Journal of Childhood, Education & Society https://www.j-ces.com/index.php/jces <p>Journal of Childhood, Education &amp; Society is a double-blind peer-review journal that accepts research and review articles in English.</p> Journal of Childhood, Education and Society en-US Journal of Childhood, Education & Society 2717-638X <p><strong>Attribution:</strong> You must give <a id="appropriate_credit_popup" class="helpLink" tabindex="0" title="" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" data-original-title="">appropriate credit</a>, provide a link to the license, and <a id="indicate_changes_popup" class="helpLink" tabindex="0" title="" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" data-original-title="">indicate if changes were made</a>. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.</p> <p><span id="by-more-container"></span><strong>NonCommercial:</strong> You may not use the material for <a id="commercial_purposes_popup" class="helpLink" tabindex="0" title="" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" data-original-title="">commercial purposes</a>.</p> <p><span id="nc-more-container"></span><strong>NoDerivatives: </strong>If you <a id="some_kinds_of_mods_popup" class="helpLink" tabindex="0" title="" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/" data-original-title="">remix, transform, or build upon</a> the material, you may not distribute the modified material.</p> <p>Author(s) must confirm that the Journal of Childhood, Education &amp; Society retains all the copyrights unconditionally and indefinitely to publish<span style="font-size: 0.875rem;"> articles.</span></p> From IT to I-It: Digitalization, datafication, automation, and the teacher-student relationship https://www.j-ces.com/index.php/jces/article/view/394 <p>This conceptual article theorises the tensioned interplay between digitalization, datafication and automation and subjectness in education by asking what intensifying datafication and automation means for teacher–student relationships and how we understand and approach education. Theoretically, the paper draws on Buber’s ideas of the dialogical I–Thou and objectified I–It as the key forms of human relationships. The core argument is that increasing datafication and automation steers the teacher–student relationship towards an objectified I–It relationship instead of the dialogical I–Thou relationship, which Buber (and others such as Biesta, another main influencer of the present paper) saw as the ideal. Literature-informed examples of various forms of educational datafication and automation are provided to support and concretise the arguments.</p> Pekka Mertala Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Childhood, Education & Society https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 2024-07-15 2024-07-15 5 2 294 304 10.37291/2717638X.202452394 Children’s everyday lifeworlds out of school, in Hong Kong, Melbourne, and Singapore: Family, enrichment activities, and local communities https://www.j-ces.com/index.php/jces/article/view/362 <p>Children’s everyday lives beyond school need to be considered holistically, in a way which moves beyond time use. In this article we draw on our adaptation of Sarah Pink’s (e.g. 2012) video re-enactment methodology for considering children’s out-of-school lifeworlds with Year 4 children (9 and 10 years old) in the global cities of Hong Kong, Melbourne, and Singapore. The data presented and discussed here was part of a larger Global Childhoods Project with children in the three global cities of Melbourne, Hong Kong, and Singapore. We use video re-enactment methodology to ‘think with’, to open up lines of inquiry and create conversations about children’s lives in and between the cities. Through these we consider the specifics of each city context, as well as socioeconomic and sociocultural contexts and factors that may impact differently on children’s everyday lifeworlds out-of-school within the same city. In order to focus the scope of the article, we consider family routines, enrichment activities and local communities, as aspects that we find useful to reflect on when exploring what children’s lives look like, in and across locations. We focus on these as we are interested in how they might add to the complexities of thinking about children in each location. We move between thinking about the re-enactments themselves and broader literature to explore children’s out-of-school lifeworlds in the three cities, painting a picture of children’s lives and considering the contexts which make particular activities and practices possible and desirable.</p> Nicola Yelland Anita Kit-Wa Chan Clare Bartholomaeus Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Childhood, Education & Society https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 2024-07-15 2024-07-15 5 2 161 175 10.37291/2717638X.202452362 A systematic review on factors influencing the development of children’s creativity https://www.j-ces.com/index.php/jces/article/view/371 <p>No one can deny that creativity is essential for survival and a key skill for prosperity in the 21st century. In an era where the skill of creativity is the pathway to development, it is crucial that we nurture children's creativity to better prepare them for academic, professional, and personal success. Systematic reviews on factors that could support or impede children’s creativity is scarce. The present review was conducted to fill this gap. Major electronic databases were searched and studies meeting predetermined selection criteria were analyzed. The search yielded 55 studies published between 2010 to 2022 in English. We classified influencing factors into four types: individual, family, educational, and socio-cultural factors. We concluded by discussing recommendations for parents, educational stakeholders and researchers.</p> Zaina Smare Mohamed Elfatihi Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Childhood, Education & Society https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 2024-07-15 2024-07-15 5 2 176 200 10.37291/2717638X.202452371 Looking beyond enrollment rates: The long-term influence of preschool science curricula on children’s science achievement https://www.j-ces.com/index.php/jces/article/view/375 <p>This study provides evidence that what happens in preschool (i.e., preschool curriculum) can have long-term consequences years later. In the current study, we seek to answer the question of whether the inclusion of science in the preschool curriculum is associated with fourth- and eighth grade science achievement scores. Based on science achievement data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS 2015 and 2019 cycles), the quality of preschool science learning opportunities showed long-term impacts on science achievement at the fourth grade level. Even after controlling for enrollment rates, the quality of the preschool curricula was a statistically significant predictor of fourth grade science scores with a high effect size (d=0.74). The observed impacts, however, appeared to diminish by eighth grade. Results from this study suggest that science concepts and skills should be an integral part of preschool curricula and curricular frameworks, and policy makers should allocate resources to provide well-designed preschool education programs with high quality curricula.</p> Mesut Saçkes Kathy Cabe Trundle Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Childhood, Education & Society https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 2024-07-15 2024-07-15 5 2 201 209 10.37291/2717638X.202452375 Describing the play of three-year-old children in the home context https://www.j-ces.com/index.php/jces/article/view/320 <p>This study examines play in the Finnish home context by specifically concentrating on the forms of play, quality factors of play and social nature of play. It is of particular interest to study play especially of three-year-olds, because the research on play for this group, in home environment is scarce especially in the Finnish context. This study is part of longitudinal, multidisciplinary study (STEPS) and is based on the responses from 921 families who answered the questionnaires both at the study recruitment point and at three years. The data were gathered during the years 2011–2013 for the first time ever from the Finnish home context and are a basis for research to be done later. There is a need for this kind of descriptive and identifying study to understand play in the home context. The results suggest that play, and especially playing outdoors, had a strong position in children’s lives. Some forms of play were clearly gender-based and some demographic factors had a connection to the social nature of play. In addition, the level of participation in early childhood education and care was associated with play. No earlier studies have been conducted on the associations between participating in ECE and an increase in the sociability of play in the home context. Participating in ECE expands children´s social network and promotes possibilities to form friendships. In public discourse, the need to increase children's participation in ECEC has been strongly emphasized. This research supports these views.</p> Petra Varttinen Päivi Pihlaja Piia af Ursin Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Childhood, Education & Society https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 2024-07-15 2024-07-15 5 2 210 225 10.37291/2717638X.202452320 Developing professional ethical care through co-creation in ECEC in Norway: A qualitative study https://www.j-ces.com/index.php/jces/article/view/408 <p>The article analogizes findings from the project Children in Central Norway, Mental Health in ECEC. A preventive factor for children’s mental health in early childhood education and care (ECEC) is the sensitive relationship between children and staff. ECEC staff in three municipalities participated in a competence-raising package for children’s mental health. Subsequently, 33 members of staff attended five focus-group interviews. Research question: In what way have ECEC staff’s experience changes in their relationship with the children after working with the competence-raising package for mental health, and what kind of processes appeared during this work? The qualitative data has been analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, while the discussion is rooted in ethics of care and based on children’s rights. The findings show that the staff describe the development of compassionate pedagogy and a common language for children’s needs for attachment. This facilitates a collective professional language through co-creating processes and affects the relational quality in ECEC.</p> Anne Synnøve Brenne Ingvild Amot Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Childhood, Education & Society https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 2024-07-15 2024-07-15 5 2 226 237 10.37291/2717638X.202452408 The effect of Philosophy for Children (P4C) activities on the development of moral perception and social rules of preschool children https://www.j-ces.com/index.php/jces/article/view/392 <p>The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of P4C implementations on children's perceptions of moral and social rules. The study was carried out with a total of 48 children aged five years old, 23 of them in the experimental group and 25 of them in the control group, attending a public school in the 2023–2024 academic years. A quasi-experimental design was used in the research, and the fully mixed sequential equal status design, one of the mixed research typologies, was applied. The Preschool Children's Conceptions of Moral and Social Rules Scale was applied in the quantitative dimension of the research, and observation, interviews, and anecdotal records constituted the qualitative data collection dimension. Briefly, after the implementation process, the experimental group's perception of moral and social norms improved. In the current study, a substantial difference between the children's moral rule and social rule perceptions after the P4C sessions was discovered when the experimental group's moral rule and social rule perception scale scores were analyzed before and after the implementation. A noticeable improvement in cognitive and social-emotional development was seen. It was determined that positive behaviors improved, particularly in moral situations requiring tolerance, in the experimental group. The study came to the conclusion that teaching children philosophy helps them enhance their critical thinking skills.</p> Ummuhan Unal Gokhan Gunes Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Childhood, Education & Society https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 2024-07-15 2024-07-15 5 2 238 255 10.37291/2717638X.202452392 Caregiver involvement in support services for a child with hearing loss? https://www.j-ces.com/index.php/jces/article/view/363 <p>Family-centered practices are considered one of the crucial components of services offered to children with hearing loss in early intervention. These practices aim to empower caregivers to support the language development in children with hearing loss through family-centered early intervention. In Turkey, early intervention practices are commonly provided under the supporting services provided by Private Special Education and Rehabilitation Centers (PSERCs). However, there is limited information regarding the ways of involving caregivers in the support service process and about the content shared to empower them. This research was designed as a holistic single case study based on a qualitative approach to examine how caregiver involvement is achieved in support services in PSERC for pre-school children with hearing loss in Turkey. Data obtained through observations, semi-structured interviews, documents (Audiogram, activity items, etc.), and researcher diaries were analyzed inductively. Results demonstrate that a range of practices, such as informational notes, quarterly meetings, and debriefings are implemented at the focal PSERC. However, it found that the only practice that was consistently followed was debriefings. Although the content shared in the debriefings was seemingly supportive for the language skills of children with hearing loss, the information caregivers needed was diverse. The results clearly demonstrate that current attempts to involve caregivers at PSERCs lack family-centered practices. A more comprehensive approach is required to improve services at PSERCs and make them truly family-centered. Further research is crucial to this end.</p> Hülya Ceren Tutuk Hasan Gürgür Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Childhood, Education & Society https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 2024-07-15 2024-07-15 5 2 256 269 10.37291/2717638X.202452363 Child citizenship and participation: Bottom-up level change from professional conversations with children https://www.j-ces.com/index.php/jces/article/view/413 <p>Hart's (1992) 'Innocenti Essay on Child Participation' advocated for increased involvement of young people as active participants in societal decision-making. This paper provides a historical overview of active child citizenship initiatives, using applied research insights from 'bottom-up' approaches and conversations with children and professionals. It explores how current practices exemplified through three case studies can enhance genuine child participation and citizenship. The case study analysis examines the conversational processes involving children in problem-solving and decision-making within their communities. Through these examples, the paper highlights practical strategies for meaningfully engaging children as stakeholders and empowering them as active citizens whose voices substantially influence matters impacting their lives.</p> Marilyn Casley Jennifer Cartmel Kerry Smith Patrick O’Leary Natalie Reyes Bernard Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Childhood, Education & Society https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 2024-07-15 2024-07-15 5 2 270 282 10.37291/2717638X.202452413 Engagement of science process skills for teaching science concepts in early childhood https://www.j-ces.com/index.php/jces/article/view/387 <p>This study aimed to explore how early childhood teachers engage science process skills for teaching science concepts in early childhood settings. Social constructivist theory was employed as the guiding framework for this study. Four Grade R teachers were purposefully selected and engaged through qualitative research methods. Data generation was informed by semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Thematic data analysis was used to unpack the aim of the study. Results reveal that the low engagement of science process skills by participants was strongly influenced by their limited knowledge of content and science process skills when teaching the concepts. This finding implies that the training of early childhood teachers needs to improve and be supported with continuous development programs. This finding may inform teacher training programs and curriculum development efforts geared toward improving science education in the crucial early years of a child’s academic journey.</p> Lintle Maraisane Loyiso Jita Thuthukile Jita Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Childhood, Education & Society https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 2024-07-15 2024-07-15 5 2 283 293 10.37291/2717638X.202452387