Umayahara, Mami; (2011) In search of inclusive and effective pedagogy : implementing the national early childhood education curriculum in Chile. Doctoral thesis , Institute of Education, University of London.

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Abstract

Chile launched in 2002 the nation-wide implementation of the early childhood education curriculum designed for children 0 to 6 years of age. The curriculum provides a flexible reference framework centred on expected learning outcomes. This research aims to analyse how Chilean educators are experiencing the new curriculum and how their classroom practice is meeting the needs of diverse groups of children. Within the framework of the sociocultural theory of human development and inclusive education, this research examines the curriculum implementation and the use of inclusive and effective pedagogy in three regions of Chile by using mixed methods: application of ECERS-R and ECERS-E, direct classroom observations, a survey of pedagogical supervisors, and semi-structured interviews with classroom educators and national policy-makers. The research sheds light on educators' experiences, including their high acceptance and appreciation for the new curriculum as well as their struggles with the general statements of expected learning outcomes, large class sizes and short instruction time. It also reveals that the implementation of the curriculum is a process- in which educators construct their own knowledge, beliefs and practice by experiencing and participating in their particular sociocultural and historical contexts. The research findings indicate that the educators need to further broaden their perspective and practice beyond the microsystem of the classroom: by helping children be exposed to and participate in broader sociocultural activities and by broadening their own concept of diversity in the classroom - from learners' individual differences to their sociocultural characteristics. The conclusion of this research is that inclusiveness and effectiveness of pedagogy are two sides of the same coin: when educators interact with children in the way to support their socioculturally diverse learning needs (inclusiveness) and engage them in sustained shared thinking (effectiveness), the learners are constructing their own learning and transforming their participation in sociocultural activities.

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