Engaging Family in the Early Childhood Curriculum: The Role of Pedagogical Documentation in Greece | Chapter 8 | Language, Literature and Education: Research Updates Vol. 9

 

Aims: Pedagogical documentation is used in many countries, and its importance and effects are recognised in multiple levels. However, it is not a legislated requirement in the Greek formal curriculum for early childhood education. Our research program aimed to help educators use pedagogical documentation in the educational process, and to bring parents closer to the early childhood curriculum, in an active and participatory way, through the documentation process. The main research question referred to the way in which the systematic use of pedagogical documentation can help parents understand the kindergarten’s daily curriculum and participate in it in a new way, in a country where pedagogical documentation is not mandatory.

 

Place and Duration of the Study: The study took place in Thessaloniki, Greece, and the duration was seven months. The sample was ten educators from five kindergartens and one hundred and ninety-two children, aged four to six years. Methodology: We used collaborative action research, between ten educators and two researchers from the same university department, to intervene in the educational process and advance it through the flexible use of space and the use of pedagogical documentation from children, educators and parents. The methodological tools were a researcher’s diary, two digital questionnaires for the educators (pre-/post-implementation) and a post-implementation digital questionnaire for the parents.

 

Results: The results showed that the pedagogical documentation helped the educators to bring the parents closer to the kindergarten’s daily program and made them feel as if they could participate in it creatively. The need for more active participation of parents led to the improvised use of digital documentation through Padlet. Space proved to be a crucial factor in the development of the program. It functioned as a living system of people, perspectives and practices.

 

Conclusion: Collaboration and the sharing of knowledge among the educators and between the educators and parents, using different educational strategies, helped parents to become involved more systematically and substantially in the kindergarten’s curriculum, constructing a community of relations, participation, trust, shared values and learning among them.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Domna- Mika Kakana
School of Early Childhood Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.

 

Alexandra Gkloumpou
School of Early Childhood Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/lleru/v9/6505

Small Learners, Big Data: Ethical and Policy Challenges of AI in Early Childhood Education in Global and U.S. Contexts | Chapter 4 | Language, Literature and Education: Research Updates Vol. 4

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in educational systems, its integration into early childhood education (ECE) presents both transformative opportunities and complex challenges. This literature review critically examines global and U.S. policy frameworks governing AI implementation in ECE, with a focus on ethical, legal, pedagogical, and equity-related dimensions. Drawing on theoretical foundations from developmental psychology, sociology of childhood, and educational technology, the paper synthesises empirical findings and policy analyses across diverse national contexts, including the European Union, China, Singapore, Australia, and the United States. The review identifies global best practices that emphasise ethical AI design, inclusive pedagogy, and robust educator training, contrasting these with the fragmented and innovation-driven U.S. landscape. Key challenges—ranging from data privacy and algorithmic bias to infrastructure gaps and professional readiness—underscore the need for developmentally informed, child-centred AI governance. The paper concludes by outlining critical research gaps, including the need for longitudinal studies, equity-driven implementation strategies, and pedagogical integration frameworks. By advancing a multidimensional policy perspective, this review offers actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and technologists working to ensure that AI enhances rather than undermines the promise of equitable and developmentally appropriate early learning.

 

Author (s) Details

Yi Wu
University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/lleru/v4/5259

Inclusive Language, Pedagogy, and Motivation in Early Childhood Education| Chapter 9 | Current Research in Language, Literature and Education Vol. 5

We examine language usage in early childhood education settings, highlight the effects of non-inclusive language, and propose ways to improve the use of inclusive language in teaching and learning in this chapter. To gain rich meanings of non-inclusive language, we utilised a classic extract from an observation research as the basis for a creative content and textual analysis. Inclusive language is essential for developing inclusiveness, belonging, and worth in children. Inclusive language is used in early childhood education settings to clarify teaching and create realistic expectations for all children. Instructors' non-inclusive language, on the other hand, can be a disincentive, restricting how openly youngsters learn and cooperate with classmates and teachers in schools. The language used by instructors is examined in this study, and it is discovered that non-inclusive language can have a negative impact on children's learning, socialisation, emotional well-being, and motivation to learn. We observed that strong inclusiveness training and professional development programmes may assist teachers in gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to use inclusive language in the classroom, particularly as a pedagogical and motivating tool in early childhood education. Instead of employing non-inclusive language, the study suggests that instructors be made aware of the importance of inclusive language and its accompanying advantages for educating children. There are also some practical ramifications for utilising inclusive language.

Author(s) Details:

Francis R. Ackah-Jnr,
Griffith College & Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia and Department of Basic Education, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.

John Appiah,
Department of Basic Education, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana and  Department of EFLT, College of Education, Auburn University, Alabama, USA.

Alex Kwao,
Department of Basic Education, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/CRLLE-V5/article/view/6725

Involvement of Parents in Early Childhood Education for Positive Influence on Children’s Learning Outcomes| Chapter 7 | Selected Topics in Humanities and Social Sciences Vol. 4

 This chapter is based on a study conducted in public Early Childhood centres in Nairobi City County, Kenya, with the goal of determining the impact of parental involvement in children's learning programmes on learning outcomes. The study was necessitated by the fact that a lot of parents do not appear to realise the importance of their involvement in their children's early childhood education. Furthermore, teachers complain about a lack of parental support for their children's learning at early development centres. The study's goals included determining the extent to which parents were involved in their children's education. The study targeted 21 public stand-alone early childhood education centres, 2243 children aged 3-5 years, 21 head teachers, and all teachers at the learning centres in a descriptive survey. To process pupils' learning outcomes, data was collected using scheduled interview schedules for head teachers, closed questionnaires for teachers, and a document analysis guide (performance). The conclusion, based on the quantitative and qualitative evidence, was that whenever parents were Learning results were higher when parents were active in their children's learning programmes. The study concluded that various governments and education stakeholders should build a framework for involving parents more actively in their children's learning programmes in early development centres. It is also necessary to develop the management skills of head teachers in order to increase their planning abilities.

Author (S) Details

Orpha Nyakundi
Kenya National Commission for UNESCO, Social and Human Sciences Programme, Nairobi, Kenya.

View Book :- https://stm.bookpi.org/STHSS-V4/article/view/2860

Collaborative and Reflective Practices through Project Approach in Early Years Setting | Chapter 10 | Modern Perspectives in Language, Literature and Education Vol. 3

 In today's technologically dependent society, collaborative and reflective practices play an important role in improving teaching and learning. The purpose of this study is to present and discuss an exploratory study on early childhood educational practices using the Project Approach (PA), in order to illustrate collaborative work between academics and practitioners as well as reflective practices. The researcher, two preschool teachers, and six children participated in the study, which used an Action Research design. Observations, interviews, and reflective journals were used to collect data. According to the phases of an action research, four objectives were established: I monitor existing teaching and learning practices; ii) train teachers to be critical reflectors; iii) simulate project work with children at the fieldwork; and iv) critically reflect collaborative practice in PA. The researcher and the teachers' collaboration and reflection practices altered the teacher-centered strategy to a more child-centered approach as additional opportunities for adult-child interactions were provided, according to the findings. Teachers become more sensitive to the requirements of the students. It may be concluded that by providing instructors with the appropriate methods and tools during their training, teaching practices can be changed to improve learning.

Author (s) Details

Masayu Dzainudin
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Malaysia.

Hamidah Yamat
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia.

Faridah Yunus
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia.

View Book :- https://stm.bookpi.org/MPLLE-V3/article/view/936