Amber's case study

Stage Two: Answering my research question

Amber decided to ask parents a question that was as ‘open’ as possible, reducing the chance that parents would say what they thought she wanted to hear. The question was:

• ‘When your child reaches the age of 21 and you are giving their 21st birthday speech, how would you like to be able to talk about them? How would you like to describe your child?’

Parents said that they thought carefully about their responses and had enjoyed asking what they wanted for their child beyond just the next couple of years. In their responses, many parents said that their priority was their children’s social and emotional development. They emphasised the importance of being ‘popular’, ‘respectful’ and ‘happy’; the importance of healthy relationships with a range of people; and of having good and supportive friends and family, i.e. ‘to love and be loved’.

Parents’ responses reinforced Amber’s belief that early childhood education was shifting its focus away from social and emotional development and towards educational outcomes:

• Reading (their) responses has made me really think about and value parents. On the whole we all want the same thing. … It seems to me that over the 11 years that I have been in the industry the focus has shifted from being less nurturing/caring to more academic/learning. We seem to be far too concerned on academic development (at the expense of) other areas of development. Teachers are far more stressed - trying to impart knowledge, rather than relaxing enjoying being with the children and the children being with them. Thus, where is the nurture of the social/emotional child? Too busy!! Time!! Must meet tasks!! Need results!