Abstract
‘Working theories’ encompass children’s theorising about the social and material worlds.... more Abstract ‘Working theories’ encompass children’s theorising about the social and material worlds. This article looks explicitly at power relations involved in pedagogy around children’s working theories by focusing on the teacher’s control of what and whose working theories get unpacked and extended. From an analysis of four cases from early childhood education (ECE) settings, it is concluded that teaching strategies are related to possible risks of unpacking and extending children’s working theories. From a teacher perspective such risks include: undermining the ECE setting’s rules; exposing one’s own lack of knowledge or skills; or risking the relations and atmosphere in the group or setting. These risks affect how working theories are dealt with in terms of time – right away, later or never – and voicing, as teachers regulate children’s ideas for example through making concrete, reconstructing or silencing them.
Keywords: early childhood; working theories; pedagogy; teaching strategies; power
There is a small body of work examining how picture books can be used with young children and the... more There is a small body of work examining how picture books can be used with young children and their families to develop understandings of contemporary issues including diversity and practices towards inclusion. This article describes a study in one New Zealand kindergarten that explored teachers' interpretations of children's responses to a selection of picture books featuring same gender parented families. The research sought to go beyond traditional understandings of families and the dominant discourse of heteronormativity. Findings show that despite children reportedly being open to the possibilities of non-traditional families in their setting, and their play, teachers appeared hesitant to ask probing questions or fully engage with children's thinking, or their own, to explore understandings in this area. Nevertheless, this research demonstrates that taking tentative steps towards making an alternative discourse available through the proactive use of curriculum resources does not have to be 'difficult' or 'dangerous'. In inclusive educational settings, lesbian and gay headed families can be affirmed, and children can be supported to construct understandings about 'family' outside of normative boundaries.
This article summarises research commissioned by the New Zealand Families Commission to gain a be... more This article summarises research commissioned by the New Zealand Families Commission to gain a better understanding and awareness of the legal position of gay parented families and donor parents compared to heteronormative families. The research and discussion raise issues about the limits and parameters of legal parenthood rights, responsibilities and liabilities and draws some analogies with English law in this respect.
International Journal of Equity and Innovation in Early Childhood, 2011
This article draws on the metaphor of a crucible to describe the tertiary classroom context where... more This article draws on the metaphor of a crucible to describe the tertiary classroom context where I work in initial teacher education with ECE student teachers. Stories are told about the classroom participants (tertiary students and an educator) in an attempt to find meaning in terms of development, both the students and mine. This storytelling highlights ongoing questions for me about the impact of what happens in the classroom we bring our selves to, and the significance of informed actions for social justice for teachers and teaching. In telling these stories I highlight me deepening understanding of education pedagogy, and the perception of myself as a teacher, a practitioner of human influence and change. I hope that these stories echo and illuminate the experiences of other educators as they too seek to understand their practice.
In early childhood education, the arts have traditionally been taught based on ideas about develo... more In early childhood education, the arts have traditionally been taught based on ideas about developmentally appropriate practice and the creative self-expression of the child. This is despite a shift towards sociocultural theory in New Zealand and many parts of the Western ...
Abstract
‘Working theories’ encompass children’s theorising about the social and material worlds.... more Abstract ‘Working theories’ encompass children’s theorising about the social and material worlds. This article looks explicitly at power relations involved in pedagogy around children’s working theories by focusing on the teacher’s control of what and whose working theories get unpacked and extended. From an analysis of four cases from early childhood education (ECE) settings, it is concluded that teaching strategies are related to possible risks of unpacking and extending children’s working theories. From a teacher perspective such risks include: undermining the ECE setting’s rules; exposing one’s own lack of knowledge or skills; or risking the relations and atmosphere in the group or setting. These risks affect how working theories are dealt with in terms of time – right away, later or never – and voicing, as teachers regulate children’s ideas for example through making concrete, reconstructing or silencing them.
Keywords: early childhood; working theories; pedagogy; teaching strategies; power
There is a small body of work examining how picture books can be used with young children and the... more There is a small body of work examining how picture books can be used with young children and their families to develop understandings of contemporary issues including diversity and practices towards inclusion. This article describes a study in one New Zealand kindergarten that explored teachers' interpretations of children's responses to a selection of picture books featuring same gender parented families. The research sought to go beyond traditional understandings of families and the dominant discourse of heteronormativity. Findings show that despite children reportedly being open to the possibilities of non-traditional families in their setting, and their play, teachers appeared hesitant to ask probing questions or fully engage with children's thinking, or their own, to explore understandings in this area. Nevertheless, this research demonstrates that taking tentative steps towards making an alternative discourse available through the proactive use of curriculum resources does not have to be 'difficult' or 'dangerous'. In inclusive educational settings, lesbian and gay headed families can be affirmed, and children can be supported to construct understandings about 'family' outside of normative boundaries.
This article summarises research commissioned by the New Zealand Families Commission to gain a be... more This article summarises research commissioned by the New Zealand Families Commission to gain a better understanding and awareness of the legal position of gay parented families and donor parents compared to heteronormative families. The research and discussion raise issues about the limits and parameters of legal parenthood rights, responsibilities and liabilities and draws some analogies with English law in this respect.
International Journal of Equity and Innovation in Early Childhood, 2011
This article draws on the metaphor of a crucible to describe the tertiary classroom context where... more This article draws on the metaphor of a crucible to describe the tertiary classroom context where I work in initial teacher education with ECE student teachers. Stories are told about the classroom participants (tertiary students and an educator) in an attempt to find meaning in terms of development, both the students and mine. This storytelling highlights ongoing questions for me about the impact of what happens in the classroom we bring our selves to, and the significance of informed actions for social justice for teachers and teaching. In telling these stories I highlight me deepening understanding of education pedagogy, and the perception of myself as a teacher, a practitioner of human influence and change. I hope that these stories echo and illuminate the experiences of other educators as they too seek to understand their practice.
In early childhood education, the arts have traditionally been taught based on ideas about develo... more In early childhood education, the arts have traditionally been taught based on ideas about developmentally appropriate practice and the creative self-expression of the child. This is despite a shift towards sociocultural theory in New Zealand and many parts of the Western ...
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Papers by Janette Kelly
‘Working theories’ encompass children’s theorising about the social and material worlds. This article looks explicitly at power relations involved in pedagogy around children’s working theories by focusing on the teacher’s control of what and whose working theories get unpacked and extended. From an analysis of four cases from early childhood education (ECE) settings, it is concluded that teaching strategies are related to possible risks of unpacking and extending children’s working theories. From a teacher perspective such risks include: undermining the ECE setting’s rules; exposing one’s own lack of knowledge or skills; or risking the relations and atmosphere in the group or setting. These risks affect how working theories are dealt with in terms of time – right away, later or never – and voicing, as teachers regulate children’s ideas for example through making concrete, reconstructing or silencing them.
Keywords: early childhood; working theories; pedagogy; teaching strategies; power
‘Working theories’ encompass children’s theorising about the social and material worlds. This article looks explicitly at power relations involved in pedagogy around children’s working theories by focusing on the teacher’s control of what and whose working theories get unpacked and extended. From an analysis of four cases from early childhood education (ECE) settings, it is concluded that teaching strategies are related to possible risks of unpacking and extending children’s working theories. From a teacher perspective such risks include: undermining the ECE setting’s rules; exposing one’s own lack of knowledge or skills; or risking the relations and atmosphere in the group or setting. These risks affect how working theories are dealt with in terms of time – right away, later or never – and voicing, as teachers regulate children’s ideas for example through making concrete, reconstructing or silencing them.
Keywords: early childhood; working theories; pedagogy; teaching strategies; power