Strengths Approaches to Early Childhood Education Angela Fenton - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Strengths Approaches to Early Childhood Education

Angela Fenton

School of Education – Research Seminar 5th June 2013

Doctoral Research: A Strengths Approach to Child-Protection Education

Direct link via digital thesis ResearchOnline@JCU: http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/24044/1/01thesis.pdf

Research Opportunity

Doctoral Research: To explore the ‘Strengths Approach’ (McCashen, 2005) to child protection with a group of early childhood pre-service teachers Present and examine responses for the:

 Possibility of enhancing teacher preparation to

protect children

 Potential of approach in education (outside of its

social service/psychology origins)

Strengths Approach

• Dependent upon positive attitudes

about people‟s [children's] dignity, capacities, rights, uniqueness and commonalities

• Emphasises people‟s [children & teachers] ability to be their
• wn agents of change
• Enables people [children & teachers] to identify, value and

mobilise their strengths as opposed to compensating for their deficits (Adapted from McCashen, 2005, p. v) Social Services

The Strengths Approach links to power & knowledge concepts in major education theories. Moving beyond “child rescue” to raising resilience

Dr Donald O. Clifton

Founder Strengths Psychology

What boundaries does the research cross?

Conceptual boundaries Inter-disciplinary boundaries Education sector boundaries

• Literature Review

Psychology, Social Services, Health & Education literature informs the research

• Methodology

Participants transition from Pre-service to practising teachers Researcher from teacher educator to colleague

• Findings - Rethinking

how we view and approach child protection preparation

Literature Review Findings

Child Abuse

Mass of reports

• Abuse global/Australia
• Qld/local stats
• Definitions/history
• Effects of abuse
• Health literature

Few studies

• Informal/ descriptive
• Adjunct programs
• Integrated, critical,

mentoring, & resources

• Social service literature

Teacher Preparation Child Protection

Contemporary Research

• Therapeutic applications
• Positive Psychology
• Resiliency links
• Potential for

education/critiques

Some research studies

• Teachers overwhelmed
• Fear & anxiety
• Changes to legislation
• Calls for a new model
• Education literature

Strengths Approach

Methodology

Organisation:

Early Childhood pre-service teachers complete an integrated strengths-based child protection module Dual role teacher/researcher - ethical considerations and boundary considerations – role as teacher educator/colleague Data collected: 3 Phases - during module (students), post teaching prac, 12mths after module as graduating (practising teachers) Qualitative study - Strengths principles inform the theoretical framework

 Collaborative, power with rather than power over - social

justice

 Uses existing strengths and resources

Collecting responses & Analysis

Participant narratives from:

 Electronic Discussion Board & Email responses (EView)  Interviews (Open View) and Focus Groups (Open Focus)

Analysis:

 Thematic (zoom out) group responses to research themes: child

abuse & protection, teacher prep & strengths approach

 Contextual (zoom in) individuals & context of first responses to

module, teaching practice experiences & preparation for graduation

Interpretations link to lit review findings and strengths approach principles and a layer of contextual analysis is added

Early Responses: Telling the story

“While I was on one prac the teacher told me that a child in the class had recently stated to her mother that she had been sexually abused by a family

• member. As I reflect upon the situation, I realise

that I tried to deny that this child had been abused. It was not a case of not believing the child, but I just did not know how to react to this child anymore. Also, I did not want to think of the horrible experience and the negative impact it would, and had already, had on that child's life.” (Participant 7)

Phase 2

„I think that the strengths based approach

• ffers a way of thinking about how we react

to certain situations and how these situations make us feel…The thing that I like the most about what I have learnt so far is the idea of changing the frame. Through changing the frame, it gives us a whole different way of thinking about who we are and what is possible for us‟ (Participant 19).

Limitations: Scale, contextualised, further work needed

Overall

 Tentatively positive - A Strengths Approach appeared to enhance

preparation to protect children for the teachers in the study – though adaptations needed

 Individualised vignettes show increased confidence to discuss

and explore strategies to address child abuse with children especially in Phases 2 & 3 - though scaffolded

 Findings confirmed literature suggestions of heightened anxiety,

expressed elevated emotions, knowledge of responsibilities & explored idea of educational neglect

 Showed engagement with Strengths Approach as potentially

useful for education contexts as well as therapeutic contexts

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Doctoral related Publications

Peer reviewed publications:

 University of Sydney „Communities and

Change‟ 08 - Caution children crossing ahead: Child protection education with pre- service teachers using a strengths approach http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/2123/ 3910/1/Chapter%209.pdf

 International Journal of Pedagogies and

Learning (USQ) 2008 - From strength to strength: An educational research journey http://pubs.e- contentmanagement.com/doi/abs/10.5172/ijpl .4.5.90 Practitioner publications:

 „Building Blocks‟ Child protection resource

kit 04.

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New research/publications – Strands of research

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• Methodological Opportunities: A Strengths Approach – AARE 2010 Conference

http://ocs.sfu.ca/aare/index.php/AARE/AARE_2010/paper/view/1832

• Using a strengths approach in early childhood education across the „preservice-

inservice‟ boundary – AARE 2011 Conference Symposium

• Work Integrated Learning – Using a Strengths Approach to Collaborative

Education – Australian Collaborative Education Network Conference 2012. Asia Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education http://acen.edu.au/2012conference/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/108_Using-a- Strengths-Approach-in-Collaborative-Education.pdf

• Accepted: Supporting Early Childhood Pre-Service Teachers in Their Work with

Children, and Families with Complex Needs: A Strengths Approach – coauthored with Dr Laura Piazza – Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education

• Under Review: Supporting Early Childhood Services: Strengths Approach Case

Studies coauthored with Kerryann Walsh, Tamara Cummings, Sandie Wong

• In preparation: Spiritual Development and Protection in Early Childhood: A

Strengths Approach – Dr Jane Bone

• Conceptual: Strengths based Eview development: Eresearch – with Dr Penny

Cooke

Questions?

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Thankyou, Contact:afenton@csu.edu.auTel: (02) 60519148 SOE (Albury) Rm124