Showing papers in "Early Childhood Education Journal in 2021"

Missing Early Education and Care During the Pandemic: The Socio-Emotional Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on Young Children.

Abstract: Worldwide, millions of children have missed out on early childhood education and care (ECEC) due to the closure of their settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about the socio-emotional impact of these closures on young children. This paper draws upon a study of 506 parents of children aged 1-10 years in Ireland who completed the online Play and Learning in the Early Years (PLEY) Survey during lockdown in May and June 2020. Parents responded to a series of questions about their child's play, learning and development during lockdown, and described the impact of the restrictions on their children's lives. The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee. Findings indicate that most children missed their friends, playing with other children, and the routine and structure of ECEC and school settings. Parents described the negative impact of the closure of these settings on their children's social and emotional well-being, which they suggested, resulted in tantrums, anxiety, clinginess, boredom, and under-stimulation. However, some parents did report positive aspects of lockdown for their children and the family, including more time to play with siblings and a break from the usual routine. While the findings of the PLEY study indicate that children's socio-emotional development was severely disrupted during lockdown, with a variety of negative impacts, this experience was not universal. Moreover, the findings suggest that families missed the nurturing environment provided by ECEC programs that supported their children's socio-emotional development, as well as the structure and routine afforded by their children's participation in early childhood programs.

Families' Financial Stress & Well-Being: The Importance of the Economy and Economic Environments.

Abstract: The Great Recession and the unfolding COVID-19 Pandemic Recession-two major disruptions to the economy that occurred just one decade apart-unequivocally confirm the importance of the economy and economic environments for understanding families' financial stress and well-being. However, recent published literature places too little emphasis on the economy and economic environments and instead focuses on explanations rooted within individuals and families. In this article, we review research on families' financial stress and well-being published in JFEI between 2010 and 2019, which analyzed data collected during the Great Recession and were subsequently published in the shadow of the economic downturn. We discuss the economy and economic environments as gaps in the literature and encourage future research to focus on these explanations of stress and well-being, especially in response to the pandemic recession.

The Impacts of COVID-19 on Early Childhood Education: Capturing the Unique Challenges Associated with Remote Teaching and Learning in K-2.

Abstract: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across North America closed to in person learning in March 2020. Since then, it has becoming increasingly clear that physical distancing will need to be prolonged in the 2020/2021 school year and possibly resumed in the future. In response, education ministries shifted teaching and learning online. Research is urgently needed to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on teaching and learning, particularly in the foundational early primary years. This research directly responds to this concern by examining the unique challenges associated with remote teaching and learning in early primary contexts. Given that learning in kindergarten and early primary grades is largely play- and inquiry- based, there is a particular need to investigate the impacts of this move for teachers, parents, and children in K-2. As such, the purpose of this research is twofold: (1) to capture the unique challenges and unanticipated successes associated with remote teaching and learning, and (2) to utilize findings to provide recommendations for remote learning as well as strategies for supporting in-person learning in the COVID-19 era (and post COVID-19 era). Data collection included 45-min semi-structured interviews with K-2 teachers (n = 25) and parents (n =11). All participants were from Ontario Canada. Data were collected from April-June 2020. The sample size was chosen to ensure saturation while uncovering a variety of perspectives. Data were analyzed in NVivo using an emergent thematic approach (Patton, 2016). The emergent thematic approach to analysis revealed five themes: equity considerations, synchronous versus asynchronous teaching and learning, social and emotional effects on students, academic impacts, and effects on parents/families.

Early Childhood Educators' Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Abstract: The importance of Early Childhood (EC) educators' wellbeing has been brought into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic, as educators have navigated numerous additional stressors while providing education and care services for some children and ongoing support for many others learning at home. This study aimed to explore the impact of the pandemic on EC educators' wellbeing and educator-child relationships, as growing evidence shows the influence of these factors on children's developmental outcomes. In July 2020, members of a Research Network of EC Professionals-who previously identified educator wellbeing as a priority issue-were invited to participate in an online survey. The survey included two published, validated scales: the Early Childhood Professional Wellbeing scale (ECPW) and the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (modified). Survey items about educators' experiences during the pandemic were also included. Two hundred and thirty-two EC educators from across Australia completed the survey, mostly from Victoria where lockdowns were most severe. Linear regression analysis demonstrated stronger professional wellbeing was associated with less conflict in educator-child relationships and lower risk of staff turnover. This was more likely to be experienced by senior or more experienced staff. Although a negative impact of COVID-19 was reported, ECPW scores were relatively high, and organizational structures supporting professional wellbeing were most strongly associated with lower risk of turnover (r = 0.63, p < 0.001). Findings highlight that supporting EC educators' wellbeing is essential for workforce retention, and for promoting quality educator-child relationships which are central to young children's learning and development.

The Effects of COVID-19 on Early Childhood Education and Care: Research and Resources for Children, Families, Teachers, and Teacher Educators.

Abstract: The COVID-19 world health crisis has profound implications for the care and education of young children in homes and schools, the lives of preservice and inservice teachers, and the work of college/university faculty. This article begins by discussing the implications of a world health pandemic for education and the challenges of conducting a literature review on such a rapidly evolving topic. The next four sections categorize the COVID-19 literature into themes: (1) threats to quality of life (QoL) and wellness, (2) pressure on families and intensification of inequities, (3) changes in teaching methods and reliance on technology, and (4) restructuring of higher education and scholarship interrupted. Each of the four themes is introduced with a narrative that highlights the current context, followed by the literature review. Next is a compilation of high-quality, online resources developed by leading professional organizations to support children, families, and educators dealing with the COVID crisis. The article concludes with changes that hold the greatest potential to advance the field of early childhood education and care.

Preschool Education in Turkey During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study.

Abstract: This study investigated the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on preschool education and sought answers to how preschool education is implemented, what kind of activities are held, what kind of challenges need to be overcome, and what measures need to be taken to sustain preschool education. The sample consisted of 25 preschool teachers and 30 parents recruited using criterion sampling, a purposive sampling method. The study was based on phenomenology, which is a qualitative research design. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview form and video records of participants performing educational practice within two months. Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis. Participants stated that the Covid-19 pandemic had numerous adverse effects on preschool education and that they held art, science, and mathematics activities and games to sustain education but faced numerous challenges during the process. They also emphasized that measures should be taken to sustain preschool education during pandemics.

Preservice Preschool Teachers’ Self-efficacy in and Need for STEM Education Professional Development: STEM Pedagogical Belief as a Mediator

Abstract: This study analyzed early childhood preservice teachers’ specific components of self-efficacy to provide a more exhaustive comprehension of the relationships among STEM self-efficacy, pedagogical belief, and the self-reported need for professional development (PD). The participants were undergraduate or graduate preservice teachers recruited from the early childhood education department of a university in Taiwan. The research used instruments including the Teacher STEM Self-efficacy Scale, Teacher STEM Pedagogical Belief Scale, and Need for PD Scale to collect the data. In total, 150 preservice preschool teachers completed the survey. MANOVA and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that preservice teachers’ scores on STEM self-efficacy and the three components of self-efficacy were positively correlated with their STEM pedagogical beliefs and self-reported need for PD. Furthermore, affective attitude predicted teachers’ need for PD directly or indirectly through STEM pedagogical belief. In addition, the result indicated that STEM pedagogical belief acted as an intermediary in the association between the two components of self-efficacy (“cognitive concept” and “affective attitude”) and the self-reported need for PD. However, STEM pedagogical belief cannot mediate the relationship between the “equipped skill” component of self-efficacy and the self-reported need for PD. Preservice preschool teachers who had STEM teaching experience, reported interests in STEM, or participated in STEM-related activities had higher levels of STEM self-efficacy in terms of cognitive concept, affective attitude, and equipped skill. Based on these findings, the researchers provide suggestions for future research and practical implications in teacher development program.

The Prevalence of Risky Play in Young Children’s Indoor and Outdoor Free Play

Abstract: Research on children’s risky play and young children’s risk taking is a relatively new research area that has drawn the attention of many researchers in the last decades Nevertheless, to our knowledge, no earlier studies have measured the prevalence of risky play when children can freely choose what to play, with whom, and where Most research on risky play has also exclusively focused on outdoor play This study aims at examining the occurrence and characteristics of children’s risky play, indoors and outdoors, in early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions Children (N = 80) were observed in two-minute sequences during periods of the day when they were free to choose what to do The data consists of 1878 randomly recorded two-minute videos, which were coded second by second for the occurrence of several categories of risky play Results revealed that risky play was registered in 103% of the total data material The data is further analysed to explore distribution among different types of risky play, as well as differences between gender, age and environment (indoors vs outdoors)

Shifting to Remote Learning During COVID-19: Differences for Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education Teachers.

Abstract: This study explored similarities and differences in how early childhood education (ECE) teachers (n = 947) and early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers (n = 160) provided remote learning to young children and their families following COVID-19 shelter in place orders in the spring of 2020. The most utilized remote learning activities for both ECE and ECSE teachers were the provision of activities for families to use at home, communication with families, online lessons, and singing songs and reading books. Both types of professionals spent more time planning and communicating with families than providing instruction to children. Results of chi-square tests of independence revealed differences in activities provided, how time was spent, and training received by professional role. Open-ended responses revealed particular challenges for ECE and ECSE teachers. Findings are discussed in the context of how the early childhood field adapted quickly to remote learning during COVID-19 and the implications for ongoing technology support for early childhood personnel based on their professional role.

"Doing What I can, but I got no Magic Wand:" A Snapshot of Early Childhood Educator Experiences and Efforts to Ensure Quality During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted early childhood programs serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in dramatic ways. After temporarily closing, many educators quickly adapted their procedures to ensure children's safety as they reopened to provide childcare for essential workers and then the community at large. This manuscript reports on statewide efforts to continue quality improvement initiatives for early childhood programs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We first describe the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for over 2000 educators-teachers, administrators, and specialists-who completed surveys in the Spring and Fall of 2020. These survey data come from a statewide system called the Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System (TECPDS), designed to track the professional development needs/progress of early childhood educators. Second, we describe an example of how a statewide professional development and quality improvement program shifted to remote delivery during the pandemic. As an increasing number of educators turn to virtual training resources, we explain lessons learned from these response efforts and how they can inform future virtual professional development efforts, even amidst crisis, to ensure that a focus on quality improvement continues while supporting teachers' individual needs.

Financial Socialization: A Decade in Review

Abstract: The financial socialization individuals receive is associated not only with their future financial wellbeing but also relational, mental, and physical wellbeing. This paper is a review of the literature on financial socialization, especially papers published between 2010 and 2019 in the Journal of Family and Economic Issues. We first review family financial socialization theory and then review empirical documentation for the theory, organized by (a) family socialization processes (e.g., parent financial modeling, parent-child financial discussion, and experiential learning as three primary methods of financial socialization) and (b) financial socialization outcomes (e.g., financial attitudes, financial knowledge, financial behaviors, and financial wellbeing). Finally, we discuss future directions for the field.

A Systematic Review of the Literature on Aspects Affecting Positive Classroom Climate in Multicultural Early Childhood Education

Abstract: The risk for many young children from minority backgrounds of being excluded from a quality education might be reduced through the creation of a positive classroom climate. A systematic review was conducted to gain a better understanding of the pedagogical and structural aspects that foster a positive classroom climate in multicultural early childhood education settings. Following a systematic review procedure, 14 articles were selected and included in the analysis. The findings indicate that eight aspects contribute to a positive climate in these settings: on the one hand, pedagogical practices, including increased instructional time, teacher-student supportive interactions, peer interactions and friendship, child engagement, teacher training on emotionally supportive environments and teacher-family trust-based relationships, and on the other hand, structural aspects, including small peer groups and materials shared among children. This evidence may be used to foster a classroom climate that enhances learning processes and social development in multicultural preschool groups. However, more research is needed to better understand the particular role that cultural diversity plays in the classroom climate.

Preschool STEM Activities: Preschool Teachers’ Preparation and Views

Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine preschool teachers' STEM training, STEM classroom activities, lesson planning processes, problems, and evaluation strategies and methods during activities. The study sample consisted of 20 preschool teachers. Participants were recruited using criterion sampling, which is a purposive sampling method. This was a case study, which is a qualitative research method. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview form. Qualitative data were analyzed inductive content analysis. Themes, categories, and codes were developed according to the content analysis results in line with the research purpose. Content analysis results showed that participants implemented different preschool STEM activities and used different strategies, methods, and techniques while implementing those activities. They also stated that they faced various problems during those activities. They stated that the STEM training helped them to develop professional competence. However, they had difficulty planning lessons in line with STEM education, due to lack of content knowledge.

Distance Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey: Identifying the Needs of Early Childhood Educators.

Abstract: This study aims to identify the needs of early childhood educators regarding distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic. This basic qualitative research was carried out with a study group of 24 early childhood educators, all of whom were determined via a maximum variation sampling method. The study data were gathered via interviews conducted with the participants and analyzed through an inductive approach. The study findings showed that early childhood educators need to improve their technological competencies, have more interactive resources at their disposal, be able to take advantage of a user-friendly educational platform specifically designed for the early childhood period, be provided with the resources to serve families, and have support for their psychological well-being. Considering the essential role of teachers, which the COVID-19 pandemic has called to mind, it is of vital importance to meet the abovementioned needs so as to improve the quality of distance education in early childhood.

The Effect of Personal Finance Education on The Financial Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour of University Students in Indonesia

Abstract: There is much debate about the impact of personal finance education on financial knowledge, attitudes and behaviour, particularly based on studies in the United Kingdom (UK) and United States of America (US). This paper makes a contribution to this debate, drawing on analysis of a survey of 521 undergraduate students at Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) in Indonesia in 2015. As part of that study, we measured the impact of a 14-week personal finance education course on financial knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. Our findings show that, when controlling for other factors, the personal finance course did, indeed, have a positive and statistically significant impact on financial knowledge. However, there was no statistically significant impact of the course on financial attitudes or behaviour. Our analysis also shows that family financial socialisation was an important driver of financial knowledge, attitudes and behaviour while other drivers of financial behaviour included income, work experience, year/field of study and discussing money with friends. We do not argue here that formal financial education is unimportant but that its role in changing attitudes and behaviour should be considered carefully if this is, indeed, its aim.

The Work–Family Conflict: Evidence from the Recent Decade and Lines of Future Research

Abstract: This contribution adopts an economic perspective to summarize what we learned in the last decade about the work–family conflict (WFC) and, primarily, where we go from here. On the basis of recent labor, demographic and socio-economic changes, and the use of both data and economic methods, we have identified a number of important topics. First, the relationship between the WFC and the kinds of family, with specific attention to motherhood/fatherhood. Later, the interrelations between the WFC and spousal problems or different satisfaction issues. We then analyze the implications of the WFC for policy and benefit issues, and, finally, the relationship between the WFC and dispositional characteristics. The future of the research should first address the limitations of the existing literature. The complete lack of longitudinal data makes it impossible to derive causal effects, with only correlations being possible. Another future avenue is the elaboration of cross-cultural papers. An interesting topic to be covered is to focus on the couple, rather than the individual, with different couples by race, religion…having implications for intra-family negotiation. Another line is to examine intergenerational issues that arise as a consequence of the delay in the nest-leaving of children and, at the same time, the presence of grandparents in the home.

Associations between Child and Administrator Race and Suspension and Expulsion Rates in Community Childcare Programs.

Abstract: Suspension is defined as a temporary removal from the educational setting where a child is able to return after a determined period of time, while expulsion is the complete and permanent removal of a child from an entire educational system (Gilliam and Shahar 2006). Preschool children have been found to be both suspended and expelled at higher rates than school-aged children (Cutler and Gilkerson 2002; Gilliam 2005; Gilliam and Shahar 2006). It has been reported that 50,000 preschoolers were suspended at least once; another 17,000 were estimated to have been expelled (Malik 2017). However, much of this information had been collected from public preschool programs. Although many factors contribute to the high suspension and expulsion rates of young children, race has risen to the forefront as a possible contributing correlate to disproportionality (Kunesh and Noltemeyer 2019; U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 2016a, b). More specifically, children of color have been found to be at increased risk for being suspended and expelled (U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 2016a, b). In addition to addressing the gap in research by reporting suspension and expulsion data from one state’s community childcare centers, this paper also examines the disproportionality of suspensions and expulsions in these programs. The impact of director race on early childhood suspension and expulsion is also considered as a contributing factor.

Impact of COVID-19 on Early Childhood Educator’s Perspectives and Practices in Nutrition and Physical Activity: A Qualitative Study

Abstract: Government guidelines for relaunching early childhood education and care (ECEC) programs during the COVID-19 pandemic have required the implementation of various practices to minimize the risk of infection transmission. These directives include recommendations regarding serving and handling food, shared spaces, and physical distancing which have a direct impact on the health and development of children in care. The purpose of this study was to explore early childhood educators' perspectives on how COVID-19 guidelines have impacted the nutrition and physical activity practices within their ECEC environment. A qualitative description approach was used to explore a purposive sample of 17 educators working full time in ECEC centres during the pandemic between July and August 2020. Semi-structured, individual interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using a thematic analysis. Educators identified environmental changes in their environments noting a reduction in the quality food available for children juxtaposed with increased outdoor opportunities and a perceived increase in physical activity time. Teaching practices were also identified as being impacted by the COVID-19 guidelines. Curriculum, life skills, and social connectedness around healthy eating education was disrupted. Promoting physical activity education was challenged due to equipment, space, and curriculum enrichment opportunities losses. These findings demonstrate pronounced negative effects of COVID guidelines on nutrition and physical activity best practices within the ECEC environment. There is a need to support educators in maintaining healthy and active environments for preschoolers while following guidelines to minimize the risk of COVID infection transmission.

Can Pre-school Children Learn Programming and Coding Through Guided Play Activities? A Case Study in Computational Thinking

Abstract: Guided play activities were developed so that coding clubs could promote computational thinking skills in preschool children. The clubs involved fifteen children aged between 2 and 4 years, including a group of children with communication difficulties. The children took part in an action-research scoping study over three coding clubs involving six 45–60-min sessions. The activities were developed to teach computational skills and, ultimately, concepts of programming and coding. The findings suggested that the children began to develop many of the skills necessary for programming and coding as well as computational thinking skills such as collaboration, logical thinking and debugging algorithms. However, they found programming specific algorithms into Bee-Bots complicated and they needed support from adults to direct the robots along routes on simple maps. Overall, the guided play activities could be used in nurseries and preschool establishments to teach early computational thinking skills.

Self-regulation in Preschool and Early Elementary Classrooms: Why It Is Important and How to Promote It

Abstract: This paper provides a comprehensive review of the role of self-regulation for academic achievement and behavior in the early childhood education classroom. It discusses neurocognitive processes involved in self-regulation including response inhibition, voluntary attention, and working memory. Response inhibition creates a delay in responding which makes it possible to override habitual behavior, thus providing students with an opportunity to master new skills. Voluntary attention is involved in selecting relevant information and combating distractors, while working memory is essential for maintaining internal representations that guide students’ behavior and task performance. The paper identifies classroom demands for these processes. It further discusses environmental, instructional, and behavioral interventions to foster self-regulation skills in the classroom.

The Implications of COVID-19 for Early Childhood Education in Ethiopia: Perspectives from Parents and Caregivers.

Abstract: Recent research on the effects of COVID-19 on school closures has mainly focused on primary and secondary education, with extremely limited attention to early childhood education (ECE). To address this gap, we identify the extent to which parents and caregivers with pre-primary school-aged children were engaged in their children's learning during school closures in Ethiopia. Our focus on Ethiopia is of particular relevance given that ECE provision has expanded dramatically in recent years, aimed at ensuring children are prepared for primary school. Using data collected through a phone survey with 480 parents and caregivers, the results revealed that learning disruption due to COVID-19 school closures is likely to be substantial and will probably widen existing inequalities further. Many poorer households and those where parents or caregivers are not literate, are less likely to have child-oriented learning resources, and home learning activities between parents and children in these households are limited. The study highlights that greater attention needs to be paid to mitigate the threats of COVID-19 on Ethiopia's recent gains in ECE, to prevent the pandemic from further reinforcing inequalities between children from advantaged and disadvantaged households.

Pedagogical Knowledge of Structured Movement Sessions in the Early Education Curriculum: Perceptions of Teachers and Student Teachers

Abstract: Early childhood education (ECE) teachers have traditionally been trained as generalists. However, there is now a growing awareness of the potential importance of having pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of physical activity opportunities in the ECE curriculum. Furthermore, several scholars argue that movement content knowledge in physical education (PE) teacher education needs to be revisited. The aim of this study is to analyze ECE teachers’ and student teachers’ perception of PCK in the teaching and learning process of the structured movement sessions. Using a deductive coding scheme, we identified fourteen initial categories and consolidated them into three major categories. The first, the disregard for psychomotricity in the ECE curriculum, can be explained by (a) the perception that ECE is less important than elementary education, and (b) the lack of importance given to psychomotricity by society and schools, which have been responsible for exacerbating this distortion. Secondly, there are several barriers that threaten PCK during structured movement sessions: (a) lack of content knowledge; (b) lack of confidence; (c) lack of interest; (d) lack of training; (e) the non-standardized curriculum; (f) personal negatives experiences related to PE; and (g) lack of context-specific PE teacher education for ECE. Finally, we identified the following facilitating factors challenging these barriers: (a) interaction among members of the school community; (b) personal intrinsic motivation; (c) the role of university training and continuous professional development for exposing teachers to alternatives ways of thinking; and (d) teachers’ feelings of professional responsibility for modifying the reality of the educational context to generate positive practices.

Women’s Family Care Responsibilities, Employment and Health: A Tale of Two Countries

Abstract: Persistently low employment of women in some countries can still be ascribed to a traditional perception of women’s role in society. According to observed data and prevailing social and cultural norms, women have been bearing the primary burdens of housework, childcare, and other family responsibilities. The unequal share of care responsibilities between women and men further worsens the disadvantages of women in balancing public and private life, with an impact on their employment and health outcomes. In this paper we investigate the role of family responsibilities in shaping employment and health outcomes by gender, in Italy and France, during and after the economic downturn. We use data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions for the time windows of 2007–2010 and 2011–2014. Our results support that gender differences in the share of responsibilities roles in the public and private sphere influence the employability and health perception of women.

Digital Technology Usage of Young Children: Screen Time and Families

Abstract: This study aimed to explore the digital environments of 3–6-year-old children within the home setting. A total of 537 children aged 3–6 years and their parents participated in the study. The results of the study revealed that the children live in digitally rich home environments. Parents usually limited the screen time of the children, or accompanied them during the use of digital technologies. The total screen time of the children was more than 3 h, whilst the parents’ total screen time was around four and a half hours. The results also indicate the influence of family income and parents’ screen time on children’s screen time. Parents and home settings play a key role in their children’s interaction with digital technologies. Therefore, the familial context should be taken into consideration for supporting young children’s learning and development through digital technologies.

Supporting Preschool Children’s STEM Learning with Parent-Involved Early Engineering Education

Abstract: This study examines the development of a STEM-based (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and parent-involved engineering design curriculum for early childhood education and investigates its design principles and contributions to children’s STEM-related learning. This research utilized a design-based research methodology broken into three main phases (preliminary research, prototyping, and assessment). The data were gathered over a 2-year span, and the curriculum was designed and revised during the prototyping phase’s three iterative cycles. This paper presents the findings of a field test that involved two early childhood education teachers, five preschool children, and five parents. Findings validated eight key design principles of the curriculum and revealed that the curriculum contributes to the knowledge, skills, feelings, and dispositions children have towards STEM. The findings suggest that the developed curriculum can be used as a novel way of integrating STEM into early childhood education, with a particular focus on engineering, while encouraging parental involvement.

Early Childhood Educators' Perceptions of Their Emotional State, Relationships with Parents, Challenges, and Opportunities During the Early Stage of the Pandemic.

Abstract: This article presents a study about the impact of COVID-19 on childcare center educators in Quebec (Canada). Regulated childcare services were closed due to the pandemic between March 16 and May 31, 2020, in areas considered "hot" (highly affected by the pandemic). During this time, some centers were transformed into "emergency childcare services" available to parents considered to be essential workers. Therefore, few children attended, and most educators worked remotely. In May 2020, 372 educators completed an online questionnaire regarding their emotional state, challenges, and learning opportunities. Results indicate that half of the respondents reported a decrease in their level of well-being at work and an increase in their stress level. Educators working remotely were more likely to report a lower level of stress than when working with children at daycare (36.1% vs 19.7%). Despite these findings, educators estimated that the parents who used their emergency childcare service presented either high (37.7%) or average (32.2%) levels of wellbeing. The factors that educators identified as facilitating their interactions with families included parental recognition of their work (11.68%) and direct contact with them (12.62%). While many tasks accomplished at home were done for the first time during this period (i.e., creating video capsules for children and parents, virtual meetings with children and colleagues), a large majority of respondents reported that these tasks made them feel useful. Working at their own pace (34.7%) was seen as the principal advantage of remote working. Finally, 28.84% mentioned that the reduced ratio (1:2 or 1:3) was a facilitating factor that they would like to maintain during the upcoming reopening phase. The discussion uses the Job Demands and Resources theoretical framework (Bakker and Demerouti in Wellbeing 3(2):1-28, 2014; Dicke et al. in J Occupat Health Psychol 23(2): 262-277, 2017) to explain the educators' work-related demands and emotional state in both remote and CPE working pandemic contexts. In conclusion, we argued that this pandemic reveals the complexity, but also the essential nature of the work of early childhood educators, in particular by identifying their needs for support and recognition essential to their professional commitment.

Effects of Active Outdoor Play on Preschool Children’s on-Task Classroom Behavior

Abstract: Physical activity—including outdoor motor play—has been associated with learning and brain-related functions and abilities in elementary school children and adolescence. Few studies have been conducted on the relationships between active play and these cognitive processes in preschool aged children. Several investigations have revealed that adult-directed physical activity can enhance preschoolers’ performance on measures of executive functions, such as inhibitory control or attention. In the present investigation we sought to determine if naturalistic playground play would have a similar effect to adult-guided exercise on a classroom indicator of young children’s cognitive control—on-task behavior during a whole group learning experience. The on-task behavior of 21 three-, four-, and five-year-olds was compared under two conditions—one in which children played outdoors immediately prior to the experience and one in which they did not. Too, the relationship between the level of physical activity on the playground of children and their on-task behavior directly following it was examined. Findings indicate that outdoor play prior to learning resulted in greater on-task behavior for boys and children of low socioeconomic status. Level of activity in play prior to a learning time was positively related to on-task behavior. Implications for scheduling of outdoor play and the role of teachers’ in facilitating more active motor play are discussed. Future research on a larger, more diverse sample of children is recommended.

Gender Gaps within Couples: Evidence of Time Re-allocations during COVID-19 in Argentina.

Abstract: Based on a novel survey for Argentina, this paper provides evidence of the changes in time allocation within couples during the COVID-19 emergency. The survey was conducted online during the period of national lockdown in 2020 and collected information on hours allocated to paid work, housework, child care, educational childcare and leisure by both members of the couple before and during the lockdown, as well as socio-demographic characteristics. Our sample consists of 961 couples of which 785 have children. Our results indicate that during the lockdown, despite a reduction in time assigned to paid work and an increase in time spent in unpaid activities for both members of the couple, gender gaps regarding the latter increased. Specifically, while the load of men and women's work for pay became more equitable, women took up a larger proportion of the additional housework and childcare. We found that some factors mitigated (whether the man reduced his hours of work or whether both partners kept on doing so) while others potentiated (whether the woman reduced her hours of work, whether she continued working from home, or whether the couple outsourced housework before lockdown) the changes in the within-couple gender gaps in unpaid activities.

Financial and Economic Well-Being: A Decade Review from Journal of Family and Economic Issues

Abstract: This review examines the papers published in the Journal of Family and Economic Issues focusing on financial and economic well-being over the last decade. The papers examining financial and economic well-being encompass a range of issues and areas such as social and mental health, labor issues, unique populations of study, and broader life satisfaction and wellness. The synopses of papers are grouped into two broad sections: financial and economic well-being throughout the life course and financial and economic well-being related to gender, family structure, and support systems. Finally, this paper discusses insights from the past decade and future directions for research and practitioners related to financial and economic well-being.