Introducing Bronfenbrenner: A Guide for Practitioners and Students in Early Years Education PDF
Preview Introducing Bronfenbrenner: A Guide for Practitioners and Students in Early Years Education
I love this book and wish I’d written it! The authors describe Bronfenbren- ner’s theory in its most up-to-date version, and do so in very accessible lan- guage. They clearly explain the theory’s relevance for early childhood scholars and educators, and do so using a wealth of examples drawn from their own observations in classrooms and from research. Children’s typically occurring activities and interactions with peers and teachers feature throughout, and the authors show how the children’s own characteristics and the environ- ment (including the classroom setup, the children’s home background, and the broader sociocultural context) influence those activities and interactions. The authors also invite their readers to reflect on their own experiences in light of the relevant theoretical concepts, and at the end of all but the first and last chapters appear carefully considered “implications” and “key concepts” for practice. Jonathan Tudge, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina–Greensboro, USA Although Bronfenbrenner was one of our great public intellectuals, his legacy has been understood in terms of a static systems model which explains, rather than challenges, inequality and disadvantage. In this new book, this legacy is revealed instead as a complex and dynamic account of relationships and inter- actions. The authors explore how Bronfenbrenner developed his description of the network of influences which shape children’s lives, emphasising the processes, rather than the contexts, within which development takes place. In unravelling this interplay between people and places they show how trans- formative processes can be set in motion by early childhood practitioners in their daily work with young children and their families. Liz Brooker, Emeritus Reader, University College London Institute of Education, UK In a necessarily short endorsement it is hard to capture the wealth of thinking in this highly readable book. Far from static, Bronfenbrenner’s work is pre- sented as dynamic, evolving and rich. Powerful concepts which the authors present accessibly but accompanied by provocative and reflective questions for early years practitioners will be a call to make linkages to practice. In pro- moting the applications of a bioecological approach to early years, the authors are encouraging a form of practitioner-activism, which sees small children as active in their own learning and development in collaboration with others around them and together in the environments in which they spend their lives. A great contribution to the early years field. Professor Aline-Wendy Dunlop, University of Strathclyde, UK INTRODUCING BRONFENBRENNER The influence of Urie Bronfenbrenner’s model of development has been extensive in different areas of developmental science and education, and it continues to inform contemporary research and practice in many fields, including early childhood edu- cation. This book presents a comprehensive introduction to Bronfenbrenner’s model of development in reference to early childhood education. It draws on prac- tice-based research to identify and animate key elements of the model impacting early educational pedagogy and practice. This new and revised second edition identifies and explores the key elements of Bronfenbrenner’s model by referring to contemporary understandings of how chil- dren learn. It also includes a new chapter which considers repositioning early child- hood education settings as interactive, relational spaces and provides a broader focus on the concept of transitional experiences in children’s daily lives. Along with new content on leadership and associated roles and practices in early childhood educa- tion, this book illustrates how Bronfenbrenner’s model can help bring quality to early learning environments and show how it can be incorporated into daily work with young children through vignettes, case studies and examples of good practice. Introducing Bronfenbrenner serves as an ideal read for professionals around the world working with children in early childhood settings, and students training to become early childhood professionals at degree level on undergraduate programmes, as part of vocational training or as part of continuous professional development. Nóirín Hayes is Visiting Academic at the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin and Professor Emerita, Technological University Dublin, Ireland. Leah O’Toole is Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Early Childhood Education in the Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education, Maynooth University, Ireland. Ann Marie Halpenny is Lecturer in Psychology and Child Development in the School of Languages, Law and Social Sciences at the Technological University Dublin, Ireland. Introducing Early Years Thinkers Series editor: Sandra Smidt, writer and consultant in early years education. Sandra Smidt’s insightful series focuses on the seminal work of early childhood writers who have heavily influenced thinking and practice in this field. The titles are guides for both practitioners and students in early years education and care and are written in everyday language to make complex ideas accessible. The authors helpfully draw on a range of illustrative and relevant case studies and maintain a global rather than a local or national perspective, with examples of thinking and practice from around the world. Introducing Piaget A Guide for Practitioners and Students in Early Years Education Ann Marie Halpenny and Jan Pettersen Introducing Freire A Guide for Practitioners and Students in Early Years Education Sandra Smith Introducing Bronfenbrenner A Guide for Practitioners and Students in Early Years Education Nóirín Hayes, Leah O’Toole and Ann Marie Halpenny Introducing Trevarthen A Guide for Practitioners and Students in Early Years Education Sandra Smidt Introducing Bronfenbrenner, Second Edition A Guide for Practitioners and Students in Early Years Education Nóirín Hayes, Leah O’Toole and Ann Marie Halpenny For more information about this series please visit: https://www.routledge.com/ Introducing-Early-Years-Thinkers/book-series/IEYT INTRODUCING BRONFENBRENNER A Guide for Practitioners and Students in Early Years Education Second Edition Nóirín Hayes, Leah O’Toole and Ann Marie Halpenny Cover image: Saidbhín Lou O’Toole Second edition published 2023 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2023 Nóirín Hayes, Leah O’Toole and Ann Marie Halpenny The right of Nóirín Hayes, Leah O’Toole and Ann Marie Halpenny to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. First edition published by Routledge 2017 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978-1-032-16260-7 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-032-16259-1 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-24776-0 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003247760 Typeset in Bembo by SPi Technologies India Pvt Ltd (Straive) CONTENTS Preface ix 1 Introducing Bronfenbrenner 1 2 The bioecological model of human development 12 3 Proximal processes and relationships 28 4 Understanding development in context 46 5 A bioecological perspective on transitions 59 6 Locating the child at the centre of practice 77 7 Creating rich learning environments 91 8 Early education as a dynamic process 111 9 Nurturing children’s learning and development 127 10 Relational spaces linking people, places and resources: Positioning early childhood settings 144 11 Reflecting the bioecological in early years practice 159 viii Contents Glossary 171 Abbreviations 174 References 175 Index 193 PREFACE Since the publication of the first edition of Introducing Bronfenbrenner in 2017 a great deal has changed in the world and in early childhood education. In particular, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on early childhood services, highlighting the central role of early childhood education and care in the lives of young children and their families. The experience has also made visible the crucial role of early childhood professionals and their flexibility and adaptability to changing contexts. With these changes have come new challenges and new oppor- tunities presenting us with an opportunity to revisit and review our book, update references, make changes to some chapters and add one full new chapter. This edition provides those working in early childhood with a comprehensive intro- duction to the work of Bronfenbrenner and its relevance to contemporary early educational practice. It illustrates how the model acts as a responsive framework within which the quality of early educational pedagogy can be understood and enhanced. The chapters are presented in two sections. The first section, Chapters 1 through 5, introduces the bioecological model and discusses different theoretical aspects of the model. The second section, Chapters 6 through 11, focuses more on the practical application of the model in early years settings. The reader should note that male and female pronouns are used in alternate chapters in order to facilitate a gender-balanced approach. Chapter 1 remains largely unchanged and provides an overview of Bronfenbrenner’s life, highlighting key biographical details of relevance to his work and drawing attention to his many achievements within the field of developmental psychology, early education and in the wider social context. In exploring the development of the bioecological model Chapter 2 discusses Bronfenbrenner’s well-known concepts of microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem, as well as elaborating on the more up-to-date ver- sion of the model which emphasises the interaction of ‘process’, ‘person’, ‘context’
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