The article describes a comparative case study on children's agentive orientations in two Hong Kong preschools, one is play-based and the other is academically focused. Agentive orientations were measured using Reunamo's interview tool, which focuses on children's uses of accommodative and agentive orientations in everyday situations. The findings…

This article examines the use of naturalistic observations to explore children's experiences in the early years at school, from their perspectives. It looks at the difficulties encountered in determining the significance of observed behaviours in relation to (a) experiences and (b) impact of those experiences. Often the children were not satisfied…

Djarlgarra Koolunger (Canning River kids) is a culturally centred outdoor learning project referred to as 'On Country Learning' or OCL. The project explores Aboriginal connectedness to the spiritual, social, cultural, environmental and geographic dimensions of particular outdoor spaces. This allows Indigenous and non- Indigenous students and their…

In this book, the author tells the recent history of the natural and creative growth of a vital community of learners, of an experiment in collaborative education and social celebration of diverse experiences and skills that works to benefit young children, parents and practitioners in education and social services. After a background section,…

Music offers toddlers many opportunities for playful exploration, discovery, self-expression and communication. However, in some settings the reality of the many demands of a busy daily program means children are offered only occasional or limited music experiences. Further, some playroom staff are uncertain about how best to plan music…

Presents three examples of the beginnings of togetherness among young peers, ages 1-3 years. Considers psychological processes underlying their activities and the characteristics of the settings in which these activities occur. Discusses these examples in the context of a definition of the social interactive dimension of learning, and the…

Common themes emerge from the writings of John Dewey and George Herbert Mead on four educational topics discussed here: (1) play; (2) science teaching; (3) history teaching; and (4) industrial education. Both men deplored the fragmentation of education and believed moral insight could be furthered through social understanding, science, and…

This paper reports on an investigation into the quality of the learning experiences for 4-5-year-old children in Northern Ireland schools in the context of the debate about play-based and formal approaches to learning and teaching. Detailed observations were carried out in 70 Year 1 classes: 38 in traditional Year 1 classes where the Northern…