This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by MacNaughton, G. Articles by Hughes, P. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

teaching respect for cultural diversity in Australian early childhood programs

a challenge for professional learning

The University of Melbourne, Australia

Patrick Hughes

Deakin University, Australia, patrickh{at}deakin.edu.au

Early childhood teachers in Victoria, Australia face increasing cultural and `racial' diversity among the children and families with whom they work. A small-scale exploratory study found that many teachers were uncertain about how best to respond to such diversity and a mismatch between social expectations that teachers would encourage children to respect cultural diversity and teachers' practice. These findings suggest strongly that the `one-off' isolated session that is the dominant form of professional training in the Australian early childhood field has been ineffective in promoting respect for diversity amongst teachers.

Key Words: cultural diversity • early childhood curriculum • multiculturalism • professional learning • teaching programs

Journal of Early Childhood Research, Vol. 5, No. 2, 189-204 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1476718X07076729


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?