Fostering Effective Early Learning (FEEL) study: Effect of a professional development program for early childhood educators on children's cognitive, social and self-regulatory development

Professional Development (PD) program to strengthen quality of intentional and relational pedagogy for Early Years Educators The aim is to enhance effective practice with all children through a professional development (PD) program focused on sustained shared thinking and emotional wellbeing. The program provides opportunities to observe, discuss, practice and reflect on important attributes of the effective educator’s role, such as: engaging in high quality interactions and sustained shared thinking, developing and extending concepts, and modelling critical and reflective thinking. Links are made to appropriate frameworks including the Australian National Quality Standards (NQS) and the Australian Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Fundamental to each session is evidence-based understandings of how young children learn best. The program is designed to support collective participation, promoting collaborative working to gain deeper knowledge of leadership, change management, quality improvement and self-assessment. The program covers eight content areas: 1. Research on quality in ECEC and its assessment 2. How high quality interactions, known as sustained shared thinking (SST) extend children’s development 3. The relevance of self-regulation to children’s educational success 4. The links between early language development and later literacy 5. Mathematical and scientific concept development in the early years 6. Ways to use observation, assessment of practice and planning to improve quality 7. The importance of the home learning environment (HLE) and ways to successfully engage with parents to enhance the HLE 8. The relevance of quality leadership in ECEC for children’s development and ways to introduce change in management The PD program is delivered in three distinct phases over 9 months: Phase 1: Intensive Professional Development (Week 1 - Week 3, delivered at each of 3 hubs) A two-day intensive face-to-face training providing: an overview of national and international research on quality in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC); introduction to relevant environmental quality rating scales; coverage of key concepts and ideas to enable educators to identify areas of their practice to target for improvement; and strategies to foster language development, social and cognitive development, high quality interactions, self-regulation and working with homes. Phase 2: Follow-up Professional Development (Week 3 - Month 3, delivered at each of 3 hubs) Five half-day face-to-face sessions, delivered every two weeks, beginning two weeks after a hub's completion of Phase 1. These are designed to allow time for the educators to use new knowledge, understanding, approaches, etc. within their settings and to critically analyse and reflect upon impact and adapt where necessary. The sessions include time for reflection and critical analysis, as well as introduce knowledge and pedagogical content on areas not covered in Phase 1. Phase 3: Model for sustainability (Week 3 - Month 9) To limit staff turnover and increase the likelihood of a positive impact, there is PD support for 9 months through online modules (beginning at the end of Phase 1 and continuing for the duration of the year). Activities and resources, designed to promote staff engagement and establish an online community of educators are within modules or ‘E-books’. Each E-book combines video-streamed content with questions and text, including links to activities and a discussion forum. Staff participation and discussions feed into a learning portfolio, tracking and reflecting how their ideas about pedagogy, children, families and communities have changed . Session Details: All sessions will be delivered at each of 3 central hubs, to ensure all centres are within 1.5 hours of the PD location. Sessions are conducted by four of the study's Principal Investigators, who are international experts and researchers in Early Years Education. All of the sessions are run as group sessions for centres most proximal to that hub.