Early childhood inclusion in Victoria, Australia: investigating parent and professional perspectives of practice, professional learning, and program policy
Creators: name: Webster, Samantha
Publisher: name: RMIT University
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 390101
subject: Creative arts, media and communication curriculum and pedagogy
classificationCode: 390302
subject: Early childhood education
classificationCode: 390499
subject: Specialist studies in education not elsewhere classified

description: Research has established the importance of the early years, a period in which young children develop foundational skills for lifelong learning. High-quality inclusive early childhood education and care (ECEC) creates opportunities for all children to access, participate and experience positive outcomes across all areas of learning and development. While existing legislation and policy in Australia supports inclusive education for all children in early childhood settings and schools, this is not consistently realised in practice. Current literature continues to demonstrate children with disabilities or developmental delays experience barriers in accessing and actively participating in ECEC. Further research that is situated within an Australian context is needed to understand this policy-practice divide.

The aims of this thesis were threefold: first, to investigate how early childhood professionals and parents of children with a disability or developmental delay experienced inclusion in ECEC settings in Victoria, Australia. Second, to investigate changes in participants’ knowledge, understanding, confidence, and perceptions of the feasibility of 12 inclusive practices outlined in the Inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP) following participation in an online workshop series. Third, to explore the enablers of inclusive practice. Using a mixed method phenomenological approach, three studies were conducted in parallel to address these aims, collecting data through interviews, questionnaires, and focus groups. These studies were informed by Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological systems theory and data were analysed using thematic analysis as well as inferential statistics procedures.

Results from qualitative interviews identified four key themes from parent and professional experiences of inclusion: understanding inclusion, inclusive practices, workforce capacity, and service systems. Quantitative data from the second study revealed participant knowledge and confidence to implement the ICP practices increased following participation in the workshop series. Finally, thematic analysis of the focus groups identified four themes as enablers of inclusive practice: partnerships, organisational culture, professional learning, and program policy. The results of these three studies were integrated in a combined analysis informed by bioecological systems theory as well as implementation science, focusing on the key areas of relationships, systems for inclusion, and professional learning. This analysis revealed the importance of relationships in advancing early childhood inclusion, with implications for reforming systems for inclusion and professional learning approaches to align with processes and practices that foster and sustain positive relationships in ECEC programs. Several recommendations are made for further research, policy, and practice. This thesis supports further understanding of inclusion in the ECEC sector from the perspectives of key stakeholders, with the potential to inform future approaches towards advancing early childhood inclusion in Australia.