Silent policymakers in Aotearoa New Zealand: reflections on research of early childhood teacher views on policy, practicum and partnership

ABSTRACT

This paper reports on the importance of the stories and perspectives of early childhood education Associate Teachers (ATs) at a time when there is considerable flux being experienced in the Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood sector, due in particular to the ongoing impact of changes in government funding policy, ongoing debates about pathways into the teaching profession, and an updated curriculum framework. The paper developed out of a research project that asked Associate Teachers (AT) about their views on the impact of recent national education policy changes. The views of ATs provide an influential voice for the sector, and particularly for teacher education providers through the student teacher practicum experience. Evidence and analysis of AT views provides insight into how the triadic of student, lecturer and practitioner can work together to support student teachers with their practicum experience in relation to the recent policy changes. A very small return rate for online questionnaires left the research team with the challenge of talking about the meaning of such silence, while at the same time acknowledging and valuing the views of those who did complete the questions. The paper presents a shift in the researchers’ perspectives on the subject of their research, and raises awareness of the problem of working with, and being committed to, the silent voices. The paper concludes with foundations for future research, focusing on ATs as active participants in teacher education policymaking and involving them both as researchers and participants.

KEYWORDS:

• Early childhood education
• education policy
• initial teacher education
• Aotearoa New Zealand
• silence

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributor

Andrew Gibbons is an early childhood teacher educator and Associate Professor at the School of Education. He has worked in journalism, in the social services in England and in early childhood education in Auckland. Andrew has a keen interest in philosophy and politics, and these orient his research of early childhood education, and education more generally, to questioning beliefs and practices, and their impact on the experience of being human. He has published widely on topics including the early childhood teaching profession, Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood education policy, approaches to early childhood curriculum, the educational implications of the work of Albert Camus, the philosophy of education, the role of technology in education, and the future of the university.

Marek Tesar’s research is focused on philosophical methods, childhood studies and early childhood education, with expertise in the philosophy of education and childhood. His research is concerned with the construction of childhoods, notions of place/space, and methodological and philosophical thinking around ontologies and the ethics of researching these notions.

Sarah Steiner is an early childhood preschool Team Leader and Masters student. Her current practice and research is concerned with early childhood in Pasifika contexts and the bicultural aspects of the New Zealand early childhood curriculum. She has a particular focus on implementing curricular strands pertaining to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and te ao Māori.

Samantha Chan is a qualified early childhood teacher and an associate teacher to early childhood student teachers, in Auckland, New Zealand. Samantha’s teaching and research interests include the arts in early childhood education, the role of documentation in supporting learning in early childhood education, and the mentoring of student teachers on practicum.

ORCID

Marek Tesar http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7771-2880

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.