“In Kindy You Don’t Get Taught”: Continuity and Change as Children Start School

Abstract

Over the last decade, there has been increasing awareness of the importance of engaging young children in research about their experiences and considering ways in which children's experiences, expectations and perceptions influence both their interactions and those of others. This has resulted from recognition of young children as active citizens, with rights to be consulted about matters that affect them and from the principles underpinning the sociology of childhood, which emphasizes children's capabilities and agency. This paper explores young Australian children's perceptions of school and learning, as expressed through drawings and conversations about school. Data from children in preschools and the early years of school highlight children's expectations and experiences of school, including the importance of play, friendships, children's dispositions, and academic expectations of school and teachers. Drawing on previous research that notes the long term importance of children's attitudes and approaches, as well as their sense of belonging and identity, at the start of school, this paper has implications for adults engaging with children as they make the transition to school.

Embedding Play-Based Learning into Junior Primary (Year 1 and 2) Curriculum in WA

“…Although play-based learning is recognised widely as a valuable pedagogical practice common to prior-to and in-school environments, it has been noted that there are often fewer opportunities for the inclusion of play-based learning activities and availability of equipment to support play in junior primary classrooms as the requirements and expectations of a more formalised curriculum begin to appear (Dockett, & Perry, 2012;Hunkin ,2014;Martlew, Stephen, & Ellis, 2011). Children's playful activity looks different and changes as children develop and enter formal schooling.…”

Adaptação na Transição para a Escola: estudo do Questionário de Adaptação Escolar e da Escala de Competência Social do SSBS-2

“…Os estudos demonstram que as crianças encaram a transição para a escola como um acontecimento positivo associado a um sentimento de promoção (eg. Correia & MarquesPinto, 2017;Dockett & Perry, 2012). Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas na adaptação escolar em função de género o que sugere que nesta faixa etária o processo de adaptação é semelhante em rapazes e raparigas.…”

Sharing Power with Children: Repositioning Children as Agentic Learners

“…Growing numbers of research studies are reporting children as authorities on their own experiences of childhood (e.g. Dockett and Perry, 2012;Einarsdottir, 2011), providing evidence of a steady shift toward listening to children for the purpose of guiding and enhancing the adult practices that directly affect children. This shift is underscored by the requirements placed upon educators to uphold the participation rights of children, as outlined in the United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (UN, 1989).…”

“…Prior research investigating the perspectives of children suggests that children are inherently agentic in their own lives and, thus, able contributors to discussions about their education. Studies with children in early childhood have examined the lived experience of childhood, including perspectives on what it is like to be a child (Adams, 2013;Lowe, 2012), perspectives specific to the context of the school experience (Koçyiğit, 2014), the experience of transitioning to school (Dockett & Perry, 2012;Einarsdottir, 2011), and children's preferences in preschool environments (Loizou, 2011). Often adult perceptions of learning-as a notion that is too abstract for young children-limit studies exploring what children believe is the best way to learn, and seek the perspectives of older children, and most frequently in response to specific programs (Harcourt & Mazzoni, 2010;Peccia, 2012).…”