Sustainable Professional Learning for Early Childhood Educators: Lessons from an Australia-Wide Mental Health Promotion Initiative

Autor/inn/en	Askell-Williams, Helen; Murray-Harvey, Rosalind
Titel	Sustainable Professional Learning for Early Childhood Educators: Lessons from an Australia-Wide Mental Health Promotion Initiative
Quelle	In: Journal of Early Childhood Research, 14 (2016) 2, S.196-210 (15 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1476-718X
DOI	10.1177/1476718X15570958
Schlagwörter	Preschool Teachers; Early Childhood Education; Mental Health; Health Promotion; Child Health; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Education; Child Care Centers; Foreign Countries; Questionnaires; Social Development; Emotional Development; Teacher Effectiveness; Self Efficacy; Collegiality; Hierarchical Linear Modeling; Qualitative Research; Program Effectiveness; Factor Analysis; Faculty Development; Statistical Analysis; Australia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Pre-school education; Preschool education; Erzieher; Erzieherin; Kindergärtnerin; Vorschulerziehung; Vorschule; Early childhood; Education; Frühkindliche Bildung; Frühpädagogik; Psychohygiene; Gesundheitsfürsorge; Gesundheitshilfe; Reihenuntersuchung; Lehrerverhalten; Lehrerausbildung; Lehrerbildung; Child care facilities; Child care services; Kinderzentrum; Kinderbetreuung; Ausland; Fragebogen; Soziale Entwicklung; Gefühlsbildung; Effectiveness of teaching; Instructional effectiveness; Lehrerleistung; Unterrichtserfolg; Self-efficacy; Selbstwirksamkeit; Kollegialität; Qualitative Forschung; Faktorenanalyse; Statistische Analyse; Australien
Abstract	New policy initiatives, such as those concerned with promoting young children's positive mental health, highlight the need for good quality professional education in the early childhood education and care sector. However, although a wealth of literature exists from the school sector, little is known about professional education in early childhood education and care settings. This article presents an analysis of early childhood education and care educators' perspectives about their professional learning during an initiative to promote young children's mental health in 111 early childhood education and care centres in Australia. Questionnaires and feedback forms were collected from educators on four occasions over 2 years. In addition, programme facilitators rated the quality of implementation of the initiative in each centre. Thematic analysis indicated that the professional education was instrumental in building early childhood education and care educators' knowledge about children's social-emotional learning and mental health, increased educators' self-efficacy for mental health promotion and encouraged a more collegial and collaborative workplace. Hierarchical linear modelling supported the learning gains identified in the qualitative analysis, but showed that the effect sizes for positive change depended on the quality of programme implementation. The findings highlight important synergies between opportunities for professional learning and workplaces that are conducive to transformation and renewal. Recommendations from participants for improvement included the need to ensure the relevance of content to local contexts, more extended learning opportunities, translation of unfamiliar language and more accessible timetabling of professional learning sessions. Issues concerning the need to advocate for, and sustain, professional education in early childhood education and care settings are discussed. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01