Research around the World

            The website chosen for this blog assignment was the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA).  Their latest journal's table of contents provided an overview of current international research topics.  These included societalisation, phonological awareness, the learning of socioeconomically disadvantaged children, transition, child/teacher relationships, facilitation in playgroups, access, lifelong learning, reluctant practitioners, professional culture, and professionalization (Kampmann, 2013).  The journal articles were often not limited to Europe.

            What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did I gain from exploring this international early childhood website?  I learned that asylum-seeking mothers and early childhood education is a high-profile political issue in England although there has been little associated research (Whitmarsh, 2011).  The article's detailing of associated constructs and methodology implied a broadening of the field to meet the needs of that population.  Whitmarsh (2011) described how six asylum-seeking mothers handled early childhood education for their children.  That issue was the latest one that was viewable online without a subscription.  I tend to think of immigration in my cultural context but not asylum-seeking.  It was very surprising that the concept of home-school partnership is a western concept that is difficult if not impossible to translate into non-western contexts (Whitmarsh, 2011). 

            What other noteworthy information did I find on this website?   There were two links to partner organizations:  The Korea Institute of Child Care and Education (KICCE) and the Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association (PECERA).  These organizations published their own journals and provided additional opportunities to broaden the early childhood education practitioner's horizons.

References

Kampmann, J. (2013). Societalisation of early childhood education and services. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 21(1), 1-4. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2012.760335 Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/1350293X.2012.760335

Whitmarsh, J. (2011). Othered voices: asylum-seeking mothers and early years education. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 19(4), 535-551. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2011.623540 Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1350293X.2011.623540#.UbPq7YzD85s