During the COVID-19 pandemic, German early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions had to limit their provision of ECEC, implement protective measures, and handle new organizational tasks. Data from two longitudinal surveys (October 2020 to July 2021) among ECEC managers and pedagogical staff were analysed. Limited staff resources,…

This study analysed the associations between preschoolers' perceived maternal acceptance-rejection and their social and emotional competence. Participants were 90 Portuguese children (55.6% boys) aged 54-82 months and their parents. Children completed the Early Childhood Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (Mothers' Short Form) and parents…

The positive impact of warm and supportive relationships between children and preschool teachers on children's development has been highlighted in many studies. However, research gaps exist regarding the prediction of teacher-child relationships in preschool. In particular, little is known about associations between child personality and…

Interactions between preschool teachers and children, taking place in early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions, have an enormous impact on child development. The quality and quantity of these interactions are crucial. This study aims at observing the actual behaviour of preschool teachers during their interactions with children in…

In Germany, there is still a great need for research on the quality of teacher-child interactions in ECEC institutions. Especially, because social interactions and relationships are crucial for (early) learning and development (Ulferts et al., 2019). However, there are hardly any results on factors influencing the interaction quality. This paper…

Initiating conversations and responding to initiations of others via gestural and verbal means are prerequisites for participating in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) interactions. However, research to date has not addressed the multimodal initiations and responses of young second language learners (SLLs) in natural ECEC settings. This…

Adopting a sociocultural standpoint, the present study investigated Greek early years professionals' experience of the compulsive distance learning that took place in Greece due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More specifically, we explored: (a) the pedagogical priorities, challenges, and opportunities teachers recognised, (b) their understanding of…

Social dimensions of the caregiving environment, like secure relationships to caregivers and high interactional classroom quality, are seen to directly or indirectly stimulate children's learning and development. However, little is known about the underlying processes, specifically with regard to the role of peers. To fill this gap we videotaped…

The literature defines curiosity and interest, but it is not clear how interest can be generated, where interest is positioned in the learning process, and what the impact of interest is on cognitive and emotional development. This paper reports on a three-year, iterative design-based research project involving three separate cohorts totalling 57…

Pupils' wellbeing in school can impact their learning, yet research into this topic is often from adults' perspectives. From a constructivist approach (where knowledge is shaped by human experience), the lack of child view on their well-being in schools is a significant gap in the literature, particularly from underrepresented groups including…

This study aims to examine preschool literacy practices during observations in Swedish preschools with a focus on environment, read-alouds and emergent writing. The study reported on in this article is based on empirical data from 433 observations in preschools in 80 Swedish municipalities that has been analysed qualitatively and quantitatively.…

The present study examines the quality and domains of teacher-toddler interactions and associations with structural characteristics using data from 95 German early childcare settings. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor structure of interaction quality assessed by the CLASS Toddler: emotional and behavioural…

Social robots are designed to interact with humans and this technology is entering early childhood classrooms across the world. Research is needed to understand teachers' perspectives on the benefits and barriers of using social robots with children. In this study, 94 teachers working in preschool or the early years of primary school, in…

Father engagement in home visiting programs is beneficial to the family and increases program retention. This qualitative evaluation explored occupational barriers to fathers' involvement in their child's life and engagement in Florida Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs through 29 focus groups conducted with 114…

Little is known about the modes of active commuting to and from school (ACS) in toddlers (2-3 years old). The aims of the present study are threefold: (a) to describe the modes of transport to and from early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions in toddlers; (b) to analyze the role of different barriers and neighbourhood…