Thesis advisor: Elida V. Laski / This research explored the roles of symbolic mapping and relational thinking in early reading and mathematics learning. It examined whether symbolic mapping and relational thinking were predictive of children’s reading and mathematics knowledge; the extent to which these domain-general cognitive scores explained correlations between the two domains; and whether these cognitive scores mediated relations between verbal intelligence and reading and mathematics. Furthermore, the present research explored whether home learning experiences were predictive of children’s symbolic, relational, reading, and mathematics scores. Participants in Study 1 were 86 preschool children from the Boston area. Children completed an assessment of verbal intelligence and a range of symbolic, relational, reading, and mathematics measures. Results showed that reading and mathematics scores were highly correlated; symbolic and relational scores were predictive of domain-specific performance; and symbolic and relational thinking mediated relations between verbal intelligence and reading and mathematics knowledge. These findings suggest that symbolic mapping and relational thinking may provide foundational cognitive skills that support early learning. Study 2 investigated whether home learning experiences were related to children’s symbolic, relational, reading, and mathematics scores. Participants were the 86 parents of children from Study 1. Parents reported the frequency with which they and their child engaged in various activities. Findings showed a significant relation between symbolic learning experiences and children’s reading and mathematics scores, but no relations between learning experiences and children’s symbolic or relational scores. There was a strong association between parents’ beliefs about the importance of mathematics for kindergarten readiness and children’s reading and mathematics scores. The results suggest that homes rich in symbolic learning experiences may best support children’s early learning, but parental beliefs about mathematics may differentiate highly effective and less effective learning environments. Taken together, these two studies contribute to our understanding of the constructs of symbolic and relational thinking as foundations for early learning in reading and mathematics. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for improving school readiness via increased intentionality in early educational activities. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo mapear os processos de subjetivação docente na escola de Educação Infantil da Cidade de São Paulo a partir de dois eixos: eu profissional que analisa a trajetória até a docência de Educação Infantil, e, eu na profissão que investiga o exercício profissional docente. A partir do referencial histórico-cultural, entende-se o sujeito em uma perspectiva complexa perpassado pela história e pela cultura, em processo de constituição permanente, cuja atividade profissional também é complexa envolvendo-o intelectual e afetivamente. Assim, a forma como cada professor atua profissionalmente se sustenta com base em conhecimentos e em modos de fazer e ser professor, em processos que, por um lado, são constituídos socialmente, mas, por outro lado, são singulares. A partir deste pressuposto, a Teoria da Subjetividade, desenvolvida por Luís Fernando González Rey, fundamenta o trabalho contribuindo com a explicitação de conceitos como subjetividade, subjetividade individual e subjetividade social, que auxiliam na problematização e análise dos dados. A investigação assumiu três critérios considerados determinantes não só para a compreensão do percurso histórico da Educação Infantil em São Paulo, como para os processos de subjetivação docente: a função da escola de Educação Infantil, as concepções de criança e aprendizagem e o sentido do papel do professor. As narrativas autobiográficas dos professores foram estimuladas por uma entrevista semiestruturada. Como sujeitos da investigação selecionou-se 12 professoras de Educação Infantil subdivididas em 4 grupos referenciados nos tempos de exercício da profissão docente (1975-1984, 1985-1994, 1995-2004, 2005-2011) que fundamentaram a análise do percurso histórico e do mapeamento dos processos de subjetivação dos professores. Conclui-se nesta pesquisa que o processo de subjetivação docente é marcado fortemente pelo cotidiano vivido nas escolas, perpassado pelas condições de trabalho, pelas relações pessoais e, pelos sujeitos que nela atuam. Na subjetividade individual dos docentes o sentido de ser professor de Educação Infantil se transforma na passagem do eixo eu profissional para o eixo eu na profissão revelando frustração e desencanto dos sujeitos, resistências e desistências. Por sua vez, a subjetividade social da escola de Educação Infantil é caracterizada pela tensão e pelo conflito gerado por incertezas quanto à sua especificidade, pela oscilação entre diferentes perspectivas de sua função, da criança e do professor. Assim, os profissionais possuem sentidos subjetivos diferenciados, que constituem a forma como veem a si e sua profissão e, como se posicionam em seu contexto de trabalho: a escola. Esta conclusão traz implicações para a reflexão sobre as abordagens formativas desses professores, permitindo postular a necessidade de se considerar como parte do processo formativo o sujeito professor e a subjetividade docente, envolvendo pensamento, afetividade e vontade. / This research aims to outline the teaching subjectivity processes in early childhood education schools in São Paulo from two lines: the professional self, which analyzes the path to the teaching on early childhood education, and the me in profession, which investigates the professional teacher performance. From the historical and cultural reference, the subject in seen through a complex perspective passed by history and culture, in a permanent constitution process, whose professional activity is also complex, and it involves the teacher intellectually and emotionally. Thus, the way each teacher performs professionally is based on knowledge and methods of becoming a teacher, on processes which, on one hand are socially built but, on the other hand, are unique. From this assumption, the Theory of Subjectivity, designed by Luis Fernando González Rey, is the basis of the research, helping illuminate concepts such as subjectivity, individual subjectivity and social subjectivity, which assist in questioning and analyzing the data. The investigation took on three criteria, considered crucial not only for understanding the historical route of Early Childhood Education in Sao Paulo, but also to the processes of teacher subjectivity: the role of early childhood education school, the conceptions on children and learning and the sense on the role the teacher. The teachers autobiographical narratives were encouraged by a semistructured interview. As subjects of the investigation we selected 12 Early Childhood Education teachers subdivided into four groups referenced in the time of exercise of the teaching profession (1975-1984, 1985-1994, 1995-2004, 2005-2011), which grounded the analysis and mapping of the historical processes of teaching subjectivity. The conclusion on this research is that the process of teacher subjectivity is strongly daily lived marked in schools, due to working conditions, personal relationships, and individuals who work in it. In the subjectivity of individual teachers, the sense of being a teacher in early childhood education turns to be the transition to the professional self to the me in the profession, showing frustration and disenchantment of the subjects, resistance and quitting.On its turn, the social subjectivity in early childhood education is characterized by tension and conflict generated both by uncertainty as to specificity, the oscillation between different perspectives on ones role, the childs and the teachers. Thus, professionals have different subjective meanings, which are the way they see themselves and their profession and how to place themselves in their work context: a school. Such a finding has implications on the daily lived teachers training approaches, allowing us to postulate the need to consider as part of the subject teacher training and teachers\' subjectivity, involving thought, affection and will.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / This experimental study examined the effects vocabulary acquisition strategies and story discussion styles on the English vocabulary acquisition and story comprehension of ESL preschoolers. Eighty preschool-aged, typically-developing, native speakers of Portugese who are also second language learners of English were pretested in L1 (Portugese) receptive vocabulary and L2 (English) receptive and expressive vocabulary to determine a baseline of vocabulary knowledge in each language. Matched according to age, gender, and pretest L2 receptive vocabulary scores, subjects were assigned to experimental or control groups. Subjects in the experimental group heard eight stories read three times with rich explanations of target vocabulary words and with several discussion questions within either a didactic-labeling style of discussion (i.e., explicit questions requiring children to recall basic facts or to recite text) or a performance-oriented style of discussion (i.e., implicit questions requiring children to analyze and integrate information within the text). Subjects in the control group heard eight stories read three times without explanation of target vocabulary words and without discussion questions. Parents of all participants returned questionnaires about children's home reading experience. Results for target vocabulary acquisition showed a strong and significant effect of treatment (i.e., rich explanation of new vocabulary) on ESL preschoolers' target vocabulary acquisition. Regression analyses showed that treatment, initial L2 receptive skill, home reading practices, and story comprehension accounted for 69% of the variance in target vocabulary scores. Initial Ll skill did not have a significant effect on target vocabulary acquisition. Results for story comprehension showed a weak but significant effect of the performance-oriented discussion style on children's story comprehension. Regression analyses showed that L2 receptive skill, treatment (i.e., performance-oriented style of discussion), L2 expressive skill, target vocabulary acquisition, and home reading practices accounted for 60% of the variance in story comprehension scores. Initial Ll skill did not have a significant effect on story comprehension. In conclusion, L2 skills are paramount to children's vocabulary acquisition and story comprehension. Moreover, the supportiveness of adult input (i.e., rich explanations and cognitively challenging discussion questions) and home reading practices make important contributions to ESL preschoolers' English vocabulary acquisition and story comprehension.

As part of the complex but intriguing question of what defines a highly qualified early childhood teacher (Kagan, Kauerz, & Tarrant, 2008), there has been a heated policy debate over whether to make a bachelor's degree (B.A.) the minimum education requirement for preschools' lead teachers in publicly funded programs (Zigler, Gilliam, & Barnett, 2011). A mixed and non-causal research base of the effect of a B.A. on preschool-teacher performance and child development outcomes is a partial source of the controversy (Kelley & Camilli, 2007; Early et al., 2007). Particularly, no experimental or quasi-experimental studies have been conducted for this topic (Barnett, 2011b). To fulfill the need for better causal inference, this dissertation first uses a nationally representative sample of American children born in 2001 who attended a preschool in 2005, to estimate the effect of having a lead teacher with a B.A. in preschool on the children's development outcomes assessed at aged 4, based on data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B). The term preschool is an umbrella term for all types of center-based programs. Based on three rigorous quantitative methods, including ordinary least squares with rich controls (OLS with rich controls) and two quasi-experimental methods (propensity score matching (PSM) and instrumental variables (IV)), this study finds: (1) In the model of OLS with rich controls, four of the eight comprehensive child development outcome constructs at age 4 are affected by teachers' B.A. status. Children with B.A. teachers are shown to exhibit higher early reading and math skills and fewer parent-reported internalizing behavior problems than children with non-B.A. teachers. No effects are found for story-telling skills, color recognition, parent-reported externalizing behavior problems or approaches to learning skills. Yet the children in the treatment group are reported by parents to have lower social competence. In PSM, B.A. positively predicts math skills and negatively affects social competence. In the IV estimates, a B.A. effect is only found for reducing parent-reported externalizing behavior. Comparatively, the PSM and IV estimates tend to be less statistically significant than the OLS estimates. This difference may be attributed to either bias or heterogeneity, given that the PSM and IV estimate may have removed some endogeneity of the treatment in a better way than OLS but they cannot represent the whole sample---the PSM estimate is for those matched and the IV estimate is only local to compliers. Further, when comparing teachers who have just a B.A. (as opposed to a B.A. or higher) with teachers who have an associate's degree (A.A.), the B.A. is found to have fewer statistically significant effects in the model of OLS with rich controls. Significant effects are found for two outcomes: Having a teacher with a B.A. increases math skills and reduces internalizing behavior problems. (2) There has not been much evidence of differential effects by preschool type, and the B.A. effects are no larger for children from low socioeconomic status (SES) families. Neither does the specialized education in early childhood education (ECE), as measured by whether a teacher has a degree in ECE or a related field and the number of college courses in ECE, interplay with the B.A. effect. (3) The supplemental analysis that uses two steps regression to link B.A., teacher-child interactions and child outcomes also returns some interesting findings. The treatment B.A. is found to increase the frequency of several classroom activities and the quality of teacher-child interactions (i.e., being more sensitive, less harsh, less detached and less permissive); but the two steps of the analysis only provide slight evidence for the mediating role of teacher-child interactions. Overall, there is some positive evidence of B.A. effects on children's early reading, math, the reduction of parent-reported internalizing behavior problems, the reduction of internalizing behavior problems and positive teacher behavior for the center-attending children in the ECLS-B dataset. Still, the evidence is not very strong given the inconsistency of findings across models and the negative effect of B.A. on parent-reported social competence. Such findings identified by rigorous methods in this study speak directly to the B.A. debate by adding a new piece of empirical information for a new generation of children and teachers; it adds some positive evidence to the pro side. Still, for future research and practice that aim to elevate quality, a full picture of cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit of the B.A. threshold policy is recommended and other teacher quality components should be considered.

Young children have been the leading subject of family photos since the inception of the camera in 1839. Now, in the era of universal pre-kindergarten (UPK), cameras are commonly used by early childhood teachers, in efforts to “make learning visible” (Giudici, Rinaldi, & Krechevsky, 2001). These photographs of children’s experiences act as evidence for accountability measures and give rise to the image of the neoliberal child, the individual in the first stage of becoming workforce-ready. Simultaneously the children in pictures remain subject to prevailing notions of innocence and naïveté, and these adult-conceived images have been the driving force on which early childhood curriculum is based. As a consistently marginalized group, young children have largely been left out of narratives about them, but what happens when they have access to tools to construct their own identities? How would they present their multiple selves across time and contexts? Situated at the nexus of visual sociology, early childhood literacies, and critical childhood studies, this work positions children ages 2 to 5 as a cultural group worthy of study. Adept with cameras to construct themselves, the participants in this image-based study took photographs across their home, school, and public spaces, shedding light on childhoods through children’s eyes. In a process of Collaborative Seeing (Luttrell, 2010b, 2016), involving multiple image-making and audiencing opportunities, the participants presented aspects of social life that mattered to them. Using ethnographic methods (e.g. participant observations, child-directed interviews, and child focus groups), I highlight the children’s intimate encounters with public spaces, everyday objects and technologies, and relations with peers and adults. The findings suggest that children’s identities are co-constructed in and through complex networks of the human, non-human, temporal, and spatial. Young children’s understandings of the world far exceed adults’ ideas of them, and the children’s photographic practices call into question the adult gaze that has been imposed onto childhoods and lend insight into the potential for participatory research with children. This work proposes that we re-examine contemporary theories of child development and aims for more complex images of children and childhoods that can expand what is possible for early childhood curriculum.

Despite the increasing volume of literature related to early childhood education (ECE) leadership (Moyles, 2006; Siraj-Blatchford and Manni, 2007; O’Sullivan, 2009; Bush, 2012; Male, 2012; Rodd, 2013; Sims et al., 2014; Davis and Ryder, 2016), a key aspect of this qualitative study lies in its exploration of a relatively new area. This thesis aims to address the existing gap in the knowledge of ECE leadership in a non-Western context and to inform policy and practice in this context. The purpose of this research is to explore leadership in Saudi ECE, focusing on leadership behaviour and whether it is compatible with the notion of pedagogical leadership. The factors that influence leadership in Saudi ECE and the challenges associated with ECE leadership in the Saudi context will be identified. In this research, pedagogical leadership beyond the simplistic forms of teaching and learning aspects is considered and is examined from wide perspectives, from which interaction, relationship building, professional development, students and teachers’ capacity building, and fostering creativity and innovation are taken into consideration (Sergiovanni, 1998; Cecchin and Johnsen, 2009; Heikka and Waniganayake, 2011). Additionally, departing from modelling leadership, pedagogical leadership here is concerned with the context in which leadership operates, which is shaped by the interaction of a set of “social realities” (Male and Palaiologou, 2016). In keeping with the exploratory nature of this research and to seek an in-depth understanding of the participants’ experiences in ECE in Saudi Arabia, a qualitative interpretive approach was employed. Therefore, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with twenty-four ECE leaders. An inductive analysis of the collected data was carried out using Nvivo to manage and organise the data transcripts. This thesis suggests that contextual pedagogical leadership should be used to present the notion of context dependent pedagogical leadership. Since the rapidly changing 21st century and the implementation of dynamic educational processes, pedagogical leadership actions have been dependent on each situation. Despite the common leadership factors and challenges that are shared among educational institutions, there were contextual differences that were peculiar to each educational setting that was analysed in this research.

This is an ethnographic, auto/biographical study of Sure Start Greendale which is situated on the outskirts of a seaside town in the south east of England. I undertook the research while I was Director of the programme. The thesis is written from the perspective of key participants in the programme, as well as my own learning biography, background in health visiting and practice as leader of a new high profile government initiative called Sure Start. It is highly reflexive and written in a narrative genre. Sure Start aims to give young children living in communities similar to Greendale a better start in life by creating opportunities for them and their parents and by eradicating child poverty. This research explores, through auto/biographical and focus group interviews with parents, community workers and representatives from partner agencies, perspectives of the Greendale area prior to Sure Start, the impact of the Sure Start programme and the new building, and their notions of community prior to and post the establishment of the Sure Start programme. The voices of parents, community workers and partner agencies are heard through an interpretative, analytical approach in a process of shared learning. Issues relating to insider research are discussed in detail. Auto/biographical interviews indicate the challenges of partnership working, the impact of poverty on children and their parents, and the complex ways in which Sure Start helped to renew a sense of community. The main finding of the research was that the Sure Start Greendale programme was able to engage to varying degrees a suspicious and sceptical community and support parents to access services and develop relationships with other parents. Sure Start Greendale was the enabler of communication in the estate and the community workers played a major role in building social capital and reducing social isolation. This research is important as it is the only ethnographic, auto/biographical, insider researcher’s account of a Sure Start Programme, covering a period of eight years. The study adds to the body of knowledge about Greendale and similar communities and factors that assist community renewal.

abstract: This mixed methods study examined whether participation in a virtual community of practice (vCoP) could impact the implementation of new skills learned in a professional development session and help to close the research to implementation gap. Six participants attended a common professional development session and completed pre- , mid- , and post-intervention surveys regarding their implementation of social emotional teaching strategies as well as face-to-face interviews. Both quantitative and qualitative data was examined to determine if participation in the vCoP impacted implementation of skills learned in the PD session. Quantitative data was inconclusive but qualitative data showed an appreciation for participation in the vCoP and access to the resources shared by the participants. Limitations and implications for future cycles of research are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among competencies recommended by the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC/CEC), state requirements for teacher certification, and college and university personnel preparation program requirements for educators working with children with disabilities from birth-5 years of age. The study included all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The groups of subjects interviewed by phone consisted of state Part H coordinators, department of education staff, and college and university professors from early childhood education (ECSE) programs.;Overall the results indicate an increase in the number of states requiring certification in early childhood special education and in the number of college and university preparation programs since the passage of P.L. 99-457 in 1986 and the 1991 Part B mandate for states to serve 3 year old children with disabilities. as the nation proceeds in implementing the preschool mandate and moves toward the fifth year of services of Part H for infants and toddlers with disabilities, this growth is crucial to the success of newly developed programs for the education of young children with disabilities. The number of states issuing certification to early childhood special educators has grown from 19 in 1989 (37%) to the 37 (71%) identified in this study. This indicates an increase of 18 additional states requiring certification.;This increase is also shown in college and university teacher preparation programs. Four states currently have no college or university teacher preparation programs in early childhood special education, while forty-seven states have one or more teacher preparation programs in ECSE. Thirty states have more than one preparation program.;Teacher preparation program requirements appear to be equally extensive as state certification regulations; however the correspondence between state certification requirements and college and university requirements appears to be low. The results of this study indicate that state requirements and college and university preparation program requirements appear to be focusing on different content but an equal number of courses and/or competencies. The overlap among state certification requirements, college and university requirements and the 15 DEC/CEC competency recommendations was only 3.4.

Methodology: The Behavioral and Environmental Safety Program (B.E. Safe) for Early Childhood Professionals is being developed in response to Federal Safety regulations for childcare procedures and addresses social and emotional safety concerns. The curriculum includes Family Life Education content areas focusing on diversity, inclusion, social and emotional health, bullying prevention, supporting children with special needs, building relationships with parents, and understanding children’s behavior. Discussion of existing research: Research states that high quality childcare and education benefits all children (DHSS, 2015). Best practices indicate that Early Childhood Professionals need high quality training to be equipped to understand child development, strategies for working with families, and having the resources for supports when including children with disabilities in early childcare programs (DHSS, 2015). Not only should Early Childhood Professionals be equipped with the tools and resources to understand children’s behavior, educators need to demonstrate competency in state regulations, environmental safety for children, and playground safety (Sheridan, Edwards, Marvin & Knoche, 2009). B.E. Safe allows Early Childhood Professionals to engage in a research-based training that will help to ensure safety within their center. Connection to Theory: Behavior theories of child development incorporate environmental influences on behavior (Shute & Slee, 2015). A child’s early learning environment and the adults influence of children affects emotional, social, and physical development. B.E. Safe relates to Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory (1978) suggesting that children learn actively through hands on experiences. The Sociocultural Theory suggest that parents, caregivers, and a child’s environment from a young age is largely responsible for higher order functions (Shute & Slee, 2015). Proficiency in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) will allow participants to grasp how traumatic events can affect a child’s developmental process. Educating early childcare professionals on ACEs will allow for adults to be aware of what to look for, and how to keep children protected from adverse experiences (Sacks, Murphey & Moore, 2014). How will the study add to knowledge/innovative practice? Family Scientists will gain knowledge on best practices for providing Family Life Education to Early Childhood Professionals. Specifically, participants will gain knowledge on promoting inclusion, understanding behavior issues, developmental delays, and how to keep children safe from potential environmental hazards.