Challenges in Implementing Sociocultural Approach in Early Childhood Education

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COMMUNITIES OF LEARNING: MAKING CONNECTIONS IN ECE
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Introduction
Early childhood education has emerged as a specialised discussion in order to
permit individuals surrounded by the profession to converse efficiently concerning all
matters related with the plan and execution of education programs for children in
New Zealand from birth to 5 years (Fleer, 2012). The ECE settings implement a tea-
based model to offer services for children. Teachers of early childhood settings noted
that when a team functions together proficiently planning and execution are done
collectively with a collective understanding of expectations for children’s behaviour
as well as communication with parents is considered to be more consistent. The
customary profession within its individualistic codes of practice and theoretical
standpoint has positioned itself into an organization which has taken a significance of
its own. Such traditional style of profession has been highly criticised for being
misinterpreted or for being grounded intensely into play-based programs which
vaguely comprehend to anyone unaware of the profession (Hodges, 1998). The
history which early childhood educators have inherited primarily incorporates
specific formations, such as learning centres within a preschool or perception such as
child-centeredness, pedagogical practices or techniques of holding newborns to look
at the adults for utmost communication. According to Carr & Lee, (2012), early
childhood education has been embedded in the notion that ‘doing’ is an immensely
crucial factor. Significant offerings from scholars namely Piaget, Montessori along
with others has been inspired within the educational discussion, the perception that
education emerges in the course of the exploitation of existing materials. Though
Sannino & Engeström, (2017) stated that modern educators have efficiently
organised environments in which children can show their inclination towards
materials which they like and actively learn through blocks, puzzles and construction
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kits with miniature home equipment. Furthermore, through this incentive-based care
modern educator's find that the role of educators in early childhood education
considerably engages a considerable amount of communication with minors as they
hold these learning materials (Marsh & Farrell, 2015). Due, Riggs and Augoustinos
(2016) illustrated that as educators designed the observations through a socio-
cultural approach, they observed an enhancement in explanation attributing adult
modelling, raised the level of interaction between employees and minors along
with purposeful preparation for functioning within the children's arena of proximal
progress. The primary focus in early childhood education has relied on the
techniques in which children are perceived to develop in association with arguments
regarding the foundation as well as the construction of human language (Nimmo,
1998). However in recent times, the early childhood education has centred on the
developmental perceptions which have wanted to justify the way children tend to
develop and acquire knowledge (Kersey et al., 2018). The following essay evaluates
the areas of challenges which educators encounter while implementing socio-
cultural approach in early childhood education.
Discussion
Wright, Diener and Kemp (2013) denoted that throughout the course of the
21st century the cognitive, constructivism insights rising from the ideas of Piaget
along with the socio-cultural approach arising from Vygotsky’s efforts have been
considered as the overriding rationalization for human development. Vygotsky’s
efforts have also facilitated ideas that learning must be implemented in the
development of program approaches for juveniles (Cooper & Hedges, 2014). Several
emerging arguments had been evaluated by Fleer, (2012) whereby the author had
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proposed that obtainable notions of the developmental theory proposed a certain
private as well as an endogenous perception of childhood and development. These
perceptions entirely highlighted the individual child who regardless of the situation
pursued an expected series of biological junctures that comprised a pathway of
comprehensive realisation towards maturity (Cooper & Hedges, 2014). However
according to this view, the general reception of the Piagetian theory as an informant
in the field of early childhood curriculum showed Incompetence in encouraging the
role of contextual and educational persuasion in children's development and
consequently resulted in the insufficient extension of environmental development to
the early childhood education (Ritchie, 2010). However, it was at this juncture, that
Vygotsky's analysis for human development surrounded similarly to the socio-
historical events of adults as well as children acquired considerable approval as a
theoretical aspect (Carr & Lee, 2012). Such theories have been witnessed to focus on
certain areas of criticism levels at Piaget's genetic epistemology. Gee (2008) noted
that the development of intellectual competence within young children was
regarded as a function of social interaction which was contextualized in accordance
to the specific cultural environment in which it had its occurrence.
Pedagogical approaches
In such a context of development of intellectual competence within young
children, Esteban-Guitart and Moll (2014) claimed that the primary disparity
between Piaget and Vygotsky’s rationalizations of development laid on the
perception towards social interaction as fundamental to the development process of
children. While Piaget focused on the exploratory behaviours of children in the
external world was central to development. Sociocultural approaches specifically
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