Mentoring and Coaching in Early Childhood Education


Book Description

This book provides an introduction to the theory and practice of mentoring, coaching and supervision in the context of early childhood education and care. Written by a team of scholars from the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and the USA the book includes a range of annotated case studies to exemplify important issues from around the world. The chapters are organized around four key principles: · Embedding professional one to one support within the setting · Maximising performance and professional development · Self and collaborative reflection for leadership · Managing and leading change Topics covered include discussion of the differences and similarities between mentoring, coaching and supervision; management and leadership in early childhood settings; safeguarding and child protection. Alongside the annotated case studies each chapter also includes a summary of key points and questions for further discussion.







Professional Mentoring for Early Childhood and Primary School Practice


Book Description

Informed by current theory and practice, this book adapts a practical approach to mentoring that is grounded in real life experiences. Written in an accessible style, it explores the key concepts, characteristics and considerations of mentoring and mentoring relationships in early childhood and primary education contexts. With a focus upon mentoring as it applies to practicum during initial teacher education, as well as teacher induction, different models and approaches to mentoring, including dyads, triads, peer mentoring, critical friends and communities of practice (CoP) are introduced and evaluated. Engaging with theory, practical scenarios, key learning and reflection points throughout, the book invites the reader to reflect on the mentoring process from different perspectives to build the critical skills required by mentors and mentees alike, to create or enhance a culture of mentoring within their organisation. Written from the perspective of both mentors and mentees, the book is a valuable resource for those in the Further and Higher education sectors, as well as early childhood and school-based mentors. It is relevant to experienced mentors, who may wish to affirm their existing approach to mentoring, or want to explore, discover and embrace new and improved ways of working with a mentee. This book is also essential reading for anyone interested in mentoring, providing a wealth of information, insights and effective strategies for those who may be thinking of undertaking a mentoring role.




Mentoring in Early Childhood: A Complilation of Thinking, Pedagogy and Practice


Book Description

Mentoring is a fundamental and increasingly important part of professional learning and development for teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand. This book is a much-needed resource for mentors, leaders and teachers in early childhood education. It is the first of its kind: a wide ranging compilation that explores the thinking, pedagogy and practice of mentoring in early childhood education. The editors have drawn on writers from Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia who have carried out recent research into mentoring, as well as experienced mentoring practitioners. Topics cover M ori perspectives, different mentoring frameworks and approaches, and mentoring for a range of educators including student teachers. The final part discusses complexities and future directions for mentoring, and seeks to engage with decision makers outside the education sector. This book fills a significant gap in the literature internationally. It comes at what has been described as a time of seismic shift in approaches to teacher learning and development, when professional mentoring is needed more than ever. Throughout the book, writers make a powerful case for improved education programs to build the professional skills, knowledge and confidence of mentors."




Strong Foundations


Book Description

Strong Foundations addresses policy requirements from the Early Years Learning Framework, the National Quality Standard and Quality Improvement Plans, highlighting links between research and practice, and making connections to the five EYLF Learning Outcomes. The book showcases evidence from Australian and international research.




Pedagogy and Partnerships in Innovative Learning Environments


Book Description

​This book examines contexts and possibilities in Aotearoa New Zealand education contexts arising from the international trend for open, flexible, innovative learning environments (ILE), specifically on the pedagogical load. The book responds to questions such as: What does it mean to teach, learn or lead in an innovative learning environment? What happens when teachers move form single cell learning spaces to open, collaborative ones? The chapters provide examples of how teaching in new spaces can be an exciting challenge for teachers and students where they try new ways of teaching and learning, and rethink the purposes of learning and the implications of societal change for learning and what is valued. Examples are drawn from pre-service teachers working in primary and secondary schools and in-service teachers learning to become professionals. The book offers insights into a variety of educational contexts where teachers and students learn and adapt to new learning spaces, and also how different teaching and learning partnerships may be conceived, and flourish. It focuses attention on a range of aspects that teachers, school leaders, and other educators, and researchers may find valuable when they embark on similar initiatives to consider issues pivotal to productive and effective innovative learning environment design, development and implementation.




Playful Science Investigations in Early Childhood


Book Description

This book showcases a case study of the development of a generalist early childhood education (ECE) teacher into a confident and competent teacher of science in early childhood with support from a mentor. It argues that with guided mentoring, and later, timely support of a mentor as and when required, ECE teachers can deliver the curriculum, teach science by providing opportunities to explore and then build on children’s interest through intentionally planned activities, dialogue, and discourse. It presents a comprehensive literature review and research design including theoretical frames and methodology. It includes a chapter on teacher development and discusses different approaches to science investigations practiced by the teacher in the case study. The book provides evidence of children’s science learning and presents the findings as response to research questions. It also includes a model of teaching as inquiry in the context of early childhood education.




Challenging the Intersection of Policy with Pedagogy


Book Description

Asking key questions about how policies and systems impact on children’s early years and rethinking the ways in which young children’s learning and development becomes integral to policy, this insightful text challenges the common misconception that policy development and pedagogical implementation are separate endeavours. Challenging the Intersection of Policy with Pedagogy explores symbiotic dynamics between policy and practice in the early years to consider the implications of policies relating to documentation, professional well-being, mentoring, the role of the family, language development and diversity. Written to provoke group discussion and extend thinking, opportunities for international comparison, points for reflection and editorial provocations will help students, educators, integrated service providers and policy makers engage critically with a variety of understandings of how policy and practice interact. Considering the role of learning environment, the practitioner, the wider community and policy, chapters are divided into four key sections which reflect major influences on practice and pedagogy: Being alongside children Those who educate Embedding families and communities Working with systems Considering diverse settings and contexts, perspectives, policies and systems, this text will enhance understanding, support self-directed learning and provoke and transform thinking at both graduate and postgraduate levels, particularly in the field of early childhood education and care.




A Companion to Research in Teacher Education


Book Description

This state-of-the-art Companion assembles and assesses the extant research available on teacher education and provides clear guidelines on future directions. It addresses an important need in a collection that will be of value for teachers, teacher educators, policymakers and politicians. There has been little sustained, long-term or systematic research to provide empirical support for the broad aspects of teacher education policy, largely because such research has been chronically underfunded and based on traditional practitioner knowledge. Many of the changes to teacher education are contentious and yet are occurring in rapid succession. These policies and movements have important consequences for education, teacher quality and the future of the teaching profession. At the same time, the policies and initiatives that support these changes seem to be based more on ideology, business interests and tradition than on research and empirical findings. The nature, quality and effectiveness of teacher preparation have increasingly become a central focus for education policy worldwide in a fiercely argued debate among governments, think-tanks, world policy agencies, education researchers and teacher organisations.