While child development is well-recognized as a complex process which could hardly be decomposed into separate lines or domains in contemporary psychological theories, the decomposition approach is widely used in empirical studies. Based on the cultural-historical theory, this study argues for adopting the unit of analysis as a way to bridge this…

Recent early childhood education and care (ECEC) reforms across the globe are placing greater emphasis on the intentionality of educators' pedagogy. In Australia, a National Quality Agenda (NQA) has significantly reformed ECEC through the country's first national learning framework, which demands educators take a more intentional (active) role in…

It is widely accepted that professional learning is a crucial aspect of the ongoing professional practice of educators. But how should this professional learning take place, and what arrangements enable and constrain practices associated with educator learning? In this article, we explore two case studies of action research projects: one…

Euro-Western perspectives dominate visual communication design education in Australia. This paper examines how the "8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning" pedagogical framework transformed the learning and teaching of design within high school contexts in two Aboriginal communities -- Ntaria in the Northern Territory and Warmun in Western…

This practice report highlights changes made to a first-year unit in an Urban and Regional Planning degree, designed to enhance students' levels of cultural competency. We briefly discuss the history of cultural competency highlighting a lack of application in the field of urban planning. We report on a practical case study where six strategies…

This paper contributes to the Research Symposium, "Strengths approaches in early childhood mathematics education" by providing an illustration of how an early childhood centre adopts a strengths approach to mathematics education for birth to three-year-old children. A case illustration is drawn from a current Australian Research…

In this article, we examine the "entrepreneurial self" as a response to prevailing neoliberalism in higher education. We draw on positioning theory to explore a case study of an academic language and learning (ALL) advisor at an Australian university. ALL advisors work closely with students and academic teaching staff to develop teaching…

Meaningful and enjoyable experiences are important in the education of children. In this qualitative case study, the garden program (incl. market garden shop, garden care, Kid's Kitchen, and chicken coop) in one Australian primary school was explored to determine its impact on the mathematical learning of children. Data were collected using focus…

For those preparing for outdoor education and related professions, formal theory has an important role to play in terms of informing professional practice and understandings of teaching-learning dynamics. Despite this, surprisingly little is understood about how pre-service outdoor educators (POEs) view and engage with it in their preparation…

Museums are a place of experiential and inquiry learning for young children. We know that children's experiences at museums can provide novel opportunities to interact with rare artefacts, can extend concepts explored in early childhood curricula and encourage knowledge sharing with families. Research on the efficacy or outcomes of museum programs…

Many governments have launched the top-down early childhood curriculum (ECC) reforms to enhance the accountability of early childhood education and care (ECEC) services. The present discourse analysis of latest ECC policies across four diverse but representative countries -- Australia, China, New Zealand, and Singapore -- aims to examine the…

Implementing inclusive education requires on-going commitment to teachers' professional learning. One way of implementing professional learning is to develop learning communities based on Lave and Wenger's ideas of situated learning and learning as social practice. Learning communities, drawing on models of Professional Learning Communities and…

School Mathematics Leaders seek to improve the mathematical learning outcomes of the students in their schools. Recognising that improved learning is dependent on high quality teaching, leaders are often keen to support teachers' knowledge of mathematics content and pedagogy. This paper reports ways in which School Mathematics Leaders support and…

This research involves two case studies, one in Melbourne, Australia the other in Gothenburg, Sweden, that focus on how using observation tools to gather classroom evidence of teaching and learning promoted opportunities to discuss and develop professional practice. We found that dialogues between pre-service teachers and more experienced…

The relationship between teaching and learning is a most central issue in education research, but it is yet to be fully understood. Variation Theory provides an explanatory account for teaching and learning and offers a specific view on what it means to learn: to discriminate and to discern critical aspects of the object of learning. This paper…