[DOWNLOAD] "Child Participation in the Early Years: Challenges for Education (Essay)" by Australasian Journal of Early Childhood ~ Book PDF Kindle ePub Free

July 30, 2021

eBook details

Title: Child Participation in the Early Years: Challenges for Education (Essay)
Author : Australasian Journal of Early Childhood
Release Date : January 01, 2011
Genre: Education,Books,Professional & Technical,
Pages : * pages
Size : 215 KB

Description

This paper examines the major social policy movements and theoretical understandings that have driven an international agenda of child participation. Participation is a term used freely to signify many roles that children take on as they experience the varying contexts of their lives. The concept of participation is 'multi-dimensional' and can be interpreted in many ways (Kellett, 2009; Sinclair, 2004). Reviewing child participation agendas, one common understanding is that participation is a process, as children are involved in making decisions about matters that affect their lives, whether independently or as a group (Hill, Davis, Prout&Tisdall, 2004). Continuing this idea, Alderson (2008) suggests participation encompasses the activities of children 'talking, thinking and deciding' (p. 79) and adults responding to and incorporating the views of children. While there is movement and a commitment to participatory ideals, change in key agendas and practices for early childhood education remains slow First, this paper presents an overview of understandings, definitions and scope of child participation within social policy and theory. With a focus on the Australian context, a review of the field of participation shows that, while participation has been somewhat effective in policy development in Australia, there is limited response in the field and practices of early childhood education. Next, the paper examines the impediments to child participation in early childhood education. Finally, we argue that child participation is an interactionally managed activity that relies upon specific child-adult practices. Further research into the daily experiences of young children may demonstrate what participation might look like when translated at a foundational level; in other words, how children's everyday participation with each other, and with the teacher in the everyday activities of the classroom and playground, is enacted. Child participation movements at times show little understanding of children's interactions in their social worlds, even while attempting to position children as competent. Child participation, including how participation is understood from observing children's interactions, is relatively unknown.