This doctoral research addressed the dearth of research focussed on childminding in Ireland, despite its significant role in national childcare provision. One overarching aim was to explore childminders' pedagogy. The research was conducted within the theoretical framework of Ecocultural Theory (ECT) against the backdrop of Irish Early Childhood…

Humans' participation positively impacts society and individuals, suggesting that children's participation in activities carried out in supportive environments promotes positive health and the development of key capacities. COVID-19 abruptly changed the daily lives of children and their caregivers due to the general duty of home confinement with…

In flexibly scheduled early childhood education and care (ECEC), the timing of care depends on parents' non-standard working hours. Multiple individual schedules and care times in a child group may cause irregularity in a child's daily structures, and a child may miss a standard hour's activities that are led by teachers with a pedagogical…

Educators in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) have experienced changes in policies, accountability and curriculum. Concerns arise for educators regarding rapid staff turnover, pressure of expectations, and burnout. Although increased research has examined teacher resilience, less has focused on the perspectives of ECEC educators and what…

Within developed countries child poverty is a social problem with significant negative effects. With a backdrop of austerity, the UK's first child poverty strategy was released in 2011. Pervaded by neo-liberal ideology this strategy identifies preschool services as key to remediating the negative effects of child poverty on children and families…

High quality early childhood education and care programmes encourage frequent, positive communication with and positive, effective relationships between parents and early childhood educators. The present study aimed to examine the adult relationship aspects of childcare and, more precisely, the parent/caregiver relationship dyad. The way in which…

This article focuses on some of the issues that shape understandings of professional practice in the rapidly expanding context of children's centres in England. Drawing on data from an ESRC-funded project exploring practitioners' understandings of quality and success, the perspectives of 115 practitioners working in 11 Sure Start Children's…

Child outcome studies consistently emphasize the effects of quality childcare on the early development of young children. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effects of assessment training and digital media on teacher-child interactions measured using the Caregiver Child Interaction Scale (CCIS). The participants included six infant…

Investigated the naive and informed beliefs infant caregivers held about caregiving, using videotaped infant/caregiver interactions and caregiver interviews and writings. Explored the predominance of naive beliefs and the implications for professional education of early childhood teachers. (JPB)

Draws on examples from a study of teachers' co-construction of definitions of curriculum in one New Zealand child care center to examine the influence of teachers' awareness of various early childhood education traditions/models and teachers' ideas about aspects of the center-based experience considered to be part of the curriculum. Concludes with…

A study examined experiences of infants and toddlers in New Zealand child care centers to determine if those experiences provided opportunities for learning in the context of shared attention. Results provided evidence of staff sensitivity and responsiveness, close child/caregiver relationships, the importance of language and shared meaning, and…