Research
Around the World
By Lisa Martin
For my blog entry I went to the Early Childhood Development
Virtual University (ECDVU) and looked at research done by students in Sub-Saharan
Africa countries. I was surprised by the variety and quantity of research to be
reviewed, so I focused on the countries where I had friends from Ghana and
Nigeria. Once again, I was immediately drawn to the fact that the issues they
are researching are questions we are investigating here in the United States as
well. The various research addressed concerns like better training of
non-professionals who work in the early childhood setting, as well as parents,
and improving overall administration and oversight of the early childhood
education system. While it was comforting to know that the early childhood
field all around the globe is facing the same issues, I felt a bit disappointed
to realize that the United States is not a clear leader in the field of early
education.
I was really touched by Ezirim (1990) who studied how we could use
indigenous knowledge through storytelling to promote care and education of the
child in a more holistic manner in his thesis titled Integrating Indigenous Knowledge in ECD
Training and Services (p. 1). This
research may have spoken to me because it is Black History month and I feel
that young inner city African- American children do not know their heritage;
and knowing it I believe would improve their success in school. “Integrating
Indigenous knowledge into education also encourages teachers and students to
gain enhanced respect for local culture, its wisdom and its ethics, and
provides ways of teaching and learning locally relevant knowledge and skills”
(Ezirim, 1990, p. 2). I gained further insight when I read that UNESCO has a whole
list of objectives for incorporating indigenous knowledge into education. I am
sure many of you try to get parents and grandparents to come in for circle time
and tell stories related to their particular culture or heritage, and you
should definitely check out the UNESCO objectives. I just feel strongly that
for us to increase our cultural competence and foster it in the children we
must make it part of the curriculum. It increases communication and opens up
dialogue that makes us more connected and empathetic. It is just refreshing and
encouraging to know that these concerns are being addressed on an international
level.
The sub-Saharan link of ECDVU provided so many
interesting research papers. There were topics that touched on my research
subject, as well as most of my colleagues’ choices. Overall, I am sure most of
the studies mirrored work that was done here in the United States as well. The
early education field is constantly changing and evolving all around the world,
and thanks to directives from organizations like UNICEF, each country is
examining similar problems and areas for improvement.
Reference:
Ezirim, M. (1990).
Integrating indigenous knowledge
in ECD training and services. (Master thesis). Retrieved from http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/documents/major_projects/Ezirim%20-%20MP%20Final%20-%20UVic%20LP.pdf
You touched on some very interesting topics. I had a similar conversation with my friends about the African-American culture and the younger children not having an understanding about their heritage. Although it may be an unfamiliar topic to some, it is history and I strongly believe it should be taught. Not just during the month of February, but as often as possible because it is a part of history.
ReplyDeleteI also found that there was a realization to recognize the past history and culture of one's life and part of education. I chose to look at an Austrailan site that referenced the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples recent loss of culture and respect as part of the website. I am glad that you made a point of writing about that, too, because it is a very important topic for early childhood education!
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed readinng your post. You were so detailed. Thank you for sharing the article by Eziriam. I too agree that not enough of our african american youths know their history. I feel as though this would be enlightening for students but also important the education of our teachers as well. Thank you for posting.
Very interesting topics. You were very detailed on this topic. Sharing this article by Eziriam. I also feel that early childhood education is constantly changing throughout the world. I know that a change will eventually come for our early childhood educators.
ReplyDeleteLike that you touched on the subject of black history month, as a young child growing up in Chicago and Detriot public school, Black History was a every day occurance. We learned the Black national Anthem and all the back inventors.
ReplyDeleteLisa,
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned about an article on Integrating indegenous knowledge in ECD training and services by Ezirim. Who knows if incorporating this concept into our curriculum could help in bridging the gap in learning that is witnessed among African American.