Teachers and Pedagogy: Teachers’ Perspectives on Fostering Autonomy for Infants and Toddlers

Abstract

This thesis investigates teachers' perspectives and practices on autonomy for infants and toddlers in their early childhood education (ECE) learning spaces. It aims to address the research questions that serve as a foundation for this thesis: What are teachers’ perspectives on infant and toddler autonomy? And how do teachers support autonomy for infants and toddlers? This interpretive, qualitative research methodology utilises online questionnaires and semi-structured interviews as the research tools. The data has been collected from four infant-toddler teachers in one education and care centre in Auckland, New Zealand (NZ), and analysed using thematic analysis. Key findings include teachers felt experience and support resulted in autonomous learning and independence; that establishing trust, confidence, and emotional security with adults during care moments was essential for a child to experience autonomy, and that teachers could use multiple teaching strategies to foster infant-toddler autonomy. Pedagogical strategies that could contribute to autonomy are actively watching and listening to plan for autonomous experiences based on the children's interests; being attuned, attentive and responsive to the children in the learning space; and understanding how their educational philosophies and approaches influenced their views of the young child as autonomous. Relationships underpinned the basis of teaching and learning, which meant it was essential to have strong and secure connections within the learning community through forming strong relationships within the teaching team but with the families also. A challenge the teachers faced in fostering infants’ and toddlers’ autonomy were the physical and regulation-related aspects like physical setup related to health and safety issues, and teacher to child ratios. This thesis concludes that teachers perceive infants and toddlers as capable and confident to express their views and make choices, but also independent to freely explore in their learning space as they become active contributors to their learning. Though teachers faced challenges to effectively carry out learning experiences to foster autonomy for infants and toddlers, the teachers still enabled this to happen. Furthermore, even as autonomous learning advocates for learning through independence, the teacher’s support is still there, but it is gently offered and intentional, in the form of support via supporting the child through the experience providing positive guidance and encouragement, versus giving answers and doing things for the child.