Strengths Approaches to Early Childhood Education

Angela Fenton

School of Education – Research Seminar

5th June 2013

Doctoral Research:

A Strengths Approach to

Child-Protection Education

Direct link via digital thesis ResearchOnline@JCU:

http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/24044/1/01thesis.pdf

Research Opportunity

Doctoral Research:

To explore the ‘Strengths Approach’

(McCashen, 2005) to child protection

with a group of early childhood

pre-service teachers

Present and examine responses for the:

Possibility of enhancing teacher preparation to

protect children

Potential of approach in education (outside of its

social service/psychology origins)

Strengths Approach

• Dependent upon positive attitudes

about people‟s [children's] dignity, capacities,

rights, uniqueness and commonalities

• Emphasises people‟s [children & teachers] ability to be their

own agents of change

• Enables people [children & teachers] to identify, value and

mobilise their strengths as opposed

to compensating for their deficits

(Adapted from McCashen, 2005, p. v)

Social Services

The Strengths

Approach links to

power & knowledge

concepts in major

education theories.

Moving beyond

“child rescue” to

raising resilience

Dr Donald O. Clifton

Founder Strengths

Psychology

What boundaries does the research cross?

Conceptual

boundaries

Inter-disciplinary

boundaries

Education sector

boundaries

• Literature Review

Psychology, Social

Services, Health &

Education literature

informs the research

• Methodology

Participants transition

from Pre-service to

practising teachers

Researcher from

teacher educator

to colleague

• Findings - Rethinking

how we view and

approach child

protection preparation

Literature Review Findings

Child Abuse

Mass of reports

• Abuse global/Australia

• Qld/local stats

• Definitions/history

• Effects of abuse

• Health literature

Few studies

• Informal/ descriptive

• Adjunct programs

• Integrated, critical,

mentoring, & resources

• Social service literature

Teacher Preparation

Child Protection

Contemporary Research

• Therapeutic applications

• Positive Psychology

• Resiliency links

• Potential for

education/critiques

Some research studies

• Teachers overwhelmed

• Fear & anxiety

• Changes to legislation

• Calls for a new model

• Education literature

Strengths Approach

Methodology

Organisation:

Early Childhood pre-service teachers complete an integrated strengths-based child protection module

Dual role teacher/researcher - ethical considerations and boundary considerations – role as teacher educator/colleague

Data collected: 3 Phases - during module (students), post teaching prac, 12mths after module as graduating (practising teachers)

Qualitative study - Strengths principles inform the theoretical framework

Collaborative, power with rather than power over - social justice

Uses existing strengths and resources

Collecting responses

& Analysis Participant narratives from:

Electronic Discussion Board & Email responses (EView)

Interviews (Open View) and Focus Groups (Open Focus)

Analysis:

Thematic (zoom out) group responses to research themes: child

abuse & protection, teacher prep & strengths approach

Contextual (zoom in) individuals & context of first responses to

module, teaching practice experiences & preparation for

graduation

Interpretations link to lit review findings

and strengths approach principles and a

layer of contextual analysis is added

Early Responses: Telling

the story

“While I was on one prac the teacher told me that a

child in the class had recently stated to her mother

that she had been sexually abused by a family

member. As I reflect upon the situation, I realise

that I tried to deny that this child had been abused.

It was not a case of not believing the child, but I just

did not know how to react to this child anymore.

Also, I did not want to think of the horrible

experience and the negative impact it would, and

had already, had on that child's life.” (Participant 7)

Phase 2

„I think that the strengths based approach

offers a way of thinking about how we react

to certain situations and how these

situations make us feel…The thing that I

like the most about what I have learnt so far

is the idea of changing the frame. Through

changing the frame, it gives us a whole

different way of thinking about who we are

and what is possible for us‟ (Participant 19).

Limitations: Scale, contextualised, further work

needed

Overall

Tentatively positive - A Strengths Approach appeared to enhance

preparation to protect children for the teachers in the study –

though adaptations needed

Individualised vignettes show increased confidence to discuss

and explore strategies to address child abuse with children

especially in Phases 2 & 3 - though scaffolded

Findings confirmed literature suggestions of heightened anxiety,

expressed elevated emotions, knowledge of responsibilities &

explored idea of educational neglect

Showed engagement with Strengths Approach as potentially

useful for education contexts as well as therapeutic contexts

11

Doctoral related

Publications Peer reviewed publications:

University of Sydney „Communities and

Change‟ 08 - Caution children crossing

ahead: Child protection education with pre-

service teachers using a strengths approach

http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/2123/

3910/1/Chapter%209.pdf

International Journal of Pedagogies and

Learning (USQ) 2008 - From strength to

strength: An educational research journey

http://pubs.e-

contentmanagement.com/doi/abs/10.5172/ijpl

.4.5.90

Practitioner publications:

„Building Blocks‟ Child protection resource

kit 04.

12

New research/publications – Strands of

research

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• Methodological Opportunities: A Strengths Approach – AARE 2010 Conference

http://ocs.sfu.ca/aare/index.php/AARE/AARE_2010/paper/view/1832

• Using a strengths approach in early childhood education across the „preservice-

inservice‟ boundary – AARE 2011 Conference Symposium

• Work Integrated Learning – Using a Strengths Approach to Collaborative

Education – Australian Collaborative Education Network Conference 2012. Asia

Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education

http://acen.edu.au/2012conference/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/108_Using-a-

Strengths-Approach-in-Collaborative-Education.pdf

• Accepted: Supporting Early Childhood Pre-Service Teachers in Their Work with

Children, and Families with Complex Needs: A Strengths Approach – coauthored

with Dr Laura Piazza – Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education

• Under Review: Supporting Early Childhood Services: Strengths Approach Case

Studies coauthored with Kerryann Walsh, Tamara Cummings, Sandie Wong

• In preparation: Spiritual Development and Protection in Early Childhood: A

Strengths Approach – Dr Jane Bone

• Conceptual: Strengths based Eview development: Eresearch – with Dr Penny

Cooke

Questions?

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Thankyou,

Contact:afenton@csu.edu.auTel: (02) 60519148 SOE (Albury) Rm124