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Jervis, Ortiz Pamela. "Essays on early childhood development." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2018. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10058970/.
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Recent research demonstrates that the effects of early childhood environments last a lifetime. There is a vast literature on how parental characteristics and household environment affect investment in children's human capital, but little about how parents' investment decisions and the structure of family dynamics behave. The pathways linking parental characteristics to long-term child outcomes remain unclear. A better understanding of these relationships requires novel modes of inquiry that transcend those of any particular discipline. In this thesis dissertation, I study early skill formation and which factors motivate parental human capital investments by using dynamic behavioural models. Over the four chapters of this dissertation, I address some crucial and unknown research questions as What are the processes (biological, neurological, psychological) that govern the components of human flourishing? How do acquired skills generate new skills and how do they vary at different stages of early ages? What are the determinants of parental investments in children and what are the constraints they face? What are the channels, if any, through which parents' decisions affect child outcomes? Do their decisions respond to incentives/stimulation? Can parents' decisions/behaviour be affected through public policies and by doing so change child outcomes? Doing this, I aim to expand the scope of research on child development to explicitly account for the dynamic interpersonal relationships of attachment, interaction, and scaffolding emphasised in the literature on early child development as well as the fact that it is indispensable to develop more complex economic analysis where preferences, technologies, parental decisions and the importance of dynamics are simultaneously considered in a model. Using models as the ones that I develop in this thesis dissertation it is possible to understand the mechanisms behind decision-making and use them to simulate policies ex-ante that are crucial to addressing all these questions.
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Malkus, Amy J. "Adolescent Brain Development." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2006. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4314.
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Abdu, Hannatu Aishatu. "An exploratory study of early childhood development teacher attitudes towards parent involvement in early childhood development centres in Athlone." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13271.
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Includes bibliographical references.This study aimed to explore early childhood development teacher attitudes towards parent involvement in early childhood development centres. The researcher aimed to gain an understanding of how ECD teachers describe their roles within the ECD centres, their perception of parent involvement in ECD centres, the ways in which ECD teachers involve parents within the ECD centre, to know the factors influencing parent involvement within the ECD centres and teachers needs for further support in parent involvement. The study was undertaken in Athlone with the aim to using the results to highlight areas that need improvement within ECD centres.
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Fernández, Barrés Sílvia. "Early life factors and childhood obesity development." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/399640.
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L’obesitat infantil és un dels majors problemes de Salut Pública i comença en edat primerenca. Per tant, identificar factor de risc podria ajudar en la prevenció del desenvolupament d’obesitat infantil. L’objectiu principal d’aquesta tesi va ser investigar les associacions prospectives entre factors de risc potencialment modificables de l’embaràs i la infància, i el desenvolupament d’obesitat infantil. Vam utilitzar dades de dues cohorts de naixement del projecte INMA (Espanya) i del Projecte Viva (Estats Units). Vam explorar les associacions entre varis factors de risc pre i postnatals i l’obesitat infantil general i abdominal, el risc metabòlic i les trajectòries de creixement infantil. Vam trobar que els factors de risc presents en l’edat primerenca i modificables juguen un paper important en el desenvolupament d’obesitat. Les combinacions de factors de risc modificables que prediuen més obesitat infantil difereixen segons la població. Tot i que, el guany ràpid de pes durant la infància és un factor de risc comú pel desenvolupament d’obesitat infantil, tal general com abdominal . Els nostres resultats suggereixen que prendre una Dieta Mediterrània durant l’embaràs podria tenir un efecte positiu en la mida del neonat, el patró de creixement i l’obesitat infantil abdominal. Tanmateix, aquest patró alimentari no deu estar associat amb l’obesitat general o el risc cardiometabòlic.La obesidad infantil es uno de los mayores problemas en Salud Pública y empieza en edad temprana. Por lo tanto, identificar factores de riesgo podría ayudar en la prevención del desarrollo de obesidad infantil. El objetivo principal de esta tesis fue investigar la asociación prospectiva entre factores de riesgo durante el embarazo y la primera infancia, y el desarrollo de obesidad infantil. Usamos datos de dos cohortes de nacimiento del Proyecto INMA (España) y del Proyecto Viva (Estados Unidos). Exploramos las asociaciones entre varios factores de riesgo pre y postnatales y la obesidad infantil general y abdominal, el riesgo cardiometabólico y las trayectorias infantiles de crecimiento. Encontramos que factores de riesgo modificables en etapas tempranas juegan un papel importante en el desarrollo de obesidad. Las combinaciones de factores de riesgo modificables que predicen mayor obesidad difieren entre poblaciones. Sin embargo, la rápida ganancia de peso en la infancia es un factor de riesgo común de obesidad infantil, tanto general como abdominal. Nuestros resultados sugieren que la Dieta Mediterránea durante el embarazo podría tener un efecto protector en el tamaño del recién nacido, en el patrón de crecimiento y en la obesidad abdominal en la infancia. Sin embargo, este patrón alimentario podría no estar asociado con la obesidad infantil general y el riesgo cardiometabólico.
Childhood obesity is one of the main public health problems and starts in early life. Thus identifying risk factors could help to prevent childhood obesity development. The main objective of this thesis was to investigate the prospective association between potentially modifiable factors in pregnancy and infancy, and offspring childhood obesity development. We used data from two birth cohorts studies INMA project (Spain) and Project Viva (USA). We explored the associations between several pre and postnatal risk factors and childhood general and abdominal obesity, cardiometabolic risk and child longitudinal growth trajectories. We found that modifiable early-life risk factors play an important role in obesity development. The combinations of modifiable risk factors that predict higher obesity differed across populations. However, rapid infant weight gain is a common risk factor of general and abdominal obesity in childhood. Our findings suggest that the Mediterranean diet during pregnancy may have a protective effect on birth size, growth pattern and childhood abdominal adiposity in early childhood. However, this dietary pattern may not be associated with childhood general obesity and cardiometabolic risk.
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Lirette, Patricia R. "Barriers to education in early childhood development." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape3/PQDD_0001/MQ59757.pdf.
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Mashon, Danielle Nichole. "Realizing 'quality' in Indigenous early childhood development." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/20591.
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This study used the BC Aboriginal Child Care Society’s (BCACCS) Draft Quality Statement on Aboriginal Child Care (quality statement) as a starting point to identify Indigenous values for early childhood programming and describe how Aboriginal early childhood practitioners implement these values in Indigenous early childhood practice. Building on the view that in early childhood education, we must move ‘beyond quality to meaning-making,’ (Dahlberg, Moss & Pence, 1999), this study explored a working definition of ‘Indigenous quality care,’ comprised of five values reflected in the quality statement and supported by Indigenous early childhood education literature: Indigenous knowledge, self-determination, a holistic view of child development, family and community involvement, and Indigenous language. Using an Indigenous research methodology, I conducted audio-recorded telephone interviews with ten Aboriginal early childhood practitioners in British Columbia to identify how they operationalize the five values in practice. Findings from this study describe the successes and challenges Aboriginal early childhood practitioners face implementing programs that reflect Indigenous values for early childhood development. This study contributes to the ‘reconceptualist movement for quality care’ (Pence & Pacini-Ketchabaw, 2008) by further identifying how Indigenous notions of ‘quality’ differ from their mainstream counterparts, and sharing how mainstream notions of quality care continue to pervade the field and create challenges for Indigenous early childhood practice. Findings from this study also contribute to Indigenous early childhood education literature by sharing concrete strategies the Aboriginal early childhood practitioners in this study used to implement Indigenous values for early childhood education and care.
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Lo, Pang-yuen. "Early childhood growth patterns and adult health indicators." View the Table of Contents & Abstract, 2006. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B38030603.
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Ncube, Gugulethu. "Perceptions of Early Childhood Development practitioners regarding professionalisation." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/65451.
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Utilising a case study design in the Gauteng Province of South Africa, this study explores the perceptions of ECD practitioners regarding the professionalisation of the ECD sector. With a purposive sample of fifteen ECD practitioners teaching children aged between birth and four years this study sought to find out what is exactly happening in the sector regarding the birth of the new qualification for ECD teachers in the South African education system; which attempts to standardise a B.Ed. curriculum for new teachers in the ECD sector. Adopting the Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT) as a lens, the study revealed that the Government and the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) were not giving adequate support to the sector while parents viewed ECD centres as places of play and sleep rather than educational. The study concludes that the ECD sector is indispensable for the South African Education system to perform on par with other world countries and recommends that everyone; not only government; should come to the party to fix this challenge of the education system.Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
Early Childhood Education
MEd
Unrestricted
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Jung, Myoungwhon. "Professional development in early childhood mathematics examining professional growth in two early childhood teachers through collaboration /." [Bloomington, Ind.] : Indiana University, 2006. http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:3215198.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, School of Education, 2006.Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-04, Section: A, page: 1216. Adviser: Mary B. McMullen. "Title from dissertation home page (viewed May 14, 2007)."
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Parry, Melinda Ann. "Little Machiavellians: Deception in Early Childhood." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/194285.
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The analyses in this dissertation were designed to identify 1) whether there is an age effect among three-, four-, and five-year-old preschool children for false-belief understanding, deceptive ability, and deception detection ability, 2) whether there is a gender effect among preschool children for false-belief understanding, deceptive ability, and deception detection ability, 3) whether there is a relationship between false-belief understanding, deceptive ability, and deception detection ability in preschool children, and 4) whether there is a relationship between peer acceptance and false-belief understanding, deceptive ability, and deception detection ability among preschool children. Participants were 78 (34 male, 44 female) preschool children of mixed ethnicity who were between three to five years of age. All subjects completed four tasks that assessed false-belief understanding, deceptive ability, deception detection ability, and peer acceptance. Results from the four-way repeated measures mixed-model analysis of variance (2 Gender x 3 Age x 2 False-Belief Understanding x 2 Deception) suggest that there is a task effect, age effect, gender effect, and false-belief understanding effect for deception among preschool children. Children received significantly higher scores on the deception detection ability task than they did on the deceptive ability task. This indicates that young children find deception detection to be easier than deceptive ability. In addition, this also provides evidence that deceptive ability and that deception detection are two separate constructs. This is further supported by the principal components analysis, which extracted two separate components for deception intelligence. In addition, three-year-old children perform significantly lower than four- and five-year-old children on deception tasks. However, there is not a significant difference between the performances of four- and five-year-old children on deception tasks. This supports previous research that four years of age appears to be the critical age for the emergence of Machiavellian Intelligence (Peskin, 1992; Peterson, 2003). Moreover, males perform significantly better on deception tasks than females. Furthermore, there is a significant positive correlation between deception detection ability and peer acceptance. Children who obtain higher deception detection ability scores are ranked as being more liked by their peers.
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Keramidas, Cathy Galyon. "Assessment in Early Childhood." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2015. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4157.
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Lo, Pang-yuen, and 羅鵬遠. "Early childhood growth patterns and adult health indicators." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2006. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B39724864.
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Spies, Magdelien. "Early childhood development as a pathway to sustainable community development." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6657.
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Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigated the possibilities of early childhood development (ECD) as pathway to sustainable community development by means of a literature survey and practical research. The main objectives were to determine the usefulness of integrated, ecological ECD as entry point to sustainable community development, to determine how this might be achieved and to reflect on the benefits and limitations of sustainable community development through ECD. A review of the literature emphasized the importance of ECD, as early childhood is foundational for the establishment of lifelong skills, knowledge, values and attitudes. The need to enhance capabilities for sustainable development from a young age is becoming increasingly urgent as the world braces itself for a future likely to be characterised by a ‘global polycrisis’ which includes climate change, resource depletion, poverty and food security. Integrated, ecological ECD exposes children to a worldview that acknowledges complexity and interdependence. This contributes to their ability to be agents of change that imagine and create alternative futures on community, national and global levels. Conceptualising ECD spaces as integrated ecological ‘hubs’ for sustainable community development is a way of enhancing community capabilities for sustainable development by facilitating synergies between various projects, promoting intergenerational learning and ensuring that children are central to all community development initiatives. The practical research focused on the Lynedoch Crèche as a working example of an integrated, ecological ECD ‘hub’ for sustainable community development. The purpose of this case study was to contribute to the attainment of the research objectives by balancing theory with the intricacies of praxis. The main findings of the case study pertain to the need to inform ECD by a deeply ecological and integrated worldview that places children at the centre of sustainable community development. The importance of deriving context-specific methodologies and solutions that stem from an intricate knowledge of the socio-ecological environment was emphasized. The research indicated that the core challenges to this approach relate to capacity, leadership, financial viability and institutional arrangements. The conclusions drawn from the literature survey and the practical research suggest a useful role for ECD as entry point for sustainable community development. I further conclude that there is no single conception of what an integrated, ecological hub for sustainable development might entail. Rather, these ‘hubs’ must be born from worldviews rooted in complexity and interdependence and an ecological educational paradigm that is inspired and informed by the local socio-ecological environment. The principle benefit to this approach relates to the fact that community capabilities for children-centred sustainable development are enhanced in concurrence with the high quality ecological education of its children. The greatest limitation of this approach is that its success hinges upon the capacity of teachers to fulfil multiple roles and provide leadership in largely unchartered territory.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het die moontlikheid ondersoek dat vroeë kinder ontwikkeling (VKO) as ingangspunt vir volhoubare gemeenskapsontwikkeling gebruik kan word. ‘n Literatuur-studie oor die onderwerp en praktiese navorsing by die Lynedoch kleuterskool is die kern van die studie. Die hoofdoel was om te bepaal of geïntegreerde en ekologies-georienteerde kleuterskoolonderrig sinvol kan bydra tot volhoubare gemeenskapsontwikkeling, om te bepaal hoe dit bereik kan word, en wat die voordele en nadele van so ‘n benadering is. Die literatuurstudie het die belangrikheid van VKO as die fondament vir die vaslê van lewenslange vaardighede, kennis, waardes en houdings bevestig. Dit word al hoe dringender om kinders van ‘n vroeë ouderdom af vir volhoubare ontwikkeling toe te rus sodat hulle leiding kan neem in ‘n toekoms wat waarskynlik gekenmerk gaan word deur meervuldige krisisse soos klimaatsverandering, oorbevolking, uitputting van natuurlike hulpbronne, armoede en voedselskaarste. ‘n Geïntegreerde en ekologiese benadering tot VKO stel kinders bloot aan ‘n wêreldsiening wat kompleksiteit en interafhanklikheid beklemtoon. Hierdie bewustheid help kinders om kreatief alternatiewe toekomsmoontlikhede raak te sien en te verwesenlik, tot voordeel van hul gemeenskap, land en wêreld. Kleuterskole kan geposisioneer word as een van die geïntegreerde spilpunte waarom gemeenskapsontwikkeling draai. Vaardighede vir volhoubare ontwikkeling word sodoende bevorder in beide kinders en gemeenskappe. Samewerking tussen verskeie projekte word aangemoedig, oud en jonk leer saam en kinders word ‘n sentrale fokus van alle gemeenskapsontwikkelingsinisiatiewe. Die praktiese navorsing is ‘n gevallestudie van die Lynedoch Kleuterskool. Hierdie kleuterskool is gekies as ‘n voorbeeld VKO wat poog om ‘n geïntegreerde, ekologiese benadering te volg en om ‘n rol te speel in volhoubare gemeenskapsontwikkeling. Die gevallestudie het die literatuurstudie aangevul deur moontlikhede en tekortkominge van ‘n praktiese toegepassing te demonstreer. Die bevindings bevestig die belangrikheid van ‘n ekologiese- en geïntegreerde benadering tot VKO, en hoe noodsaaklik dit is om te verseker dat kinders as die sleutel tot gemeenskapsontwikkelingsinisiatiewe gesien word. Kennis van die unieke sosio-ekologiese konteks behoort te lei tot die ontwerp van geskikte onderrig metodes. Die gevallestudie dui daarop dat ‘n tekort aan kapasiteit, onvoldoende leierskap, finansiële onselfstandigheid en swak organisasie dikwels van die grootste uitdagings is wat sukses belemmer. Die gevolgtrekkings van beide die literatuurstudie en navorsing is dat geïntegreerde en ekologiese VKO wel ‘n nuttige invalshoek kan wees vir volhoubare gemeenskapsontwikkeling. Dit blyk verder dat daar geen enkele universele model van geïntegreerde en ekologiese VKO is nie, en dat elke projek se leerinhoud en metodologie volgens eiesoortige konteks bepaal word. Wat wel belangrik is, is dat dié projekte gebou word op ekologiese wereldsieninge wat kompleksiteit en interafhanklikheid benadruk. Die hoof voordeel van hierdie benadering is dat gemeenskapskapasiteit vir volhoubare gemeenskapsontwikkeling bevorder word terwyl kinders hoë kwaliteit ekologiese opvoeding ontvang. Die belangrikste beperking hierin is dat sukses grootliks afhanklik is van goed toegeruste onderwysers wat verskeie rolle tegelyktydig kan vertolk, wat leierskap kan neem en wat alternatiewe maniere van doen kan demonstreer.
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Argumosa, Melissa Ann. "Development of Face Recognition: Infancy to Early Childhood." FIU Digital Commons, 2010. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/317.
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Perception and recognition of faces are fundamental cognitive abilities that form a basis for our social interactions. Research has investigated face perception using a variety of methodologies across the lifespan. Habituation, novelty preference, and visual paired comparison paradigms are typically used to investigate face perception in young infants. Storybook recognition tasks and eyewitness lineup paradigms are generally used to investigate face perception in young children. These methodologies have introduced systematic differences including the use of linguistic information for children but not infants, greater memory load for children than infants, and longer exposure times to faces for infants than for older children, making comparisons across age difficult. Thus, research investigating infant and child perception of faces using common methods, measures, and stimuli is needed to better understand how face perception develops. According to predictions of the Intersensory Redundancy Hypothesis (IRH; Bahrick & Lickliter, 2000, 2002), in early development, perception of faces is enhanced in unimodal visual (i.e., silent dynamic face) rather than bimodal audiovisual (i.e., dynamic face with synchronous speech) stimulation. The current study investigated the development of face recognition across children of three ages: 5 – 6 months, 18 – 24 months, and 3.5 – 4 years, using the novelty preference paradigm and the same stimuli for all age groups. It also assessed the role of modality (unimodal visual versus bimodal audiovisual) and memory load (low versus high) on face recognition. It was hypothesized that face recognition would improve across age and would be enhanced in unimodal visual stimulation with a low memory load. Results demonstrated a developmental trend (F(2, 90) = 5.00, p = 0.009) with older children showing significantly better recognition of faces than younger children. In contrast to predictions, no differences were found as a function of modality of presentation (bimodal audiovisual versus unimodal visual) or memory load (low versus high). This study was the first to demonstrate a developmental improvement in face recognition from infancy through childhood using common methods, measures and stimuli consistent across age.
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Roe, Katherine V. "Working memory and language development in early childhood /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC IP addresses, 2002. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3069224.
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Fok, Wai-man Veronica. "Development and validation of a preschool programme evaluation scale." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1997. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B18815467.
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Sharp, L. Kathryn. "Examining the Precepts of Early Childhood Education: The Basics or the Essence?" Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2016. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4484.
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The purpose of this article is to encourage early childhood educators and the related professional development and research communities to become the leading voices in determining the direction of early childhood education. To support this vital, and complicated transition, this discussion revisits fundamental aspects of what is meant by early childhood education and intends to spark discussion and the direction needed to guide thought and action as nations begin a shift towards more affordable, universal and, most importantly, high-quality early childhood education.
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Gerhardt, Micah Gerhardt. "Development of Emotion Regulation and Parental Socialization during Early Childhood." The Ohio State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1595368352889174.
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Broderick, Jane Tingle, and Seong Bock Hong. "Inquiry-based Early Childhood Curriculum Development: Using Materials to Facilitate Representation." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2004. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4210.
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Davis, Travis J. "Effects of Child Development Associate Credential System 2.0 on Candidate Success Rates." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2015. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc822791/.
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The purpose of this research was to identify the impact of process changes that have been made to the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, which is a beginning early childhood teacher credential that focuses on competency based standards widely seen as necessary for early childhood teachers to possess. The process in which early childhood teachers receive their credential changed in 2013 with the implementation of CDA credential 2.0. Changes included taking a computerized exam and the implementation of a professional development specialist conducting an on-site classroom observation. In order to determine the impact that CDA 2.0 had on teacher credentialing success rates, a mixed-method sequential design was employed. First, existing data sets of success rates from a national scholarship program were reviewed. Following, interviews with CDA credential seekers were conducted. Findings revealed that while candidate success rates increased for those receiving CDA credentials under the 2.0 system, the actual number of candidates receiving scholarships to pursue the CDA credential through the national scholarship program decreased. Qualitative analysis of the semi-structured interviews indicated that three areas that impacted CDA 2.0 candidate success rates were the professional education programs and instructors, the CDA Exam, and Professional Development Specialists. This is the first research study to examine the CDA credential process. The findings demonstrate that the 2.0 system provides candidates with necessary supports to be successful. A significant question arising out of the data is how a determination is made to issue a credential. Before QRIS and public policy initiatives employ more efforts to professionalize the field of early childhood – primarily through the CDA credential – the process by which one obtains a credential should be more thoroughly examined.
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Gust, Korrine M. "The effects of professional development for early childhood educators on emergent literacy." Virtual Press, 2006. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1336621.
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This research study had two primary purposes. The first purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of professional development training sessions with early childhood educators by measuring the emergent literacy skills of their students. The second purpose was to begin to establish concurrent validity for a fairly new skills-based instrument with an established norm-referenced instrument.A pretest-posttest design to assess the children's emergent literacy skills was utilized. After the pretest was conducted with the subjects, ages 3-5 years old, their teachers from the experimental group attended professional development sessions to address emergent literacy strategies for their early childhood classrooms. The teachers in the control group did not participate in the professional development sessions. At the conclusion of the intervention period the children's emergent literacy skills were posttested.The pretest and posttest assessments were conducted following best practice guidelines for early childhood education assessments. The early childhood educators who knew the children well completed the skills-based instrument through an observation process with a rating scale. The primary researcher conducted the norm-referenced instrument with each of the children in a one-on-one situation at the child's early childhood center.The scores of the two instruments were analyzed to evaluate the gains of the children, the significance of independent variables, and to examine the relationship between the two instruments. The data showed that the children in the treatment condition did make significant gains over the control group in the area of Readiness skills, but not in other areas assessed. Additionally, the independent variables of subject's gender and teacher's years of experience were significant for few of the subscales of the assessment tools. This study did begin to establish concurrent validity for the Language Arts Objective Sequence (LOS) with the Test of Early Reading Ability-Third edition (TERA-3). The LOS did possess internal consistency and demonstrated a positive correlation with the TERA-3 at the pretest. Further studies to establish concurrent validity with posttests as well as pretests need to be conducted.Department of Special Education
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Campbell, Robin N. "Origins and development of representational systems in early childhood." Thesis, University of Stirling, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/21580.
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It is argued in Chapters 1 to 4 that in cognitive psychology in general, and in the disciplines of language acquisition and cognitive development in particular, there is substantial benefit to be derived from distinguishing between two representational systems, one system being deployed in long-established or highly-practiced functions, and the second deployed in novel tasks, or where difficulties interrupt the first system. It is also argued that the proper subject of cognitive development is the second of these systems. Chapters 5 and 6 are concerned in different ways with the origins of language in the individual, in particular with the question of what innate knowledge of language might be justified. It is concluded that many questions regarding innate knowledge remain open, and that a source in human evolution for knowledge of language is no more likely than sources in individual or social development. In Chapter 7 it is argued that representational drawing emerges late in the 4th year of life, and some new techniques are described for studying early representational drawing. Following these treatments of external systems of representation, Chapter 8 offers a general developmental theory of forms of representation, extending Piaget's insight that mental representation is co-extensive with thought, and that the main axis of cognitive development is the content of thought and representation. Chapters 9 to 12 apply this theory to the representation of belief and desire, and of extrinsic and intrinsic qualities of objects, by 11/2 to 4 year-old children. Chapter 13 introduces a new method for analyzing the free classification task, a task sometimes used to assess children's ability to think about intrinsic qualities, and applies this method to various data sets. Chapter 14 applies these insights and results to the problem of characterizing concepts and concept development and favourably discusses the idea that more precise knowledge of this aspect of development may help to explain certain features of early language acquisition.
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Thomas, Samira. "Integrating landscape into early childhood development in Kabul, Afghanistan." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/73828.
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Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 114-116).
This thesis is an exploration of children's educational interactions with their landscape in Kabul, Afghanistan, and the ways in which landscape, as an important contributor to human development, can be integrated as a topic and as the setting of learning, into the early childhood curriculum in a meaningful and contextually appropriate way. The spaces of learning have increasingly become important components of engagement in education research - the concept of ''environment as teacher" is incorporated into this research study as a critical component of learning. This thesis has explored teacher willingness to participate in integrating landscape into the early childhood curriculum in their school, the Sparks Academy in Kabul, Afghanistan. The concept of landscape was approached both as the space of learning as well as a topic of study. It takes an approach to learning that moves beyond access and into the content and pedagogical style of teaching. This research concludes that Sparks is currently a community of enthusiastic teachers who wish to engage students in their learning in meaningful ways. There is a potential to build on current practices and turn current practice into an even more meaningful learning experience for young children in Kabul, Afghanistan. In particular, it extends the meaning of the Bagh-e-Babur from a space of cultural engagement, to a place of significant learning for Kabul's young.
by Samira Thomas.
M.C.P.
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Chen, Hengheng. "Three Essays on Family Economics and Early Childhood Development." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27461.
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This dissertation consists of three essays studying the effects of collective household decisions on early childhood development from both empirical and theoretical perspectives. The first chapter outlines the dissertation, by presenting the motivations, methods, conclusions, and policy implications for the entire dissertation.
Chapter two examines early childhood development using a collective model with children's cognitive production. We jointly estimate the home input demand with children's cognitive production functions based on a simultaneous equations model. Biases are considered that are caused by the non-random selection of time inputs and possible correlations across inputs and outcomes functions. A direct measure of time inputs relying on children's time diaries from the Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID-CDS) has been constructed. We thereby relax the assumption that there is no difference between parental time spent on children and leisure. Our results show that parental time inputs, especially the active time interacting with children's daily activities, have substantial effects on both children's math and reading test scores. The time inputs vary across parents' age, race, and eduction levels.
In chapter three, we conduct a standard Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition to evaluate the role of home inputs in the black-white test score gaps based on the empirical model presented in chapter two. Aside from the finding that children's ability accounts for a large proportion of the differences, we find that home inputs can also explain a significant portion of the gap. When the maternal time is equalized at the average levels of white children, the racial differences in children's reading and math test scores can be closed by approximately 30%-50%.
The last chapter extends a collective model with household production to the general equilibrium framework. We concentrate on the impacts of a global bargaining power shift within the household on children's cognitive achievement, especially on those who live with single mothers. The model shows that a global bargaining power change in favor of the female may not necessarily be beneficial to the children living with their single mothers. An increase of female's market equilibrium wage rate as a result of reduced labor supply by married women may induce single mothers to work longer hours, spend less time with children, and compensate them with more monetary investment compared with the case when the equilibrium wage rate stays constant.Ph. D.
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Gordon, Diandra Renee. "Childhood Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence and Socioemotional Development from Early to Middle Childhood." The Ohio State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1429799346.
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Becker, Jennifer L. "Socioemotional Outcomes of Children Sexually Abused during Early Childhood." FIU Digital Commons, 2007. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/11.
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This study investigated the nature and impact of the sexual abuse of children ages birth through 6 years. The purpose was to enhance knowledge about this understudied population through examination of: (1) characteristics of the abuse; (2) socioemotional developmental outcomes of young victims; and (3) potential moderating effects of family dynamics. An ecological-developmental theoretical framework was applied. Secondary data analysis was conducted using data collected from the consortium Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). A sample of 250 children was drawn from LONGSCAN data, including children who were sexually abused (n=125) and their nonabused counterparts (n=125), matched on demographic variables. Results revealed that young victims of sexual abuse were disproportionately female (91 girls; 73%). The sexual abuse committed against these youngsters was severe in nature, with 111 children (89%) experiencing contact offenses ranging from fondling to forcible rape. Sixty-two percent of child victims demonstrated borderline, clinical, or less than adequate functioning on normative, expected socioemotional outcomes. Child victims reported low degrees of perceived competence and satisfaction in the social environment. When compared with their nonabused counterparts, child victims demonstrated significantly poorer socioemotional functioning, as evidenced by aggressive behaviors, attention and thought problems. Sexually abused youngsters also reported lower self-perceptions of cognitive and physical competence and maternal acceptance. Family dynamic factors did not significantly moderate the relationships between abuse and socioemotional outcomes, with one exception. The caregivers’ degree of empathy for their children had a significant moderating effect on the children’s social problems. This study contributes to an otherwise scant body of literature on the sexual abuse of preschoolers. Findings provide implications for social work practice, especially in the development of assessment and prevention strategies.
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Clarkin-Phillips, Jeanette. "Distributing the leadership : a case study of professional development /." The University of Waikato, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10289/2449.
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This study explores the question of what might be a model of effective leadership for pedagogical change in early childhood education in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Drawing on a framework of gateways for personalising learning constructed by Hargreaves (2004a) and Engestrom's (1999) Activity theory, a case study of a professional development programme is analysed. Entrypoints or gateways for teachers in three early childhood centres to the professional development programme are identified, as are gateways for sustained involvement and continued learning opportunities. The study uses unstructured interviews with a narrative inquiry approach to hear the teachers' stories and the findings of the study are presented in a narrative style in order to capture these voices. The major findings from the study indicate that professional development is a complex interweaving of voices and intentions. There are three key elements of the ongoing personalising learning as a result of involvement in the professional development programme: distributed leadership, teacher voice, and community. The context of early childhood provided unique definitions of the gateways and common elements were found in identifying the entrypoints and features of sustained involvement. The study implies that effective leadership is distributed across the community and the sustaining features of the professional development programme need to be elements of any provision of professional development intent on personalising learning for pedagogical change.
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Green, Shannon Susan. "PRESCHOOL TEACHERS' EARLY PERCEPTIONS OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION." OpenSIUC, 2013. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/theses/1210.
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This study explored five preschool teachers' perceptions about Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Early Childhood Education (ECE). Participating teachers provided a wide range of responses about ESD and its related subthemes. The findings of this study show that the participating teachers indicated a willingness to reflect on the principles of sustainable development, a commitment to developmentally appropriate practice, a value for participatory and problem-based curriculum, and appreciation for the benefits of community engagement. Teachers also expressed values of fairness and equality, and being open, honest, and matter-of-fact with children. Teachers were new to the ideas of interdependence, social justice, human rights, and economics education in ECE. The teachers expressed concerns about the inclusion of issues that they considered too complex for children, too personal, or potentially offensive. These findings can inform ideas for beginning professional development and further study for ESD in ECE.
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Shertiel, Sabra Hussein. "The role of practitioners in early childhood development centres in shaping behaviour of children." University of the Western Cape, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/6375.
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Magister Artium - MA (Child and Family Studies)Early childhood centres play a profound role in shaping the behaviour of children. Research indicates that early childhood centres contribute to the holistic development of children, encompassing their motor, congnitive and behavioural skills. Research has further shown that the South African authorities have an early childhood policy which spans various aspects of childhood development. To establish the nexus between early childhood centres and the behaviour of children, this study explored the role of practitioners in early childhood development centres in shaping the behaviour of children. The study uses the Ecological Systems Theory to interrogate its tenets of the theory and the research findings. The study engaged a qualitative approach to explore this phenomenon. Semi-structured interviews, field notes and observations were used to obtain data from parents, principals and practitioners at early childhood centres. Data was analysed thematically and as such, three main themes emerged from the research: the behaviour of children in early childhood development centres; practitioners' perceptions of their own roles in early childhood development centres; and the attitudes of practitioners towards their roles in early development centres.
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Dannenberg, Sally. "Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation Early Childhood Initiative Grant /." Menomonie, WI : University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2006. http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/thesis/2006/2006dannenbergs.pdf.
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Fox, Lise, Carol M. Trivette, and Denise P. Blinder. "OSEP Professional Development Grants: Preparing for the 21st Century Early Childhood Leaders and Practitioners." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2015. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4441.
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Programwide implementation uses implementation science to provide the supports needed so all practitioners can use DEC recommended practices to improve child outcome. Participants will learn the process of programwide implementation, tools, and strategies they can use and how programwide implementation occurs within classroom and home visiting programs.
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Faubion, Donna Elizabeth. "Early childhood special needs 0-5 programming." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1997. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1298.
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Moulin, Elizabeth A. "Pre-primary children's progress and the school development plan." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1997. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/878.
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In recent years several policy changes have occurred in Western Australia regarding the provision of pre-compulsory education, particularly for children turning five. These changes have led to education of such children centred largely in full-time, on-site classes rather than in sessional, independent community centres, resulting in pre-primary education becoming mainstream school business. As such it is incorporated in the administrative, managerial and educational policies of the school including school development planning. The school development plan (SDP), a major tool of accountability within the school, provides a planning framework in selected priority areas in which methods of assessment and evaluation of children's progress are an important tool in demonstrating that accountability. There is a concern among some pre-primary teachers and Early Childhood Education specialists that these changes may lead to a trend towards practices more indicative of upper primary school levels, known as a 'push down' effect, on pre-primary classes. There is also a concern that an emphasis on assessment and evaluation for accountability purposes may lead to a decline in the use of assessment data in classroom planning. This qualitative study examined how and why teachers in selected Perth metropolitan pre-primary classes gathered and recorded information on children's progress, and how these choices related to the teacher's responsibility as articulated in the school development plan. The study also identified how that information was used both at class and school levels.
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Lange, Alissa A., Irena Nayfeld, and Hagit Mano. "The Effects of an Early Childhood Stem Professional Development Model on Coaching Effectiveness." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2018. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4187.
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Knaap, Margriet. "Sustainability of early childhood development sites in selected rural areas." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/51927.
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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is guided by the question: what is done to sustain early childhood development (ECD) in South Africa? The research is conducted in is selected rural areas in Namaqualand and the Karoo. A selection of ECD centres is taken as the study material. In depth interviews and workshops were conducted with various role-players connected to ECD to provide case material for analysis. Apart from the findings of this research the study concludes with a number of recommendations of how to address questions of sustainability, self-reliance and development of these centres and the communities they are located in. The study is contextualised within the situation of wide-spread and ingrained poverty amongst the communities living in rural areas in South Africa. The study pleas for explicit educational policy reforms, a stronger role to be played by government institutions on all levels and by community institutions such as churches, the empowerment of . women and the organisational reform of ECD centres. The overall theme is that the education of young people is paramount to the development of communities. The self-reliance of the centres is primarily depended on the sustainability of community life as a network of social and economic relations. The first chapter introduces the research problem, the reasons why this study is deemed necessary and a framework of the research process. It includes a description of the context and methodology of the study. The second chapter outlines the concepts of self-reliance, development and sustainability from the point of view of the progressive and participatory paradigms, the basic requirements for sustainable development, such as lifelong learning for all people and the interdependencies that enhances progress and development. Chapter three is devoted to Early Childhood Development (ECD). A historical overview and the current status of ECD, including government policy, in South Africa is presented. The gaps existing between the different echelons that are directly or indirectly involved in ECD are identified. The fourth chapter deals with ECD sites. Their objectives and the benefits for ECD education as well as care-taking strategies are described and researched. The multidimensional purposes and tasks with respect to children and parents as well as the community are especially highlighted. Chapter five develops the integrating function of ECD sites within community further. The focus is on the various interdependencies and relationships between an ECD site and its environment. The role of parents, women and their ties with ECD and local churches, especially within rural communities, is analysed. Also, the wider community, the different organisations that has relationships with ECD, the practical utility of networks, and the contribution of government structures are dealt with. Chapter six outlines the conditions that will enhance and enable an ECD site to become more sustainable and self-reliant. Finally, chapter seven proposes conclusions and recommendationsflowing from this study. The most basic condition is education and learning. The idea of a culture of lifelong learning for all is stressed and it is proposed that this should start at the youngest possible age. ECDs should therefore have a strong impact on learning. The main contributors to this process are women, local churches, the different tiers of government and lastly, funding organisations.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie word gelei deur die vraag: wat word gedoen om die volhoubaarheid van vroeë kinderontwikkeling (ECD) in Suid-Afrika te verseker? Die navorsing is in geselekteerde landelike gebiede van Namakwaland en die Karoo uitgevoer. 'n Seleksie van ECD sentrums is as studiemateriaal gebruik. In diepte onderhoude en werkswinkels is onderneem met verskeie rolspelers in ECD om toepaslike gegewens vir ontleding te verskaf. Afgesien van die bevindinge van die ondersoek wat beskryf word, kom die studie tot gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings oor hoe om die volhoubaarheid, selfvoorsiening en ontwikkeling van hierdie sentrums en die gemeenskappe waarin hulle gevestig is, te verseker. Die ondersoek is gekontekstualiseer binne die situasie van wydverspreide en ingegroeide armoede in die gemeenskappe van landelike gebiede in Suid-Afrika. Dit lewer 'n pleidooi vir uitdruklike opvoedkundige beleidshervormnings, 'n sterker rol deur regeringsinstansies op alle vlakke en deur gemeenskapsinstellings soos kerke, die bemagtiging van vroue en die organisatoriese hervorming van ECD sentrums. Die algehele tema is dat die opvoeding van jong mense allesoorheersend is in die ontwikkeling van gemeenskappe. Die selfvoorsiening van hierdie sentrums is primêr afhanklik van die volhoubaarheid van die gemeenskapslewe as 'n netwerk van sosiale en ekonomiese verhoudings. Die eerste hoofstuk stel die navorsingsprobleem, die redes waarom die ondersoek as noodsaaklik beskou word en 'n raamwerk vir die navorsingsproses bekend. Dit sluit in 'n beskrywing van die konteks en metodologie van die studie. Die tweede hoofstuk bied 'n uiteensetting van die begrippe selfvoorsiening, ontwikkeling en volhoubaarheid. Dit word gedoen vanuit die oogpunt van progressiewe en deelnemende paradigmas. Verder word die basiese vereistes vir volhoubare ontwikkeling, soos lewenslange leer vir alle mense en die interafhanklikhede wat vooruitgang en ontwikkeling sal verhoog, aangedui. Hoofstuk drie is gewy aan vroeë kinderontwikkeling (ECD). 'n Historiese oorsig en die huidige stand van ECD, insluitende die owerheidsbeleid, in Suid-Afrika word aangebied. Die gapings tussen die verskillende vlakke wat direk of indirek betrokke is by ECDword uitgewys. Die vierde hoofstuk handeloor ECD sentrums. Hulle doelstellings en die voordele vir ECD opvoeding sowel as sorg strategieë word beskryf en nagevors. Die multidimensionele oogmerke en take met verwysing na kinders en ouers asook die gemeenskap word veral beklemtoon. Hoofstuk vyf ontwikkel die integreringsfunksie van ECD verder. Die fokus is die verskeie interafhanklikhede en verhoudings tussen 'n ECD sentrum en sy omgewing. Die rol van ouers, vroue en hulle bande met ECD en plaaslike kerke, veral in landelike gemeenskappe, word ontleed. Verder word ook gekyk na die wyer gemeenskap, die verskillende organisasies wat in verhouding staan met ECD, die praktiese waarde van netwerke en die bydrae van die owerheid. Hoofstuk ses gee 'n oorsig van die voorwaardes wat 'n ECD sentrum se volhoubaarheid en selfvoorsiening sal verhoog en bemagtig. Ten slotte stel hoofstuk sewe gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings wat uit die studie spruit, voor. Die mees basies voorwaarde is opvoeding en leer. Die idee van 'n kultuur van lewenslange leer vir almal word beklemtoon en dit word voorgestel dat dit op die vroegs moontlike ouderdom 'n aanvang neem. ECDs behoort daarom 'n sterk impak op leer te hê. Die hoof bydraers hiertoe is vroue, plaaslike kerke, die verskillende vlakke van regering, en ten slotte befondsingsorganisasies.
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Clampett, Bridget. "Quality Early Childhood Development centres: an exploratory study of stakeholder views." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20702.
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This study 'Quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres: an exploratory study of stakeholder views' was carried out with a sample of fifteen principals of effective ECD centres in the Western Cape, South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative, exploratory approach using a semi-structured interview schedule for face-to-face interviews with the participants. A purposive sample was used and the selected sample were geographically spread across the Western Cape Metropolitan area.The findings revealed the following: Effective ECD centres that provide quality care and education is of critical importance and should be prioritised in South Africa. Governing bodies play critical roles in the effectiveness of ECD centres; these roles include: governance and accountability, ensuring financial sustainability, decision-making and administration, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, and conflict resolution. ECD forums are also a valuable asset for ECD centres. Structure and routine, indoor learning materials and the arrangement of the classroom are important components of quality learning programmes. Qualified ECD teachers provide quality learning programmes for children and outdoor play is important for children's holistic development. Parental involvement improves learning outcomes for children and relationships with stakeholder's assists centres in providing a holistic programme. Principals play a crucial role in ensuring a quality service is provided.
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Pangeti, Patricia R. R. "Towards sustainable futures : exploring ecological learning in early childhood development." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/80069.
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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The end of the 20st and beginning of the 21st century is characterised by a multiplicity of ecological complexities and alterations that are impacting both nature and humankind negatively. Such ecological problems are an indicator of unsustainable living by humans in societies, with inadequate natural resources management. These ecological intricacies are exacerbated by the increasing disinterestedness and detachment of children from the marvels of the natural world resulting in the creation of generations of ecologically unconscious citizens and imbalanced ecosystems. It seems apparent that in this ecological crisis, it is the poor and, in particular, the younger generations that are most affected. In this context; how can the manifest and evolving ecological crisis be reversed? This study is an inquiry into the usefulness of ecological learning in ECD, towards developing conscious future citizens who promote sustainable and ecological balance on the earth. The core objective is to understand current trends, scope, content and methodologies involved in ecological learning and how they may assist in preparing a proecological generation. The study employs a literature review methodology to explore the concept of ecological learning in ECD; examining the application of this paradigm to the sector of ECD through an exploration of the practice of ecological learning in 2 case studies of ECD centres (the Lynedoch EcoVillage and Campus Kindergarten) that place ecological learning at the core of their practice. Using a review of literature on ecological learning and ECD and the two case studies, the study attempts to demonstrate ecological learning practices in ECD centres. The teaching and learning practices in such centres project ECD to be the primary stage whereby ultimate growth, development and learning are created and therefore a vital platform for mentoring an ecologically mindful generation of citizens. However, on the other hand, the study also observes that the scale at which ecological learning is taking place around the world is too negligible to have a large impact in producing a generation of ecologically informed citizens. The study, then, recommends a paradigm shift in the content and methodologies that prioritise ecological learning in ECD both as a way of preserving the ecology and promoting sustainable development. The study therefore suggests, (1) Underpinning ECD with transdisciplinary ecological learning within local contexts (2) Linking ecological learning to ECD may contribute to ‘just transitions’, and (3) Attending to the growing need of new ways of being that can generate connectedness and belonging in a postconsumerist society seem best inculcated at early ages.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die einde van die 20ste, en begin van die 21ste eeu word gekenmerk deur ’n magdom ekologiese kompleksiteite en veranderinge wat die natuur en die mensdom (meestal) negatief raak. Hierdie ekologiese probleme dui op onvollhoubare samelewings en natuurlikehulpbron-bestuur. Die ekologiese uitdagings word vererger deur kinders se toenemende onverskilligheid en afsydigheid teenoor die wonders van die natuurlike wêreld, wat generasies van ekologies onbewuste burgers, sowel as ’n ongebalanseerde ekosisteem tot gevolg het. Dit is voorts duidelik dat die huidige ekologiese krisis, laer inkomste groepe en die jonger generasie die ergste raak. Teen hierdie agtergrond, moet ons onsself afvra, hoe die onmiskenbare en ontvouende ekologiese krisis omgekeer kan word? In hierdie studie word daar ondersoek ingestel na die doeltreffendheid van ekologie in die vroeë kindontwikkelings- (VKO) stadium, om burgers op te lewer wat volhoubare en ekologiese ewewig bevorder. Die kernoogmerk is om die huidige tendense in die bestek en inhoud van, metodologieë vir ekologiese leer te verstaan; sowel as hoe dít ’n pro-ekologiese generasie help toerus. Daar word gebruik gemaak van ’n literatuuroorsig, ten einde die konsep van ekologiese-leer in VKO te ondersoek. Die praktiese toepassing daarvan in twee VKO-sentrums, naamlik die Lynedoch-ekodorp en Campus Kindergarten (CK), wat albei ekologiese leer as ’n kernaktiwiteit beskou, ondersoek. Aan die hand van die kritiese literatuuroorsig sowel as die twee gevallestudies, poog hierdie navorsing, om te toon dat VKO-sentrums toenemend ekologiese praktyke erken. Die onderrig- en leerpraktyke in sulke sentrums beskou VKO as die primêre stadium wat uiteindelike groei, ontwikkeling en leer bepaal, en dus is dit ’n uiters belangrike platform om ’n ekologies-bewuste generasie van mentorskap te voorsien. Aan die ander kant is daar ook gevind dat die skaal waarop ekologiese leer wêreldwyd plaasvind, te klein is om enige beduidende impak te hê op die skep van ’n generasie wat ingelig is oor ekologie. Daarom word daar aanbeveel dat daar ’n paradigmaverskuiwing in inhoud en metodologieë moet plaasvind om ekologiese leer in VKO te prioritiseer as ’n manier om die ekologie te bewaar sowel as volhoubare ontwikkeling te bevorder. Die studie dui op die volgende; (1) geïntegreerde leer, tesame met konsekwentheid in die aanbieding van onderwerpe, en die fasilitering van VKOonderwyseropleiding en–diens; (2) die skakel tussen ekologiese opvoeding en die bydrae wat dit tot VKO lewer; (3) om nuwe maniere te vind, waarmee daar ’n skakel gevestig, en ‘n verband getrek kan word, in ‘n post-verbruikers samelewing.
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Roberts, Jane Elizabeth. "Continuity of cognitive development from late infancy to early childhood." Thesis, University of Exeter, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.337806.
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Baker, Jessica. "Parent education programmes for early childhood development : reflections of practitioners." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95853.
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Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Parent education programmes have been identified as intervention strategies which address numerous social problems in South Africa. This study aimed to highlight the importance of empowering parents through knowledge and skill development in order to positively invest in the future generations of South Africa. Early childhood development is a field which has emerged on the agenda of the helping professions, such as social work, psychology and education. The development of parent education programmes is an example of advancement in this field. The topic of parent education is noteworthy in light of the growing need to empower parents to raise well-developed children. The development of effective parent education programmes is beneficial to both the parents and practitioners. However, practitioners are seldom given the opportunity to reflect on their own professional experiences of delivering these programmes. Therefore, there is a need to investigate and analyse these experiences to potentially improve programme delivery. Consequently, the aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of practitioners’ experiences of facilitating programmes aimed towards early childhood development by utilising social learning and cognitive behavioural approaches. A combination of a quantitative and qualitative research approach was used in this study. Exploratory and descriptive research designs were implemented in order to describe the social phenomenon of parent education programmes for early childhood development. Practitioners delivering parent education programmes in the Cape Metropole in South Africa were selected to participate in the study. Data was collected during individually administered interviews by means of a semi-structured questionnaire. Practitioners were given the opportunity to share their reflections (which are qualitative in nature) on their experiences of facilitating programmes aimed at early child development. The main findings of this study indicated that there is a need for practitioners to be adequately trained to deliver programmes which are engaging and relevant to the needs of parents. Group-based and community programmes were found to be effective platforms for this intervention. The nature and components of parent education programmes, as outlined in the literature, provide clear guidelines for organisations and practitioners wishing to deliver such programmes and it is recommended that they be incorporated into facilitators’ training sessions. Furthermore, the findings of this study are significant for practitioners facilitating parent education programmes as they confirmed that the effectiveness of the implementation of such programmes are linked to the delivery by and experiences of practitioners. An effort should therefore be made to enhance these experiences by endorsing the use of best practice methods for programme delivery. South Africa has recently begun to explore the innovative avenue of parent education through group-based parenting programmes. The enhancement of parents’ capabilities through these programmes are seen as an asset for promoting social development and advancing legislation on childhood development. The conclusions drawn in this study indicate a need for further research into the topic of parent education programmes in South Africa. Consequently, recommendations are provided for further research that would complement this study and elaborate on its findings.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Oueropleidingsprogramme word beskou as ʼn intervensiestrategie wat talryke maatskaplike probleme in Suid-Afrika aanspreek. Hierdie studie het dit ten doel gestel om te wys hoe belangrik dit is om ouers te bemagtig deur die ontwikkeling van hul kennis en vaardighede om so ʼn positiewe bydrae tot die toekomstige generasies van Suid-Afrikaners te maak. Vroeë kinderontwikkeling is ʼn veld waaraan daar toenemend aandag geskenk word in die hulpverleningsprofessies, byvoorbeeld maatskaplike werk, die sielkunde en die onderwys. ʼn Voorbeeld van vordering wat al op hierdie gebied gemaak is, is die ontwikkeling van oueropleidingsprogramme. Hierdie programme is van belang om die toenemende behoefte daaraan om ouers te bemagtig om goed ontwikkelde kinders groot te maak, aan te spreek. Die ontwikkeling van effektiewe oueropleidingsprogramme is voordelig vir sowel ouers as praktisyns. Praktisyns word egter selde die geleentheid gegun om te reflekteer op hul eie professionele ervaring as fasiliteerders van sodanige programme. Daarom is daar ʼn behoefte daaraan om hierdie ervarings te ondersoek en te analiseer om die lewering van hierdie programme moontlik te verbeter. Na aanleiding van hierdie behoefte, was die doel van hierdie studie om ʼn beter begrip te vorm van die praktisyns se ervaring van die fasilitering van programme vir vroeë kinderontwikkeling deur van die sosiale leer- en kognitiewe gedragsbenaderings gebruik te maak. ʼn Kombinasie van kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenaderings is in hierdie studie gevolg. ʼn Verkennende en beskrywende navorsingsontwerp is toegepas om die sosiale fenomeen van oueropleidingsprogramme vir vroeë kinderontwikkeling te beskryf. Praktisyns van oueropleidingsprogramme wat in die Kaapse Metropool in Suid-Afrika aangebied word, is gekies om aan die studie deel te neem. Data is ingesamel tydens individuele onderhoude deur middel van semi gestruktureerde vraelyste. Praktisyns is die geleentheid gebied om te reflekteer (ʼn kwalitatiewe benadering) op hulle ervaring van die fasilitering van programme wat gerig is op vroeë kinderontwikkeling. Die hoofbevindinge van hierdie studie dui op ʼn behoefte vir praktisyns om doeltreffend opgelei te word om programme aan te bied wat aantreklik en relevant is vir ouers om hulle behoeftes aan te spreek. Daar is bevind dat groepsgebaseerde en gemeenskapsprogramme effektiewe platforms vir hierdie intervensie is. Die aard en komponente van oueropleidingsprogramme, soos uiteengesit in die literatuur, bied duidelike riglyne vir organisasies en praktisyns wat sodanige programme wil aanbied en daar word aanbeveel dat dit in opleidingsessies vir fasiliteerders inkorporeer word. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie is verder van belang vir fasiliteerders van oueropleidingsprogramme aangesien dit bevestig dat die geslaagdheid van die programme gekoppel is aan praktisyns se lewering en ervaring daarvan. ʼn Poging moet dus aangewend word om hierdie ervaring te verbeter deur praktisyns aan te moedig om die “beste praktyk”-metodes te gebruik wanneer hulle programme aanbied. Suid-Afrika het onlangs ʼn innoverende benadering tot oueropleiding begin volg, naamlik om sodanige programme in groepsverband aan te bied. Die verbetering van ouers se bekwaamheid deur middel van hierdie programme word beskou as ʼn manier om vooruitgang in maatskaplike ontwikkeling te bewerkstellig en wetgewing oor kinderontwikkeling te bevorder. Die gevolgtrekkings waartoe daar in hierdie studie gekom word, dui aan dat daar ʼn behoefte vir verdere navorsing oor oueropleidingsprogramme in Suid-Afrika bestaan. Gevolglik word daar ter afsluiting aanbevelings gemaak ten opsigte van verdere navorsingsgeleenthede wat hierdie studie kan aanvul en op sy bevindinge kan uitbrei.
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Björk, Adina. "Premature Birth & Postpartum Depression in Kosovo : Early Childhood Development." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för samhällsstudier (SS), 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-97976.
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Scholars around the world emphazise the value of more research within newborn health and maternal care until 2025, while some even express the need for more research whitin these topics in the specific case of Kosovo. Research about women`s postpartum depression (PPD) in Kosovo linked to the type of delivery was conducted by Obertinca & Dangellia, (2016), which demonstrate a research gap by asserting that current topic information within the country is scarce. This research objective was to focus on different expert perspectives in Kosovo, around linkages between a premature birth (PTB) and the mother`s PPD. Kosovo as a case presents an example of how low and middle income countries address their health policies within their national health-care system. The aim of the study was to understand what it is about PTB that seems to raise PPD amongst women in Kosovo. One important indication of further research value, is that research presented by Vigod et al, (2010) indicates strong linkages between prematurity and the mother`s PPD, while research according to Halbreich, (2005) claims that it is need for more conceptually integrated research and interdisciplinary approaches before one can establish possible linkages. An abductive logic of enquiry was used together with mixed methods within a multistage methodological approach, conducted remotely with representatives of United Nations Children`s Fund (UNICEF) and Action for Mother`s and Children (AMC) health-care staff, specialized on maternal and child health. It was found that different experts in Kosovo working with maternal and child health, shared the general perception around linkages between prematurity and the increased risk for the mother to develop PPD. Increased understanding about this topic is of highest importance since it can be linked to the country`s high numbers of infant mortality rate and performed caesarean sections, which directly affects maternal health and child development. The study used family systems theory and attachment theory in combination to develop a conceptual framework, which was useful during the thematic and content analysation process of the presented data. This study has contributed with new scientific knowledge to the on-going debate about prematurity and women`s postpartum depression, by triangulation of data from different key informants in Kosovo. This paper has provided conclusions with the basis for further research to be conducted.
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Raj, Vinaya. "An Electrophysiological Investigation of Source Memory Development in Early Childhood." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32658.
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The present study examined source memory development in a sample of 4 and 6 year children. Patterns of brain electrical (EEG) activity were examined in order to provide a neural basis for the role of prefrontal cortex functioning during source monitoring. Children were taught a series of novel facts from two difference sources (either an experimenter or puppet) and their memory for both item and source information was later tested. Results demonstrated that, after controlling for language, patterns of frontal brain activity predicted 6 year item recall performance, and trends toward significance were observed for temporal brain activity predicting 6 year source recall performance. No associations between frontal or temporal EEG activity and episodic memory judgments were observed among 4-year-old children. Future investigations should examine how source memory, and on a more general level contextual memory binding, influence the development of episodic memory in early childhood.Master of Science
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Powell, Claire Natalie. "The development of group processes during childhood and early adolescence." Thesis, University of Kent, 2014. https://kar.kent.ac.uk/53534/.
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Within social psychology, little attention is given to group processes occurring outside of adult populations. The development of these group processes is rarely discussed or otherwise is assumed to be identical to that of the adult processes observed in the literature. Developmental literature in psychology on children’s group processes is also sparse and the systematic testing of children’s intragroup processes is rare. This thesis aims to address these issues, firstly arguing for the benefit of research that brings together developmental and social literature. A review of intragroup process research with children is given, citing major publications in this area to date, along with important considerations from intergroup, peer relation and identity research. The thesis then moves on to discuss distributive justice and resource allocation in children to introduce the experimental paradigms that will be used. Two studies examine at how intra- and intergroup processes impact on children’s decision making on resource allocation, with a third study focussing on intragroup processes in a cumulative estimation paradigm. The second part of the thesis considers productivity in children’s groups across two studies using a brainstorming paradigm. Findings from all of these studies have shown a divergence in children’s intragroup behaviour from that typically found with adults. The continued research of children’s intragroup processes is advocated as a necessary and exciting new direction for both social and developmental literature to take.
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Sharpley, Jennifer. "An investigation into the implementation of early childhood development policy in early childhood centres (A study of the Fisantekraal, northern district, Cape Town, South Africa)." University of the Western Cape, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4205.
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Masters in Public Administration - MPAThe White Paper on Education and training defines ECD as the process by which children 0 – 9 grow and thrive in all respects. The main focus of ECD’s is to ensure that children are thriving, by providing a solid foundation for physical, emotional, cognitive and overall healthy development of children (UNICEF, 2005). Therefore a critical factor for educational achievement is access to ECD. In redressing the exclusion of the past in ECD the equity enshrined in the white paper on Education and training (1995) and the Reconstruction and development program (RDP) suggest that government act as the key agent for ‘levelling the playing field’ . This would greatly benefit the historically disadvantaged children which are the majority within South Africa (Department Basic Education, 2001). The challenge is to establish in which way the playing field are bring levelled to increase ascertain ECD programs for all children in general, and poor children in particular. Thus the implementation of quality programs becomes a matter of urgency (UNICEF, 2005). Many ECD centres have been established around the world and in South Africa, very few studies have been conducted concerning the implementation of government policy in terms of ECD centres. As stated in the Convention on the Right of the Child and the African charter on the Rights and the welfare of the child. The South African constitutions in regard to Act 108 of 1996 include the Bill of Rights, with policies and plans that are in one place to ensure that the rights of children in the Early Childhood Developmental stage are met (Child institute, 2007/2008). This research investigates the implementation of government ECD policy in the three sectors of government policy which need to be adhered to. Namely the criteria stipulated by the Educational Department, Social Development as well as the Department of Health. The study shall ascertain whether these policies are indeed being implemented. New ECD programs include the ECD integrated Plan with a focus on parent education, in addition to Expanded Public Works Program which also includes the training of parents (Biersterker & Kvalsig, 2007 :pp 1200). The research objectives are namely to examine the implementation of ECD policy which covers all three departments that of; Education, Social Development and Health. To develop a legislative and conceptual framework to underpin the study Identify challenges and opportunities from primary data and draw conclusions Make recommendations Specific research questions addresses in this study: •To determine what processes are in place to ensure effective and efficient implementation of the ECD policy. •To ascertain what specific challenges are faced by ECD centres staff during the implementation of policy. •The relevance of the policies to the intended Institutions. A qualitative study method shall be adopted. The instrument (questionnaire) will be issued to participants namely head/principal or teacher in charge of ECD centres. The questionnaire shall be followed up with a focus group, which shall include head of ECD’s as well as active parents from communities/governing bodies. The researcher undertakes the responsibility of providing and examining the level of competences. The researcher shall be responsible in conducting the research, with integrity and maintain honesty and fairness at all times. The participants are assured that the information shared during the discussions would be used solely for the study and no other publications. The researcher shall uphold the right for any participant to withdraw from the process if they no longer wish to participate. Only respondents who provide consent to being a part of this process shall participate.
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Seitz, Hilary Jo. "Parent-teacher collaborations in emergent curriculum development in two early childhood classrooms." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/280203.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the role that parents take in the development of the emergent curriculum in early childhood classrooms influenced by the philosophy of Reggio Emilia schools. I conducted this teacher research study in my preschool classroom and in another private preschool that follows a similar philosophy. Both preschool programs are accredited by the NAEYC; both preschool programs follow practices associated with the philosophy of Reggio Emilia, including building on the children's interests by using an emergent curriculum; and both schools encourage parents to participate. My close ties with each preschool allowed me access in ways that would not have otherwise been possible. To learn how parents are protagonists in early childhood classrooms, ones influenced by the schools of Reggio Emilia, I observed six parent participants in the two preschool classrooms (three at each site) during a four-month period. I also interviewed each of these six parents and interviewed six teachers from the two sites regarding their parent involvement practices and their use of the emergent curriculum. The data analysis led to a greater understanding of how parents are involved in early childhood programs. The analysis showed how parents influence the emergent curriculum, and how they perceive the process. The analysis also shared the teachers' perceptions of parents in the early childhood classroom specifically in emergent curriculum development. This analysis is from data collected from parent participants and teacher participants of the two preschools. Case studies offered an in-depth portrayal of two parents and how they influenced the emergent curriculum and how they were protagonists in their children's school life. This study has allowed me to become more aware of how parents influence the emergent curriculum and how parents and teachers perceive the process.
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Broderick, Jane Tingle, and Seong Bock Hong. "Introducing the Cycle of Inquiry System: A Reflective Inquiry Practice for Early Childhood Teacher Development." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2011. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4473.
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The Cycle of Inquiry (COI) is a tool for emergent curriculum planning and for professional development of early childhood teachers and teacher education students. The COI includes a sequence of five organizational forms connecting analysis of documentation data with intentional planning for long-term emergent inquiry inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach. The authors discuss and analyze the COI System through examination and analysis of the work of a student in a university early childhood teacher preparation program. Through this case study, the authors explore (1) whether a preservice teacher can learn to use the COI form-driven process to plan and facilitate emergent curriculum and (2) whether a mentor can scaffold and assess the development of an inservice or preservice teacher using the teacher’s COI documentation. The authors also describe ongoing research into use of the COI System and outline potential directions for future research.
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Madyibi, Siphe. "Evaluating the impact of facility and household-level factors on early learning development in Philippi, Western Cape." University of Western Cape, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/8383.
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Philosophiae Doctor - PhDEarly learning opportunities in South Africa are both inaccessible and unequal in quality due to facility and household-level factors. With minimal resources, Early Childhood Development (ECD) facilities in poor communities provide low-quality ECD services to children. Part of the reason that ECD facilities are under-resourced and of poor quality is their inadequate funding. The disparity in quality means that poor children may still lag behind children who have had access to high-quality, well-resourced ECD facilities. Beside facility-level factors, the process of early learning is also influenced by household factors. Studies have found that low-cost stimulations such as storytelling, singing and playing with household objects can be used as tools to promote early development within the confines of the household.
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Madigan, Dara Michelle. "The relationship between early childhood professional development, quality of care, and children's developmental outcomes." Kansas State University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/17683.
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Master of ScienceDepartment of Family Studies and Human Services
Bronwyn Fees
An increased focus on school readiness in recent years has placed more attention on the importance of quality early care and education settings for children ages 3 to 5 years. The first five years of a child’s life represent a crucial period for development, and care settings impact children’s outcomes in a variety of domains. Preparation of teachers in order to provide a high-quality level of care that supports positive outcomes for children is critical. This report assesses the current state of the literature on effective professional development for early childhood professionals (primarily those working center-based settings with children ages 3 to 5 years), specifically as it relates to improved outcomes for children in the areas of social-emotional competence and language and literacy development. Methods for adult learning are also reviewed and recommendations for appropriate models of professional development based upon this review are provided. It is recommended that specific aspects within models of professional development be reviewed further to determine more concrete predictors in terms of what is effective for adult learning and application of concepts. It also is recommended that early care and education providers take part in professional development activities that have an added level of support and feedback, such as coaching, to assist in improving instructional practices to impact developmental outcomes in targeted areas, such as literacy.
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Lindemer, Candace L. "The Development of a Rating Scale to Measure the Quality of Preschool Literacy Environments-A Valdity Study." University of Akron / OhioLINK, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1144085177.
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Terrell, LaTrenda. "Head Start Teacher Professional Development on Language Modeling and Children's Language Development: A Sequential Mixed Methods Design." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/590.
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Poverty is known to affect many areas of life for poor children, particularly young children’s language development. To address language development issues as well as other educational needs, the Head Start Program was created. The purpose of this sequential mixed-methods study was to describe the professional development experiences of Head Start teachers on language modeling. In addition, this study sought to explore teachers’ views on language modeling and the activities they find most effective to support student learning.
Analysis of the data revealed that teachers wanted more training and workshops, to be paired with a mentor/coach, pay raises for achieving higher education, strategies for working with children, and encouragement from administration to effectively achieve their professional development plans and goals. Additionally, teachers demonstrated an understanding of the importance of language modeling for children to build vocabulary, to improve school readiness goals, and to communicate and express their needs. Finally, teachers felt very strongly that they use frequent conversations, wait for student responses during conversations, use back and forth conversations, encourage peer conversations, use more than one word as well as a variety of words to support children’s language development.
Findings from this study may be utilized to provide the necessary support teachers need to improve their language modeling skills and to help programs in their planning and evaluation of an ongoing professional development model. This study adds to the literature on bridging the gap between learning about practices and using them in the classroom to improve children’s language development by including teacher voices into their professional development and how to effectively implement coaching practices to promote teacher knowledge and skills.
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Lee, Sae Me. "Emotional Sensibility and Early Childhood Education: Building Quality Relationships." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2019. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/21863.
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In close alignment with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) for Australia, the underlying premise of this thesis is that the early years, from birth to five years, are educationally, profoundly important. It follows, therefore, that those who work with young children in early childhood (EC) settings, performing this important and foundational educational role should be professional educators or teachers, educated to the same professional, educational standard as teachers in schools. Moreover, the relationships that EC educators or teachers form with the young children in their care should be appropriately caring and emotionally supportive, but also thoroughly professional as they work to enhance children’s learning, wellbeing and development. Currently, however, the educational mission and professional status of early childhood learning in Australia remains what the Framework called in 2009, a ‘vision’. Moreover, some of the language currently surrounding early childhood provision in Australia undermines the educational purpose and the professional role of providers. This includes the persistent use by government of the term ‘childcare’, when referring to the role of EC centres, and the term ‘childcare workers’ when referring to educators or teachers. It also includes the ubiquitous use of the terms ‘attachment’ and ‘secure attachment’ in policy and other support documents, including the EYLF, to characterise the kind of relationship that should exist between early childhood educators or teachers and the children they teach. This thesis is concerned with the building of quality relationships within early childhood education and argues that the terms ‘attachment’ and ‘secure attachment’ are educationally and professionally problematic and should be abandoned. These terms properly belong where they originated, within the context of parent and child relationships. Instead, relationships between early childhood professionals and young children should, first and foremost focus on quality, primarily characterised in terms of Emotional Sensibility. In furthering this claim, this thesis draws on research undertaken in early childhood settings. The findings of this research help to clarify and defend the notion of Emotional Sensibility as the appropriate educational and professional basis for building quality relationships in early years settings. In particular, a main outcome of this study was the production of an Emotional Sensibility Observational Scale (ESOS) as an authentic tool for observing, assessing and supporting EC educators and teachers’ Emotional Sensibility, when relating to children in their care. Changing the way quality relationships are characterised in early childhood education is not a mere technicality. Rather, this thesis argues, founding quality relationships on Emotional Sensibility is central to achieving the vision of early childhood education as truly educational and professional, which, in turn, has an important bearing on how early childhood educators are themselves educated in preparation for the role they will play in early childhood education.