This project will investigate the effectiveness of a professional learning program aimed at enhancing early years teachers' knowledge and practice of differentiating their management of classroom talk so as to provide increased opportunities for the kinds of dialogic interactions that develop and extend children's understanding. Such quality interactions, also known as Sustained Shared Thinking, are critical to effective early childhood programs and the achievement of differentiated learning goals. This project responds to concerns regarding the lack of quality interactions in early childhood settings and the ability of teachers to manage talk so as to achieve enhanced learning outcomes in both play-based and teacher-led learning experiences.
The key aims of the project are:
Research over the last decade has shown that quality early school experiences can be supportive in terms of children's learning and development in the long term, so that a more conscious awareness of the pedagogic processes that are involved is likely to be extremely valuable in the development of professional early childhood educational practice.
This project will contribute to:
Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia (AISWA).
Data collection will begin in March, 2015, with the final report being delivered by April, 2016.
Professor Caroline
Barratt-Pugh
Dr Pru Smith