Parental coaching strategies for child failure resilience: Predictors and child mastery motivation

Early encounters with failure can serve as a double-edged sword for children, offering either valuable learning experiences or posing challenges to future achievement. However, a significant research gap remains regarding how parents coach their children to cope with failure. This study developed a novel survey to measure parents’ coaching strategies in response to children’s failure in math, reading, and extracurricular learning activities, and explored their associations with child mastery motivation and predictors. A sample of 145 primary caregivers (87% biological mothers) of children aged 4 to 7 (mean age = 6.02, and 45% boys) was recruited both locally and online in the US. Primary caregivers completed an online survey. Factor analysis was utilized to identify parents’ coaching strategies, and multiple regression analysis was adopted to examine the predictors and outcomes of these strategies. We identified three distinct coaching strategies: Emotion-Coaching Strategies, Persistence Strategies, and Permissive/Minimization Strategies. Emotion-Coaching and Persistence Strategies were positively correlated with children’s mastery motivation, including object-oriented persistence, mastery pleasure, and general competence. Conversely, Permissive/Minimization Strategies were linked to lower mastery pleasure and higher negative reactions to failure. Furthermore, parents\u27 and children\u27s personal traits predicted parents’ coaching strategies. Specifically, parents’ grit and children’s effortful control were related to Emotion-Coaching Strategies, while parents’ failure mindsets, grit, and perfectionism correlated with Persistence Strategies. Family income significantly predicted Permissive/Minimization Strategies. The findings highlight the complexities of parental coaching approaches and their implications for fostering resilience in children facing failure in their learning journeys

The impact of parent-teacher collaboration on kindergarteners\u27 social-emotional learning

This study explores the role of parent-teacher collaboration on the social and emotional learning of kindergarten children. The background shows that home-school collaboration is crucial for children\u27s early SEL, but the mechanisms and challenges in non-Western contexts have not been fully revealed. The study used interpretive phenomenological analysis to conduct semi-structured interviews with 8 parents and 10 teachers in a kindergarten in Hebei Province, China. The results showed that parent-teacher collaboration improved children\u27s self-efficacy, emotion regulation and interpersonal communication skills through two-way positive feedback and contextualized collaborative guidance, but differences in educational concepts, communication barriers and trust issues restricted the effectiveness of the collaboration. The study recommends building a structured collaboration framework to systematically support the development of children\u27s social and emotional learning and provide empirical reference for home-school collaboration in early education

Assessment in early childhood education: Micro-regimes perspective

The research literature on assessment policies in ECEC typically differentiates performative assessment regimes affected by neoliberal reforms, and social democratic assessment regime that highlights a holistic approach and democratic and local decision making concerning the focus of assessment. It has been suggested that this dichotomy between Anglo-Saxon and Nordic models may be a discursive tool created by authors from within the English language context to critique their own context rather than a description of actual practices. To shed more light on this scholarly discussion, this article introduces a concept \u27micro-regime of assessment\u27 to refer to a set of rules, practices, or arrangements related to assessment at a small or localised level, rather than at a broad national or international level. In particular, we ask what kinds of micro-regimes of assessment we can identify in ECEC in Finland and what kinds of interlinkages we can find between the background characteristics of ECEC teachers and micro-regimes of assessment. Assessment practices that teachers used were measured using an online questionnaire. The sample of this study consists of 1,194 participants from 834 ECEC centres. By using latent profile analysis, we identify four micro-regimes of assessment that are 1) technocratic-enthusiast, 2) fragmented, 3) enabling and 4) conflicted regimes. By using multinomial logistic regression analysis, we show how work experience and education were connected to the likelihood of micro-regime membership. In sum, the variation in assessment regimes relates to the aim of assessment, institutional arrangements for governing, and the kind of epistemic community that is involved in evaluation processes. The variation occurs at both the national and local levels. Our evaluative mindsets and the ways in which people make evaluation fit into local traditions, practices, and beliefs seem to emerge as part of local regimes

Sustainable preschools: A model for change

This article gives a thematic overview of the overall knowledge development from a three-year research and development programme Sustainable Preschools (2021–2024) is presented. The aim of the programme was to strengthen education for sustainability in a large group of Swedish preschools. The programme meets the need for further research on how preschool teachers’, and their principals and management leaders, systematically develop high-quality education for sustainability (EfS). The programme included 300 participants - 200 preschool teachers from different preschools and around 90 principals and management leaders from different layers in the organisation of nine participating municipalities/providers. The thematic overview included six articles and one report from the programme. The findings from these studies showed four key aspects for change, beside a dedicated prioritisation: 1) The Programme Structure and organisation, 2) Promoting a Sustainable Leadership in ECCE, 3) Promoting New Knowledge about EfS, and 4) Communication is Important for Transformative Education. These key aspects supported EfS and the transition in the participating preschools and municipalities towards becoming Sustainable Preschools and could well serve as an implementation model

The discursive constructions of evil and related emotions in Finnish pre-primary education

In this study, we explore how teachers communicate and construct educational ideals concerning evil and emotions to children in the context of Finnish pre-primary education, and how this contributes to the processes of villainification; making out-groups represent evil and/or anti-villainification; contributing to complex understandings of evil. To understand this construction and communication, we focused on a single case that illuminated how two pre-primary education teachers formulated educational ideals concerning evil. For this purpose, we analyzed two data sets by utilizing discourse analysis. The first set consisted of five interviews with the teachers dealing with the topic of evil and education. The second data set included video recordings of two related educational sessions conducted by the teachers with children. The results show that the ideals were constructed and communicated by discursive practices without direct usage of the word “evil”, and these mainly contributed to anti-villainification processes. To prevent a strict binary of good and evil and following polarization in society, more direct exposure of evil is needed in education. In this way, the children can be more aware of the villainification and anti-villainification processes they are involved in through education

Imagining futures: Possible selves and professional identity in an early childhood pre-practicum incident

This study examines how three Chilean preservice early-childhood teachers configured their Professional Teacher Identity during a shared pre-practicum critical incident. Using a narrative-oriented qualitative design, we analysed two rounds of interviews, reflective writing on possible selves, and a co-construction meeting. A WhatsApp disclosure by a peer—who was both a preservice teacher and a parent— was followed by leadership action and culminated in the removal of two participants from their placement. Reflexive thematic analysis showed three recurring tensions: (1) emotional labour, as candidates balanced authenticity with expectations of professional self-regulation; (2) micropolitical agency, as vertical authority structures limited opportunities for dialogic participation; and (3) personal–professional boundary work, as parent, student, and future-teacher identities collided. Conceptually, the study demonstrates how possible selves and self-discrepancies shaped interpretations of the incident and the perceived attainability of desired professional futures. The findings point to practical implications for initial teacher education, including structured critical-incident learning, preparation for digital family–school communication, and reflective supervision that integrates work with possible selves

‘It’s just their mind taking a break when it needs to’: How parents in Ireland view and manage mind-wandering in young children

Mind-wandering occurs when thoughts become unrelated to the task at hand, a phenomenon commonly experienced by adults and children. Recent research has revealed that mind-wandering can negatively impact children\u27s learning. However, no studies have explored parents\u27 perspectives of their children\u27s mind-wandering, despite the crucial role parents play in supporting children\u27s learning. This study investigated how parents of children in the first years of formal education perceive and manage mind-wandering during school tasks. Three online focus groups were conducted with parents (N=7) from the island of Ireland. Reflexive thematic analysis resulted in the development of five themes: 1) Mind-wandering is a typical, positive element of learning in children, 2) Mind-wandering is more likely to occur in certain circumstances, 3) Children tend to share the content of their mind-wandering, providing parents with valuable insights, 4) Parents adopt a trial-and-error approach to the management of mind-wandering, 5) Parents’ frustration with mind-wandering arises from time constraints. Although parents generally feel confident in the management of mind-wandering during learning activities, they expressed concerns about future challenges as homework becomes more demanding. These findings can inform further research by acknowledging parents\u27 expressed needs, so that children can be adequately supported before mind-wandering impacts their learning

Recent early childhood education graduates’ career aspirations and perceptions of the profession

The aim of this study was to explore the career-related intentions, experiences, and perceptions of ECE graduates to better understand persistent childcare staffing shortages and educator turnover. Recent graduates of an Early Childhood Education diploma program at an Ontario college participated in a small-scale, mixed-method pilot study; 56 completed an online questionnaire and 18 participated in a follow-up individual interview or focus group. Results demonstrated that Early Childhood Education was the first choice of program for most participants, but for varied reasons that were not necessarily associated with the intention of being an early childhood educator as a long-term career. Rather, the educational credential was seen by some as a stepping stone leading to something else, and this intention was present pre-program. Those recent graduates interested in current and future employment in early childhood had already experienced barriers to staying, casting doubt on the efficacy of government strategies to address ECE shortages and retention challenges

Nested ecologies of childhood: A microbial turn in developmental theory

This article expands Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model by integrating biological and ecological processes—particularly microbial life—into its core concept of proximal processes. Drawing on host–microbiome research and the concept of the child-as-ecosystem, we reconceptualize the developing person as a multispecies being embedded within nested ecological systems. Through four interdisciplinary encounters—spanning social stratification, family separation, socialisation, and environmental health—we demonstrate how microbial diversity and ecological entanglements shape children’s development, well-being, and learning. We argue that BEM’s human-centered framework must evolve to reflect multispecies interdependencies and ecological realities, especially in the context of biodiversity loss and climate change. This rethinking has direct implications for early childhood education, research, and policy, offering a more ecologically attuned model of development

Exploring teachers’ perspectives on home visit practices in early childhood special education: A qualitative study from Türkiye

This study explores preschool teachers’ perspectives on home visit practices as a means of strengthening school–family collaboration in early childhood education. Home visits are increasingly recognized as an effective tool for building trust, supporting children’s social–emotional development, and promoting continuity between home and school environments. Despite their potential benefits, the implementation and perceived impact of home visits vary widely across educational contexts. Using a descriptive qualitative design, this study examined the experiences, perceived benefits, and challenges reported by 10 special education teachers working in public early childhood institutions. Data were collected through semi-structured  interviews and field notes. These are analyzed using thematic content analysis. Findings indicated that teachers view home visits as a valuable practice that enhances communication with families, provides insights into children’s home lives, and strengthens teacher–parent partnerships. Teachers reported that home visits support children’s adaptation, classroom behavior, and academic readiness by fostering a sense of security and familiarity. However, they also identified several challenges, including time constraints, workload, safety concerns, and limited parental participation. Teachers emphasized the need for institutional support, structured guidelines, and professional development to implement home visits more effectively. Overall, the study highlights that while home visits contribute meaningfully to early childhood education, sustainable implementation requires systematic planning, administrative support, and clear standards. These findings may guide policymakers, school administrators, and practitioners in designing more comprehensive and effective home visit programs