<p> This study focused on the relationships between educator reading fluency constructs, reading fluency instruction and oral reading fluency assessment. Survey responses from sixty-six elementary educators in rural and urban north Georgia were analyzed to reach an understanding of why educators are likely to equate reading fluency with reading fast (Rasinski, 2009) and focus reading fluency instruction on raising reading rates (Manzo, 2005). The mixed-methods survey analysis informed a grounded theory describing the relationships between factors related to educator misunderstanding.</p><p> The mixed-methods analyses of survey responses indicated educator reading fluency constructs may or may not be related to reading fluency instruction and interpretation of oral reading fluency assessment scores. Similarly, findings suggested that oral reading fluency assessment use may or may not be related to educator reading fluency constructs, reading fluency instruction and interpretation of oral reading fluency assessment scores. Although a single source for educator misunderstanding was not isolated, the significant role of misinterpretation of oral reading fluency assessment scores and misunderstandings about the intended purposes of reading fluency instruction was demonstrated. Evidence suggested the need to clarify the intended use of oral reading fluency assessment scores with educators and administrators to guide appropriate instructional decision-making.</p>

This study articulates Plains Cree Elders and Plains Cree early childhood teachers image of the child. The research was carried out in the spirit of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood educationan approach dependent on establishing a locally created image of the child within a cultural context. The data was collected using qualitative and Indigenous research methodologies. According to the Plains Cree Elder participants, learning about the Plains Cree image of the child requires a spiritual and holistic understanding of the child from the moment of conception. The teacher participants hold similar beliefs to the Elders, yet often vacillate between Plains Cree and Westernized images of childhood. For many of the participants, the effects of residential school have been noted as an obstacle, as they strive to draw on the strengths of their traditional Plains Cree teachings when relating to children.

The purpose of the study was to investigate early childhood educators' understandings and beliefs about the role of the early childhood learning environment. In particular, this study was conducted in four Reggio Emilia inspired Canadian childcare and preschool classrooms in order to examine how the fundamental principles of the Reggio Emilia approach were interpreted within a Canadian context. Semi-structured interviews were employed with ten educators to investigate their knowledge, experiences, and beliefs about the learning environment. The data sources included interview notes, audiotapes, and photos of the classroom environment without any child/adult present. The teachers’ beliefs about the role of the learning environment were reflected in materials, aesthetics, and documentation. First, the participants believed that children need to have access to a wide range of materials to stimulate and support their play. Second, several participants stressed the importance of creating the sense of well-being that an aesthetically-pleasing and well-kept classroom provides. Finally, the concept of making learning visible requires a number of participants to collect the children’s works and experiences in as many types of media as possible. The findings suggest that such an interpretation of environment is highly dependent on teachers’ and other adults’ views of development; that variations in practices may reflect cultural differences in both beliefs about, and expectations for, their children. In order to move beyond traditional rituals and responsibilities associated with the early childhood setting, more extensive research in early childhood environments is needed.

This study is an inquiry into the professional identity constructions of early childhood educators, where identity is conceptualised as social and contextual. Through a genealogical analysis of narratives of four Queensland early childhood teachers, the thesis renders as problematic universal and fixed notions of what it is to be an early childhood professional. The data are the four teachers’ professional life history narratives recounted through a series of conversational interviews with each participant. As they spoke about professionalism and ethics, these teachers struggled to locate themselves as professionals, as they drew on a number of dominant discourses available to them. These dominant discourses were located and mapped through analysis of the participants’ talk about relationships with parents, colleagues and authorities. Genealogical analysis enabled multiple readings of the ways in which the participants’ talk held together certainties and uncertainties, as they recounted their experiences and spoke of early childhood expertise, relational engagement and ethics. The thesis concludes with suggestions for ways to support early childhood teachers and pre-service teachers to both engage with and resist normative processes and expectations of professional identity construction. In so doing, multiple and contextual opportunities can be made available when it comes to being professional and ‘doing’ ethics. The thesis makes an argument for new possibilities for thinking and speaking professional identities that include both certainty and uncertainty, comfort and discomfort, and these seemingly oppositional terms are held together in tension, with an insistence that both are necessary and true. The use of provocations offers tools through which pre-service teachers, teachers and teacher educators can access new positions associated with certainties and uncertainties in professional identities. These new positions call for work that supports experiences of ‘de-comfort’ – that is, experiences that encourage early childhood educators to step away from the comfort zones that can become part of expertise, professional relationships and ethics embedded within normative representations of what it is to be an early childhood professional.

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‘Education as democracy’ is based upon a belief that children have the right to equity in their educational experiences. To honour this right, those who implement this educational philosophy use democratic values and practices to democratise the process and content of education. Although advocates cite a number of benefits for both individual children and the school community, there is a lack of empirical research on this topic, especially in the field of early childhood education. / This qualitative study contributes to filling this gap by examining four Australian kindergarten teachers’ beliefs, knowledge, practices, influences, and challenges about implementing this philosophy in their classrooms. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, direct classroom observations, and document analysis. The participants were considered one cohort, and across-case analysis and triangulation of the three data sources uncovered common themes and patterns in the data. Findings suggest that there are both similarities and variations among the participants’ beliefs, knowledge, and practices, as well as among the influences and challenges they have experienced. Identified similarities include the participants’ levels of motivation, categories of teacher practice, types of influencing factors, and the presence of challenges. Conversely, the participants showed variation regarding their beliefs and knowledge, the use of some specific classroom practices, and selected influences and challenges. / This study makes a significant contribution to the current knowledge base due to its clarification of how this democratic educational philosophy can be practically implemented in early childhood classrooms, and its implications for early childhood practice and policy. Regarding the initial training of early childhood teachers, the findings suggest that professional benefits may occur if training programs explicitly introduced this philosophy to trainees. Additionally, the findings imply that early childhood policies that enhance supporting conditions and lessen challenges experienced by teachers implementing ‘education as democracy’ can have positive benefits for all teachers.

This research reports on an observation study conducted in Adelaide, South Australia of how 12 educators working in six long day care centres spent their day when working in their care. Specifically the study sought to answer the following research questions: 1. How do educators spend their day in a long day care setting?-- 2. What is the quality of the interactions that occur between educators and children?-- 3. In what ways, if any, does an educator's qualifications and experience impact on the quality and frequency of interactions?