Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
To cite this article: Norma Rudolph (1996) Building an educative community for early
childhood development, International Journal of Early Years Education, 4:3, 61-71, DOI:
10.1080/0966976960040305
Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information
(the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor
& Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties
whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose
of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the
opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor
& Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be
independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis
shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs,
expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising
directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of
the Content.
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes.
Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-
licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly
forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://
www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
Downloaded by ["Queen's University Libraries, Kingston"] at 16:03 06 March 2015
Building an educative community for early
childhood development
La construction d'une communaute
éducative pour le développement de la
petite enfance
Construyendo una Comunidad Educativa
Downloaded by ["Queen's University Libraries, Kingston"] at 16:03 06 March 2015
Norma Rudolph
University of Witwatersrand, South Africa
Abstract
This article briefly describes the policy changes in Early Childhood Development
in South Africa since 1994. It describes an attempt in Northern Province to
generate discussion about the changes with a group of teacher-practitioners and
to highlight the action necessary to develop and implement the policies. The
methodology of the process is discussed, with particular reference to the role of
the researcher as an agent for change.
Resume
Cet article décrit brièvement les changements de politique de développement de
la petite enfance ayant eu lieu en Afrique du Sud depuis 1994. II fait part d'une
tentative, menée dans la Province du Nord, de discussion sur les changements
avec un groupe d'enseignants-praticiens et de mise au point des mesures a
prendre pour développer et appliquer cette politique. La méthodologie du
processus est examinee, et s'attache particulièrement au rôIe du chercheur en
tant qu'agent de changement.
Resumen
Este articulo describe brevemente los cambios en la politica del Desarrollo de la
Infancia en Sudáfrica desde 1994. Describe una tentativa para producir la
discusión con un grupo de profesores-practicantes en la Provincia del Norte y
para destacar la acción que se necesita para desarrollar y hacer efectivas las
politicas. Se discute la metodologia del proceso, con referencia particular al
papel que juega el investigador como un representante de cambio.
as a valuable means for dealing with the 'meaning of quality and evaluation' of
ECD services. This model is based on a vision of combining the professional and
political model with an idea of participation and democracy. Since ECD services
are 'concerned with basic human and societal processes aimed at integrating
children into society and building some basic skills and competence in the
coming generation, value can neither be assessed in terms of what they produce
nor be determined in a simple and unambiguous fashion'. (1994:162). ECD
policy and practice must be developed in relation 'to eternal philosophical
questions of what society hopes for and expects of its children' (1994:164).
Examples of the development of reflexive discourse in early childhood and other
human services are the growth in Sweden of numerous arenas or 'plazas' enabling
this kind of reflective dialogue between independent citizens.
The South African pilot project reported here also recognises the need for a
new type of evaluative thinking, 'in which evaluation is seen as a learning process
building on documentation and reflection' (Dahlberg and Asen 1994:170).
Dialogue is recognised as a prerequisite for reaching agreement about questions
of quality in ECD.
Action research
Action research was chosen in order to involve practitioners as researchers and to
provide the context for learning to solve problems co-operatively. The stages of
action research procedure described by Cohen and Manion (1994:198) guided the
development and description of the action research project.
These stages are interrelated and do not necessarily follow sequentially. At the
time of writing this article, the eighth stage is underway and the seventh stage is
not quite complete, as several key participant interviews will be undertaken once
the initial data has been analysed. Stages five and six could not be completed in
detail before stage seven was complete.
Workshop content
Discussion groups were formed for the duration of each workshop. An attempt
was made to balance opportunities for participants to get to know each other;
continuity between discussions; and achieving a mix of participants from
different kinds of organisation and different areas in each group. Additional
meetings in area groups were held to plan collaborative exercises undertaken
between workshops.
Ground rules and participatory strategies for discussion were introduced and
negotiated. Two rules for discussing all cases were accepted: participants would
try to reach consensus and ensure maximum participation; the roles of timekeeper
and 'participation observer' would be rotated so that everyone would have a turn.
These rules for group discussion were revised and clarified in subsequent
Downloaded by ["Queen's University Libraries, Kingston"] at 16:03 06 March 2015
outcomes' generated in the previous workshop were analysed and classified using
the four traditions of reform. The final group exercise consisted of an analysis of
a second set of four documents developed from the descriptions of systems of
assessing and examples of assessment strategies submitted by participating
organisation. Three fictitious organisations described their system of assessment
for teacher development. The first fictitious organisation was described as a
college offering PRESET courses for lower and senior primary teachers; the
second offers a one year INSET course for educare workers, childminders, creche
teacher, pre-school teachers and play-group teachers; the third offers a PRESET
course consisting of one year full-time and another year in an apprenticeship.
Groups read and classified each element of the assessment strategy using the four
traditions of reform. This was followed by a similar analysis of examples of: tasks
and assignments; examinations, tests and interviews; and five different forms
used to assess implementation or teaching practice.
In the final plenary session, there was a general discussion about assessment
strategies starting with reflection on the two workshop exercises and leading into
a discussion about assessment within the current ECD context and the
relationship between assessment strategies and 'learning outcomes'. Followed by
a general discussion about the action research process and future collaboration in
the province.
from antagonism after the first workshop to an eagerness for collaboration at the
end. This project has succeeded in preparing participants for the proposed
paradigm shift in education in South Africa. The college participants, in
particular, expressed a new understanding of child development and the potential
role of the education system in developing human potential. By the end there was
unanimous appreciation of the value of the entire exercise. The case method and
four traditions of reform proved effective. Assessment of student teachers is
clearly at the heart of teacher development and new assessment strategies that not
only support an 'outcomes-based' approach but also the values of the new policy
will have to replace the dominant 'norm' based model. While the model for
enabling dialogue is effective, the future potential must also be viewed within the
rapidly shifting policy context. There is enormous commitment to consultation,
but dialogue is time consuming and costly and the new government is under
pressure to deliver despite the economic constraints and other difficulties left by
the previous government. Will this opportunity to engage parents, practitioners
and politicians in the ECD quality debate be utilised or will it be swept aside by
a more simplistic market-oriented approach?
Goodman J (1991) 'Using a methods course to promote reflection and inquiry among preservice
teachers', in Tabachnick B and Zeichner K (eds.) Issues and Practices in Inquiry-oriented
Teacher Education. London: Falmer Press.
Republic of South Africa National Department of Education (1994) Draft White Paper on
Education and Training. Pretoria: Government Printers.
Richert A E (1991) 'Case Methods and Teacher Education: Using Cases to teach Teacher
Reflection' in Tabachnick B and Zeichner K. (eds.) Issues and Practices in Inquiry-oriented
Teacher Education. London: Falmer Press.
Rogoff B (1990) Apprenticeship in Thinking: Cognitive Development in Social Context New
York: Oxford University Press.
Smith A B and Farquhar S (1994) 'The New Zealand Experience of Charter Development in
Early Childhood Services' in Moss P and Pence A Valuing Quality in Early Childhood
Services: New Approaches to Defining Quality, London: Paul Chapman Publishing.
Wolcott H F (1988) 'Ethnographic Research in Education ' in Jaeger R M (ed.) Complementary
Methods for Research in Education Washington: American Educational Research
Association.
Zeichner K and Liston D P (1992) 'Traditions of Reform in U.S. Teacher Education', Journal
of Teacher Education Vol. 43.
Zeichner K and Tabachnick B (1991) 'Reflections on reflective teaching' in Tabachnick B and
Zeichner K (eds.) Issues and Practices in Inquiry-oriented Teacher Education. London:
Falmer Press.