International Journal of Early Years Education, 2021
This doctoral research addressed the dearth of research focussed on childminding in Ireland, desp... more This doctoral research addressed the dearth of research focussed on childminding in Ireland, despite its significant role in national childcare provision. One overarching aim was to explore childminders' pedagogy. The research was conducted within the theoretical framework of Ecocultural Theory (ECT) against the backdrop of Irish Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) policy on the eve of mandatory regulation of childminding. A mixed method approach was adopted, using the Ecocultural Family Interview for Childminders (EFICh) , including participants' photographs, a case study survey, researcher field notes and holistic ratings. (Tonyan, Holli A. 2017.
vi 4.6 Perceptions on how preschool prepares children for school 4.7 Benefits of the free prescho... more vi 4.6 Perceptions on how preschool prepares children for school 4.7 Benefits of the free preschool year 4.8 Children with special educational needs and school readiness 4.9 Cultural diversity and school readiness 4.10 Exploring the concept of the 'ready school' 4.11 Role of the community in supporting school readiness 4.12 Professional development 4.13 Summary 5. The voice of the child-qualitative findings 5.1 'Big School' 5.2 Friendships 5.3 Summary 6. Quantitative findings from the online survey 6.1 Perspectives on school readiness of early years respondents 6.2 Perspectives on school readiness of primary school respondents 6.3 Comparison of perspectives on school readiness among educators in early years settings and in primary schools 6.4 Summary 7. Discussion 7.1 School starting age 7.2 Understanding of school readiness 7.3 School readiness indicators 7.4 Free preschool year 7.5 Communication 7.6 Adult-child ratios in junior infant classes 7.7 Curriculum in the early years 7.8 Play 7.9 Children with special educational needs 7.10 Children from different cultural backgrounds 7.11 School readiness and the role of the community 7.12 Summary 8. Conclusions and recommendations 8.1 Participants' concepts of school readiness 8.2 School starting age 8.3 Free preschool year 8.4 Curriculum continuity
Thanks are also due to the parents, teachers and children without whose support this thesis could... more Thanks are also due to the parents, teachers and children without whose support this thesis could not have happened. To those who have, over the years, listened, argued, advised and supported the work I extend sincere thanks-they are too many to mention. My supervisor, Dr. Mona O'Moore, deserves special thanks for her assistance, advice and continued confidence in my work. The staff and postgraduates at the Education Department, Trinity College Dublin were also a constant source of interested support for which I am most grateful. Finally I would like to make special mention of my family-Clare, Katie and Ali who have grown up with this thesis and Mike who knows what it takes.
This paper reports a model for professional development for early childhood arts education. The r... more This paper reports a model for professional development for early childhood arts education. The research delivered a co-mentoring programme between early years teachers and artists, which applied a process of ‘creative exchange’, in which across a period of 2 years, 12 educators and two teaching artists participated. Common principles underpinning early childhood education and arts education include recognition of the critical role of early experiences and relationships and quality learning opportunities as foundations for positive child development. Using these common principles, early childhood educators and artists worked together as equals to provide an enriched early learning environment with improved use of space and materials in an atmosphere of “unhurried time”. Themes in the evaluation of the professional outcomes for educators and artists included increased engagement with the arts; changes in pedagogy; building relationships between artists and educators; and the importan...
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 2020
The present study seeks to address the dearth of research focussed on childminding (family daycar... more The present study seeks to address the dearth of research focussed on childminding (family daycare or family childcare) in Ireland, despite its significant role in national childcare provision. One overarching aim was to explore childminders' cultural models of praxis and pedagogy in the Irish context. This research was conducted within the theoretical framework of Ecocultural Theory (ECT) (Weisner 1993, 2002), referencing concepts in Attachment Theory, in the context of historical and current policy in Ireland, Europe and the US over the last 30 years. A mixed method approach was adopted using the Ecocultural Family Interview for Childminders (EFICh) protocol, which included holistic ratings, field notes, photographs taken by participants, and a case study survey. This article describes one cultural model identified among childminders in this study, a Close Relationship Model of praxis in a home-from-home environment, prioritising love and fun in mixed age childcare, developing enduring relationships in an extended childminding family. To effectively engage professional childminders in Ireland, any proposed system of regulation, support, and education should be aligned with this cultural model to maximise the benefits of childminding for children's outcomes in the 21 st century.
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 2019
In light of rapid changes in the early years sector in Ireland since 2000, questions arise about ... more In light of rapid changes in the early years sector in Ireland since 2000, questions arise about the professionalism of childminders (family day carers), the vast majority of whom are exempt from regulation. Fewer than 0.1% (<120) of childminders are registered with Tusla, the national regulator, despite the National Childminding Initiative, (NCMI) which has promoted professional, high quality childminding. To investigate current attitudes to NCMI's process of professionalisation (Brannen and Moss [2003]), among childminders and parents, a cross-sectional study was designed using a mixedmethod approach. Specifically an anonymous online survey was conducted with 325 participants, followed by a qualitative World Café forum for 40 members of Childminding Ireland, the national childminding body. Findings from both phases of research revealed many of these childminders were well-qualified and engaged, with a sense of professional identity, seeking a distinctive approach to support childminding. Moreover, both childminder and parent participants value the distinctive characteristics of childmindingclose relationships, a nurturing pedagogy, a rich, home environmentto a greater extent than markers of professionalism. These findings call for an innovative approach to childminding in Ireland, one that facilitates an organic development of agentic, professional childminding as part of a competent ECEC system.
International Journal of Early Years Education, 2017
The current future-focused, outcomes driven early childhood policy climate presents a danger that... more The current future-focused, outcomes driven early childhood policy climate presents a danger that early years pedagogy will lose sight of the 'present' child. Increasingly policy support for early childhood education is built around an emphasis on preparing children for school and positioning it as a key element in enhancing society through preparing future citizens to become productive members of society. The measurable outcomes discourse, in emphasising product, renders invisible the critical contribution of the processes of everyday practice to children's development. To challenge and counteract the strong outcome discourse early years professionals must have confidence in their pedagogy. However, research suggests that those working in the early years may lack the language and strategies for supporting their educational practice. Using the bio-ecological model of development and drawing on the capabilities approach this paper calls for a shift in policy and pedagogical discourse from measuring competencies towards enhancing capabilities, from assessing outcomes towards providing rich, day-today learning opportunities. Such a shift in narrative could weaken the neo-liberal, outcome language of early childhood policy and refocus on supporting an early childhood pedagogy that would explicitly reflect current understanding of what is most beneficial to children's development and well-being and provide a powerful potential for change.
UCC 4. Professional Development in the Childcare Sector in 104 Waterford City & County: a Discuss... more UCC 4. Professional Development in the Childcare Sector in 104 Waterford City & County: a Discussion Paper Rose Kavanagh and Noirin He a l y-Magwa Wa t e rf o rd County and City Childcare Coord i n a t o r s 5. 'How professionalism defines the effective Educarer': 130 A Reflection on the Theme-Training for a New Profession D r. Fl o rence E. Dinneen, Ma ry Immaculate College, Li m e r i c k 6. Training, Transition, Tr a n s f o rm a t i o n 142 in Early Years Education and Ca re Pat Mu r p h y, De p a rt m e n t of Education, UCC 2. The Missing Link? Early Childhood in Ireland 287 and Educational Disadvantage Dr.Tracey Connolly, De p a rt m e n t of Education, UCC 3. The Role of National Parents Council-Primary 298 Lorraine Crossan, De p a rt m e n t of Education, UCC 4. "Girls and Boys Are Different!" 312 An Exploration of Parental Responses to a Questionnaire Survey on Gender in the Early Years Dr. Maura Cunneen, De p a rt m e n t of Education, UCC 5. The Spirit of the Infant World: Self, Objects and People 320 Dr. Francis Douglas, De p a rt m e n t of Education, UCC Section Six Children and the Media 349 1. Children, Cinema and Ideology in the Information Age-350 An analysis of children's cultural products Sharon O'Brien, CECDE 2. The First Face of Cultural Hegemony: 362 The Global Hierarchical Models Young Children Find in Disney Animated Media Ruth A. Doran 3. Young Children: Their Television Viewing Habits 375 and the Associated Influences on Their Behaviour Dr. Francis Douglas, De p a rt m e n t of Education, UCC Below, I present sections of the profile that I constructed for Lara (4 years and 1 month), one of the fourteen children in the study. Essentially it is an assessment of Lara's number sense as she begins school. I interviewed her twice during her third week in her new environment of school. Prior to the interviews Lara: Spell Laura Liz: I'll write it here Lara: How can you spell Nuala? Liz: That's Nuala [I wrote the word NUALA for her] Lara: Can you spell George? Liz: [I wrote the word GEORGE for her]. There, that's George Lara: Can you spell girl? [I wrote the word GIRL for her] Lara indicated here, and on a number of other occasions during our discussions, that she was particularly curious about letters and spelling and the ways in which symbols can convey meaning. She appeared to understand that letters can do this but she did not seem to have the same sense about numbers. For instance, when asked what information the numerals she had selected as those for her house conve yed, she 're a d' the name of the road on which she lived. W h i l e she knew the number of her house was seventeen, in her response to my re q u e s t to show the number on the door she randomly selected two magnetic numerals to re p resent it and re m a rked 'Yo u'd put this one on ... and this one.' In contrast to her absorption with letters and words she professed to find counting and number as she had experienced it in early learning settings so far as boring: Liz: Are numbers useful ... what do we use them for? Lara: Well you have to do a hAon and a Do and I'll be really bored Liz: It's really boring, is it? [She nodded in agreement] Lara: They all ... they say ... all the teachers say was a hAon, a Do ... a Se Liz: In this school? Lara: My teacher says that and I don't really want to say it Lara's understandings related to the purposes of number Counting and number seemed to be synonymous for Lara and she consistently adopted this position. When explicitly asked what numbers were for she said that they were for counting. She thought deeply about the issue of counting, at least on the occasion of the interview, as is evidenced in the following: Liz: So now you're in big school ... will you learn about numbers here? Lara appeared to be very familiar with these strings in both Irish and English. Such was the import and effect on Lara of learning Irish dancing, that twice during our initial discussion she left her chair and announced that she would show me her dancing. On one of these occasions her response to my question about who had taught her dad to count was 'Do you want to see my Irish dancing?' She then jumped off the chair and stood with her foot out. She danced her steps as I kept time for her ...
Setting the 'What if ' Free: Some theoretical perspectives on talking 153 and thinking in an infa... more Setting the 'What if ' Free: Some theoretical perspectives on talking 153 and thinking in an infant classroom-an investigation into one teacher's practice Mary Roche, University of Limerick 2 Welcoming Address I want to welcome you all here to UCC this morning especially the esteemed representatives for the various child care Organisations in this country and abroad. OMEP Ireland is in existence since 1965 and has played a significant role in the Development of Education and care in this country. It has experienced Highs and lows. But we are now in rebirth hence this is our 3rd conference in 2 years I want to extend my thanks to the committee who have done Trojan work in organising these conferences. Many thanks to our Patrons Mary Horgan UCC Noirin Hayes of DIT and Francis Douglas UCC Special thanks to Professor Fred Powell of UCC who will give the Keynote address. Earlier this year I had the privilege of attending the OMEP UK conference in Liverpool. We are delighted to have Anabell Lewis from OMEP UK with us today and we are delighted to have such close links with OMEP UK I would like to thank Margaret Kernan and Noirin Hayes of DIT for agreeing to edit today's proceedings. I hope you enjoy the day. Many thanks Ann Fanning President OMEP Ireland 5 4 In the opening paper, Douglas provides a comprehensive overview of the literature on self-esteem drawing on multiple perspectives. Throughout the paper implications for practice for both parents and carers are identified. Douglas concludes by advocating a holistic spiritual approach to helping children concentrate on their inner spirit rather than on circumstances beyond their control. He contends that: The more young children experience their true nature, their inner self, the greater will be their self-concept. Where the inner self of children is strongly influenced by external circumstances outside
Programme 6 1.2 Research sample 9 2. Literature Review 11 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Preschool quality ... more Programme 6 1.2 Research sample 9 2. Literature Review 11 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Preschool quality 2.3 Parents 2.4 Child outcomes in similar intervention studies 2.5 Process evaluation 3. Methodology of evaluation of Early Years Programme 21 3.1 Research design 3.2 Research questions 3.3 Research instruments 3.4 Data collection with the sample 3.5 Consent 3.6 Analysis techniques 4. Quantitative findings 29 4.1 Parent sample-baseline characteristics 4.2 Child sample-baseline characteristics 4.3 Child cognitive and language development findings 4.4 Child social development findings (rated by Early Years practitioners/parents) 4.5 Home-learning environment, parental stress and SDQ finding 4.6 Findings on Early Years service environmental quality 4.7 Findings on programme effects 4.8 Discussion of child cognitive and language development findings 4.9 Discussion of child social development findings 4.10 Discussion of home-learning environment findings 4.11 Discussion of Early Years service environment quality findings 5. Process evaluation findings 5.1 Utilisation of Early Years Programme by target groups 5.2 Manual fidelity and programme utilisation 5.3 Organisation 6.
As the transition to school is essentially linked to the child, their family, preschools and scho... more As the transition to school is essentially linked to the child, their family, preschools and schools, the project coordinator worked with the settings to identify methods to increase communication and collaboration with parents. Following an ecological perspective, these groups and the interactions between them have an impact on the transition to school for children, and as such each has a responsibility for children's success in this area. The project stakeholders were involved in seeking the most effective methods for cultivating home-school relationships. Both the literature review and the recommendations from O'Kane (2007) were useful in this regard. Policies with regard to home-school communication can then be developed which acknowledge the importance of these relationships on children's experience during the transition to school and beyond. Any child-centred approach to education must also recognise that differences exist between the home and educational environments which may not be conducive to the child realising their full potential. Differences can be found in cultural expectations of parents and staff, differences can be found in the socioeconomic backgrounds of parent and staff, differences in ethnicity, religious affiliation, or gender, can cause difficulties with communication between the two groups. It is imperative that the needs of the child are kept central to home-school communication. Training in this area was provided in the programme of Continuing Professional Development. [See Section 5.5 for the development process for the CPD].
N° EAC/17/2012 Study on the effective use of early childhood education and care in preventing ear... more N° EAC/17/2012 Study on the effective use of early childhood education and care in preventing early school leaving The Study on the effective use of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in preventing early school leaving (ESL) aimed to collect evidence on how equitable and high-quality early child education and care can influence the performance of children in the subsequent stages of education and possibly contribute to the prevention of early school leaving. In order to achieve this, the following steps were undertaken: The research review stage focused on synthesising the already existing evidence on the links between quality of ECEC and children’s learning progress. This allowed major gaps in existing research to be identified and directions for future studies to be provided. The synthesis included an overview of literature and policy documents in the languages of 34 European countries. The policy mapping stage helped to update policy information available from the previous...
This presentation considers the design of early childhood education and care subsidies using poli... more This presentation considers the design of early childhood education and care subsidies using policy design theory.
The rapidity of change in Irish early childhood policy over the last 20 years is clear to observe... more The rapidity of change in Irish early childhood policy over the last 20 years is clear to observers (OECD 2004). What may be debated is how significant the changes are. In this paper, we analyse changes in early childhood education and care policy in Ireland since 1995, using Hall's (1993) typology of policy change to help understand how policies and institutions could change so much in appearance without changing their fundamental features or underlying philosophy. We demonstrate that, despite extensive change, a traditional policy paradigm has held constant, where the State's role in direct service delivery remains limited, the State continues to be reluctant to intervene in "family matters" and education is prioritised over care. Résumé Il est evident aux yeux des observateurs que la politique irlandaise de l'éducation et l'accueil de la petite enfance a rapidement changé au cours des vingt dernières années (OCDE, 2004). Reste à savoir à quel point ces changements sont significatifs. Dans cet article, nous analysons l'évolution de la politique d'éducation et d'accueil de la petite enfance en Irlande depuis 1995, au moyen de la typologie du changement de politique de Hall (1993) pour aider à comprendre comment les politiques et les institutions peuvent tant changer en apparence sans que changent leurs caractéristiques fondamentales ni leurs philosophie sous-jacente. Nous démontrons qu'en dépit de changements importants, un paradigme de politique traditionnelle est resté constant, alors que le rôle de l'Etat demeure limité dans les services offerts. L'Etat reste réticent à intervenir dans "les affaires familiales" et la priorité est donnée à l'éducation plutôt qu'à l'accueil. Resumen En los últimos veinte años Irlanda ha experimentado una rápida transformación en la política sobre el cuidado y educación infantil; esto es algo evidente para los observadores del tema (OECD 2004). Lo que podría debatirse es la importancia de estos cambios. En este ensayo analizamos los cambios en el sistema educativo infantil y en la política de cuidado infantil en Irlanda desde 1995, utilizando la clasificación de Hall (1993) para evaluar el grado de cambio en la política para ayudar a entender cómo las políticas y las instituciones pueden haber 3 cambiado tanto en apariencia, pero sin haber experimentado grandes cambios ni en sus características fundamentales ni en su filosofía de base. Este ensayo demuestra que, a pesar del gran cambio experimentado, un paradigma de política tradicional, en el que el papel del Estado en la provisión de servicios continúa siendo limitado, se ha mantenido constante; el Estado continúa estando poco dispuesto a inmiscuirse en "asuntos familiares", y que a la educación se le da mayor importancia que al cuidado infantil.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact on nutrition- and health-related practice of two methods of deliv... more ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact on nutrition- and health-related practice of two methods of delivery of a nutrition and health intervention in Irish full-day-care pre-schools: training of pre-school managers only or training of managers and their staff.DesignA simple randomised study with pre-schools divided into two training groups: ‘manager trained’ and ‘manager and staff trained’. Direct observational data – food and fluid provision, physical activity, outdoor time, staff practices and availability of nutrition and health resources – were recorded during one full day spent in each pre-school both pre- and post-intervention, using a specifically developed and validated Pre-school Health Promotion Activity Scored Evaluation Form. Post-intervention, self-assessment data were also collected using the same evaluation tool.SettingPre-schools, Midlands of Ireland.SubjectsA convenience sample of forty-two pre-schools registered with the Irish Health Service Executive.ResultsFrom pre- to ...
A pre-school offering a full-day-care service provides for children aged 0–5 years for more than ... more A pre-school offering a full-day-care service provides for children aged 0–5 years for more than 4 h/d. Researchers have called for studies that will provide an understanding of nutrition and physical activity practices in this setting. Obesity prevention in pre-schools, through the development of healthy associations with food and health-related practices, has been advocated. While guidelines for the promotion of best nutrition and health-related practice in the early years’ setting exist in a number of jurisdictions, associated regulations have been noted to be poor, with the environment of the child-care facility mainly evaluated for safety. Much cross-sectional research outlines poor nutrition and physical activity practice in this setting. However, there are few published environmental and policy-level interventions targeting the child-care provider with, to our knowledge, no evidence of such interventions in Ireland. The aim of the present paper is to review international guid...
PurposeThe provision of nutritious food to children in full day care pre‐schools is essential to ... more PurposeThe provision of nutritious food to children in full day care pre‐schools is essential to ensure adequate child growth and development. The purpose of this paper is to outline the development of a nutrition assessment tool (scored evaluation form (SEF)) for this setting, and describe the nutrition practice findings measured by this tool in full day child care in Ireland.Design/methodology/approachThis study involved two phases: first, a comprehensive literature review carried out on each criterion in the SEF to ensure best practice; and second, use of the SEF in full day care pre‐schools to assess their nutrition practice.FindingsUse of the SEF demonstrated that portion sizes provided to infants and toddlers were inadequate. Poor provision of iron containing, vegetable and dairy foods was noted, as were poor meal time practices. The phrasing of certain criteria needs modification to avoid misinterpretation of portion size.Research limitations/implicationsWith small modificati...
Uploads
Papers by Noirin Hayes