This paper reflects on the current state of research in early childhood education and proposes that there is a renewed interest in research evident at present. Multiple perspectives of viewing early childhood are increasing, with research stretching the comfortable boundaries wider than seen before in Australia. This paper discusses how early childhood research is changing the way we consider childhood, and how its methods are now beginning to really embrace the child. Also discussed are some of the thought-provoking initiatives recently taken in such research and how the early childhood sector can benefit from its richness.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
CannellaG. S. (1997). Deconstructing early childhood education: Social justice and revolution.New York: Peter Lang.
2.
CharlesworthR. (1998). Developmentally appropriate practice is for everyone. Childhood Education, 74(5), 274–282.
3.
DockettS., & FleerM. (1998). Play and pedagogy in early childhood: Bending the rules.Sydney: Harcourt Brace.
4.
EdwardsA. (2000). Research and practice: Is there a dialogue? In PennH., (Ed.), Early childhood services: Theory, policy and practices (pp. 184–199). Buckingham: Open University Press.
5.
EdwardsS. (2003). Teacher perceptions of curriculum: Metaphoric descriptions of DAP.Paper presented at the Australian Research in Early Childhood Education Conference, Monash University, Frankston, 22–24 January.
6.
FleerM. (2000). An early childhood research agenda: Voices from the field.Canberra, ACT: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.
7.
FleerM. (Ed.) (1995). DAPcentrism. Challenging developmentally appropriate practice.Watson, ACT: Australian Early Childhood Association.
8.
GenishiC., RyanS., OschnerM., & MalterM. (2001). Teaching in early childhood education: Understanding practices through research and theory. In RichardsonV., (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching (4th edn) (pp. 1175–1210). Washington DC: American Educational Research Association.
9.
GrieshaberS., & CannellaG. S. (2001a). Embracing identities in early childhood education: Diversity and possibilities.New York: Teachers College Press.
10.
GrieshaberS., & CannellaG. S. (2001b). From identity to identities: Increasing possibilities in early childhood education. In GrieshaberS., & CannellaG. S. (Eds), Embracing identities in early childhood education (pp. 3–22). New York: Teachers College Press.
11.
HatchJ. A., BowmanB., JamilahJ.D., MorganC.L., HartC., SotoL. D., LubeckS., & HysonM. (2002). Developmentally appropriate practice: Continuing the dialogue. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood Education, 3(2), 439–457.
12.
JipsonJ. (2000). The stealing of wonderful ideas: The politics of imposition and representation in research on early childhood education. In SotoL. D. (Ed.), The politics of early childhood education (pp. 167–177). New York: Peter Lang.
13.
JipsonJ., & JohnsonR. T. (2001). Resistance and representation: Rethinking childhood education.New York: Peter Lang.
14.
JohnsonR. (2001). Epilogue: Reconceptualization as interruption, interrogative punctuation, and opening. In JipsonJ., & JohnsonR. T. (Eds), Resistance and Representation: Rethinking early childhood education (pp. 305–309). New York: Peter Lang.
15.
KesslerS. A., & SwadenerB. B. (1992). Reconceptualizing the early childhood curriculum: Beginning the dialogue.New York: Teachers College Press.
16.
KnightB. A. (2002). Foreword. In KnightB. A. (Ed.), Reconceptualising learning in the knowledge society(pp. v-vii). Flaxton, QLD: Post Pressed.
17.
KriegS. (2003). Ethical research with children: Practices and possibilities. Australian Research in Early Childhood Education, 10(1), 81–92.
18.
LingardB. (2001). Some lessons for educational researchers: Repositioning research in education and education in research. Australian Educational Researcher, 28(3), 1–46.
19.
LubeckS. (1998). Is DAP for everyone? A response. Childhood Education, 74(5), 299–301.
20.
MacNaughtonG. (2003). Eclipsing voice in research with young children. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 28(1), 36–42.
21.
MossP. (2002). Time to say farewell to ‘Early Childhood’? Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood Education, 3(3), 435–438.
22.
PageJ. M., & HammerM. (2003). Curriculum considerations: Choices and emerging possibilities.Paper presented at the 11th Annual Australian Research in Early Childhood Education Conference, Monash University, Melbourne, January.
23.
RabanB. (2000). Just the beginning…Canberra, ACT: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.
24.
RabanB., UreC., & WaniganayakeM. (2003). Multiple perspectives: Acknowledging the virtue of complexity in measuring quality. Early Years, 23(1), 67–77.
25.
RobbinsJ. (2003). The more he looked inside the more Piglet wasn't there: What adopting a sociocultural perspective can help us see. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 28(2), 1–7.
26.
RoddJ. (1994). Leadership in early childhood: The pathway to professionalism.New York: Teachers College Press.
27.
SmythJ. (2001). Critical politics of teachers' work: An Australian perspective.New York: Peter Lang.
28.
SotoL. D., & SwadenerB. B. (2002). Toward liberatory early childhood theory, research and praxis: Decolonializing a field. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood Education, 3(1), 38–66.
29.
SteinbergS. R., & KincheloeJ. L. (1997). Kinderculture: The corporate construction of childhood.Boulder, CO: Westview.
30.
SumsionJ. (2003). Researching with children: Lessons in humility, reciprocity, and community. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 28(1), 18–23.
31.
WoodheadM. (1997). Standardising children: The role of psychology. The Open University Centre for Human Development and Learning, Occasional Paper CHDL/2/97.
32.
WoodrowC. (1999). Revisiting images of the child in early childhood education: Reflections and considerations. Australian Journal of Early Childhood Education, 24(4), 7–13.
33.
WoodrowC., & BrennanM. (2001). Interrupting dominant images: Critical and ethical issues. In JipsonJ., & JohnsonR. T. (Eds), Resistance and representation: Rethinking childhood education (pp. 23–43). New York: Peter Lang.
34.
YellandN. J. (2001). Teaching and learning with information and communication technologies (ICT) for numeracy in the early childhood and primary years of schooling.Canberra, ACT: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.
