TY - JOUR
T1 - Early childhood educators’ conceptions of infants’ capabilities
T2 - the nexus between beliefs and practice
AU - Salamon, Andi
AU - Harrison, Linda
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 TACTYC.
PY - 2015/7/3
Y1 - 2015/7/3
N2 - The conceptions early childhood educators (ECEs) hold about infants can guide their pedagogical practices in ways that can enable and constrain infants’ experiences. Literature regarding infants’ development and the role of adults in infant learning theoretically positions infants as both being capable of independent learning, and needing adult intervention and involvement. However, there is a paucity of research about ECEs’ understandings of infants’ capabilities, and how these conceptions influence their practices with babies. Using the theory of practice architectures as a methodological and analytical framework, this study collaboratively examines the ways educators’ conceptions are influenced by cultural-discursive arrangements of the site, and identifies the ensuing practices. The findings show that educators held conceptions of infants as more capable of independently directing their own physical and cognitive learning, and as more dependent on educators for emotional and social learning. Considering infants as both more and less capable is discussed, and implications of how the practices might enable and constrain infants’ learning are explored.
AB - The conceptions early childhood educators (ECEs) hold about infants can guide their pedagogical practices in ways that can enable and constrain infants’ experiences. Literature regarding infants’ development and the role of adults in infant learning theoretically positions infants as both being capable of independent learning, and needing adult intervention and involvement. However, there is a paucity of research about ECEs’ understandings of infants’ capabilities, and how these conceptions influence their practices with babies. Using the theory of practice architectures as a methodological and analytical framework, this study collaboratively examines the ways educators’ conceptions are influenced by cultural-discursive arrangements of the site, and identifies the ensuing practices. The findings show that educators held conceptions of infants as more capable of independently directing their own physical and cognitive learning, and as more dependent on educators for emotional and social learning. Considering infants as both more and less capable is discussed, and implications of how the practices might enable and constrain infants’ learning are explored.
KW - educators practices
KW - educators' conceptions
KW - infant pedagogy
KW - infants capabilities
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84939001056&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09575146.2015.1042961
DO - 10.1080/09575146.2015.1042961
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84939001056
SN - 0957-5146
VL - 35
SP - 273
EP - 288
JO - Early Years
JF - Early Years
IS - 3
ER -