bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pedagogy in the Nursery: Establishing Practitioner Partnerships in High-quality Long Day Care Programs
Authors: Macfarlane Kym , Noble Karen , Cartmel Jennifer 
Published: March 2019

One of the most significant societal changes over the past few decades has been the growing number of women in the paid work force. As a direct result of this sociological phenomenon, childcare centres have been providing long day care for vastly increasing numbers of very young children. The speed of this change has created a societal dilemma regarding the level of training required to prepare practitioners for such important pedagogical work. Traditional approaches to the training and preparation of practitioners for work in this field do not always highlight the significance of the important relationship early childhood education and care practitioners have with very young children, or respond to current conceptualisations of children and families and the contexts in which they live (Dahlberg, Moss & Pence, 2002; Moss, 2003). This paper takes issue with these points by exploring an alternative approach to the preparation of practitioners for work in this field. The use of Learning Circles as a conceptual tool is examined as an alternative response, aimed at developing a concentrated pedagogical process by which undergraduates explore the links between theory and effective practice.
An Ethical Journey: Rights, Relationships and Reflexivity
Authors: Bone Jane 
Published: March 2019

In this paper the process of approaching three different early childhood settings with the same consent forms is discussed. In each setting ethical procedures were viewed differently. This formed a journey of discovery and provided an opportunity to reconceptualise the ethical process. While it is always the responsibility of the researcher to conduct research in an ethical way, the field of early childhood education offers specific challenges. In this research it became obvious that perspectives on ethics include rights, relationships and reflexivity. The importance of including teachers and parents in this process is acknowledged. The consent form for children is described and, as it becomes a focus of negotiation, its influence on the attitude of the researcher becomes a narrative of ethical encounter. ‘…we deliberate not about Ends, but Means to Ends’ (Aristotle, 1947, p. 52).
Empowering Preservice Teachers to Embrace Diversity
Authors: Stamopoulos Elizabeth 
Published: March 2019

This paper describes a Community Links Program (CLP) which preservice teachers completed as part of their third year early childhood Bachelor of Education course. The study examined preservice teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the CLP in challenging them to reflect on their values and beliefs and in preparing them for teaching. It required preservice teachers to undertake 25 hours of community service in order to engage in authentic recreational experiences with individuals with diverse abilities. It challenged them to critically reflect upon their own values and beliefs and embrace diversity through first-hand experience, interaction, reflection and discursive interpretation. Preservice teachers were surveyed on the outcomes of their CLP and wrote reflective summaries on their experiences. The most notable outcomes noted by the preservice teachers were the building of positive attitudes towards people with disabilities, deeper knowledge and understandings of diversity, stronger partnerships with agencies and their clients, and greater confidence to develop more inclusive classrooms.
Voices from an Enclave
Authors: Skattebol Jen , Ferfolja Tania 
Published: March 2019

IN THIS PAPER WE EXAMINE eight lesbian mothers' experiences and perceptions of their young children's early childhood education. These mothers identified the (in)visibility of their lesbian identities and families and the narrow definition of family in early childhood settings as significant issues in their experiences as childcare users. This paper traces these issues to the normative ideas of, and superficial engagement with, families in early childhood curriculum, pedagogy, practices and procedures. The childcare settings used by these families were situated in a relatively ‘accepting’ community within a lesbian enclave in inner-city Sydney. Yet even here the mothers were required to undertake complex negotiations about the way the setting catered to their family constellation in the everyday practices. We argue that early childhood educators could better support this group through more active engagement in representing a broad range of differences, including those relating to sexuality. Furthermore, educators can create richer opportunities for connections and community between families when they focus on the everyday functions of families rather than an exclusive focus on family structures.
The Role of Meaningful Dialogue in Early Childhood Education Leadership
Authors: Deakins Eric 
Published: March 2019

ACTION RESEARCH WAS USED to study the effectiveness of Learning Organisation and Adaptive Enterprise theories for promoting organisation-wide learning and creating a more effective early childhood education organisation. This article describes the leadership steps taken to achieve shared vision via meaningful dialogue between board, management and staff that encouraged mental models to be revealed and modified as conflicts in deeply held beliefs became reconciled. Consideration of feedback relationships provided valuable systemic insights and a choice of organisation futures. Over time, the new mindset resulted in new infrastructure, policies, training and reward practices that enabled the organisation to compete very successfully against other service providers through a differentiation strategy of quality and responsiveness. Significant and enduring improvement in the self-esteem of empowered individuals was also noted. The results of this research should be of interest to any leader who needs to radically transform attitudes and beliefs, promote organisation-wide learning, and effectively implement widespread, enduring change.
Indigenous Australians and Preschool Education
Authors: Biddle Nicholas 
Published: March 2019

THIS PAPER DISCUSSES the individual, family, household and area level characteristics associated with preschool attendance for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians (aged three to five years who are not at school). Controlling for these factors explains all of the difference between Indigenous and non-Indigenous attendance rates for three-year-olds and much of the difference for four- and five-year-olds. Households Indigenous children live in have lower incomes and education levels than those of non-Indigenous children. Both factors are associated with lower attendance in preschool. State and territory, as well as remoteness, are also important explanatory variables, although the effects are different for Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. Finally, having a preschool worker who identifies as being Indigenous working in the area significantly increases attendance for Indigenous children in that area. However, fewer than 30 per cent of Indigenous children live in such areas.
Young Children's Meaning-Making through Drawing and ‘Telling’
Authors: Wright Susan 
Published: March 2019

YOUNG CHILDREN'S MEANING-MAKING is a multifaceted, complex experience, where thought, body and emotion unite. Rich and intricate creations are brought to life through children's formation, communication and interpretation of ‘signs’ which stand for or represent something else. The term drawing-telling is used to describe children's use of a range of signs when depicting imaginary worlds on paper, on the topic of what they think the future might be like. Such depictions include an expansive range of signs—narration, gesture, graphic depiction, onomatopoeia—often used in highly interactive ways. This paper illustrates, through examples of young children's drawings and transcripts of their ‘tellings’, the intertextual nature of their work. It foregrounds how adults must be sensitive to children's shifts between various subject positionings and the multiple functions that may be assigned to their depicted objects and events. Similarities between drawing-telling and filmic textual features are featured to assist adults in understanding children's meaning-making.
Drawing Stories: The Power of Children's Drawings to Communicate the Lived Experience of Starting School
Authors: MacDonald Amy 
Published: March 2019

ALL TOO FREQUENTLY THE process of starting school is viewed through the eyes of teachers and parents alone. What is often overlooked is that the children, who live this experience, and their interpretation of events, may be vastly different from that of their parents and teachers. The use of drawings in conjunction with oral retellings is an innovative strategy in terms of studies related to transition. In the study reported on in this article, experiences were shared not only through what the children themselves said, but also through what they have drawn. This article highlights the nature of children's experiences as they start school, and how both oral and visual narratives can be effectively combined to access the lived experiences of young children. The wider study reported in this article was qualitative in nature and focused on the transition1 to Kindergarten2 experience at Callan Public School3, a small school in rural New South Wales, Australia. The study included three key stakeholders: the classroom teacher, the parents and, importantly, the children themselves. The children's drawings and comments have been combined with observations and anecdotes from parents and the classroom teacher in order to offer a richer insight into the process of starting school in this small rural community.
A Review of Gay and Lesbian Themed Early Childhood Children's Literature
Authors: Sapp Jeff 
Published: March 2019

ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE downtown library, my world began to open up. It was in the gay and lesbian literature section that I began to reclaim my life. I would spend nights alone, sitting on the floor reading coming out stories, sections of fiction, gay and lesbian history, and anything else I could find. Those nights on the third floor, alone on the cold cement floor, were where I took my first breaths of life. It was where I discovered that I would survive. It was literature and literacy that helped save my life. William DeJean (2001)
Character Education, Dr Seuss and Te Whāriki: A Likely Combination
Authors: Singer Miriam J. 
Published: March 2019

Can we teach them wrong from right? Can we help them see the light? Using books I'm glad to say, May teach the moral of the day. We should teach them in the home, We should teach them where they roam. We can teach them in the school, Where they'll learn the golden rule.
Curriculum Guidelines for Early Literacy: A Comparison of New Zealand and England
Authors: Blaiklock Ken 
Published: March 2019

THE DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY literacy knowledge is generally seen as an important aspect of early childhood education. The way early literacy learning is promoted, however, varies greatly in different national curriculum frameworks. This article compares the approach taken in the New Zealand early childhood curriculum ( Te Whāriki) with the approach outlined in the curriculum for young children in England (The Early Years Foundation Stage or EYFS). The curricula are compared in relation to (1) the description of literacy-related learning outcomes; (2) guidance for teachers on how to foster literacy learning; and (3) guidance on formative and summative assessment. The EYFS contains more detailed information in each area of comparison. The article suggests that the lack of information on literacy in Te Whāriki may mean that children are provided with an inadequate range of literacy experiences in New Zealand early childhood centres.
It's in the bag: Parental involvement in a numeracy at-home program
Authors: Muir Tracey 
Published: March 2019

THIS PAPER DESCRIBES A project conducted with the parents of children in early childhood classes from two different district high schools 1 . The project investigated the perceptions held by these parents in relation to mathematics education, and used an intervention program designed to encourage them to engage in numeracy activities with their child. Preliminary results indicated that, although the parents were not necessarily familiar with contemporary numeracy classroom practices, they were able to describe and evaluate their children's mathematical understandings. The findings add to the limited research available on the ways parents can support their child's mathematical education at home through encouraging home–school community partnerships. 1 District high schools in this context refers to rural schools with classes ranging from Kindergarten–Year 10.
Reframing early childhood leadership
Authors: Stamopoulos Elizabeth 
Published: March 2019

RAPID CHANGES IN AUSTRALIAN education have intensified the role of early childhood leaders and led to unprecedented challenges. The Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2011), mandated Australian National Quality Framework (NQF) for Early Childhood Education & Care (DEEWR, 2010b) and the National Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) (DEEWR, 2009) have heightened the need for leaders to guide and move the profession forward. Leaders need to build professional knowledge, pedagogical capacity and infrastructure in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce in order to deliver reforms and achieve high-quality outcomes for children. Yet research on early childhood leadership remains sparse and inadequately theorised, while the voice of the early childhood profession remains marginalised (Woodrow & Busch, 2008). In this paper I draw on my previous research in leadership and change management which investigated principals', early childhood teachers' and teacher-aides' conceptual and behavioural positions on educational changes in work contexts. I present a model of leadership that connects to practice, builds professional capacity and capability, and recognises the importance of relationship building and quality infrastructure. The model calls for robust constructions of leadership and improved professional identity that will reposition the profession so that it keeps pace with the critical needs of early childhood professionals. Within this model, tertiary educational institutions and professional organisations will play their role in guiding the profession forward as new paradigms evolve and federal and state initiatives begin to surface.
So What Happens after the Event? Exploring the Realisation of Professional Development with Early Childhood Educators
Authors: Inglis Sue , Brown Alice 
Published: March 2019

THIS PAPER CONSIDERS WHETHER simply providing and attending professional development and training opportunities enhances quality in early childhood education, or whether the educators' actual practices are a better indication. It reports on research that examined factors impacting on early childhood educators' realisation of professional development once participants returned to their organisation. Using case studies, the paper points to a range of factors educators identified as either enabling or hindering endeavours to practise and sustain new understandings within their early childhood service. It concludes by recommending a number of strategies that lead to a more effective realisation of professional development opportunities, including the importance of continued dialogue with all stakeholders about understandings of effective professional development in the field of early childhood education.
Through the Eyes of Parents: A Singaporean Perspective of the Importance of Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Skills for Six-Year-Old Children
Authors: Carter Margaret Anne , Frewen Amie , Chunn Jennifer 
Published: March 2019

THIS STUDY REPORTS THE importance 244 parents of six-year-old children living in Singapore placed on cognitive (problem-solving and creativity) and non-cognitive (practical school skills and conforming) behaviours. Our research team hypothesised that, as the age of the parent increased, the importance placed on each covariant skill (problem solving, creativity, practical, conformity) would differ. It was further hypothesised that the importance placed on cognitive skills compared with non-cognitive skills for six-year-old children would decrease. Our results indicate that, when controlling for demographics, as parents aged they did place different levels of importance on each of the cognitive skills but not the non-cognitive skills. Furthermore, older parents placed less importance on cognitive compared with non-cognitive skills. The gap between average cognitive rating and average non-cognitive scores decreased as parents' age increased. This gap was found to be smaller for Chinese than non-Chinese parents. It decreased with age when controlling for child gender and parent ethnicity, gender and occupation.
Tolerance of Food Intolerance: A Sociocultural Study of Parent Perceptions on Food, Behaviour and Learning in Children aged between two and 14
Authors: Golemac Dianne , Hallowell Leanne 
Published: March 2019

THIS QUALITATIVE STUDY FOCUSES on the beliefs of parents who have investigated food intolerance in their children, and their perspectives on the behaviour and learning of their children when on a diet of food they can tolerate. It aims to provide further information to early childhood educators about food intolerance, its impact on families and how it may be managed in early childhood settings. The participants in this study—parents of children with food intolerance—used self-reported journals and interviews to describe improvements in the health, behaviour and learning of their children when they ate food they were able to tolerate. They also believed that family relationships were better. They identified hardships in communicating food intolerance management with their extended families and with those responsible for the care and education of their children. An online discussion forum for people investigating food intolerance was also identified as a support.
Safety Risk Intelligence: Children's Concept Formation of Safety and their Individual Capabilities to appraise Risk of Injury
Authors: O'Neill Susie 
Published: March 2019

CHILDHOOD INJURIES ARE A growing global public health concern and the main cause of death among children, worldwide. There are proven ways to reduce the likelihood and severity for each area of child injury. Notwithstanding this, children continue to suffer serious injury and death at significant rates in Australia and elsewhere. Strategies have tended to concentrate on identifying a risk factor and seeking ways to address the risk, independent of considering approaches that provide children with a sense of ownership of the safety issues. There appears to be an absence of scholarly research examining a ‘collective risk intelligence’ as a targeted form of safety-related capacity building. It is this latter safety risk conceptualisation, viewed holistically rather than by issue, that is the focus of this paper. In this paper, it is argued that, when children are given the right opportunities, they can develop safety risk intelligence that equips them with understanding to manage their safety in everyday life. Findings from the SeeMore Safety case study provide the foundation for arguing the concept of safety risk intelligence. How children transform their behaviours in relation to potential hazards in their environment and build a safety risk understanding is captured in the term ‘safety risk intelligence’.
Essential Oil Composition of Thymus Serpyllum Cultivated in the Kumaon Region of Western Himalaya, India
Authors: Verma Ram S. , Rahman Laiq ur , Chanotiya Chandan S. , Verma Rajesh K. , Singh Anand , Yadav Anju , Chauhan Amit , Yadav Ajai K. , Singh Anil K. 
Published: March 2019

The hydrodistilled essential oil of aerial parts of Thymus serpyllum L. (Lamiaceae), cultivated in the Kumaon region of western Himalaya was analyzed by GC and GCMS. Twenty-nine compounds, representing 91.8% of the oil, were identified. The major components were thymol (58.8%), p-cymene (5.7%), thymol methyl ether (4.0%), borneol (3.8%), sabinene (3.4%), γ-terpinene (3.4%) and carvacrol methyl ether (3.2%).
Isolation and Activity of Two Antibacterial Biflavonoids from Leaf Extracts of Garcinia livingstonei (Clusiaceae)
Authors: Kaikabo Adamu A. , Samuel Babatunde B. , Eloff Jacobus N. 
Published: March 2019

The antibacterial activity of the acetone extract of Garcinia livingstonei leaves was studied using bioautography and by determining the minimum antibacterial concentration against four nosocomial pathogens. Bioautograms showed that two compounds were mainly responsible for the antibacterial activity. These were isolated by a combination of solvent-solvent fractionation and bioassay-guided chromatographic fractionation and were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and 2D NMR spectroscopy as amentoflavone and 4″-methoxy amentoflavone. The antibacterial activity of the isolated compounds was determined against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Three of the tested organisms were sensitive to both compounds with MIC values ranging from 8–100 μg/mL. P. aeruginosa was resistant with MICs >100 μg/mL. The safety of the two compounds was assessed with a tetrazolium based colorimetric assay (MTT assay) using Vero monkey kidney cells. The compounds had low toxicity against the cell line with cytotoxic concentrations to 50% of the cells (LD50) of 386 μg/mL and >600 μg/mL for amentoflavone and 4″-methoxy amentoflavone, respectively. Berberine, the positive control had a CC50 of 170 μg/mL. 4″-Methoxy amentoflavone was more active and much less toxic than amentoflavone.
Antiproliferative Activity of Brown Cuban Propolis Extract on Human Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Popolo Ada , Piccinelli Lisa Anna , Morello Silvana , Cuesta-Rubio Osmany , Sorrentino Rosalinda , Rastrelli Luca , Pinto Aldo 
Published: March 2019

Brown Cuban propolis (BCP) is the major type of propolis in Cuba; its chemical composition is exclusive and the principal component is nemorosone. In this study we investigated the antiproliferative activity of the ethanol extract of BCP on human breast cancer cell lines. The MTT assay showed a significant antiproliferative activity (P<0.005) of BCP on MCF-7 (estrogen receptor positive ER+) rather than MDA-MB 23 1 (ER-). This effect was concentration- (1-25 μg/mL) and time- (24-48 h) dependent, but it is only partially attributable to apoptosis. Indeed, our data showed that BCP administration to MCF-7 caused a significant (P>0.01) inhibition of cell growth in the G1 phase of cell cycle, which was mechanism dose- and time-dependent. 17-β Estradiol (10 nM) administration to MCF-7 caused a significant (P<0.001), but not total reduction of BCP antiproliferative activity at concentrations of 1, 5 and 10 μg/mL, but not at the highest concentration (25 μg/mL). The coadministration of ICI 182,780 (100nM), an antagonist of ER, on MCF-7 totally reduced the effect of BCP at 24 h, and showed a significant (P<0.001) reduction of BCP antiproliferative activity at 48 h. Thus it was hypothesized that BCP possesses an estrogen-like activity. It is to be noted, however, that BCP application to MDA-MB 23 1 at 48 h also induced increased cell mortality. Thus, it cannot be ruled out that BCP could not only interact with the ER, but also have an ER-independent activity.