Enriching Young Minds
University of Valencia
“Cariño Is the Pedagogy” - Assessing 4-year-olds whilst Making Sense of Their Behaviours: An Explanatory Analysis of Policy and Practice View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Alicia Blanco Bayo
The current focus on ranking the academic performance of 4-year-olds in England (Bradbury & Roberts-Holmes, 2017) threatens to erase the value of relational pedagogy. The methods that measure progression according to set criteria discourage the idea of developing loving bonds with children (Noddings, 2005 and Cameron & Moss, 2007). I use the word cariño in a pedagogical context in England to emphasise the importance of the loving bond EYP (Early Years practitioners) develop whilst making sense of children’s behaviours during assessment. To understand how cariño fits within assessment processes, I explore the impact of current policy and practice. I also examine to what extent Saarni’s eight skills of emotional competence are being assessed whilst EYPs try to make sense of children’s behaviours. I take an interpretivist stance which influences the construction of a definition of a pedagogy which focuses on the spontaneous loving relationships between EYPs and children (Ortiz-Ocaña, 2013). I employ qualitative methods (focus groups, interviews and video-diaries) to explore how some EYPs identify and support the skills of emotional competence as building blocks for the development of other skills. I propose the CASEC model of assessment (Cycle of assessment for socio-emotional development based on cariño) after reviewing some of the recent literature related to the social-emotional impact of current assessment practices. This model is shaped following the explanatory cross case study analysis and the presentation of the findings as storyboard which illustrate that cariño can be naturally embraced whilst EYPs build affectionate relationships during observational assessment.
Featured Missing Voices: The Educational Experiences of Autistic Girls - a Photovoice
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Gillian O'Hagan
The study of autistic girls varies considerably from autistic boys on whom most of the diagnostic and support literature is based. It would appear that this historic and androcentric approach continues to reflect the currently inaccurate prevalence rates for female autism. In some instances, girls receive a primary diagnosis of a learning difficulty which is ultimately masking underlying autism. The female presentation of autism remains largely unexplored, and in particular, the adolescent female perspective of the condition has had limited voice. Photovoice, a participatory arts based method, lends itself to the widespread adolescent use of smart phone technology among which is the use of cameras to document daily lives on social media. This type of informal documentary photography has been harnessed to provide insight to the underrepresented world of the autistic teenage girl and enlightens those parents and professionals wishing to support them. The research engages collaboratively with nine autistic adolescent females (11-18) in four post primary schools across Belfast, Northern Ireland. Photovoice is used to expose both the challenges and coping strategies adopted by these girls. The research culminates in three photographic exhibitions, at Queens University Belfast, the Stormont Assembly, the governmental seat in Northern Ireland, and finally, the Belfast International Arts festival as the residing three-week exhibition of the University of the Atypical, part of the Arts and Disability Research Forum. The Photovoice is then used to inform practice and training across education in Northern Ireland.
Attitudes Towards Inclusive Education and Practice Experiences of Preschool Teachers in Israel
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Fida Nijim Ektelat
The ministry of education and JDC- Ashalim are interested in developing a program to support the application of the amendment 11 of Special Education Law from 2018 in kindergarten. It is known that positive preschool teacher attitudes and inclusive practice are essential for success when children with special educational needs are placed into mainstream classrooms. The Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute has been commissioned on 2021 to conduct a quantitative study for the ministry of education and JDC- Ashalim to investigated and analyzed the Attitudes Towards Inclusive Education and the inclusive practice experiences of 148 pre-school teachers in both the Jewish and the Arab kindergarten in Israel. The presentation of the study will include the findings from the Teachers’ Attitudes towards Inclusive Education Scale (TAIS), identified positive values attitude of preschool teachers toward inclusive and a negative attitude toward the practices of inclusion. The variables that were associated with negative attitudes was the lack of training in special education, the lack of work experience with students with special education needs, the perceived teacher efficacy to teach in inclusive classrooms and the Lack of resources. The study includes details of the use made by the ministry of education based on the findings of the study to developed and implemented in 2022 a comprehensive program to support inclusive practice in early childhood education to enable full participation of all children in learning activities and build their core capabilities for life. The Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute follows the program with evaluation study.
