The question of how to define and describe quality in early childhood services has been a matter of debate, both in New Zealand and internationally. This article discusses definitions of quality, drawing on examples from Norway and Japan to demonstrate the complexity involved in judging what is good or bad ...

A child’s spontaneous literacy efforts are more likely to be connected to writing than to reading. This study found that children’s early efforts to write are not mediated through oral language but arise on the basis of the activities involving writing that children are able to observe and take part in.

Teachers in a Centre of Innovation reflect about their action research, which focused on how children’s working theories were developed through complex and sustained learning. Overlapping communities of practice support teachers’ professional judgements and dissemination of action research findings.

English participants in a cross-national study frequently discussed concepts of independence and risk, often seeing independence as structured choice making and risk to children as something to be avoided. These interpretations contrast with the discussion in a parallel study in Denmark, which focused on interdependence, not risk.

Can young children’s own photographs be a useful means of listening to their views and experiences? This is one of the questions explored in a series of research studies with 3–5-year-olds in England, which led to the development of a participatory methodology called the Mosaic approach. 

The authors explore the notion of pedagogy in early childhood education, particularly the way it has become synonymous with provision of play-based programmes.

This article highlights some concerns about the effect of excessive noise levels on children with special needs in early childhood centres.

In Doing Educational Research, Carol Mutch provides a very clear map for professionals new to educational research, be they practitioner-researchers or new researchers in tertiary institutions.