Pedagogical Practices for Children Under Three Years: What Is Happening in Australia?

There is an unprecedented number of children in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings owing to the increase in maternal employment over the past 40 years and recognition of the educational value of ECEC experience. What the educator does impacts children’s learning, yet pedagogical approaches with children under three years are not clearly understood by educators. Legislation across Australia requires educators to be university-qualified (or equivalent) early childhood teachers (ECTs) to work with children who are three to five years but does not require educators to be qualified ECTs to work with children under three years. However, the early childhood teacher students are required to learn about pedagogical practices with children under three years in their studies. This research investigated academics’ perspectives about pedagogical practices, and how they taught pre-service ECE teachers to work with children under three years. The findings highlight a diversity of approaches to pedagogical practices with six themes emerging: the need for unhurried time with children; understanding how children learn; the power of observation; intentionality and the learning environment; family pedagogy; and raising pre-service teachers’ awareness of pedagogical practices. It is time to think otherwise and have higher-qualified educators working with the youngest of children in ECEC centres. This study recommends further research regarding the impact of the lesser qualified educators who work with children under three years to improve the quality of the ECEC experience for children.