Pioneers In Education

This volume traces the socialization processes, professional development, career paths, and theories and research of contemporary pioneers in education and psychology. This volume contains interviews of leading scholars who are at the vanguard of teaching and learning. They shared how their childhood development influenced their theoretical paths and research endeavors and revealed their thoughts, beliefs, and experiences that made them who they are today. These scholars responded to questions pertaining to their childhood socialization, initial interest in education and psychology, role models, research interests and major findings, future direction of their research, educational implications derived from their research, and perception of their legacy. They are real people who have had experiences like anybody else, but who found homes and teachers who supported them. While in college, they found educators who mentored them. Readers will find that this volume offers them an opportunity to learn the background of contemporary pioneers in education and psychology, provides helpful sources where they can learn about how major theories developed and where they are moving, and reveals the personal anecdotes that influenced the conceptualization of contemporary theories and research. Educators and students will find that this book provides hope and a rejuvenated enthusiasm about the status of education and psychology and that they too can be leaders in their own ways.

This accessible text provides an international study of critical educational leaders who established the foundation for Early Childhood Education across continents in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It places each pioneer within the time and culture in which they lived to help the reader understand how theories and knowledge about early years education and care have evolved over time. Early Years Pioneers in Context traces key themes such as play, child-initiated learning, working with parents, scaffolding children’s learning and the environment, enabling students to reflect on the differences and similarities between the pioneers and understand their contribution to practice today. Pioneers covered include: Frederick Froebel; Elizabeth Peabody; Susan Blow; Rudolf Steiner; Margaret McMillan; Maria Montessori Susan Isaacs; Loris Malaguzzi. Featuring student integration tasks to help the reader link key ideas to their own practice, this will be essential reading for early years students on undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses.

Rachel and Margaret McMillan, Maria Montessori and Susan Isaacs have had a major impact on contemporary early years curriculum theory and practice. This new book, introduces students and practitioners to the ideas, philosophies and writings of these key early thinkers in early childhood education and show how they relate to quality early years provision today. The book explores the influences that shaped the ideas, values and beliefs of each pioneer and clearly demonstrates how they have each contributed to our knowledge of young children’s learning and development. It then examines these in the context of current policy to highlight the key ideas that practitioners should consider when reflecting on their own practice. Features include: Summaries of each pioneers‘ ideas and their influence on contemporary practice Practical examples to illustrate key principles Reflective questions to encourage practitioners to develop and improve their own practice Written to support the work of all those in the field of early childhood education, this book will be invaluable to students and practitioners that wish to fully understand the lasting legacies of these four influential women.

The chapters in this book reflect on the major shifts in the views of early childhood thinkers and educators, who have contributed to contemporary theoretical frameworks pertaining to early childhood learning. The book also revisits and critically analyses the influence of developmental theories on early childhood education, starting in the 1890s with the work of G. Stanley Hall that established the close association of early childhood education and child development. Several chapters comprise critical examinations of the fundamental influence of thinkers such as Piaget, Vygotsky, Kohlberg, Adler, Pestalozzi, Froebel, and so on, on early childhood learning. The book also contends that these theoretical conceptions of child development have heavily influenced modern views of early childhood education. This book is a significant new contribution to early childhood learning, and will be a great resource for academics, researchers, and advanced students of Education, Public Policy, History of Education, Psychology, and Sociology. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the Early Child Development and Care.

The purpose of this book is to provide an overview of the contributions of one of the world's foremost educators. It will also provide an understanding of the importance of Freire's work and how his books, works and contributions have influenced the students and educational leaders of today. There is an urgent need for a book of this type that contains current reflections and reviews the work of one of the greatest educational philosophers of all time.

This new edition of Cathy Nutbrown′s much loved book explains the key ideas and issues in Early Childhood clearly and concisely, keeping students up-to-date with the latest developments in the field. There are brand new entries on: - Attachment - Babies′ learning and development - Children′s Centres - Citizenship - Digital Technologies - Early Years Foundation Stage - Early Years Professional Status - Neuroscience - Sexualities The rest of the book has also been thoroughly updated and revised, and includes coverage of heuristic play, Early Literacy Development and Parental Involvement. The book offers starting points which provide a clear focus, further reading and discussion of research on thirty-five key topics. It is a must for students following courses in early childhood education and care. Professor Cathy Nutbrown directs and teaches on Masters and Doctoral programmes in Early Childhood Education at the University of Sheffield.