Early childhood education settings are becoming more diverse. The recent update of the National Australian Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF 2.0) identified an urgent need for early childhood practices to be culturally and linguistically responsive to this rich diversity.
Recognising the pivotal role of early childhood teachers and educators in translating policy into meaningful practice, this project investigates how culturally and linguistically responsive practices are enacted and progressed in early childhood education settings within South Australia and New South Wales.
This project will benefit the early childhood education sector by bringing teachers, educators, leaders, communities and researchers together to co-create meaningful outcomes. The project aims to support learning communities where children, families and educators can thrive together.
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Background
Australian early childhood education and care setting are becoming increasingly diverse. Many educators are struggling to respond to the superdiversity that exists within their settings, often leading to disengagement and poor learning outcomes. “Superdiversity” has become the term used to describe the increasing complexity of migration-related ethnic diversity, religious, gender, class, ability and social stratification (Li, 2021). There is urgent need for the re-imagining of early childhood pedagogies that support teachers in building upon the rich cultural and linguistic funds of knowledge held by children and their families. Such pedagogies are significant to achieving meaningful learning outcomes that inspire a love of learning and support strong home/centre partnerships.
This project builds from previous research within South Australia and New South Wales led by the research team:
- An Investigation of the Reimagining of Early Childhood Education in South Australia (Sisson, Whitington and Shin, 2018),
- Bringing Culturally Responsive Pedagogies and Reggio Emilia Education Principles into Dialogue (Rigney, Sisson, Hattam and Morrison, 2020).
- Early Action for Success 2012-2014 (Arthur and Woodrow, 2018),
- Enhancing English Learning: Building on Linguistic and Cultural Repertoires in School Settings (D’warte, 2018)
These projects have created a strong foundation from which to build culturally and linguistically responsive early childhood pedagogies across both jurisdictions. This project aligns with the South Australian Early Learning Strategy 2021-2031, which aims to build research partnerships to inform evidence-based culturally responsive practices and strengthen partnerships with families.
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Project objectives & design
Objectives
- Develop a collaborative professional learning community across two States focused on co-designing culturally and linguistically responsive early childhood practice.
- Provide mentoring to support sites in facilitating two whole-year action research cycles focused on engaging with culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogies.
- Support ECE leaders in developing a whole-of-site approach to sustain culturally and linguistically responsive early childhood pedagogies.
- Develop project resources that will be publicly available to inform teacher education and professional learning.
Design
This project utilises a co-design approach to develop a tailored professional learning community for early childhood educators and leaders to engage with Elders and experts in the field to discuss issues of cultural and linguistic inclusion for children and families and to co-construct meaningful and relevant solutions. As part of the co-design approach, educators and leaders engage in critical action research to trail theory-informed culturally and linguistically responsive practices in early childhood pedagogies. Qualitative methods such as interviews and observations are used to explore the experiences of educators, leaders, children, and families.
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Project Outcomes & References
Conference Presentations
(*denotes practicing teacher-researcher)
- Whitington, V, & Sisson, JH (2023, Aug) Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education. European Early Childhood Education Research Association, Portugal.
- Sisson, JH, Vittoria B*, Woodrow, C., & Martino, J.* (2023, Oct). Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Partnerships with Families. Early Childhood Australia National Conference, Adelaide, Australia.
- Sisson, JH, Woodrow, C, & D’warte, J. (2022, November) Methods for Engaging with Funds of Knowledge. Symposium: Early Childhood Pedagogies for Social and Environmental Justice. Australian Association for Research in Education. Transforming the Future of Education: The role of research, Adelaide, South Australia.
- Iovino, M*. & Whitington, V. (July, 2024) Languages as a learning asset in a preschool context. Australian Literacy Educators Association Conference, Adelaide, South Australia.
- Whitington, V., Sisson, J.H. & Woodrow C. (September, 2024) Critical action research as a professional learning tool: a case study across four early years education settings. European Early Childhood Education Research Association, Brighton, UK.
Presentations
Ivan Tiwu Copley - Kaurna & Peramangk Elder - Engaging with Aboriginal families' and children's funds of knowledge, including the role of place in everyday practice.
Article Briefs
If you are keen to read literature on Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education, but are short of time, these article briefs summarise key relevant literature.
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Upcoming Events
Culturally & Linguistically Responsive Pedagogies in Early Childhood Education Conference 2024
This conference highlights and celebrates the pivotal role early childhood educators play in translating policy into meaningful practice by showcasing research findings from the Lillian de Lissa Trust funded project: Culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogies in early childhood (CLRP).
The CLRP project has been mobilised through the collaboration between five partner organisations and two universities across South Australia and New South Wales. Presentations will illustrate how innovations in culturally and linguistically responsive practices were designed, implemented and progressed in South Australian and New South Wales early childhood contexts in collaboration with university based researchers through the enactment of a critical action research methodology.
Additional provocations will be provided in this hybrid conference by keynote presentations from high profile researchers in CLRP.
Featured Keynote Lectures:
"The Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Early Childhood Project"
Associate Professor Jamie Sisson, Centre for Research in Educational and Social Inclusion, University of South Australia.
"Policy and Meaningful Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Practices"
Professor Sue Grieshaber, Professor of Early Childhood Education, La Trobe University.
"Emotional Discomfort in Culturally Diverse Classrooms"
Associate Professor Samara Akpovo, Associate Professor in the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education, University of Tennessee Knoxville.
Critical Action Research Presentations:
Breakout sessions will feature the critical action research projects of early childhood practitioners from South Australia and New South Wales and will focus on the following two research areas:
- Culturally and linguistically responsive engagement with families.
- Developing a pedagogical repertoire for engaging children in culturally and linguistically meaningful learning.
University researchers will lead breakout room discussions to stimulate deep thinking and draw threads of connections to highlight implications for future research and practice in early childhood education.
Expert Panel Discussion:
The conference will conclude with an expert panel discussion who will:
- Comment on the culturally and linguistically responsive early childhood practices presented.
- Discuss opportunities and implications for future policy and practice concerning intercultural connections locally, nationally, and internationally.
Date: Friday 22nd November
Time: 8:30am - 4pm
Location: UniSA Magill Campus or via Zoom
Project Partners
Project Team
Work on this project will be a team effort bringing together research expertise from CRESI and WSU. The people listed below will be dedicated members of this entire project, but we may add specific expertise and capacity, should this be required.
Contact
Name: Associate Professor Jamie Sisson
Email: Jamie.Sisson@unisa.edu.au
