The International Step by Step Association
ISSA’ Definition of Quality Pedagogy
Dawn Tankersley - Program Consultant
December 2008
Documents Used in Developing ISSA
Pedagogical Standards
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International documents
European documents
Research
Other similar documents (standards)
Other materials (methodologies)
Rights Based Approach
• Access to free and compulsory education
• Equality, inclusion and non-discrimination
• The right to quality education, content, and
processes
Documents Used in Developing ISSA Pedagogical Standards
International Documents
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UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
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UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
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Education for All
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Millennium Development Goals
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Salamanca Statement
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Democracy and Diversity: Principles and Concepts for Educating Citizens in a Global Age
(2005)
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OECD. (2008). Trends Shaping Education
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Schools for the 21st Century – Analysis of Public Consultation. (2008)
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Delors, J. (1996). Learning: The Treasure Within- Report to UNESCO of the International
Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century.
Documents Used in Developing ISSA Pedagogical Standards
European Documents
• Children in Europe (2008) Young Children and Their Services: A
Children in Europe Policy Paper
• DECET (2007). Making Sense of Good Practice.
• Key Competences for Lifelong Learning – a European Reference
Framework (2004)
• Improving the Quality of Teacher Education. (2007) Communication
from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament.
• Commission Staff Working Paper: Schools for the 21st Century .
SEC(2007)100. 9
Documents Used in Developing ISSA Pedagogical Standards
RESEARCH
• OECD. (2001 and 2006). Starting Strong Early Childhood Education
and Care I and II.
• Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL).
• Effective Pre-School and Primary Education 3–11 Project (EPPE 311), REPEY (2002) Researching Effective Pedagogy in the Early
Years: Research Report RR356. Department for Education and
Skills.
• “Preschool Experiences in 10 Countries: Cognitive and Language
Performance at Age 7”. Montie, J., Xiang, Z., & Schweinhart, L
(2006)
Researching Effective Pedagogy in
the Early Years
Practitioners supported the children in making greater
developmental progress than others in less effective
centres through:
* adult-child verbal interactions;
* differentiation and formative assessment;
* parental partnership and the home education
environment;
Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Kathy Sylva, Stella Muttock, Rose Gilden, Danny Bell
Researching Effective Pedagogy in
the Early Years
Siraj-Blatchford and Sylva (2004) in a summary of the
Effective Provision of Preschool Education (EPPE) and
the Researching Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years
(REPEY) studies point out the most effective settings for
intellectual, social and dispositional outcomes are where
teachers and children engage in sustained shared
thinking (pg. 1).
EPPE studied 2800 children 141 preschool centers and
followed them through 11 years of age.
Sustained Shared Thinking
* A co-construction of knowledge that happens in an interaction
between a child and the teacher when each of them is involved and
that the content is in some way instructive.
*Freely chosen play activities provide the best opportunities to
extend children’s thinking
*It can either be initiated by the adult or the child.Settings where
there is an equal balance of adult initiated and child initiated
activities get the best results. When the child initiates it is necessary
that the teacher extend it.
*Sustained shared thinking can also go on among peers and also
contributes to children’s learning.
Center for Advanced Study of
Teaching and Learning (CASTL) –
2006
* The enjoyment and emotional connection that teachers have with
children
* The teacher’s sensitivity and responsivity to children’s cognitive
and emotional needs
* The degree with which teachers place an emphasis on children’s
interests, motivations, and points of view
* The teacher’s respect for children’s autonomy to participate and
initiate activities
collectively and separately predict children’s academic outcomes
and engagement in classrooms across all grade levels.
(Pianta, 2006)
Preschool Experience in 10 countries
• The amount of adult-child interaction was positively
related to children’s age 7 language scores where whole
group activities group response and/or adult centered
teaching were relatively infrequent.
• Children who were in preprimary settings in which free
choice activities predominated had significantly better
language performance at age 7 than those in settings in
which group activities predominated.
Preschool Experiences in 10 Countries: Cognitive and Language Performance
at Age 7”. Montie, J., Xiang, Z., & Schweinhart, L (2006)
Finland, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Poland,Spain, Thailand,
U.S.
Documents Used in Developing ISSA Pedagogical Standards
Other Similar Documents/Standards
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Association for Childhood Education International. (2006). ACEI: Global
Guidelines for the Education and Care of Young Children in the 21st Century.
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Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education (CECDE). (2006). Full
and Part-time User Daycare Manual. Dublin: Centre for Early Childhood
Development and Education
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Centre for Experiential Education. (2005). Well-being and Involvement in Care
Settings. A Process-oriented Self-evaluation Instrument
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Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). (2006)
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Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-R) (2005).
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National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2003).
NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria: The
Mark of Quality in Early Childhood Education
Similar Materials - Standards
Document
Program/
Teacher
Age Level
Main Focus
Use
ACEI
P
2-5
Broad +
Special needs
PD
CECDE
P
Infants,
Childminders,
Daycare, K
Broad
PD
Center for
Experiential
Education
Daycare
daycare
Well-being/
involvement
PD
CLASS
T
P-K through interactions
primary
ECERS
P
Infant/toddler
Preschool
Primary
Environment+ Research,
certification,
curriculum
0-5
Broad
NAEYC
P
Research, PD
PD
Certification,
PD
ISSA’s Document Strongly Emphasizes Role
of Teacher in Promoting:
• Life-long learning especially associated with
civic and personal development
• Interactions and “sustained shared thinking”
• Promoting well being and child involvement
• Diversity, inclusion, sense of identity
• Voice, participation and initiative of the child
• Voice, participation and initiative of the family
Documents Used in Developing ISSA Pedagogical Standards
Examples of Other Materials Including Methodologies
Creating Child Centered Classrooms: all volumes
The Early Years Foundation Stage: Setting the Standards
for Learning, Development, and Care for children from
birth to 5. (2007).
Epstein, A.S. (2007). Essentials of Active Learning in
Preschool: Getting to Know the High Scope Curriculum.
Epstein, A.S. (2007). The Intentional Teacher: Choosing the
Best Strategies for Young Children’s Learning
Types of Publications
ISSA will produce on the Standards
• Posters for classrooms showing all focus areas
and standards
• Short publication for information and advocacy.
Also posted on ISSA website
• Book and CD Rom for practitioners and for
professional development
Short Publication
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Description of focus area
Standards
Indicators
How children benefit
Few examples of how standard looks with
different age groups
• Pictures
Book (methodology) and CD Rom
version:
Each standard will have its own chapter:
• Longer description on why this standard is important including the
theory, opinions from experts, and research that support it
• References associated with the standard
• What other standards from ISSA’s Definition of Quality it is connects
with
• Description of each indicator
• How children benefit from each indicator
• Examples of how each indicator looks for different age groups
This is what we work for!
dtankersley@issa.hu
www.issa.nl