The issue of who should be included and recognised as professionals in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) service system is both contested and pressing in the current policy climate. At stake is a high-quality early childhood care and education service system that is both responsive and appropriate to the constituency it serves. A review of the history of ECEC professionalism reveals complex entanglements and debates regarding professional belonging. Services that deliver education and care to children and families living in high poverty contexts are often excluded from ECEC professionalism debates. Drawing on notions of rationality, emotionality and criticality presented in recent accounts of ECEC professionalism, we use data collected from interviews with service providers delivering services to children and families living in high poverty contexts in Australia to develop an account of criticality that is pertinent to current funding and policy contexts. We argue that these service providers’ perspectives about their own professionalism have much to offer broader debates. 相似文献
Research consistently indicates that Latinos and African-Americans are less likely to own and use computers than either Caucasians or Asians. While conventional wisdom holds that high computer costs and lack of access are the primary reasons for this discrepancy, my ethnographic research with 100 low-income adults reveals three non-cost-related psychosocial obstacles that significantly undermine motivation for acquiring computer skills: “relevance,” “fear,” and “self-concept.” My research thus suggests that a more complex relationship exists between ethnicity, identity, and attitudes associated with computers than previously examined; this relationship may better explain why some people are choosing not to use computers at this time. My research also indicates that while community technology centers (CTCs) play an important role in helping adults overcome their resistances and achieve computer literacy, they are presently an underutilized resource—less than 5% of San Diegans use them to meet their computing needs. Hence, my research also questions why more residents do not avail themselves of these community resources. I conclude that efforts to increase computer literacy in underserved communities must go beyond physical access and connectivity and consider the role of cultural factors. 相似文献
Adult benefits for participants in Project CARE were compared with those of the Abecedarian Project, a closely related randomized study of early childhood educational intervention for children from low-income families who were at risk of developmental delays and school failure. CARE replicated Abecedarian's young adult treatment-related educational and vocational attainment gains. CARE data also supported the Abecedarian reduction in marijuana use. Treated individuals in both studies reported adopting a more active life style. The average age at birth of a first child, the number of children, and the proportion of teen parents were positively affected in the Abecedarian sample but not in CARE. Finding significant educational and vocational gains lasting into young adulthood in the CARE study reinforces Abecedarian young adult findings and strengthens the case for early childhood intervention for children from low-income families. 相似文献
This study examines the global trend in shifting university costs from national governments to individual students and families,
with a specific focus on the existing cost-sharing model in Australian higher education. The research examines the manner
in which the availability of income-contingent loans (through the Higher Education Contribution Scheme, or HECS) enters into
individual cost assessments and evaluative frameworks during the university exploration and search process of low-income Australian
youth, and the resulting lessons that might be applied to other national contexts. Semi-structured interviews with 16 participants
addressed a broad range of issues related to the development of educational aspirations, and how beliefs and attitudes about
cost influenced participants’ understanding and decision-making regarding tertiary enrollment and post-graduate plans. A number
of discreet and related themes emerged from analysis of the interviews, including motivations for attending university; pre-university
cost considerations; self-assessments of skills, abilities, and personal traits and characteristics; general financial orientation;
pre-university experiences and influences; and the role of others including family, peers, teachers and other school staff.
The author concludes that the Australian system is worthy of consideration by other nations as a possible mechanism for enhancing
access to higher education for individuals who might otherwise not possess the opportunity to participate. 相似文献