M.Ed on Education and Innovation: EDUECE4 - Health, Inclusion, and Wellbeing in Early Childhood Education

Week 1

Introduction

Health and Wellness: Development is holistic and context-dependent

• Physical, Cognitive, Language, Emotional, Sociocultural dimensions of child development
• Relationships and attachment; diversity of influence (sociocultural, familial, etc.)
• Role of the environment in providing safe learning for all
• Educator wellbeing
• Emirati values and culture: wellbeing initiatives in the local context

Required readings 

• Berti, S., Cigala, A. & Sharmahd, N. (2019). Early Childhood Education and Care Physical Environment and Child Development: State of the art and Reflections on Future Orientations and Methodologies. Educational Psychology Review 31, 991–1021 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09486-0

•  Ma, X., Shen, J., Krenn, H.Y. et al. (2016). A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Learning Outcomes and Parental Involvement During Early Childhood Education and Early Elementary Education. Education and Psychological Review 28, 771–801. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9351-1

Recommended readings 

• UNESCO. Division for Inclusion, Peace and Sustainable Development, Education Sector. (2017). Education for sustainable development goals: Learning objectives.

Week 2

Importance of Childhood Experience and Context

• Long-term effects of childhood health and wellness
• Risk factors vs. Protective factors
• Rights of children
• Role of parents, families, and caregivers
• Role of educators and schools: duty of care and child protection
• Cultural values and practices in relation to the concept of healthy development
• Contact with nature

Required Readings

• Britto PR, Lye SJ, Proulx K, Yousafzai AK, Matthews SG, Vaivada T, Perez-Escamilla R, Rao N, Ip P, Fernald LCH, MacMillan H, Hanson M, Wachs TD, Yao H, Yoshikawa H, Cerezo A, Leckman JF, Bhutta ZA; & Early Childhood Development Interventions Review Group, for the Lancet Early Childhood Development Series Steering Committee (2017). Nurturing care: promoting early childhood development. Lancet. 389(10064), 91-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31390-3

Recommended readings

• Brik, A. B., Lansford, J. E., & Al Fara, H. (2018). Policies and programmes to promote child well-being in the Gulf countries. Early Child Development and Care. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2018.1552949

• Vella-Brodrick, D. A., & Gilowska, K. (2022). Effects of Nature (Greenspace) on Cognitive Functioning in School Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Educational Psychology Review, 34(3), 1217–1254. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-022- 09658-5

Week 3

Factors to Promote Health and Wellbeing

• Sustainable societies. Health, wellness, and physical education: Pathways to health and wellness into adulthood
• Risk factors & developing resilience
• Factors for successful growth and learning
• Promoting resilience and empowerment in children
• Environmental awareness

Required readings

• Ponguta, L. A., Donaldson, C., Affolter, F., Connolly, P., Dunne, L., Miller, S., ... & Leckman, J. (2018). Early childhood development programs, peacebuilding, and the sustainable development goals: Opportunities for interdisciplinary research and multisectoral partnerships. In Developmental science and sustainable development goals for children and youth (pp. 77-95). Springer, Cham.

Recommended readings

• Adolph KE, Hoch JE. (2019). Motor Development: Embodied, Embedded, Enculturated, and Enabling. Annual Review of Psychology, 70, 141-164. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev[1]psych-010418-10283

• Chookah, H. A., Agbenyega, J. S., Santos, I. M., & Habak, C. (2023). Play Affordances of Natural and Non-natural Materials in Preschool Children’s Playful Learning Tasks. International Journal of Early Childhood. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-023-00348-z

Week 4

Healthy Physical Development

• Nutrition, hygiene, protection
• Infection control
• Movement, activity, and lifestyle choices
• Safe spaces for learning and thriving
• Outdoor spaces

Required readings

• Christian HE, Cross D, Rosenberg M, Schipperijn J, Shilton T, Trapp G, Trost SG, Nathan A, Maitland C, Thornton A, Wenden EJ, George P. (2020). Development of physical activity policy and implementation strategies for early childhood education and care settings using the Delphi process. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 17(1),131. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-020-01034-2
• Jeon H, Jun S. (2021). Outdoor Playground Design Criteria Development for Early Childhood Development: A Delphi Study from the Perspective of Fundamental Movement Skills and Perceptual-Motor Skills. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(8), 4159. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084159

Recommended readings

• Jackson JK, Jones J, Nguyen H, Davies I, Lum M, Grady A, Yoong SL. (2021). Obesity Prevention within the Early Childhood Education and Care Setting: A Systematic Review of Dietary Behavior and Physical Activity Policies and Guidelines in High Income Countries. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2),838. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020838

Week 5

Healthy Emotional-Cognitive Development

• Emotions, self-awareness, and self-regulation
• Safe expression

Required readings

• Cooke JE, Kochendorfer LB, Stuart-Parrigon KL, Koehn AJ, Kerns KA. (2019). Parent-child attachment and children's experience and regulation of emotion: A meta-analytic review. Emotion. 19(6), 1103-1126. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000504
• Siegel, D. J. (2020). The developing mind: How relationships and the brain interact to shape who we are. Guilford Publications. Chapter 4 Emotion

Recommended readings

• Christian H, Mitrou F, Cunneen R, Zubrick SR. (2020). Pets Are Associated with Fewer Peer Problems and Emotional Symptoms, and Better Prosocial Behavior: Findings from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. The Journal of Pediatrics, 220, 200- 206.e2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.01.012

Week 6

Healthy Behavioral Development

• Self-discipline and self-monitoring
• Positive coping, problem solving, and decision-Making
• Self-advocacy and rights
• Safe choices

Required readings

• Sisson, S. B., Smith, C. L., & Cheney, M. (2017). Big impact on small children: Child-care providers’ perceptions of their role in early childhood healthy lifestyle behaviours. Child care in practice, 23(2), 162-180. https://doi.org/10.1080/13575279.2017.1299111

Recommended readings

• Kuzik N, Naylor PJ, Spence JC, Carson V. (2020). Movement behaviours and physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development in preschool-aged children: Cross-sectional associations using compositional analyses. PLoS One, 15(8):e0237945. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237945
• Wood N, Hardy R, Bann D, Gale C, Stafford M. (2021). Childhood correlates of adult positive mental well-being in three British longitudinal studies. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 75(2):177-184. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2019- 213709.

Week 7

Healthy Psycho-Social Development and Relationship Establishment

• Connectedness
• Family and Friends
• School: duty of care and relationships with society and families
• Safe environment

Required readings

• Moazami-Goodarzi A, Zarra-Nezhad M, Hytti M, Heiskanen N, Sajaniemi N. (2021). Training Early Childhood Teachers to Support Children's Social and Emotional Learning: A Preliminary Evaluation of Roundies Program. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(20):10679. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010679.

Recommended readings

• Claussen AH, Robinson LR, Kaminski JW, Charania S, Holbrook JR, So M, Ghandour R, Smith C, Satterfield-Nash A, Peacock G, Boyle C. (2021). Factors Associated with Self-regulation in a Nationally Representative Sample of Children Ages 3-5 Years: United States, 2016. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 25(1):27-37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-020-03039-6.

Week 8

Creating supportive, safe, and positive environments in Early Childhood

• Choices (quiet spaces; active spaces)
• Promoting prosocial behavior
• Positive Approaches
• Role of artificial intelligence tools in supporting positive approaches

Required readings

• Diamond, A., & Whitington, V. (2015). Studying early brain development: Educators' reports about their learning and its applications to early childhood policies and practices. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 40(3), 11. https://doi.org/10.1177/183693911504000303

Recommended readings

• Molina, H. (2012). The Review of Health and Nutrition Indicators in Early Childhood. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)

Week 9

Creating Inclusive Educational Environments in Early Childhood – Group Strategies

• Universal design
• Environments welcoming to all
• Positive interventions and supports
• Role of artificial intelligence tools in supporting positive approaches

Required readings

• Campbell, P. H., & Milbourne, S. A. (2014). Together is better: Environmental teaching practices to support all children’s learning. Young Exceptional Children Monograph Series, 16, 21– 38.

Recommended readings

• Ardoin NM, Bowers AW. (2020). Early childhood environmental education: A systematic review of the research literature. Educational Research Review, 31,100353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100353

Week 10

Creating Inclusive Educational Environments in Early Childhood – Individual Strategies

• Identifying challenges
• Strategies (Pedagogic, Behavioral)
• Individualized accommodations and modifications
• Evaluating effectiveness of practices

Required readings

• Allen, K. E., & Cowdery, G. E. (2014). The exceptional child: Inclusion in early childhood education. Cengage learning. 

Recommended readings

• Rispoli, K. M., Norman, M. Z., & Hicks, E. (2021). Early childhood educators’ knowledge and attitudes about developmental screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2021.1902434

Week 11

Role of educators and schools in Fostering knowledgeable and nurturing families, parents, and caregivers.

• Connecting with communities, families, and partnerships: Children’s holistic health, rights, and care
• Agency and Purpose within the cultural contexts

Required readings

• UNESCO. Division for Inclusion, Peace and Sustainable Development, Education Sector (2017). Education for sustainable development goals: Learning objectives.

Recommended readings

• McKelvie-Sebileau P, Rees D, Swinburn B, Gerritsen S, D'Souza E, Tipene-Leach D. (2021). Combining Cognitive Mapping and indigenous knowledge to improve food environments in regional New Zealand. Health Promotion Journal of Australia. 00, 1– 11 https://doi.org/ 10.1002/hpja.549