EARLY YEARS RESEARCH CENTRE CONFERENCE€¦ · become” (Janzen, 2015). ... Amanda Bateman, University of Swansea ... children’s drawing, story-telling and play in providing opportunities

People, places and things: Implications for New Zealand’s strategic plan for early learning Page 1

Saturday 28 July 2018 from 9.00am to 3.15pm Venue: SG.02 & SG.03, S Block, University of Waikato, Hamilton

PROGRAMME

EARLY YEARS RESEARCH CENTRE CONFERENCE

People, places and things: Implications for New Zealand’s strategic plan for early learning


Abstracts

Keynote addresses

Emeritus Professor Aline-Wendy Dunlop, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland [email protected]

People, places and the spaces in-between

It is often claimed a positive school start influences children’s later school success. But what is a positive

school start and is school success the same for all of our children? Along the educational journey children

meet many people and are expected to make many changes: transitions are embedded in educational systems

from the first steps children make to out-of-home-care, through the many situations children navigate as they

journey through early childhood settings into school, through the years of primary education and on into

secondary schooling and beyond. The interactions they have and the experiences they share with others

capture this constant shifting. In her presentation, Aline-Wendy will reflect on the relationships, individual

attributes, environments and educational outcomes of a number of the focal children in her long-longitudinal

study and will reflect on people, places and the spaces in-between.

Dr Lesley Rameka, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand [email protected]

Te Whatu Kete Mātauranga: Infant and toddler theory and practice

Early childhood education has an important role in building strong learning foundations to enable young

children to develop as competent and confident learners. Key to educational success for Māori and Pasifika

children is the acknowledgement that Māori and Pasifika children are culturally located and the recognition

that effective education must embrace culture. The presentation will report on a Teaching Learning Research

Initiative funded project, Te Whatu Kete Mātauranga: Infant and toddler theory and practice, which aimed to

explore how early childhood services could better integrate culture into teaching practices by creating

culturally responsive, infant and toddler teaching and learning theory, and practice guidelines.

Presentations

The complexity of teachers’ work Linda Mitchell and Jeanette Clarkin-Phillips, University of Waikato [email protected] [email protected]

A competent early childhood system requires skilled, knowledgeable, and physically and emotionally well

staff. Yet, in many parts of the world, the specialist knowledge and skills of this predominantly female

workforce is unacknowledged. Many countries face difficulties in attracting and retaining staff, with poor

pay and conditions, low professional status, and inadequate workforce preparation considered as contributing

factors. We argue therefore, that building a competent workforce requires a deep understanding of:

• the complexity of the work of early childhood education and care;

mailto:[email protected]





• the specialist skills and knowledges that high quality educators employ; and

• the impact of early childhood work on the psychological and physiological well-being of staff.

In response to these concerns we will discuss the findings of a comparative analysis of Australian and New

Zealand early childhood teacher time use that aims to make explicit the complexity of teaching in quality

ECE.

What is it in our nature that makes us want to please and conform? Jane Ewens, WMIER Doctoral Scholar, University of Waikato [email protected]

“Teachers are caught in a tug of war between what they are supposed to be and who they are trying to

become” (Janzen, 2015). As beginning teachers gain their first employment they are faced with a range of

decisions regarding the way they enact their role; decisions which may ultimately shape the teacher they will

become. The new teacher is faced with a range of, sometimes conflicting, constructs of the ‘good’ teacher.

These constructs are framed by, and located within, a range of discourses, both traditional and contemporary.

The socially-constructed teacher encounters these discourses through teacher education, official

documentation, engagement with teaching colleagues, and through their own life experience.

This presentation uses critical and feminist poststructural discourse analysis to explore the perceptions of my

PhD ECE teacher participants in relation to how new graduates reconcile the tensions between these

discourses. It includes a discussion of implications for teachers, teacher education and the developing ECE

strategic plan.

Thinking about ‘what matters’ in the transition to school Sally Peters, University of Waikato [email protected]

This paper focusses on the people, places and things that influence transitions, especially the transition from

early childhood education to school. The complex interactions of factors that can impact on learners will be

considered, along with research evidence about ‘what matters’. Particular attention will be paid to building

responsive partnerships across the borders and liminal spaces that a transition may represent. The paper also

examines the connections between Te Whāriki (2017) and NZC (2007) and the implications of Te Whāriki (2017) for children’s ongoing learning pathways as they move from ECE to school. Building on this, there

will be the opportunity to debate the place of transitions in the strategic plan for early learning.

Virtual reality – the place of immersive pedagogy Rene Novak, Doctoral candidate, University of Waikato [email protected]

This paper explores the pedagogical potential of virtual reality in ECE. It draws on a doctoral study investigating whether teachers’ conceptions of play change through exposure to virtual representations of

play through immersive videos. Some impressions of teachers with play experienced immersively and with

the virtual reality technology will be shared alongside the research methods that were used.

Facebook: Friend or Foe? The affordances of Facebook in supporting and maintaining learning relationships in an online initial teacher education programme Sara Archard, University of Waikato [email protected]

eLearning in tertiary education is increasing in popularity due to the flexibility of access for students and the

cost benefits to education providers. This increase in popularity combined with the advancement of digital

technologies, has afforded new opportunities to support learning and teaching in online learning






environments, including the use of Web 2.0 technologies such as Facebook. Although Facebook is a

successful social networking site and used in daily life by many students, there is still much discussion about

the pedagogical affordances of how it can be used to support teaching and learning.

This talk presents initial findings from a qualitative doctoral research project. The research project voices

student-teachers’ perspectives on how they perceive their relationships over time with teacher-educators in

one online initial early childhood teacher educator programme in Aotearoa New Zealand. A key point of

interest that has emerged from the preliminary research results, is that the student-teacher self-initiated use of

Facebook is an important informal, platform for supporting peer relationships. However, results also indicate

that Facebook can be a barrier in developing learning relationships with lecturers in the programme.

Re-thinking early childhood teachers' professional identities Olivera Kamenarac, Doctoral Candidate, University of Waikato [email protected]

The continuing education reforms rooted in a neoliberal ideology, have transformed the early childhood

education (ECE) sector in Aotearoa New Zealand. Teachers in both the community and for-profit services

are left with many challenges, e.g. how to secure sustainability in the market. There is an opportunity to re-

think the purpose of ECE, teachers’ professional responsibilities and identities.

Drawing on my doctoral study, I present how teachers’ professional identities have been (re)constructed in

response to the shifting discourses in ECE over the last two decades. I exemplify two identity constructions

of teachers – a business manager, and an activist-advocate, and discuss: What are changes that the sector

may need to take to be more attuned to aspirations of children, families and communities in the future? What

are qualities that teachers need to develop to build a competent ECE system?

Mathematical problem solving in the new entrant classroom: a teacher’s experience of learning to teach mathematics differently Judy Bailey, University of Waikato [email protected]

Despite problem-solving being at the heart of mathematics and a problem-solving emphasis in curriculum

documents this vision of mathematics, and mathematics teaching and learning has often been overlooked in

many classrooms. As part of a longitudinal research study three beginning teachers are being followed from

their pre-service teacher education through their first two years of teaching as they seek to learn about

incorporating problem-solving within their mathematics programmes. Data in this qualitative study has been

gathered from ongoing conversations, workshops and observations. This presentation will share the

experiences of a new entrant teacher who experienced a significant change in her thinking about the nature

of mathematics, and practice of teaching mathematics. Possible reasons for this change are explored.

Children’s and teachers’ conversations about belonging and identity Jacqui Lees and Olivia Ng – Teachers at Pakuranga Baptist Kindergarten [email protected]

Linda Mitchell and Raella Kahuroa, University of Waikato [email protected] [email protected]

Amanda Bateman, University of Swansea [email protected]

The world is facing a global refugee and immigration crisis that is affecting many young children. In keeping

with Te Whāriki’s curriculum principles and strands, early childhood services are well positioned to enable

refugee and migrant families and children to construct positive outcomes for belonging and participating in

Aotearoa New Zealand, while sustaining and contributing important cultural aspects from their home country.

This presentation draws from a two-year TLRI-funded research project focusing on the affordances of

children’s drawing, story-telling and play in providing opportunities for supporting belonging; and in art-

based and play-based pedagogies in enabling teachers to engage with children, parents and whānau. Leading

up to their participation in the research, the teachers and children at Pakuranga Baptist Kindergarten had








been talking about belonging and identity – who we are. “Together we talked about how we got our names,

what our families are like and what we like to do with them. We have also explored what we look like, and

what characteristics make us special and recognisable to those around us”.

Shared leadership in ECE settings: what does it look like and how does it happen? Jeanette Clarkin-Phillips and Jane Ewens (WMIER Doctoral Scholar), University of Waikato [email protected]

[email protected]

While concepts of distributed and/or shared leadership have become the most common descriptors of

leadership in early childhood, little has been researched or written about that adequately encapsulates

leadership practices and theory in early childhood settings. This presentation explores the theory and practice

of shared leadership in the context of early childhood education settings. Drawing on research with and by

teachers in two kindergartens, teams gathered documentation and artefacts that evidenced their

understanding of shared leadership in practice. The philosophy of sharing leadership and the enablers and

constraints to implementing such a concept became evident through the documentation, as did the visibility

of the principles and strands of Te Whāriki. This presentation argues that as a new strategic plan for ECE is

developed, strengthening leadership must be a priority and that the principles of Te Whāriki may provide a

starting place for a leadership curriculum.

Biographies

Keynote speakers

Aline-Wendy Dunlop, MBE

Educational Author and Researcher

Emeritus Professor

University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland

Aline-Wendy set out on her educational career with a primary teaching qualification supplemented by an

immersion year specialising in nursery and early primary education in the Froebelian tradition at Moray

House College in Edinburgh where her first job was as a nursery teacher in the Moray House demonstration

nursery school. Twenty-three years later, having worked variously in early childhood, primary and special

education, a residential home for mothers and babies, as a home-visiting teacher, college tutor and head

teacher, Aline-Wendy joined the lecturing staff at Edinburgh University. Always conscious of the changes

our educational systems expect of children, she embarked on an observational study of school start in two

primary schools. When Aline-Wendy took up a post in Childhood and Primary Studies at the University of

Strathclyde, many other transitions projects followed, including a long-longitudinal study. More recently,

Aline-Wendy took part in the international Pedagogies of Educational Transitions Project, visiting New

Zealand three times in the past few years. It is a real pleasure to return this year.

Lesley Rameka

Ko Tararua te maunga

Ko Ohau te awa

Ko Tainui te waka

Ko Ngāti Tukorehe te hapu

Ko Ngāti Raukawa te iwi .




Lesley is a Senior Research Fellow at the Wilf Malcom Institute of Educational Research, Faculty of

Education, University of Waikato, Hamilton. Lesley has worked in early childhood education for over 30

years, beginning her journey in te kōhanga reo, and working in a number of professional development and

tertiary education providers over the years. Lesley’s research interests include; Māori early childhood education, Kaupapa Māori Assessment in early childhood, Curriculum development in Māori early

childhood services and Māori pedagogies. Lesley’s current research projects are centred on reclaiming

Māori and Pacific perspectives of infants’ and toddlers’ care and education and reframing them for contemporary early childhood contexts. Māori educational transitions from te kōhanga reo through

kura/primary, wharekura/secondary and into tertiary and utilising Matauranga Maori to support

tamariki/whānau and kaiako becoming kaitaiki of and for the environment.

Presenters

Judy Bailey

Judy has taught in a variety of education settings and is currently teaching and researching at the University

of Waikato. Her main research focus is on exploring the affordances and constraints teachers (early years

through to early secondary) encounter as they learn to embed a problem-solving focus in their mathematics

programmes. This intersects with an ongoing concern for those learners traditionally marginalised in this

curriculum subject.

Amanda Bateman

Amanda Bateman is a senior lecturer in early childhood education at the University of Swansea. She uses

conversation analysis to investigate peer-peer and teacher-child interactions and has published widely,

including 2 books Early Childhood Education: The Co-Production of Knowledge and Relationships, and

Children’s Knowledge-in-interaction: Studies in Conversation Analysis.

Jane Ewens

Jane has had almost 30 years' experience in early childhood and teacher education, most recently as the

Director Education for Te Rito Maioha. She is currently a full-time PhD student at the University of

Waikato, focusing particularly on teacher beliefs. In addition, Jane has been working with CORE Education

on the implementation of Te Whāriki 2017.

Jeanette Clarkin-Phillips

Jeanette Clarkin-Phillips is a Senior Lecturer in Te Whiringa, School of Educational Leadership and Policy

at the Faculty of Education. Her research interests focus on both policy and practice. Her Master’s thesis focussed on distributed leadership while her doctoral thesis explored the potential of early childhood centres

to support adult aspirations. Other research interests include exploring children’s meaning-making and

creativity opportunities from museum visits, and the provision of outside ‘physical activity’ and health

programmes for early childhood education.

Raella Kahuroa

Raella Kahuroa has worked in the private, corporate, and kindergarten sectors of the early education

profession as a teacher. She completed her Masters in 2013 and has just started work on her

doctorate. Raella has been involved with a previous TLRI research project on storytelling and is currently

working on two research projects funded by Marsden and TLRI that are variously exploring belonging with

refugee and immigrant children.


Olivera Karmenerac

Olivera Karmenerac is a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Waikato. Her

research study is on how teachers' professional identities have been constructed in response to the changing

discourses in early childhood policies and practice in Aotearoa New Zealand over the last two decades.

Olivera’s research interests are in critical pedagogies, pedagogical practices, educational policies, and

cultural diversity.

Jacqui Lees

Jacqui Lees has taught at Pakuranga Baptist Kindergarten since 1998 and is currently the Kaiwhakahaere of

the team. She was involved in research on Teaching and Learning in Culturally Diverse Early Childhood

Centres in 2015 and is delighted to be involved in research focused on how we can support migrant families

and their children to have a sense of belonging and identity in Aotearoa.

Olivia Ng

Olivia Ng has been teaching at Pakuranga Baptist Kindergarten since 2004. She has a Masters of Education

from the University of Auckland and a Diploma in Teaching from New Zealand Tertiary College. Olivia

currently leads the Studio, where small groups of children investigate ideas and use a variety of art materials,

tools, and techniques to express those ideas.

Linda Mitchell

Associate Professor Linda Mitchell is the Director of the Early Years Research Centre at the University of

Waikato. Linda’s current research focuses on early childhood education policy, ECE centres constructing

pathways to belonging for refugee and immigrant families, and relationships with parents, whānau, and

community. She has written about democratic policies and practices in early childhood education and is

critical of privatisation and the market approach to early childhood provision.

Rene Novak

Rene Novak has held a strong interest in education for most of his life and has a passion for early childhood

pedagogy and technology education. Through his educational journey, he gained teaching qualifications in

all sectors, a degree in Pedagogy, a degree in Science, and he completed a Master of Education with the

University of Waikato theorising the openness of the New Zealand ECE curriculum. For the last nine years

he has been working for BestStart Educare and is currently supporting Tauranga centres as the Professional

Services Manager. He is a published PhD candidate with his thesis focusing on developing new

methodologies to study the importance of play involving modern digital technology, namely Virtual Reality,

as a tool and a method.

Sally Peters

Sally Peters is an Associate Professor at the University of Waikato and an Associate Director of the Early

years Research Centre. Sally has over 20 years’ experience researching transitions, especially transition to

school. Much of this work has been with teacher researchers in ECE and school settings. Sally is also

interested in transitions across different aspects of the lifespan and transitions in thinking (including

children's working theories). Sally was one of the seven writers for Te Whāriki 2017, with particular

responsibility for the work on pathways to school.

Documents

EARLY YEARS RESEARCH CENTRE CONFERENCE€¦ · become” (Janzen, 2015). ... Amanda Bateman, University of Swansea ... children’s drawing, story-telling and play in providing opportunities