Educators’ Perspectives On Transitions
To Professional Care
Paris Conference
Janine Hostettler Schärer, PhD
Sessional Instructor, Educational Psychology
Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
Overview
Play as important part in early childhood
•• Study
• Play promotes cognitive, social, and emotional
development in children
Vygotsky’s definition
of play is limited to dramatic or make•• Theoretical
Background
believe play of preschoolers and early primary school-aged
children
Real play activities
according to Vygotsky include
•• Research
Questions
•
— creating an imaginary situation
— taking on and acting out roles and
— following a set of rules determined by specific roles (Bodrova &
Results
Leong, 2007).
• Contribution
Qualitative Case Study
•• Descriptive
case study
approach
(Stake, 2005)
Play as important
part in
early childhood
— purposeful
sampling
of and
a typical
case (Creswell, 2009, 2012)
• Play
promotesqualitative
cognitive,
social,
emotional
development in children
Vygotsky’s definition of play is limited to dramatic or make•• Participants
believe
of and
preschoolers
and early primary school-aged
— four play
families
four educators
children
• Real
play activities
Data
gathering
toolsaccording to Vygotsky include
— creating an imaginary situation
• Questionnaire, weekly teacher inquiry circles (16-months),
— taking on and acting out roles and
teacher
interviews, parent interviews, video recordings and
—
following
setaofchild,
rules determined
by specific
roles (Bodrova
observations aon
group video
discussion
with &
Leong, 2007).
teachers
Transitions
• Play as important part in early childhood
• Play promotes cognitive, social, and emotional
development in children
Vygotsky’s definition of play is limited to dramatic or make•• Transitions
to childcare are about building
believe play of preschoolers and early primary school-aged
relationships
among children, parents and
children
teachers
(Brooker,
2008;
• childcare
Real play activities
according
to Vygotsky
include
— creating an imaginary
situation 2004;
Goldschmied
& Jackson,
— taking on and acting out roles and
Liebermann,
1993).
— following a set of rules determined by specific roles (Bodrova &
Leong, 2007).
Triangle Of Care
CHILD
Cultural Level
Social structure of the
family
PARENT
Social structure of the
Childcare
TEACHER
(Brooker, 2008)
Research Questions
1. What are parents’ expectations, concerns, and fears
regarding the start of childcare for their child?
• How do the parents’ expectations match their experiences?
• What settling-in strategies/techniques are regarded as most
effective by the parents?
• What personal experiences help in or prolong the transition?
2. What are the teachers’ perspectives on orienting children
to childcare?
— What settling-in strategies/techniques are used to assist the
parent and child in the transition?
Findings - Educators
Cultural Level
• being professionals
Social Structure of the Childcare
• individual interpretations of philosophy, policies, and
regulations (shifts and schedules)
Individual Level (Relationships) – with Parents
• trusting, professional relationships
• open-door policy
Findings - Educators
Cultural Level
• being professionals
Social Structure of the Childcare
• individual interpretations of philosophy, policies, and
regulations (shifts and schedules)
Individual Level (Relationships) – with Parents
Quote
… you know, we always say: call if you want or email if you
want, but we never actually think that they are gonna do it
(laughs)… so when she started doing that we were like: oh
my god, why is she calling so much! He is fine! But I guess
cause we offered it, so… I mean we have to take it, right?
(Andrea, June 5, 2013)
Teacher-Child Relationship: Child-Selected Care
•• Child
Play as
picks
important
his/her part
preferred
in early
caregiver
childhood
and offered an
to form
an attachment
• opportunity
Play promotes
cognitive,
social, and emotional
development in children
•• Child
is encouraged
more flexibly
with other
Vygotsky’s
definitionto
ofinteract
play is limited
to dramatic
or makecaregivers
believe play of preschoolers and early primary school-aged
children
• If “over-attachment” is perceived (by other team members),
• teachers
Real playhand-over
activities according
to Vygotsky
include
the responsibility
for the
child to other
— creating an imaginary situation
educators
— taking on and acting out roles and
— following a set of rules determined by specific roles (Bodrova &
Leong, 2007).
Educators’ Arguments Contra Primary Caregiving
1.
• Play
Frequent
as important
absences
part (structural
in early childhood
level)
2.
• Play
Over-attachment/Favouritism
promotes cognitive, social, and emotional
development in children
Quote:
• Vygotsky’s definition of play is limited to dramatic or makeAt believe
some points,
I had
the
impression
the
play ofsometimes
preschoolers
and
early
primary that
school-aged
child
is so attached for example to me, (inaudible) to myself,
children
that
it isplay
almost
like mother-son
• Real
activities
according or
to mother-daughter
Vygotsky include
relationship. It shouldn’t be. So it’s also important for the
— creating an imaginary situation
team members, like co-workers to point it out too. Because
— taking on and acting out roles and
sometimes we do not know (Jamie, November 13, 2012).
— following a set of rules determined by specific roles (Bodrova &
Leong, 2007).
Educators’ Arguments Contra Primary Caregiving
1.
• Play
Frequent
as important
absences
part (structural
in early childhood
level)
2.
• Play
Over-attachment/Favouritism
promotes cognitive, social, and emotional
in children
3. development
Missing reciprocity
• Vygotsky’s definition of play is limited to dramatic or makebelieve play of preschoolers and early primary school-aged
Quote:
children
I really
dislike that feeling. I feel guilt and so when it
• Real playa activities
Vygotsky
include
happened
few times,according
in all the to
years,
so I just
ask my
— creating
situation
colleagues,
likeanI imaginary
need a little
bit of a break from this child, to
on and acting
out rolesitand
work—ontaking
my feelings.
Because
is not fair. Slowly, in small
— Ifollowing
set of
ruleswith
determined
by specific
(Bodrova
&
steps,
involveathis
child
little things.
Notroles
maybe
jump
Leong,
over this
child2007).
because he or she chose me. But for me I
think like separate myself, calm down, it’s so not fair,
because they can read us (Jamie, October 2, 2012).
Educators’ Arguments Contra Primary Caregiving
1.
• Play
Frequent
as important
absences
part (structural
in early childhood
level)
2.
• Play
Over-attachment/Favouritism
promotes cognitive, social, and emotional
in children
3. development
Missing reciprocity
• Vygotsky’s
definition
of playteacher
is limited to dramatic or make4.
Parents choose
another
believe play of preschoolers and early primary school-aged
children
Quote:
• Real play when
activities
to Vygotsky
Sometimes
I amaccording
opening and
[CHILD]’sinclude
mom will come
creating
an imaginary
situation
up to—me,
she won’t
ask me
any questions, she will wait until
— taking
and acting
out roles
and
Emma
[LEADon
TEACHER
] gets
here.
Even though Emma will be
following
a set
of about
rules determined
by specific
(Bodrova
&
like: —
“Oh,
we will
talk
it in the group
androles
then
we will
Leong,
2007).Emma always says that and this mom
get back
to you”.
always goes right to Emma (Andrea, November 27, 2012).
Educators’ Arguments Contra Primary Caregiving
1.
• Play
Frequent
as important
absences
part (structural
in early childhood
level)
2.
• Play
Over-attachment/Favouritism
promotes cognitive, social, and emotional
in children
3. development
Missing reciprocity
• Vygotsky’s
definition
of playteacher
is limited to dramatic or make4.
Parents choose
another
play
preschoolers
early primary school-aged
5. believe
Parents
doofnot
want closeand
relationships
children
• Real play activities according to Vygotsky include
Quotes:
— creating an imaginary situation
You can sense that, when parents come in, you know, the
— taking on and acting out roles and
little sly comments about:
— following a set of rules determined by specific roles (Bodrova &
“Oh yeah,
he2007).
was talking about you all weekend!”
Leong,
Or:
“I think maybe he should be your baby”
(Emma, October 2, 2012).
Triangle Of Care In Practice
Shared responsibility for all children explains why
teachers felt the triangle of care model was very
abstract compared to their practice:
• when four educators have relationships with the child
and his/her mother and father, there are multiple
connections between them
— the triangle of care model does therefore not
sufficiently depict all relationships
My Contribution - 1
Educator professionalism
• Play as important part in early childhood
• Play promotes cognitive, social, and emotional
Educators
wished
to be respected, valued, and
development
in children
appreciated
as professionals
continuously
• Vygotsky’s definition
of play is and
limited
to dramatic or makeadapted
practice
to fit their
understanding.
believe their
play of
preschoolers
and early
primary school-aged
Educators
children clearly distinguished their professional from
their
personal
self. according to Vygotsky include
• Real
play activities
— creating an imaginary situation
— taking on and acting out roles and
— following a set of rules determined by specific roles (Bodrova &
Leong, 2007).
My Contribution - 2
Educator attachment assumptions => over-attachment
• Play as important part in early childhood
• Play promotes cognitive, social, and emotional
Asdevelopment
educators’ strived
towards professionalism they
in children
sought
harmony
across
the iswhole
and toor make• Vygotsky’s
definition
of play
limitedgroup
to dramatic
balance
betweenand
theearly
needs
of anschool-aged
believe the
playtension
of preschoolers
primary
individual
children and the needs of the group. To be
professional
in theiraccording
relationships
with children,
• Real play activities
to Vygotsky
include these
educators
sought
a child
selected care model, where
— creating
an imaginary
situation
relationships
are too
individually
focused were
— taking on that
and acting
out roles
and
actively
avoided
re-routed
toward
whole
— following
a setor
of rules
determined
by specific
rolesgroup
(Bodrova &
Leong, 2007).
involvement.
My Contribution - 3
Complexity of relationships
• Play as important part in early childhood
• Play promotes cognitive, social, and emotional
Relationships
a Triangle of Care Model were not
development in
in children
easily
interpreted
by educators
in interest
of or make• Vygotsky’s
definition
of play is limited
to dramatic
professionalism:
there seemed
be primary
ambivalence
believe play of preschoolers
and to
early
school-aged
towards
childrena true parent-teacher partnership. Educators
saw
themselves
as according
experts and
not partners
of
• Real
play activities
to Vygotsky
include
parents.
— creating an imaginary situation
— taking on and acting out roles and
— following a set of rules determined by specific roles (Bodrova &
Leong, 2007).
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www.sfuchildcare.ca