Abstract
This qualitative multi-case study explored the social exchanges and responsive connections between infants and their infant childcare teachers within a group care context. Infants' naturally occurring behaviours were videotaped purposefully at two separate time points, near the end of their first year and approximately six months later. Findings revealed various ways that infants and their teachers were 'in synch' or 'out of synch' within everyday practice. Infant teachers were 'in synch' with infants when they established reciprocal and meaningful joint understandings that were differentiated according to infants' individual and changing developmental needs. Infant teachers could also be 'out of synch' with an infant when they missed the infant's subtle cues or an infant did not easily adapt to caregivers' expectations and styles. Our findings urge teachers and teacher educators to think deeply about the meaning and complex nature of high quality, responsive caregiving within infant childcare environments.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1545-1562 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | Early Child Development and Care |
| Volume | 182 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Dec 2012 |
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Keywords
- caregiver-infant relationships
- early childhood professional preparation
- early years education
- infant childcare
- infant-caregiver synchrony
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In and out of synch : Infant childcare teachers' adaptations to infants' developmental changes. / Recchia, Susan L.; Shin, Minsun.
In: Early Child Development and Care, Vol. 182, No. 12, 01.12.2012, p. 1545-1562.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - In and out of synch
T2 - Infant childcare teachers' adaptations to infants' developmental changes
AU - Recchia, Susan L.
AU - Shin, Minsun
PY - 2012/12/1
Y1 - 2012/12/1
N2 - This qualitative multi-case study explored the social exchanges and responsive connections between infants and their infant childcare teachers within a group care context. Infants' naturally occurring behaviours were videotaped purposefully at two separate time points, near the end of their first year and approximately six months later. Findings revealed various ways that infants and their teachers were 'in synch' or 'out of synch' within everyday practice. Infant teachers were 'in synch' with infants when they established reciprocal and meaningful joint understandings that were differentiated according to infants' individual and changing developmental needs. Infant teachers could also be 'out of synch' with an infant when they missed the infant's subtle cues or an infant did not easily adapt to caregivers' expectations and styles. Our findings urge teachers and teacher educators to think deeply about the meaning and complex nature of high quality, responsive caregiving within infant childcare environments.
AB - This qualitative multi-case study explored the social exchanges and responsive connections between infants and their infant childcare teachers within a group care context. Infants' naturally occurring behaviours were videotaped purposefully at two separate time points, near the end of their first year and approximately six months later. Findings revealed various ways that infants and their teachers were 'in synch' or 'out of synch' within everyday practice. Infant teachers were 'in synch' with infants when they established reciprocal and meaningful joint understandings that were differentiated according to infants' individual and changing developmental needs. Infant teachers could also be 'out of synch' with an infant when they missed the infant's subtle cues or an infant did not easily adapt to caregivers' expectations and styles. Our findings urge teachers and teacher educators to think deeply about the meaning and complex nature of high quality, responsive caregiving within infant childcare environments.
KW - caregiver-infant relationships
KW - early childhood professional preparation
KW - early years education
KW - infant childcare
KW - infant-caregiver synchrony
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84868135405&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/03004430.2011.630075
DO - 10.1080/03004430.2011.630075
M3 - Article
VL - 182
SP - 1545
EP - 1562
JO - Early Child Development and Care
JF - Early Child Development and Care
SN - 0300-4430
IS - 12
ER -