An appropriate curriculum for 4–5‐year‐old children in Northern Ireland: comparing play‐based and formal approaches

Walsh, Glenda; Sproule, Liz; McGuinness, Carol; Trew, Karen; Rafferty, Harry; Sheehy, Noel

doi:10.1080/09575140600760003

Cited by 51 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Young children's learning is viewed as holistic therefore, the government advocated for an integrated early childhood curriculum instead of a subject-divided curriculum (MoET 2001). This approach aligns with ensuring the child's interests are at the heart of the curriculum which provides for a higher quality learning experience as identified by Walsh et al (2006) and Gardner and Walsh (2005). Thus, with this new role teachers have to know how to assess each child's existing interests, abilities and knowledge and plan for learning experiences based on these competencies.…”

Section: Renovation Of Pedagogymentioning

confidence: 87%

Renovating early childhood education pedagogy: a case study in Vietnam

Thao¹,

Boyd

2014

International Journal of Early Years Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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

show abstract

Section: Renovation Of Pedagogymentioning

confidence: 87%

Renovating early childhood education pedagogy: a case study in Vietnam

Thao¹,

Boyd

2014

International Journal of Early Years Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In this case, the present result could be traced theoretically to problems related to the quality of the learning environments in crèches. Third, the efficacy of early childhood care and education relies on the timing, breadth, and flexibility (Bos et al, 2007;Caille, 2001;Sheridan, 2007) as well as on the specific curricular and pedagogical approach of programmes (Schweinhart & Weikart, 1988Walsh et al, 2006). For instance, programmes with a preventive rather than a remedial focus providing health and social services as well as parent training over and above a child-focused programme may enhance children's skill development more efficiently than programmes with more restricted scopes (Ramey & Ramey, 1998, 2004.…”

Section: Cultural Background and Child Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

A quasi-experimental study into the relations between families' social and cultural background and children's crèche experience and global cognitive competence in primary school

Burger

2012

Early Child Development and Care

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study analysed the role of both sociocultural background and exposure to a crèche on children's development of cognitive competence in Switzerland. Data were derived from a survey on children's cognitive proficiency after enrolment to primary school. Correlations and multiple linear regressions indicate that crèche experience was not related to children's cognitive proficiency when sociocultural background characteristics were held constant, irrespective of duration and intensity of exposure. However, social and cultural background variables were related significantly to children's competence, suggesting that sociocultural disparities begin to affect children's skills early in life. The results are contextualised within the field of early childhood care and education research, and a number of explanations concerning the absence of effects of crèche are discussed. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for policy. They might encourage policymakers to supply socially disadvantaged children growing up in impoverished learning environments with enriched services and special interventions.

show abstract

“…Examples are: Developmentally Appropriate Practice (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997), the English Early Years Foundation Stage framework (Department for Education and Skills [DfES], 2007), the Japanese Ministry of Education Preschool Guidelines (in Lewis, 1995) and the guidelines issues by the Swedish Ministry of Education and Science (1998). Since its initiation however, anecdotal evidence suggests that ADEC's KG framework, while progressive, has shifted towards a more formal 'primary school' pedagogy and curriculum with an emphasis on Arabic and English literacy and numeracy, rather than pedagogies of play (Adams, Alexander, Drummond, & Moyles, 2004;McLane, 2003;Morgan & Kennewell, 2006;Ranz-Smith, 2007;Rogers & Evans, 2007;Sharp, 2002;Walsh et al, 2006). This is a common international trend and often perceived as being at the expense of play (Fisher, 2000;Frost, Wortham, & Reifel, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Tensions in policy and practice: influences on play in Abu Dhabi's New School Model KG framework

Baker

2014

Early Child Development and Care

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article reports on three salient socio-cultural and systemic factors that are influential in play in Abu Dhabi Education Council's (ADEC's) kindergarten (KG) framework from the teacher perspective. Anecdotal evidence suggests that during ADEC's progressive educational reform, emphasis has reverted to academic performance outcomes rather than whole child learning through play. Tensions may then occur surrounding the nature and extent of play practices for early learning. Following semi-structured interviews with 60 KG teachers, three salient factors emerged. These are illustrated in this article and discussed in light of the international literature on play. Tensions in policy and practice highlighted in this article are: a focus on academic performance outcomes; children's readiness to engage in play and parent perspectives on play. The article then discusses what these tensions may mean for the future of play in ADEC KGs situated within a period of educational reform.

show abstract

An appropriate curriculum for 4–5‐year‐old children in Northern Ireland: comparing play‐based and formal approaches

Cited by 51 publications

References 6 publications

Renovating early childhood education pedagogy: a case study in Vietnam

Renovating early childhood education pedagogy: a case study in Vietnam

A quasi-experimental study into the relations between families' social and cultural background and children's crèche experience and global cognitive competence in primary school

Tensions in policy and practice: influences on play in Abu Dhabi's New School Model KG framework

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About