Chesworth, E. orcid.org/0000-0003-0576-0650 and Hedges, H. (2024) Children’s interests and early childhood curriculum: a critical analysis of the relationship between research, policy, and practice. The New Zealand Annual Review of Education, 29. pp. 5-22. ISSN 1178-3311
Abstract
Policy makers have a powerful influence on educational practice. When such bodies are vague about the evidence base for their policies they may uncritically rely on outdated theories, beliefs, and selective research evidence. A tension may then exist where practitioners become undermined as agents in curricular decision-making. Practitioners may aim to provide curriculum and pedagogy aligned with contemporary knowledge, but are also bound to the policy bodies who hold persuasive power. In England and Aotearoa New Zealand, two particular organisations in each country have most influence on early childhood education. Focused on the notion of children’s interests, this article questions the basis for the key curricular policy, accompanying advice and guidance, and evaluation standards of these organisations. We do so having discussed children’s interests from historical and contemporary research perspectives. We then trace and critique ways children’s interests present in significant policy documents. We suggest that both policy and practice adopt contemporary perspectives of children’s interests and move towards a middle space between curriculum-as-plan and curriculum-as-lived (Aoki, 2005). Such a space provides a way forward for ongoing curriculum conversations about children’s interests.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 The authors. This is an author-produced version of a paper subsequently published in The New Zealand Annual Review of Education. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > School of Education (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 22 Feb 2024 17:06 |
Last Modified: | 02 May 2024 08:21 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Victoria University of Wellington |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.26686/nzaroe.v29.9454 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:209421 |