AERO's discussion paper, Play-Based Learning With Intentionality, provided a synthesis of the contemporary evidence to understand conditions and practices that support children’s learning and what’s known about intentional practices that support children’s outcomes. This synthesis pointed to the importance of developing a model to support intentional teaching that was contextually sensitive and not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ model approach.
As a follow on from that research, we used a design-based research approach with a diverse sample of Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) services to conduct field trials to understand:
- intentional teaching in practice
- how an intentional teaching model and resources might contribute to the identified practice gap.
This study aimed to co-design an intentional teaching model and supporting resources that would simplify and clarify the practical what, why and how of intentional teaching. Educators were involved in the testing and refinement of the model and resources to ensure accessibility, cultural responsivity and practical application within various place-based ECEC settings. The final model design brings together ‘the why’, ‘the what’ and ‘the how’ of effective intentional teaching.
Keywords: ecce, evidence-based education, evidence-based teaching