There has been much research in the field of early childhood that has contributed greatly and still does to practice development.
Some of the institutions and research projects that have been influential in this sector include: National Foundation for Educational Research
NFER maintains a comprehensive research portfolio comprising more than 100 projects on aspects of education at any given time. One major topic is primary and pre-school education. www.nfer.ac.uk
National Centre For Social Research
NatCen is at www.natcen.ac.uk/index. html. Under Families, NatCen publishes many research publications on early years care and education, including:
* Parents' Demand for Childcare
* Parents of Three- and Four-Year-Old Children and their Use of Early Years Services both published annually. (From Autumn 2004 they will be combined as the Childcare and Early Years Survey).
Sure Start Research Programme
The SSU is developing a comprehensive research programme that complements existing work and adds to the evidence base of what works for children and families. It includes international evidence and has links to research from DfES, Department for Work and Pensions and related Government departments.
See www.surestart.gov.uk/ensuringquality/ research.
Families, children and childcare
This research programme, based at Oxford University, is studying different types and combinations of care at various stages in children's lives. Most of the 1,200 families involved are being studied from their baby's birth until the child is settled into school. The academic directors are Kathy Sylva, PhD and Alan Stein, FRCPsych and the programme director is Penelope Leach, PhD. See www.edstud.ox.ac.uk/FELL/fcc.html
Centre For Research In Early Childhood
The work of the Centre includes the Effective Early Learning Programme, an evaluation and improvement strategy for early years providers, which incorporates a college-validated training course. The programme and its related studies aim to evaluate and raise the quality of early learning available to young children in the UK. The Centre is based at University College, Worcester and its directors are Professor Christine Pascal and Dr Tony Bertram. See www.worc.ac.uk/crec
Effective Provision of Pre-School Education
EPPE was the first major study in the UK to focus specifically on the effectiveness of early years education. It was a large-scale, longitudinal study of the progress and development of 3,000 children in various types of pre-school education. The study explored the characteristics of different kinds of provision and examined children's development in pre-school education, influences on their progress in infant school up to the end of Key Stage1. See www.ioe.ac.uk/cdl/eppe. The study is to be extended to monitor the children's progress in their later years.
DfES research programme
Visit www.dfes.gov.uk/research. To identify the Department's early years reports select the terms Childcare & Early years & Nursery from the menus on the right.
Thomas Coram Research Unit
TCRU is a multi-disciplinary research unit within the Institute of Education at the University of London and a designated research unit of the Department of Health. The programme of research on childcare includes the UK and Europe. See www.ioewebserver.ioe.ac.uk/ioe
Birth to Three Matters Framework
An extensive literature and research review, carried out for this project in 2003, is downloadable from www.dfes.
gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RB444. pdf. In addition, the Early Childhood Unit has produced resource guides on Working with Children from Minority Ethnic Groups and Working with Young Disabled Children in association with the Birth to Three Matters Framework.
Research in practice
The following examples illustrate how practitioners can access more information to support their practice.
Young disabled children
Susan is a pre-school supervisor. When three-year-old Adam joined the group, Susan was aware she needed to find out more information about cerebral palsy so that she could ensure that Adam's experiences at pre-school would be positive.
To achieve this she:
* spoke to Adam's parents
* sought the advice of a local authority officer about legislation
* read articles such as 'All about...inclusion' by Helen James and Nikki Mellor (Nursery World, 7 November 2002) and 'Have their say' by Mary Dickins (Nursery World, 24 June 2004, about consulting and listening to young disabled children)
* looked at www.earlychildhood.org.uk which provides information on young disabled children, various resources and links to support agencies
* consulted the website of Scope, the national disability organisation (www. scope.org.uk/earlyyears)
* informed staff of her findings
* talked to the other children in the pre-school about disabilities.
Anti-discriminatory practice
Discrimination can occur in all settings whether they have all white children or children from a range of minority ethnic groups, disabled children or non-disabled children. Key elements of ensuring that equal opportunities are embedded in the early years environment. Sometimes practitioners have to respond to negative attitudes from the children either towards others in the nursery or outside. Sufficient time needs to be given to discussing and celebrating differences.
Publications and articles that can support practitioners in this are:
* Celebrating Diversity: Inclusion in practice - video and support book published by Persona Doll Training (available from Persona Doll Training, 51 Granville Road, London N12 0JH)
* 'All about...anti-discriminatory practice' by Mary Dickins (Nursery World, 3 January 2002)
* Lane J (1999) Action for Racial Equality in the Early Years.
Understanding the past, thinking about the present and planning for the future. National Early Years Network, now available from the National Children's Bureau.
* Road N (2004) 'Are equalities an issue? Finding out what young children think' from Listening as a way of life. National Children's Bureau.
* www.earlychildhood.org.uk has a list of useful links and resources.
Men in the workplace
Ellen runs a private day nursery with an all-female staff team and she is aware that the children that attend her nursery are nearly all from single-mother families. She has talked to staff about how a male keyworker would bring some balance into the children's female-dominated worlds. There has been little written in this area, although what is available is very good and includes:
* Cameron C, Moss P, and Owen C (1999) Men in the nursery: gender and caring work. London: Paul Chapman. 192pp. (Reports on a study exploring the experience of male childcare workers, how and why they enter the work, and their relations with women workers.)
* Owen C (2003) Men's work? Changing the gender mix of the childcare and early years workforce. London: Daycare Trust. 8pp. Facing the future: policy paper; No 6. This discusses issues involving men and childcare employment. Looks at gender equality, the labour market, the needs of children, and child protection, www.daycaretrust.org.uk.
* 'All about...men in childcare' by Mary Evans (Nursery World, 12 June 2003).
