In this study, 12 preschool teachers in Queensland, Australia were given opportunities to record and describe their work within their specific teaching context, as well as within the wider contexts of the school campus and the educational and social system. Subjects kept a reflective journal each day over a 2-week period, and entries frequently…

Research has shown that teacher involvement can stimulate and enrich children's play, with positive developmental consequences. This study examined teachers' thinking and practices in relation to the role of the teacher in children's outdoor play. Data were collected from eight preschools through teacher interviews and observations of children's…

Recently, within the field of early childhood education, there has been an increasing emphasis on the role of social construction of knowledge and on the inter-relatedness of aspects of social and cognitive development. This study investigated a proposed relationship between young children's popularity status among peers and a representational…

This research draws upon both a preliminary study conducted over a 3-year period, in which a group of 15 children was tracked through the first 3 years of school, as well as works-in-progress. The particular concern of this research is the accessibility of the complex organization of reading instruction to young readers, realized by explicit and…

The role of the early childhood director has been a neglected area of research in Australia. This study set out to address the gap in understanding of directors and the administration/management function in child care and preschool settings. Through a survey of practicing directors and a series of follow-up interviews with selected respondents,…

This study investigated a trial use of simultaneous telephone and computer (audiographics) conferencing to teach a Master of Education unit, "Early Childhood Curriculum Design Issues," at the Queensland University of Technology in 1994. Data were collected in written form from students, lecturers, and observers concerning their…

As part of a larger project begun three years after the adoption of the Australian Early Childhood Association (AECA) Code of Ethics, this study sought practitioners' views about formal enforcement of a code of ethics for early childhood personnel. Questionnaires were sent to directors of 200 early childhood services in New South Wales; about 225…

This two-part study examined aspects of family environments that are considered to be influential in the development of young children's creativity. Mothers of children ages 4 to 6 years were surveyed on their valuing of particular personality characteristics (The Ideal Child Checklist) and specific features of the home environment (The Creative…

The 1990s has seen a dramatic shift in the desired orientation of early intervention services, involving a movement away from child-centered approaches in assessment and intervention to a family-centered approach in service delivery. This study attempted to contribute to the little research available on the efficacy of the family-centered…

Performance in drama, dance, music, puppetry, or combinations of these arts can be an exciting encounter for young children. This case study investigated one 4-year-old's responses to a children's opera. Her responses before, during, and after the performance were systematically observed and analyzed. Data showed that the child had some knowledge…

Recent studies of teachers and teaching pay greater attention to relationships among teaching contexts, teachers' practical knowledge, and enacted curricula. As a contribution to this body of work, this study grappled with the problem of understanding the knowledge teachers use to create curricula within workplace demands. Survey, participant…