When researching with or about families in home-based research, there are numerous unexpected ethical issues that can emerge, particularly in qualitative research. This paper is based on reflective accounts of four homed-based research projects, two in the UK and two Australia, which examined ethical dilemmas identified when engaged in home-based…

This edited international collection re-conceptualizes the place of early childhood education and care services (ECEC) within communities and challenges traditional approaches to family involvement and partnerships in ECEC. Using a range of theoretical positions, the authors present research-based discussions from five countries which challenge…

Strategies for becoming global in orientation are now embedded in the policies and practices of most universities in Australia. Such policies, if implemented effectively, contribute to the university's international profile. With this thrust come the implementation of so-called "transnational" programs--that is, the offering of a…

Research has shown a relationship between mothers' beliefs about literacy, their educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, and their children's emergent literacy awareness. Many Australian Indigenous children experience educational disadvantage, as do children whose parents are manual workers. One recommendation that is frequently made is for…

Much of the current rhetoric in areas of child and family research and in early childhood education emphasizes the importance of listening to children in research that has a direct impact on them. Despite this, there remain qualms in some research contexts and amongst some researchers about the reliability, validity and generalizability of…

Acquisition of sentient-nonsentient distinction in 48 children between four- and seven-years-of-age occurred later than animate-inanimate distinction. The children's use of naturalistic or nonnaturalistic explanations depended on the logical nature of events in which objects were involved rather than familiarity with objects themselves. Ability to…

Reports a combined interview and observation study of parent-child relationships in families with an eldest child aged six to seven years. Interview data focused on time spent with children, performance of child-need tasks, and frequency of parent-child interactions. (PCB)

Findings from a national study of early intervention programs and toy libraries for handicapped children in Australia are summarized. After an introduction to theoretical concerns, chapter 2 reviews the rationale for early intervention and describes research on components of exemplary programs and on evaluation of the effectiveness of early…

The nine chapters in Volume V address issues of concern to those who work with or conduct research with young children and those who plan programs or prepare others for teaching or caregiving. Included are "Recent Research on Play: The Teacher's Perspective," by Millie Almy, Patricia Monighan, Barbara Scales, and Judith Van Hoorn;…