A complex act - teacher educators share their perspectives of practicum assessment
- Authors: Aspden, Karyn , McLachlan, Claire
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Waikato journal of education Vol. 22, no. 3 (2017), p. 21-32
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- Description: Reports the findings of a doctoral study that examined the assessment of practicum in early childhood initial teacher education and, in particular, the way in which practicum assessment was enacted and experienced by early childhood student teachers, associate teachers, and teacher educators within institutional contexts. Provides insights into how teacher educators define their role, what they look for and hope for in the assessment process, as well as the challenges faced in making authentic, appropriate and informed assessment decisions. Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.
Aotearoa/New Zealand early childhood education : moving forward with intention
- Authors: Tyler-Merrick, Gaye , Cherrington, Sue , McLaughlin, Tara , McLachlan, Claire , Aspden, Karyn , Phillips, Joanna
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Policification of Early Childhood Education and Care: Early Childhood Education in the 21st Century Vol III. Chapter 12 p. 142-153
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Assessment of, as and for learning : the challenges of assessment terminology
- Authors: Cameron, Monica , McLachlan, Claire , Rawlins, Peter , McLaughlin, Tara
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Early education Vol. 64, no. 64 (2018), p. 18-23
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- Description: Assessment, teaching and learning are intertwined concepts and are at the heart of quality teaching (Absolum, Flockton, Hattie, Hipkins and Reid, 2009 Ministry of Education (MoE), 2011). With its shifts in assessment-related content, the revision of Te Whariki (MoE, 2017), provides timely opportunity to explore early childhood teachers' understandings and practices related to assessment (McLachlan, 2018).
Building a data culture to enhance quality teaching and learning
- Authors: McLaughlin, Tara , Cherrington, Sue , McLachlan, Claire , Aspden, Karyn , Hunt, Lynda
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Early Childhood Folio Vol. 24, no. 2 (2020), p. 3-8
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- Description: Explores how building a data culture can support teachers to intentionally gather and use data from a rich array of sources to inform their understandings of children and strengthen their own practices. Focuses on how using data can promote quality across ECE curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and evaluation. Refers to the authors' Data, Knowledge, Action programme of research to discuss how researchers and teachers have been working together to design and try out new data systems, and the insights gained about the processes and supports needed to develop a data culture and use data effectively in ECE settings. Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.
Children's learning and development: Contemporary assessment in the early years
- Authors: McLachlan, Claire , Edwards, Susan , Margrain, Valerie , McLean, Karen
- Date: 2018
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Conceptualising literacy in the early childhood setting
- Authors: McLachlan, Claire , Arrow, Alison
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Literacy in the early years: reflections on international research and practice Chapter 1 p. 1-19
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- Description: This chapter will provide a brief introduction to literacy research with children in the early years (birth to 8 years) and will identify some of the pressing issues and concerns in research on early literacy. The theoretical framework which underpins many of the studies is explored, identifying that much research into early literacy has employed socio-pyscho-linguistic, social practice and cultural historical explanations of how children learn. The unifying theme of early multi literacies is explored. An overview of the chapters in the book is provided, along with comment on how each chapter contributes to the growing body of early childhood literacy research.
Curriculum and democracy : building understandings of democracy through early childhood practice
- Authors: McLachlan, Claire
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: International Encyclopedia of Education: Fourth Edition p. 424-433
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- Description: The topic of curriculum and democracy, when related to the idea of young children is a fascinating one. Although notions of democracy can be readily related to older children, particularly those in secondary education, ideas around democracy and younger children have been focused on children's rights, rather than children's participation in democratic processes. This article examines the place of democracy in early childhood curricula, along with the underpinning philosophical bases underpinning curricula choices in relation to democracy. It will then identify some recent research around how the issues related to involving children in democracy have been investigated in early childhood services. The potential for teaching democracy in early childhood settings is critically evaluated in relation to selected curriculum documents and curriculum approaches. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Defining quality in a divided sector : a review of policy and practice in early childhood settings in New Zealand from 2008 to 2018
- Authors: McLachlan, Claire , Cherrington, Sue , Aspden, Karyn , McLaughlin, Tara
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: The New Zealand Annual Review of Education Vol. 23, no. (2018), p. 111-125
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Development of teachers’ knowledge and skills in implementing a physical education curriculum: A New Zealand early childhood intervention study
- Authors: McLachlan, Claire , Smith, Jessica , McLaughlin, Tara , Ali, Ajmol , Conlon, Cathryn , Mugridge, Owen , Foster, Sophie
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International journal of early childhood Vol. 49, no. 2 (2017), p. 211-228
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- Description: In order to support children’s physical health and well-being in early childhood education programmes, it is important to understand how teacher practices concerned with physical activity and nutrition can be addressed effectively. Current evidence suggests that young children’s opportunities for physical activity in early childhood are increasingly limited. This study assessed how teachers’ knowledge and skills changed as the result of the implementation of a 10-week physical activity intervention programme (Jumping Beans) and participation in a related professional development programme. Participating teachers in four centres were interviewed before and after the intervention. Overall, qualitative and quantitative data from teacher interview data were highly positive, as a result of their participation. However, further research about how teachers’ skills can be enhanced to intentionally teach with confidence in curriculum domains related to physical health and physical literacy needs to be considered.
Early childhood education and care in Aotearoa/New Zealand: History and features
- Authors: Tyler-Merrick, Gaye , Phillips, Joanna , McLachlan, Claire , McLaughlin, Tara , Aspden, Karyn , Cherrington, Sue
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Care: Early Childhood Education in the 21st Century Chapter 12 p. 127-142
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- Description: Since the 1990s, New Zealand/Aotearoa has been a leader in providing quality early childhood education (ECE) for children/tamariki and their families/whānau. ECE represents a diverse set of services for children under the age of five. A unique feature of the New Zealand system is the integration of education and care for young children, under the Ministry of Education. Services are licensed as teacher-, whānau- or parent-led, and may be located in centre, community or home settings. A diversity of philosophical approaches to ECE are evident, including services specifically focused on promoting Māori and Pasifika languages and cultures. Recent trends towards increased private, including corporate, ownership and reductions in services offering half-day programmes are also evident. The system is nationally regulated and is monitored and publicly reported by the Education Review Office. The early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki: He Whariki Matauranga mō ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa (Ministry of Education, 1996), is holistic, culturally responsive and inclusive of all children and their families. However, there has been no formal evaluation of this curriculum, but recent critique of this document in relation to how equipped teachers and centres are to implement this holistic, competence-based curriculum has been undertaken. Very recently, the Ministry of Education called for an update of Te Whāriki. This chapter will critique the ‘old’ and ‘new’ curriculum in light of the framework, curriculum goals and the cultural gains and restraints the curriculum places on New Zealand parents, teachers and children. Implications for practice and for future research will be explored.
- Description: Since the 1990s, New Zealand/Aotearoa has been a leader in providing quality early childhood education (ECE) for children/tamariki and their families/wh
Efficacy of a compulsory homework programme for increasing physical activity and improving nutrition in children: A cluster randomised controlled trial
- Authors: Duncan, Scott , Stewart, Tom , McPhee, Julia , Borotkanics, Robert , Prendergast, Kate , Zinn, Caryn , Meredith-Jones, Kim , Taylor, Rachael , McLachlan, Claire , Schofield, Grant
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Vol. 16, no. 1 (2019), p.
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- Description: Background: Most physical activity interventions in children focus on the school setting; however, children typically engage in more sedentary activities and spend more time eating when at home. The primary aim of this cluster randomised controlled trial was to investigate the effects of a compulsory, health-related homework programme on physical activity, dietary patterns, and body size in primary school-aged children. Methods: A total of 675 children aged 7-10 years from 16 New Zealand primary schools participated in the Healthy Homework study. Schools were randomised into intervention and control groups (1:1 allocation). Intervention schools implemented an 8-week applied homework and in-class teaching module designed to increase physical activity and improve dietary patterns. Physical activity was the primary outcome measure, and was assessed using two sealed pedometers that monitored school- and home-based activity separately. Secondary outcome measures included screen-based sedentary time and selected dietary patterns assessed via parental proxy questionnaire. In addition, height, weight, and waist circumference were measured to obtain body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). All measurements were taken at baseline (T0), immediately post-intervention (T1), and 6-months post-intervention (T2). Changes in outcome measures over time were estimated using generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs) that adjusted for fixed (group, age, sex, group x time) and random (subjects nested within schools) effects. Intervention effects were also quantified using GLMMs adjusted for baseline values. Results: Significant intervention effects were observed for weekday physical activity at home (T1 [P < 0.001] and T2 [P = 0.019]), weekend physical activity (T1 [P < 0.001] and T2 [P < 0.001]), BMI (T2 only [P = 0.020]) and fruit consumption (T1 only [P = 0.036]). Additional analyses revealed that the greatest improvements in physical activity occurred in children from the most socioeconomically deprived schools. No consistent effects on sedentary time, WHtR, or other dietary patterns were observed. Conclusions: A compulsory health-related homework programme resulted in substantial and consistent increases in children's physical activity - particularly outside of school and on weekends - with limited effects on body size and fruit consumption. Overall, our findings support the integration of compulsory home-focused strategies for improving health behaviours into primary education curricula. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12618000590268. Registered 17 April 2018. © 2019 The Author(s).
Fundamental movement skills and physical activity of 3–4-year-old children within early childhood centers in New Zealand
- Authors: Ali, Ajmol , McLachlan, Claire , McLaughlin, Tara , Mugridge, Owen , Conlon, Cathryn
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Children Vol. 8, no. 9 (2021), p.
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- Description: We sought to describe and explore relationships between fundamental movement skills (FMS) and level of physical activity (PA; light-, medium-, vigorous, and kCal/hour) in preschool children, aged 3–4-years-old, across four early childhood education (ECE) settings. Children’s FMS were assessed using the Test for Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2; n = 81) and PA via accelerometers (S = 53). Eighty-four children participated, with 50 in both assessments. The TGMD-2 showed as the children got older, their locomotor skills (p < 0.001, r = 0.512) and object control motor skills (p < 0.001, r = 0.383) improved. Accelerometry showed children were primarily inactive at ECE (78.3% of the time). There were significant correlations between kCal/hour and light (p < 0.001, r = −0.688), moderate (p < 0.001, r = 0.599) and vigorous (p < 0.001, rs = 0.707) activity, and between gross motor quotient and locomotor (p < 0.001, r = 0.798) and object control (p < 0.001, r = 0.367) skills. No correlation was observed between gross motor quotient and kCal/hour. To conclude, children in this cohort were primarily inactive during ECE center hours. Moreover, gross motor quotient was significantly correlated to locomotor and object control skills. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Claire McLaughlin” is provided in this record**
Literacy in the early years: reflections on international research and practice
- Authors: McLachlan, Claire , Arrow, Alison
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Book
- Relation: International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Development
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- Description: This edited collection provides an in-depth exploration of different aspects of contemporary early childhood literacy research and the implications for educational practice. Each chapter details how the research was conducted and any issues that researchers encountered in collecting data with very young children, as well as what the research findings mean for educational practice. It includes photographs of effective literacy practice, detailed explanations of research methods so the studies can be replicated or expanded upon, and key features for promoting effective literacy practice in early childhood settings. This book is an essential read for everyone who is interested in exploring the complexities and challenges of researching literacy acquisition in the youngest children.
Literature review on motor skill and physical activity in preschool children in new zealand
- Authors: Ali, Ajmol , Pigou, Deborah , Clarke, Linda , McLachlan, Claire
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Advances in physical education Vol. 7, no. 1 (2017), p. 10-26
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- Description: Children’s physical activity levels have decreased significantly over the past 20 - 30 years, coinciding with obesity rates reaching epidemic levels. There is little research into typically developing preschool (birth to 5 year-olds) children’s physical activity, with the majority of research focusing on children at risk of motor skill or neurological deficiencies. This review examines current research into young children’s development, especially motor development and physical activity, the effectiveness of intervention programmes for promoting children’s physical development and the various methods used to assess physical development. A decrease in children’s physical activity levels has coincided with an increase in obesity rates. Further research is needed to determine culturally and contextually appropriate and effective interventions for preschool children. Areas for further research include preschool children’s physical activity, particularly in regards to movement guidelines and requirements for this age-group and ways to overcome potential barriers to meeting physical activity requirements. Young children’s physical activity and motor skill proficiency may be an important predictor of later-life physically active behaviors. Physical literacy and physical activity interventions within early childhood education could potentially support academic skills as well as physical skills and behaviors.
Māori Children’s Biliteracy Experiences Moving from a Kōhanga Reo Setting to a Kura Kaupapa Māori, Bilingual, and Mainstream Education Setting: An Exploratory Study
- Authors: Rona, Sariki , McLachlan, Claire
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies Vol. 53, no. 1 (2018), p. 65-82
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- Description: This research explored the biliteracy experiences of three kōhanga reo children as they started school in one of three school settings: a bilingual unit, a mainstream classroom, and kura kaupapa Māori. A Kaupapa Māori approach underpinned this research and guided the case study methodology employed. The children’s literacy experiences were observed on school entry and parents and teachers from each setting were interviewed regarding their aspirations for children and approaches to literacy. Key findings include the importance of effective teaching strategies, relationship building, the classroom environment, the reading programme employed, and approaches to assessment. The study highlights the importance of teachers who have culturally responsive pedagogies and can adapt pedagogies to meet the literacy learning needs of kōhanga reo children as they transition to school. It also highlights the need for further understanding of biliteracy learning in Aotearoa New Zealand schools, and the importance of assessment tools appropriate for bilingual children. © 2018, New Zealand Association for Research in Education.
Narrative assessment: making mathematics learning visible in early childhood settings
- Authors: Anthony, Glenda , McLachlan, Claire , Lim , Rachel
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Mathematics Education Research Journal Vol. 27, no. 3 (2015), p. 385-400
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- Description: Narratives that capture children’s learning as they go about their day-to-day activities are promoted as a powerful assessment tool within early childhood settings. However, in the New Zealand context, there is increasing concern that learning stories—the preferred form of narrative assessment—currently downplay domain knowledge. In this paper, we draw on data from 13 teacher interviews and samples of 18 children’s learning stories to examine how mathematics is made visible within learning stories. Despite appreciating that mathematics is embedded in a range of everyday activities within the centres, we found that the nature of a particular activity appeared to influence ‘how’ and ‘what’ the teachers chose to document as mathematics learning. Many of the teachers expressed a preference to document and analyse mathematics learning that occurred within explicit mathematics activities rather than within play that involves mathematics. Our concern is that this restricted documentation of mathematical activity could potentially limit opportunities for mathematics learning both in the centre and home settings. © 2015, Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, Inc.
New kindergarten teachers' career development trajectories in China : A problem-solving perspective
- Authors: Wan, Dan , Gu, Rongfang , McLachlan, Claire
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australasian Journal of Early Childhood Vol. 45, no. 3 (2020), p. 228-240
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- Description: Since the 1960s, concerns for beginning teachers have attracted extensive attention. High attrition rates among beginning teachers have been an international challenge, which is costly for a nation's budget. To improve the retention of new teachers, it is imperative to understand what beginning teachers have experienced in their professional practice. This qualitative research examined the career development trajectories of beginning kindergarten teachers in China. The experiences of 23 kindergarten teachers from Nanjing were investigated through semi-structured interviews. Using grounded theory, this research identified four main themes and four career development trajectories. Themes include orientation, mastery, re-examination and self-validation, while career development trajectories reveal that teacher career development is not unilinear, but diverse. These findings are crucial in raising the awareness of researchers and practitioners about the diversities and possibilities of teacher career development trajectories. Further implications for researchers, teacher educators and kindergarten teachers are discussed.
- Description: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was funded by MOE (Ministry of Education in China) Project of Humanities and Social Sciences (Grant Number: 17YJA880025), The 13th Five-year Plan for Educational Science in Jiangsu Province (Grant Number: B-a/2016/01/34), and Excellent Preschool Teacher Preparation Program of MOE.
Partnership with families in early childhood education : New Zealand's policy and professional context
- Authors: Aspden, Karyn , McLachlan, Claire , Cherrington, Sue , Tyler- Merrick, Gaye , McLaughlin, Tara , Phillips, Joanna
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Teachers' and Families' Perspectives in Early Childhood Education and Care : Early Childhood Education in the 21st Century Vol. II p. 140-154
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Promoting alphabet knowledge and phonological awareness in low socioeconomic child care settings: A quasi experimental study in five New Zealand centers
- Authors: McLachlan, Claire , Arrow, Alison
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Reading and Writing Vol. 27, no. 5 (2014), p. 819-839
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- Description: This study examined if professional development with teachers would increase children's literacy skills in low socioeconomic early childhood settings in New Zealand and would lead to changes in teachers' beliefs and practices and children's abilities over an 8 week intervention period. Research indicates that children who have alphabetic and phonological awareness on school entry are well positioned to transition from emergent to conventional literacy (Whitehurst & Lonigan, 1998). Although most children develop requisite knowledge and skills as part of early education in New Zealand, about 25 % of children do not (Nicholson, 2005) and struggle with beginning reading. One of the challenges is how teachers can foster emergent literacy within a holistic curriculum such as Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education, 1996), the New Zealand early childhood curriculum. A quasi experimental design was used in which teachers' and children's knowledge was pre and post tested in five early childhood centers. Teachers' (n = 32) beliefs and phonemic awareness were tested using a questionnaire. A range of literacy measures which tested alphabet knowledge, phonemic awareness, ability to recognise and write their own name and the British Picture Vocabulary Test were used with children aged 3-5 years (n = 103). Professional development was offered to teachers at the beginning of the study in four centers; the fifth center was a control. In addition, teachers' logbooks of how they promoted literacy were collected. Some changes in children's skills were found, along with some differences in teachers' beliefs and practices. The results suggest professional development with teachers to support children's literacy needs to involve more intensive coaching and guiding. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.
Te Whariki revisited: How approaches to assessment can make valued learning visible
- Authors: McLachlan, Claire
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: He Kupu Vol. 5, no. 3 (May 2018), p. 45-56
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- Description: In 2016, Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga mō ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early Childhood Curriculum (Te Whāriki) (Ministry of Education [MoE], 2017), New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum was updated for the first time in 20 years. Although the gazetted principles, strands and goals of the curriculum were not part of the update, the remainder of the curriculum was revised to meet the changing social and linguistic context, the revised national curriculum and associated documents, reviews of early childhood practice and relevant theory and research. The updated curriculum has reduced learning outcomes (from 118 to 20) and stronger guidance on the need for both informal and formal approaches to assessment to ensure children’s learning in each strand are assessed. This article reflects on the changes between the 1996 and 2017 version of the curriculum in relation to assessment and the rationale for the changes. Approaches to both ‘in the moment’ and planned assessment are explored and the usefulness of approaches which enable teachers to reflect on ‘discrepant data’ and support children’s learning in each strand are examined.
- Description: In 2016, Te Wh