Kearns, Annette J. (2024) From language to literacy: Supporting the development of early childhood educator’s knowledge and skills in phonological awareness. PhD thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.

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Abstract

Being literate facilitates greater functionality in today’s literate society. Unfortunately, not all children are afforded opportunities to build foundational reading skills in their earliest years. Children’s later reading skills are dependent on the acquisition of a series of phonological skills which form part of the emergent literacy (EL) continuum. Thus, educators need to be sufficiently informed to ensure the acquisition of phonological awareness (PA) skills. This study aims to establish to what extent if at all, a professional development and learning programme on PA in a situated-learning context impacts the knowledge and skills of participating educators, and in so doing influences their professional learning and practice. This Collaborative Action Research study was set in a small, private sessional pre-school in a rural town in Ireland. It involved the provision of a professional development and learning programme, tailored to the needs of the educators, which included workshops focussed on related content, followed by on-site observations, coaching, modelling and feedback. Opportunities to reflect, both through discussion and journaling, were also significant components of the process. Data gathered included pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, observations that included field-notes and audio-recordings, debriefing discussions, researcher and practitioner reflective journals, and a final focus group. This study unearthed a lacuna in knowledge and skills, specifically related to EL and PA, amongst these educators. However, it clearly illustrates that by engaging in a customised programme of professional development and learning, educator’s knowledge, skills, and practice in this area can change. Moreover, findings reveal a strong correlation between depth of knowledge, heightened confidence, and more proficient pedagogical skills. Arrival at this conclusion required various professional development and learning methods, of which coaching was deemed the most effective. This included in-situ modelling and individual feedback, coupled with the gradual emergence of a community of practice, which fostered deeper reflection and embedded learning. At policy level, this study points to the need for adjustments to national curriculum, to include PA skills’ development and reflect the extended duration children spend in early childhood settings today. Concomitantly, the inclusion of PA development skills within initial teacher education (ITE) programmes and continuing professional development for early years’ educators is recommended.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Keywords:	language; literacy; Supporting; development; early childhood educator’s; knowledge and skills; phonological awareness;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Education
Item ID:	18875
Depositing User:	IR eTheses
Date Deposited:	12 Sep 2024 15:53
URI:
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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