5,052 research outputs found

    Utilising Place based learning through local contexts to develop agents of change in Early Childhood Education for Sustainability.

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    The aim was to consider how young children can develop an education for sustainable mind-set, through place based learning within a local context. This research built upon the development of an Education for sustainable (ESD) framework (Boyd, Hirst and McNeill, 2017) which recognised early childhood as a transformative phase (Davis and Elliott, 2014) (Boyd and Hirst, 2016). The place based research focused upon Dewey’s theory of experiential learning and by engaging in offsite longitudinal community based projects, where young children become familiar with their own locality. This resonated with a concentric approach (Tickell, 2011,) where children are submerged in an ever changing natural environment and the Forest School Philosophy, with the emphasis upon regular visits conducted over an extended period. This allows children to become familiar with their environment, developing a sense of ownership, (Welsh Assembly, 2009) and an ecological self (Tilbury, 1994). Over a period of a year children and adults in different and diverse settings experienced opportunities for place based learning to develop their ESD perspectives. Observations focused upon children and adults and how they started to become aware of critical issues and relate them to their own reality. The research was ethically approved by the university and all involved chose to take part and could withdraw at any time. Evaluation highlighted that children are capable of deep thinking, utilising enquiry based skills, and reflecting upon their own knowledge skill set

    The Legacy Café - A trial of intergenerational and sustainable learning in an early childhood centre in Liverpool.

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    Early childhood is a transformative period where attitudes and foundations for life are laid (Siraj-Blatchford et al, 2008). The principles of education for sustainability reflect a holistic and interconnected approach, similar to the ecological context of early childhood. This interconnectedness is further highlighted with the three pillars of sustainability (economic, environmental and socio/cultural), that they are all interrelated (Brundtland, 1987). The ecological context centres the child in their own contextual and cultural environment. Bronfenbrenner (1989) noted a key element of this environment or community was its “a dynamic entity which is constantly changing” (Keenan and Evans, 2010:35) reflecting flexibility and the bi-relational aspect when the child not only interacts with their environment, but influences it too. The Legacy Intergenerational sustainable skill cafĂ© is a socially cultural integrated model, bringing generations within communities together, building a more sustainable society, a “community of practice” (Lave and Wenger, 1991) researching through a “place of possibilities” (Dahlberg and Moss, 2006,p12). The elderly willingly share cultural traditions with families and children in disappearing or lost skills that are being ‘divorced’ (Langlands, 2018) from our identity or cultural heritage, reflecting a “collective responsibility” (Dahlberg and Moss, 2006:10) validating the position of the family as a socialising agent’ (Mbebeb, 2009, p25)

    Recognising Beach Kindy as a Pedagogical Approach for Critical Agents of Change Within Early Childhood Education

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    Research (Davis, Elliot, Hagglung, Johansson, Ritchie, Miller, Inoue, Chua, Sageidet, Young, Cutter-Mackenzie, Ji, Stuhmcke, Mackey, Ohillips, Enggahl, Arlemalm-Hagser, Barrat, Barrat-Hacking, Black, Chawla, Rivkin, Gorman, Sundberg, Ottander, Gilbert, Fuller, Palmer, Rose, Farrell, Danby,2014) has indicated that very young children are capable of supporting the Agenda for Global Action through transformative and creative pedagogical approaches utilised through their environments, that are informed and practiced by knowledgeable early education practitioners and leaders. The early years offers multiple opportunities to surround young children with the awe and wonder of their world, linking to their local cultures, as they seek to question, challenge and access possibilities to transform their families and communities. Beach Kindy utilises the natural environment of the coastline, at sites that demonstrate the biodiversity of the planet. Water, for example, is recognised not only as an effective medium and tool for education for sustainable development but also its immense capacity to support holistic, interconnected areas within early childhood education. However, it is acknowledged that this approach is not without challenges. The four home nations that make up the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland Scotland and Wales) have distinct early years curriculum frameworks and this paper focuses on the English framework, The Early Years Foundation Stage (The Department of Education (DfE) 2014).The DfE (2014) imposes what is perceived by many as a linear statutory framework and policy makers must try to move towards embedding education for sustainable development and encourage more flexible, creative approaches to learning. The English Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS, DFE, 2014) statutory guidance, focuses on three Prime areas, (Communication and Language, Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Physical Development and four Specific areas including, Understanding the World (UW). This Specific area (UW), presents a renewed emphasis on a ‘concentric approach to learning’ (Tickell, 2011, p.104) where children are guided to ‘make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment’ (DfE, 2014, p8). Children can become young scientists, utilising the coastlines and becoming “ocean literate”. Early education Practitioners can thus provide “a platform to channel their infinite capacities for activism into the creation of a better world.” (2015, p.12). This paper seeks to explore how Beach Kindy can help implement both the Sustainable Development Goals and the scientific approaches embedded within UW, whilst also recognising the challenges that it may bring

    Early Childhood Education for Sustainability and the legacies of two pioneering giants

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    This paper considers Early Childhood Education for Sustainable Development from a historical perspective recognising the similar perspectives of two pioneers, Maria Montessori and Rudolph Steiner. These pioneers advocated for strong community ethics based on social justice, peace and equality, discussed around current practices in England. The Early Years Foundation Stage recognises the importance of an inclusive environment but there is little recognition of how the power of education has the ability to transform children and adults. Montessori notes the child as the ‘constructor of civilisation’ resonates with the idea of a strong capable child in contrast to a passive deficit model as a child that listens ‘attentively ‘and ‘responds appropriately’. Similarly, the key attributes Steiner fostered ensured children have an ‘inner voice of conscience and a sense of justice and responsibility.’ This paper defines early childhood as a transformative time, empowering children to act as critical agents of change

    The legacy café- the holistic benefit of reviving lost arts, crafts and traditional skills through an early childhood intergenerational sustainable skills project

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    The aim and focus of the early childhood intergenerational sustainable skill cafĂ© was to highlight the potential of the lost arts and traditions of our cultural heritage. Kuttner (2015, 70, Educating for Cultural Citizenship: Reframing the Goals for Art Education. Curriculum Inquiry 45 (1): 69–92) argues for education to provide ‘cultural citizenship’ which emphasises the importance of sharing knowledge’s and traditions. Historically, early childhood has always recognised the importance of crafts and an awareness of a community ethos. Langland (2018, Craft: An Inquiry Into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts. New York: W.W Norton and Company) argues for nostalgia or old-fashioned values, with traditional skills to be rekindled and the legacy cafĂ© offered such opportunity as elderly residents shared their skills, mentoring families reflecting a bi-relational approach. Culture shapes our identity through shared histories and meaning making and at the ‘Earth Summit’ (UNCED 1992, Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. Agenda 21) it was rightly acknowledged that creativity and crafts are at the heart of cultural sustainability

    8Li+alpha decay of 12B and its possible astrophysical implications

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    The 12B excitation energy spectrum has been obtained from coincidence measurements of the 9Be+7Li -> 2alpha+8Li reaction at E{0}=52 MeV. The decay of the states at excitations between 10 and 16 Mev into alpha$+8Li has been observed for the first time. Observed alpha-decay indicates possible cluster structure of the 12B excited states. The influence of these states on the cross section of the astrophysically important 8Li(alpha,n)11B and 9Be+t reactions is discussed and the results are compared with existing results.Comment: accepted for publication in Europhysics Letter

    Global data for ecology and epidemiology: a novel algorithm for temporal Fourier processing MODIS data

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    Background. Remotely-sensed environmental data from earth-orbiting satellites are increasingly used to model the distribution and abundance of both plant and animal species, especially those of economic or conservation importance. Time series of data from the MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on-board NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites offer the potential to capture environmental thermal and vegetation seasonality, through temporal Fourier analysis, more accurately than was previously possible using the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor data. MODIS data are composited over 8- or 16-day time intervals that pose unique problems for temporal Fourier analysis. Applying standard techniques to MODIS data can introduce errors of up to 30% in the estimation of the amplitudes and phases of the Fourier harmonics. Methodology/Principal Findings. We present a novel spline-based algorithm that overcomes the processing problems of composited MODIS data. The algorithm is tested on artificial data generated using randomly selected values of both amplitudes and phases, and provides an accurate estimate of the input variables under all conditions. The algorithm was then applied to produce layers that capture the seasonality in MODIS data for the period from 2001 to 2005. Conclusions/Significance. Global temporal Fourier processed images of 1 km MODIS data for Middle Infrared Reflectance, day- and night-time Land Surface Temperature (LST), Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) are presented for ecological and epidemiological applications. The finer spatial and temporal resolution, combined with the greater geolocational and spectral accuracy of the MODIS instruments, compared with previous multi-temporal data sets, mean that these data may be used with greater confidence in species' distribution modelling

    Behavioural homogenisation with spillovers in a normative domain

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    The importance of culture for human social evolution hinges largely on the extent to which culture supports outcomes that would not otherwise occur. An especially controversial claim is that social learning leads groups to coalesce around group-typical behaviours and associated social norms that spill over to shape choices in asocial settings. To test this, we conducted an experiment with 878 groups of participants in 116 communities in Sudan. Participants watched a short film and evaluated the appropriate way to behave in the situation dramatized in the film. Each session consisted of an asocial condition in which participants provided private evaluations and a social condition in which they provided public evaluations. Public evaluations allowed for social learning. Across sessions, we randomized the order of the two conditions. Public choices dramatically increased the homogeneity of normative evaluations. When the social condition was first, this homogenizing effect spilled over to subsequent asocial conditions. The asocial condition when first was thus alone in producing distinctly heterogeneous groups. Altogether, information about the choices of others led participants to converge rapidly on similar normative evaluations that continued to hold sway in subsequent asocial settings. These spillovers were at least partly owing to the combined effects of conformity and self-consistency. Conformity dominated self-consistency when the two mechanisms were in conflict, but self-consistency otherwise produced choices that persisted through time. Additionally, the tendency to conform was heterogeneous. Females conformed more than males, and conformity increased with the number of other people a decision-maker observed before making her own choice

    A Critical Analysis of Concepts Associated with Sustainability in Early Childhood Curriculum Frameworks Across Five National Contexts

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    Curriculum frameworks have an important role in providing guidance to early childhood practitioners on how to integrate knowledge about sustainability into their practice. This article examines how ideas about sustainability are integrated in the early childhood curricula for Australia, England, Norway, Sweden and the USA. The analyses were guided by critical inquiry and a cross-national dialogue and focused on four aspects of the curricula: sustainability presence, views of the child, human–environment relationship and philosophical/theoretical underpinnings on ideas expressed about sustainability. Ideas about sustainability were more implicitly present than explicitly stated in most curricula. It was not evident that children were viewed as world citizens with agency to help foster sustainability. With respect to human–environmental relationship, the framework from Australia expressed greater reciprocity and entanglement, while other frameworks were more anthropocentric despite the variation among curricula. All five frameworks embodied a sociocultural, human development approach with respect to the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings. There is a need to consider alternative frameworks that offer broader and more inclusive worldviews about sustainability that includes embracing human, non-human and other species within an assemblage of common worlds
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