow the gap between disadvantage and advantage widens despite overall levels of increased economic prosperity. Provision of quality early childhood education may be one important way to address disadvantage as international studies show that high quality early childhood education experience contributes to reducing inequality later in life. This study investigated the relationship between quality and disadvantage in a childcare centre in urban Australia. Employing a case study approach, building on Bronfenbrenner’s theory and previous literature, the study found that four key components affected the quality of childcare in this centre—physical environment, staff–child interaction, curriculum/program and family support. Importantly, staff knowledge and dedication were crucial to achieving quality.     

Rereading metaphors as cultural texts: A case study of early childhood teacher attrition

This article revisits a phenomenological case study in which I used metaphor to explore, over a seven-year span, the blossoming and wilting of an early childhood teacher’s career due to the complex interplay between a range of personal, relational and contextual influences (Sumsion 2002). Following Kamler (2001), I now bring a critical lens to my rereading of Sarah’s metaphors as cultural texts that reflect the cultural storylines, positionings and practices that Sarah perceived were available to her. I argue that deconstructing these cultural texts draws attention to the limitations of discourses commonly available to preservice and early career teachers. Implications for teacher educators are discussed.     

The importance of doing well in whatever you do: A commentary on the special section, “Implementation research in early childhood education”

This commentary on the special section, “Implementation research in early childhood education,” discusses 10 major conclusions drawn from implementation research and 7 additional issues needing clarification. Some major conclusions are that: (1) the level of implementation achieved can have a strong influence on program outcomes, (2) implementation is a multi-dimensional construct, (3) adaptation occurs frequently and may improve outcomes, and (4) many factors present across multiple ecological levels can affect the implementation process. Some of the major issues needing attention in future research involve determining what are the best ways to (1) measure the multiple aspects of implementation, (2) evaluate the relative importance of factors affecting implementation, and (3) clarify which participant characteristics may influence the relationship between implementation and different outcomes.     

Education for sustainable development in early childhood education: a review of the research literature

The aim of the study is to describe and analyse research articles relating to the subject of education for sustainable development (ESD) for early childhood education (ECE), published during the years 1996–2013. This is done by answering three specific questions: (1) How is ESD defined by researchers in ECE? (2) What are the major research inquiries and results? (3) What does the research say about young children acting for change in relation to sustainability? Our analysis identified two different definitions of ESD: first, as a threefold approach to education based on questions concerning education about, in and for the environment; and, second, as an approach to education that includes three interrelated dimensions: economic, social and environmental. Two major research areas are identified in this study. The first area relates to how teachers understand ESD, while the second area focuses on how ESD can be implemented in educational practice. During the period studied, the research has evolved from teaching children facts about the environment and sustainability issues to educating children to act for change. This new approach reveals a more competent child who can think for him- or herself and make well-considered decisions. The decisions are made by investigating and participating in critical discussions about alternative ways of acting for change.     

Theory,politics, and experiment in educational research methodology

In laboratory experiments and all other research situations the testing of any one hypothesis entails the simultaneous testing of a whole network of auxiliary hypotheses. These will include hypotheses about the stability of statistical structure, the viability of methods, and the social relations between researcher and subject. In the absence of a rigorously theorized naturalistic framework, traditional experimental designs entail professional domination of knowledge and epistemically privileged researchers; as a consequence, their use is open to serious epistemological and political questioning.An alternative account of experiment and scientificity is proposed which recognizes the need to incorporate an understanding of subjects' epistemologies into research programmes, a need which requires greater power for subjects in the development of research, and thus undermines professional domination and epistemic privilege. The account also implies that laboratory experimental inquiry will lapse in rigour unless it is designed and conducted within an explicitly and precisely theorized naturalistic context. Whereas other accounts make scientificity contingent upon professional control and epistemic privilege, the present account suggests that scientificity in social and educational research is contingent upon a deprofessionalized set of social and epistemic relations.

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Zusammenfassung Die Überprüfung einer beliebigen Hypothese in Laborexperimenten und in allen anderen Forschungssituationen, zieht die Gleichzeitigkeit eines ganzen Netzwerkes von Hilfshypothesen nach sich. Diese werden Hypothesen über die Stabilität der statistischen Struktur, die Durchführbarkeit der Methoden, und über das soziale Geflecht zwischen Forscher und Versuchsperson einschließen. Da kein streng-theoretisch naturwissenschaftlicher Rahmen vorhanden ist, zeitigen traditionelle experimentelle Versuchsanordnungen professionelles Herrschaftswissen und erkenntnistheoretisch-privilegierte Forscher; konsequenterweise steht ihre Anwendung für ernsthaft-erkenntnistheoretische und politische Fragen offen.Eine alternative Darstellung des Experimentierens und der Wissenschaftlichkeit wird vorgeschlagen, indem die Notwendigkeit erkannt wird, ein Verständnis des erkenntnistheoretischen Vermögens der Versuchsperson in Forschungsprogrammen mit einzubeziehen und in der Notwendigkeit ihm erweiterte Machtbefugnisse in der Forschungsentwicklung einzuräumen, um auf diese Weise Herrschaftswissen und erkenntnistheoretisches Privileg zu unterminieren. Die Darstellung beinhaltet auch, daß die Laborexperimenten resultierenden Ermittlungen an Strenge verlieren werden, bis sie innerhalb eines deutlichen und präzis-theoretisierten naturwissenschaftlichen Kontextes aufgegriffen und ausgeführt werden. Während in anderen Darstellungen Wissenschaftlichkeit vom Zufall der professionellen Kontrolle und dem erkenntnistheoretischen Privileg abhängig gemacht werden, schlägt der vorliegende Bericht vor, Wissenschaftlichkeit in der Gesellschafts- und Bildungsforschung sei von einer deprofessionalisierten Reihe gesellschaftlicher und erkenntnistheoretischer Zusammenhänge abhängig.

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Résumé Lors des expériences faites en laboratoire et de toutes autres situations de recherche, l'examen de toute hypothèse entraîne l'analyse simultanée d'un réseau entier de variables auxiliaires. Celles-ci comprennent les hypothèses relatives à la stabilité de la structure statistique, la viabilité des méthodes et les relations sociales entre le chercheur et le sujet. En l'absence d'un cadre naturaliste rigoureusement théorisé, les concepts expérimentaux traditionnels amènent une domination du savoir des experts et des chercheurs épistémologiquement priviligiés: en conséquence, leur usage prête à une interrogation épistémologique et politique sérieuse.On propose un second examen de l'expérience et de la scientificité qui reconnaît la nécessité d'incorporer la compréhension des épistémologies des sujets dans les programmes de recherche, nécessité qui requiert une plus grande puissance des sujets dans le développement de la recherche, et sape ainsi la domination des connaissances des experts et le privilège épistémologique. Cet exposé implique également que la recherche expérimentale en laboratoire tombera dans la rigueur si elle n'est pas conçue et réalisée au sein d'un contexte naturaliste théorisé explicitement et précisément. Tandis que d'autres études font dépendre la scientificité du contrôle expert et du privilège épistémologique, l'article présent énonce que la scientificité de la recherche en matière d'éducation et sociale dépend d'une série de relations sociales et épistémologiques dénuées de tout professionnalisme.

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This paper is a revised version of a paper presented to the Annual Conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education, Australian National University, Canberra, November 1983.