Dr Jeanette Clarkin-Phillips Transforming a kindergarten’s social, material and cultural capital: “to make the world a better place."
I did not attend this workshop however Gaylene DP did and was inspired by it in regard to HES. We believe we make a great deal of effort with our parents/caregivers and whanau .. and now we are pushing ourselves to do this even better.
eg Met with Refuge coordinator.
Pasifika meetings attended.
Gradually working alongside new young mothers with numerous pre-schoolers.
I did not attend this workshop however Gaylene DP did and was inspired by it in regard to HES. We believe we make a great deal of effort with our parents/caregivers and whanau .. and now we are pushing ourselves to do this even better.
eg Met with Refuge coordinator.
Pasifika meetings attended.
Gradually working alongside new young mothers with numerous pre-schoolers.
Doctoral thesis which explored the affordance networks of families
involved with a kindergarten in a ‘vulnerable’ community in Aotearoa New
Zealand
Research questions
What has shaped the transformation of the kindergarten as a mesosystem
in the field of early childhood education?
How did this history construct affordances for families and what encouraged the families to recognise and take up these opportunities?
How might the constructs of habitus and affordance assist our understanding of families’ abilities to take up these opportunities?
What implications are there for policies that construct ‘vulnerable’ communities?
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
Research questions
What has shaped the transformation of the kindergarten as a mesosystem
in the field of early childhood education?
How did this history construct affordances for families and what encouraged the families to recognise and take up these opportunities?
How might the constructs of habitus and affordance assist our understanding of families’ abilities to take up these opportunities?
What implications are there for policies that construct ‘vulnerable’ communities?
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Methodology and theoretical framing
Case study of kindergarten 2005-2014
Bourdieu’s logic of practice [(habitus)(capital) + field + practice
Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model: macro, exo, meso and microsystems
These two theorists enabled me to understand how things had come to be: historically and currently.
Affordances. (Barab & Roth, 2006; Gee, 2008; Gibson,1979) Affordance theory assisted in making sense of what and how had provided families with opprtunities to realise their aspirations
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
Bourdieu’s logic of practice [(habitus)(capital) + field + practice
Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model: macro, exo, meso and microsystems
These two theorists enabled me to understand how things had come to be: historically and currently.
Affordances. (Barab & Roth, 2006; Gee, 2008; Gibson,1979) Affordance theory assisted in making sense of what and how had provided families with opprtunities to realise their aspirations
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Definitions
Habitus: “Durable, transposable dispostions, structured structures predisposed to act as structuring structures” (Bourdieu, 1972/1977, p.72)
Ecological systems model: Ecological nature of human development as a set of five nested structures to illustrate and analyse the inseparability of individual and environment.
Affordances: the objects or features of an environment that might be recognised and appropriated by an individual to achieve certain goals (Gee, 2008)
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
Habitus: “Durable, transposable dispostions, structured structures predisposed to act as structuring structures” (Bourdieu, 1972/1977, p.72)
Ecological systems model: Ecological nature of human development as a set of five nested structures to illustrate and analyse the inseparability of individual and environment.
Affordances: the objects or features of an environment that might be recognised and appropriated by an individual to achieve certain goals (Gee, 2008)
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Participants and Data collection methods
Participants
General Manager of kindergarten association
Head teacher and two teachers Seven family participants Kindergarten Kaimahi
Data gathering Semi-structured interviews with participants
Field observations Document analysis
Head teacher and two teachers Seven family participants Kindergarten Kaimahi
Data gathering Semi-structured interviews with participants
Field observations Document analysis
TE KURA TOI TANGATA
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
The kindergarten in 2003-4: An ecology
of the odds
TE KURA TOI TANGATA
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Mandy’s impressions and
decisions.
Well I think that there was a general sense of hopelessness about the place and we couldn’t pin-point exactly why. It was a depressed area, people’s attitudes, previous managers’ attitudes to the area – was actually that it was more of a hindrance than a help to have the kindergarten. Attendance was really low and it was bleeding financially from every orifice. It had been identified by the previous two general managers as being a kindergarten that was likely to close and that was the opinion of the staff at the time as well – they were just waiting around for it to close, to get redundancy, anyway. (Mandy, the General Manager of Kindergarten Association)
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
Well I think that there was a general sense of hopelessness about the place and we couldn’t pin-point exactly why. It was a depressed area, people’s attitudes, previous managers’ attitudes to the area – was actually that it was more of a hindrance than a help to have the kindergarten. Attendance was really low and it was bleeding financially from every orifice. It had been identified by the previous two general managers as being a kindergarten that was likely to close and that was the opinion of the staff at the time as well – they were just waiting around for it to close, to get redundancy, anyway. (Mandy, the General Manager of Kindergarten Association)
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
The kindergarten in 2014: An ecology
of affordances
TE KURA TOI TANGATA
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
The Parent Support and Development
initiative
2005: A cross-sectorial early intervention programme for vulnerable children and their families.
The main aim of the programme was to “ensure all vulnerable children receive the best support they need from before birth to their transition to school to provide them with the best possible start in life and enable them to maximise their potential” (Office of the Minister for Social Development and Employment, 2004, p. 4).
The four key elements to the programme included improving health, education, and parent support services for vulnerable children and their families through building on existing universal and targeted services as well as improved coordinating, identifying and needs assessing by different agencies.
The kindergarten was one of eight early childhood centres in the pilot project 2006- 2009
2005: A cross-sectorial early intervention programme for vulnerable children and their families.
The main aim of the programme was to “ensure all vulnerable children receive the best support they need from before birth to their transition to school to provide them with the best possible start in life and enable them to maximise their potential” (Office of the Minister for Social Development and Employment, 2004, p. 4).
The four key elements to the programme included improving health, education, and parent support services for vulnerable children and their families through building on existing universal and targeted services as well as improved coordinating, identifying and needs assessing by different agencies.
The kindergarten was one of eight early childhood centres in the pilot project 2006- 2009
TE KURA TOI TANGATA
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
My interpretations
The habitus and values of leadership: a commitment to social justice and being true to the values of the organisation provided a vehicle for supporting a failing kindergarten rather than follow the practices of capitalist ideology of closing the loss-making components of an organisation.
Mandy’s habitus: The collective practices, beliefs and values constitutive of the working class environment, which Mandy grew up in, helped structure her habitus.
Caryll’s habitus: The stories recounted by her parents about their early lives and upbringing gave Caryll an appreciation for the impact of circumstances on successive generations and that not everyone had the same opportunities. Caryll felt her early experiences had a significant bearing on the structuring of her values and beliefs.
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
The habitus and values of leadership: a commitment to social justice and being true to the values of the organisation provided a vehicle for supporting a failing kindergarten rather than follow the practices of capitalist ideology of closing the loss-making components of an organisation.
Mandy’s habitus: The collective practices, beliefs and values constitutive of the working class environment, which Mandy grew up in, helped structure her habitus.
Caryll’s habitus: The stories recounted by her parents about their early lives and upbringing gave Caryll an appreciation for the impact of circumstances on successive generations and that not everyone had the same opportunities. Caryll felt her early experiences had a significant bearing on the structuring of her values and beliefs.
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Disrupting the vulnerability discourse
We want to move away from the risks and results of social isolation and
towards quality early childhood education provision that forms the core of a
multitude of services that enhances the parenting, social and work skills of all
families in that wider community.
(Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association, December, 2005, p. 2)
Well I don’t think that this community is any more vulnerable than any other community in any other place in New Zealand because everybody can be vulnerable at different stages of their lives so if you’re talking about decile ratings or you wanted to classify people, then I think that vulnerable is the wrong word to use. To me it’s not a term that I think that fits with this community in Taitoko. Because actually the longer you’re here, and the more you get to know the people, there is a very strong community feeling in this area. And everyone brings what they can (Caryll)
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
towards quality early childhood education provision that forms the core of a
multitude of services that enhances the parenting, social and work skills of all
families in that wider community.
(Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association, December, 2005, p. 2)
Well I don’t think that this community is any more vulnerable than any other community in any other place in New Zealand because everybody can be vulnerable at different stages of their lives so if you’re talking about decile ratings or you wanted to classify people, then I think that vulnerable is the wrong word to use. To me it’s not a term that I think that fits with this community in Taitoko. Because actually the longer you’re here, and the more you get to know the people, there is a very strong community feeling in this area. And everyone brings what they can (Caryll)
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Affordances
Significant parent and community involvement.
-
Parent committees
-
Opportunities for employment in the kindergarten setting: administrator, ESW, Kaimahi,
cook, field-based students • Coffee/playgroup
Involving other services to support aspirations Teachers as mesosystem agents.
Strong, trusting relationships.
Culturally responsive and sensitive staff. Qualified, professional staff.
Flexible, adaptable approach.
TE KURA TOI TANGATA
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Kirstie
Kirstie grew up in Levin, not knowing her father, coping with a mother
addicted to gambling, an absent stepfather and having to assume
responsibility for her younger sister. When her mother died, Kirstie, then
aged 15 years, left school without completing any formal qualifications and
found a job at the local fast food outlet. Kirstie had her first child when she
was 21 after being in a relationship for a short time. This relationship lasted
less than 6 months. In the majority of western countries and Aotearoa New
Zealand, in particular, Kirstie would be seen to have the odds stacked against
her. She recognised few career opportunities and held few parenting skills.
However, despite these ‘odds’, two decades later she is a mother of six
children in a long-term relationship, a respected and active member of her
community, and has completed a Bachelor of Teaching Early Childhood.
Kirstie has to all intents and purposes defied the odds and been able to
realise a different life for herself and her children.
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Level 1. Recognising an affordance
I guess I didn’t know about kindergarten even though I was aware of it
being down the road and I never went to kindergarten as a pre-schooler,
[my] kids had always been in daycare fulltime because I had worked
about 60 hours a week. (Kirstie, Interview 1).
TE KURA TOI TANGATA
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Level 2. A new field: Encountering different
perspectives and developing sets of capacities
for action
I just became part of the kindergarten, literally, when I would go in the mornings to drop my kids off I wouldn’t go home I just stayed there and I just hung out, kind of learnt things [about being a parent], met people, and was just supported by Caryll. Being at kindergarten helped me to be confident, getting involved in the kids education, like knowing it was ok to ask questions. (Kirstie,Interview 2)
I just became part of the kindergarten, literally, when I would go in the mornings to drop my kids off I wouldn’t go home I just stayed there and I just hung out, kind of learnt things [about being a parent], met people, and was just supported by Caryll. Being at kindergarten helped me to be confident, getting involved in the kids education, like knowing it was ok to ask questions. (Kirstie,Interview 2)
TE KURA TOI TANGATA
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Level 3. Increasing affordance networks
over time
There was a chairperson at the time, of the committee, I think that her child may have gone off to school and there was nobody [to take on the job]. Caryll said “you could do this” and I told her “oh, if you help me” cos I didn’t know what it entailed or anything about it all. I think it gave me a lot of confidence [being on the committee], I was never a really confident type of person and it was being part of the kindergarten and what evolved from that that helped me to be confident. (Kirstie, Interview 1).
There was a chairperson at the time, of the committee, I think that her child may have gone off to school and there was nobody [to take on the job]. Caryll said “you could do this” and I told her “oh, if you help me” cos I didn’t know what it entailed or anything about it all. I think it gave me a lot of confidence [being on the committee], I was never a really confident type of person and it was being part of the kindergarten and what evolved from that that helped me to be confident. (Kirstie, Interview 1).
TE KURA TOI TANGATA
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Level 4. Replicating affordances
Share what we’ve experienced and let other people feel that. Like they
[people in the community] used to say that we’re ‘the hood’ but now you
get people from this side of town [referring to other side of railway tracks
from the kindergarten] wanting to enrol at our kindergarten and we’ve
got waiting lists because like they see this, they see us, they see other
people come through our kindy and experience the things that we’ve been
able to experience. (Kirstie, Interview 1).
It’s amazing now that I’ve moved on and M who was a mum at the kindergarten, she’s taken it on [making the lunches at the kindergarten even though her child had started school] and I really love that it’s still going – other parents are taking over. (Kirstie, Interview 2).
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
It’s amazing now that I’ve moved on and M who was a mum at the kindergarten, she’s taken it on [making the lunches at the kindergarten even though her child had started school] and I really love that it’s still going – other parents are taking over. (Kirstie, Interview 2).
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Kirstie’s affordance network
Level 1
Recognising the
afordance
Level 2
Level 2
Minimal Knowledge
of kindergarten.
Used‘daycare’ for
child-minding
while she worked
while she worked
Caryll suggested she
bring her son to
kindergartenafter
seeing him playing on sigde of road
kindergartenafter
seeing him playing on sigde of road
Startedvisitin
kindergarten then children
enroledtoatend
kindergarten then children
enroledtoatend
Began
atending cofe/play group
atending cofe/play group
Asked by Caryll
to be chairperson
of Kindergarten
Becomes an
integral part
of decision-making
integral part
of decision-making
‘Hangs out’ regularly at
kindergarten.Learnt things, met
people & learnt it was okay to
Encounteringdiferent Commite ofcofe/playgroup asknquestios&getinvolved
perspectives&
developingsncapacitie
withchildren’senducatio
Used skills Initiatedkindergarten ESW
foractio
Level 3
Level 3
Became kaimahi
then ESW
Used skills to
encourage
other parents to
be involved
Elected to governance board of local primary school
be involved
Elected to governance board of local primary school
to fund raise
lunch scheme,
employed as chef
Increasingafordancee
networksovertim
Commencred
tertiay
qualnificatio
qualnificatio
Level 4
Repligcatin afordances
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
Repligcatin afordances
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
Sharing her experiences
and ensuring ongoing
availabilityofafordances
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Carmella
Carmella came to be involved in the kindergarten through a
friend who had children attending the kindergarten. Carmella
was a young parent who came from a family that had high
educational expectations for their children. Carmella left
home after completing high school to do a one-year
qualification in travel and tourism at a Polytechnic. She then
returned home and it was at this time she became pregnant
and expectations about education changed for Carmella. Her
parents articulated to Carmella that she had stepped outside
of the realms of acceptable behaviour therefore she had to
‘suffer the consequences’ and give up all ideas of further
education.
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Level 1. Recognising an
affordance
I had to learn once I became a mother, what early childhood education was all about and I think that was just from peers, yeah, one of my friends. She was going to a kindergarten and I thought ‘what is that?’ I really was so naïve as an adult that I hadn’t any idea. I think as a young mum I thought it was drop off - a baby sitting service – no one told you any different really. [Then] I started going with my friend to drop her sons off at kindy. (Carmella, Interview 1).
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
I had to learn once I became a mother, what early childhood education was all about and I think that was just from peers, yeah, one of my friends. She was going to a kindergarten and I thought ‘what is that?’ I really was so naïve as an adult that I hadn’t any idea. I think as a young mum I thought it was drop off - a baby sitting service – no one told you any different really. [Then] I started going with my friend to drop her sons off at kindy. (Carmella, Interview 1).
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Level 2. A new field: Encountering different
perspectives and developing sets of
capacities for action
I started going along, so I had a little bit of an insight into watching how they [the teachers] worked together and collaborated with each other and I think at that young age I trusted my best friend. I trusted her judgment “if her kids are there, it will be alright”.
Those teachers that I went to drop them off with, I didn’t know them from a bar of soap and that they didn’t live in the community, I thought [this] was strange. I was quite surprised. (Carmella, Interview 1)
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
I started going along, so I had a little bit of an insight into watching how they [the teachers] worked together and collaborated with each other and I think at that young age I trusted my best friend. I trusted her judgment “if her kids are there, it will be alright”.
Those teachers that I went to drop them off with, I didn’t know them from a bar of soap and that they didn’t live in the community, I thought [this] was strange. I was quite surprised. (Carmella, Interview 1)
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Level 3. Increasing affordance networks
over time
It was new to me [coming to kindergarten] and it was a bit intimidating and uncomfortable but she [Caryll] had a nice aura about her, she was very nice and approachable, but I think I tried to avoid her for a few times, I thought I don’t know how to deal with this lady, I don’t know what she’s asking of me really but she was nice enough.
[Caryll] asked if I wanted to be on the committee and I felt a bit more confident and comfortable around her and then finally I thought yeah, that’s a good idea [to be the treasurer] and I can stay at the kindy and see my children. (Carmella, Interview 1).
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
It was new to me [coming to kindergarten] and it was a bit intimidating and uncomfortable but she [Caryll] had a nice aura about her, she was very nice and approachable, but I think I tried to avoid her for a few times, I thought I don’t know how to deal with this lady, I don’t know what she’s asking of me really but she was nice enough.
[Caryll] asked if I wanted to be on the committee and I felt a bit more confident and comfortable around her and then finally I thought yeah, that’s a good idea [to be the treasurer] and I can stay at the kindy and see my children. (Carmella, Interview 1).
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Level 4. Replicating affordances
We were empowering the community and that’s how we all
got to know one another and we probably wouldn’t be here
today if it wasn’t for those sorts of connections and links and
recognising that family is part of community. It inspires me to
do that to others and say “hey look you can be a mother and
be a teacher and all sorts and be whatever you want to be
and it’s ok and we’re here to help you” and that’s why I think
we can be a help because we had the support, it was normal,
it was natural. (Carmella,Interview 1).
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Carmella’s affordance network
No experience of kindergarten.
Raised in cultural framework of extended family. Thought kindergarten was a
‘drop-of’or‘bgabysitin service’
Friend going to
kindergarten&invitedher
perspectives& Carylaskedhertobetreasurer Caryl’sapproachabilityhelped
Raised in cultural framework of extended family. Thought kindergarten was a
‘drop-of’or‘bgabysitin service’
Friend going to
kindergarten&invitedher
perspectives& Carylaskedhertobetreasurer Caryl’sapproachabilityhelped
Level1
Recognising the
afordance
Recognising the
afordance
Started going with friend –
hertofelcomfortable
Sugestedacofe/playgroup bestarted
hertofelcomfortable
Sugestedacofe/playgroup bestarted
Level2
Encounteringdiferent
trustedfriends’judgement
aboutkindergartenasan
alright place for her children
developingsncapacitie ofkindergartencommite
foractio
Employed as kindergarten Level3 administrator
Increasingafordancee networksovertim
Level4
Repligcatin af fordances
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
Employed as kindergarten Level3 administrator
Increasingafordancee networksovertim
Level4
Repligcatin af fordances
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
Begins and
completes a
teacnhingqualificatio
Employed at
ECE centre
Commitedtobuilding relatnios hips and empowering others
Commitedtobuilding relatnios hips and empowering others
Appointed as
head teacher at
ECE centre at new
teen parent unit
teen parent unit
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Implications for policy and practice.
Teachers as mesosystem agents
Teachers play a significant role in assisting families to recognise affordances and increase the strength of the affordance, broker opportunities and broker support.
Leadership committed to social justice
Transformed the odds for the families.
Policy implications
Policy decisions need to support the provision and replication of the multiple affordances for families and teachers. Systems and processes at state and local level that prioritise capacity building of teacher and family partnerships will enhance the possibilities for changes in teacher beliefs and attitudes and the development of strong affordance networks. Governments committed to resourcing teachers’ on-going professional learning can contribute to a range of opportunities for the exploration of new perspectives and a challenging of ideological beliefs based on deficit theorising.
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
Teachers play a significant role in assisting families to recognise affordances and increase the strength of the affordance, broker opportunities and broker support.
Leadership committed to social justice
Transformed the odds for the families.
Policy implications
Policy decisions need to support the provision and replication of the multiple affordances for families and teachers. Systems and processes at state and local level that prioritise capacity building of teacher and family partnerships will enhance the possibilities for changes in teacher beliefs and attitudes and the development of strong affordance networks. Governments committed to resourcing teachers’ on-going professional learning can contribute to a range of opportunities for the exploration of new perspectives and a challenging of ideological beliefs based on deficit theorising.
TE KURA TOI TANGATA FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
Another social justice initiative
http://www.wn-kindergarten.org.nz/innovations/ymen.html
TE KURA TOI TANGATA
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
waikato.ac.nz/education WHERE THE WORLD IS
GOING
No comments:
Post a Comment