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Early childhood courses at the University of Western Sydney have been significantly reconceptualised with new degrees and a major new initiative in professional experience.
At the heart of the changes has been a desire to engage in more authentic partnerships with the early childhood professional community and an interest in preservice teachers becoming more genuine partners in their field experiences. Additionally, we wanted to encourage more graduates to work in the birth–five sector, where there is a critical shortage of qualified early childhood teachers (Watson, 2006), and to facilitate pedagogical leadership.
Our reading, research and conversations suggested that a traditional 'prac' was not providing preservice teachers with opportunities to make use of their knowledge, skills and dispositions—the attributes which enable them to succeed in the field.
A new approach
Our new approach places several Centre for Community Child Health students in one site and links a specific university staff member to groups, so there are better opportunities to scaffold peer learning and collectively make a real contribution to professional learning for all participants (Noble, Macfarlane & Cartmel, 2005).
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We believe this approach has strengthened relationships between the university and the early childhood field—through the incorporation of stakeholder views into planning—and has created opportunities for future research and collaboration with industry partners. Most participants, notably students, are strongly supportive of the changes, notwithstanding the new challenges and hurdles.
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Getting started
Moving to a new model for professional experience required engaging prospective partners in a frank dialogue about professional learning. We used resources created by Team Learning Software which facilitated the sharing of issues and concerns; progressed group learning and decision making; and allowed grumbles, gripes and visions for the future to be clearly communicated. The overwhelming desire was to create a new, collaborative, hub-based model of professional experience for social team learning among a small number of employers.
Implementation
In collaboration with partners in birth–three settings, three–five settings and kindergarten–two classrooms, we aimed to develop:
- a collaborative model of professional experience to reinvigorate practice both in the field and in academic teaching
- enriched student learning which facilitated links between theory and practice and contributed to the development of professional networks
- positive student dispositions towards work in the prior-to-school sector
- engaged partnerships between early childhood employers, field-based teacher educators (formerly supervising teachers), student teachers and university staff.
There were five inaugural professional partner organisations involved in the project: Penrith City Council, UTS Child Care, KU Children's Services, Sutherland Council and Blacktown Council.
Structural features
Following the work of Lave and Wenger (1991), the new model draws together small groups of students, university- and field-based professional staff at key times in professional experience cycles—within workplaces and at university—for regular co-constructed learning within supportive communities.
- Geographical hubs—student teachers are grouped in geographical regions with each group allocated to a university-based teacher educator (formerly uni advisor).
- Peer learning circles (PLCs)—once a week, during placement, students meet in the workplace to share ideas, reflect on readings, collaborate on planning and work towards common goals.
- Community of practice circles (CPCs)—students from three centres or schools (typically nine students in total) regularly meet during placement with field based teacher educators and university-based teacher educators in one of the placement sites. The agenda includes reading-based discussion of the implications of theory on practice, sharing of successes and challenges, and student-teacher formal presentations of evidence of how outcomes are being achieved. The field-based teacher educators and university-based teacher educators undertake roles of co-teaching and co-assessment.
- Expo—on the final day, university presentations are given by students, for all units in the semester. Professional stakeholders are invited to discuss student work and provide feedback.
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The new conceptual framings needed a new language to make the distinction between the old and the new clear and unambiguous. The redesignation of terminology has been critical to shifting the 'frame' that informs and makes meaning out of a new experience and allows for the re-distribution of power—initially symbolically; but as the project progresses, in reality. Hence, professional experience connotes real—not practice—engagement, and the set of expectations around performance and lifelong learning.
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Snapshots of learning
'As we were there for 13 weeks we were able to see both the centres and the children change and grow so much. It was really an inspiring experience … Our field-based teacher educator wrote us all the most beautiful cards saying such things as “you have rekindled the spark for me” ... we were acknowledged as valuable and active members within the service.
—Student teachers
'I often facilitated “mini tutorials” with the students during the PLCs which I hope they found beneficial. When they did their project, which was an afternoon tea, it was great to see them working together.
'From our discussions their different perspectives and experiences contributed to their professional development ... I was amazed at the level of discussion and professional growth at the final CPC. It was evident that these students had really grown in understanding and benefited in being in the one centre.'
—Field-based teacher educator
Research and evaluation
The project has a strong research dimension and generally this initiative has been well received, although challenges remain in relation to peer relationships and communication across all levels and sites. There is significant anecdotal evidence from students to convince us of the strength of the model.
Students:
- overwhelmingly enjoyed the experience, in contrast to traditionally finding professional experience very stressful, isolating, exhausting and an examination
- reported that many will now consider working with children under three years of age
- were successful—failure and 'at risk' statistics have been considerably reduced
- reported feeling like real professionals and were treated as such by their field-based teacher educators
- on the whole committed themselves to a high level of teamwork, engagement and productivity (although one of the challenges to address is when small teams are not working smoothly)
- made valued contributions to the workplaces that are sustained after they leave.
Christine Woodrow
Head
Early Childhood Programs
University of Western Sydney |
Linda Newman
Academic Coordinator of
Professional Experience (Early Childhood)
University of Western Sydney
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References
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press.
Noble, K., Macfarlane, K., & Cartmel, J. (2005). Circles of change: Challenging orthodoxy in practitioner supervision. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.
Watson, L. (2006). Pathways to a profession: Education and training in early childhood education and care, Australia. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.
Every Child magazine – Building collaborative communities – vol. 13 no. 4, 2007, pp. 14-15
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