Purpose This paper proposes a model for understanding the key features of coaching and the mechanisms of change that lead to professional learning and development in an educational context. Design/methodology/approach The model was developed through an interactive process of conceptualisation and testing, drawing on a synthesis of findings from two case studies of coaching for early childhood educators. The case studies were analysed through four theoretical lenses and influenced by a critical realist perspective. Findings The synthesis of findings from case study data suggests that critical reflection is the key mechanism that drives learning and change in coaching. The findings further suggest that the focus should be meaningful and relevant to educators and their contexts ("coherent"), yet different enough from educators' pre-existing beliefs, practices, or assumptions to trigger critical reflection ("challenging"). The findings also indicate the processes and conditions of coaching that may be important to enable critical reflection on the issue in focus. The proposed model presents the focus, processes, conditions, and key mechanisms of coaching as interlinked components. Originality/value What happens during coaching and how and why it "works" is not well understood. The proposed model provides a framework for further exploring the features of coaching, its impact on learning and practice and the mechanisms of change that underpin these impacts. It could provide guidance for continued innovation and evaluation of coaching practice in early childhood education more broadly.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into the daily lives of young children and their families and educators, generating growing interest in the role of AI within Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). Yet research in this area has evolved so rapidly that conceptual distinctions are being blurred between AI in ECEC (the use of AI in children’s learning and teaching) and AI and ECEC (children’s learning about AI for safe and equitable participation in digital society). This paper presents a narrative review of literature published between 2020 and 2025 to theorize these two strands of inquiry. Drawing on critical constructivism, we conceptualize the field through the notion of technical code. In doing so, we propose that research focused on the application of AI in children’s learning is most usefully understood as AI Pedagogies and studies concerning children’s understanding of AI as AI Literacies. The analysis identifies that much current research on AI Pedagogies is under-theorized and predominantly technologically determinist, privileging skill acquisition over the cultural value of learning. Research on AI Literacies, while focused on children learning about AI, highlights the need for foundational inquiry into children’s developing understandings of artificiality, intelligence, data, and networks. The paper distinguishes and advances the fields of AI in ECEC via AI Pedagogies and AI and ECEC via AI Literacies, offering recommendations for more critically and culturally responsive research regarding young children’s encounters with AI into the future.

Background Champions are individuals who demonstrate strong commitment to promoting sustained implementation efforts through their expertise, enthusiasm, and influence, and are known to enable the implementation of evidence-based educational programs. However, existing research has predominantly examined champion effectiveness during implementation and early sustainment phases, with limited attention to their role in long-term program or innovation sustainment. This study investigated how champions influence organisational capacity for sustained program implementation over extended timeframes.Methods A multiple case study design examined champion dynamics across three Australian organisations sustaining implementation of the Abecedarian Approach Australia (3a) for 10 or more years. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 participants, including senior leaders, program managers, educational leaders, and practitioners. Thematic analysis informed by critical realist epistemology identified mechanisms through which champions influenced long-term sustainability.Results Cross-case analysis suggested the presence of what we term a 'champion paradox': the factors that make champions effective in driving implementation may simultaneously create systemic vulnerabilities that can threaten long-term program sustainability. Across these cases, the paradox appeared to operate through three interconnected mechanisms: (1) knowledge concentration, where expertise accumulates in individuals rather than organisational systems; (2) dependency creation, where organisations become reliant on champions for quality assurance, problem-solving, and program continuity; and (3) system capacity prevention, where champion effectiveness conceals organisational need for systematic capacity building. These mechanisms were interpreted as forming a self-reinforcing cycle that may strengthen champion dependency while inhibiting organisational independent capacity.Conclusions The champion paradox framework invites reconsideration of widespread assumptions that individual champions inherently strengthen organisational implementation capacity. Findings suggest potential value of a shift from champion-dependent to more system-dependent implementation models, with implications for champion selection and development, organisational design, sustainability assessment, and policy frameworks. Implementation strategies may be strengthened by positioning champions as transitional resources focused on building collective organisational capacity rather than as permanent drivers of program quality.

Research on intergenerational programs (IGPs) has documented cognitive, physical and social outcomes for older adults, and beneficial effects for children such as enhanced empathy and more positive attitudes toward older adults. However, there is a relative scarcity of research documenting the benefits of co-located intergenerational programs, whereby the aged-care facility and early learning program are housed under the same roof, thus offering opportunities for frequent intergenerational connections across structured and unstructured activities. Moreover, research providing a consolidated account of the benefits of participation from the perspectives of multiple participant groups, especially young children, is limited. As such, this qualitative case study explores the perspectives of multiple participants engaged in a co-located aged-care facility and early learning centre in Melbourne, Australia: 19 young children and their families, seven early learning and aged-care staff, and seven older adults. The methodology involved semi-structured interviews conducted with staff, online surveys completed by families, and draw, write, and tell method to elicit children’s perspectives. The analysis was framed by social capital theory which pays attention to the relationships within and between groups (bonding and bridging), and the associated benefits for individual and group capabilities. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed two overarching themes – “Program design and implementation” and “Impact for participants” – comprising five categories which highlight the importance of relational factors to nurture mutually beneficial bridging and bonding relationships, and structural program elements such as collaborative planning to support optimal outcomes for all participants.

Research on intergenerational programs (IGPs) has documented cognitive, physical, and social benefits for older adults, and positive effects for children's confidence, empathy, and attitudes toward aging. However, less is known about the specific practices and interactions that support the well-being and engagement of both participant groups. Adopting social capital as the theoretical framework, this mixed methods study explores the practices that support relationships between young children and older adults in a co-located IGP. Observations of children and older adults were conducted using three validated observational measures: the Leuven scale, the Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Well-being Scale, and the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS Pre-K). Findings demonstrate that the well-being and engagement of children and older adults were supported across a range of intergenerational activities. Moreover, CLASS findings highlight that when a multimodal activity was effectively facilitated, meaningful intergenerational interactions and positive impacts to children's learning could be achieved.

In the past two decades, Australian governments have initiated a series of reforms to provide accessible, affordable, high quality early childhood education and care (ECEC). At the core of these reforms is the intention to improve learning outcomes for young children in the years where strong foundations are laid and where learning inequalities can be addressed. The Victorian State Government has built on these reforms through its investment in rolling out two years of funded universal kindergarten for 3-and 4-year-old children. This qualitative study reports on teachers’, educators’ and directors’ experiences of implementing funded 3-year-old kindergarten at 26 ECEC services from metropolitan and regional/rural Victorian regions. Online semi-structured interviews were conducted with 44 participants in 2022–2023. Thematic analysis revealed key findings, including the importance of pedagogical differentiation, workforce sustainability, leading and responding to change, and building capacity, as well as the structural impacts on implementation. We conclude that participants’ perspectives and experiences are critical to understanding the optimal opportunities and conditions for 3-year-old children’s learning across diverse contexts in Victoria during a time of reform.

Following government’s significant investment in 3- and 4-year-old kindergarten in Victoria, Australia, the Educational and Developmental Gains in Early Childhood (EDGE) Study investigated the impact of 2 years of funded kindergarten on the early childhood education workforce, and children’s learning and development. EDGE’s Professional Practice and Learning Experiences domain documented the perspectives and experiences of teachers and leaders implementing 3-year-old kindergarten in Victoria, as well as those of children, families, and government agents involved in the program’s implementation. This study focused on exploring children’s perspectives of 3-year-old kindergarten during the early roll out in Victoria. Framed within bioecological theory, a qualitative mosaic approach was used. Data were collected from 14 3-year-old children using child perspectives journals which included an interview, drawing and narration, and photography. A content analysis was applied to the data. Children expressed their experiences in relation to play, physical environments and materials, and social relationships. Findings support conceptions that children are capable social actors in kindergarten programs, and their perspectives are key to building rich insights on 3-year-old kindergarten.

Coaching is an important form of professional development for the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce. However, educators working in remote contexts do not always have access to this type of support. This paper explores the effectiveness of a virtual (online and telephone) coaching program focusing on the implementation of evidence-informed Conversational Reading strategies in supported playgroups for Aboriginal families in the Northern Territory of Australia. Fourteen Family Educators and Family Liaison Officers across ten Families as First Teachers playgroups in the Northern Territory participated in the coaching program over twelve months. Coaching records, planning documents, participant feedback, and video recordings of participants’ practice were analysed to explore the impact and acceptability of the coaching program. The findings indicate that participation in the cycle of virtual coaching, planning, and reflection supported participants in implementing evidence-informed teaching strategies, offering language-rich experiences to children frequently and with increased fidelity, and engaging with families about their use of these strategies in the home. The model of coaching developed shows promise for wider implementation in ECEC contexts, particularly in remote communities where access to high-quality professional learning and development can be limited.

While the value of intergenerational programs (IGPs) for older people and society is well recognized, the evidence for young children's learning is less conclusive. This scoping review aims to synthesize the published literature on IGPs to provide an account of the current state of knowledge about what young children are learning in IGPs. From 283 peer reviewed articles reporting on IGPs between older non-familial adults and children aged from birth to 6 years old, we identified 46 articles reporting on children's learning experiences. Thematic analysis revealed five interrelated themes encompassing how (relational pedagogy and multimodal learning environments) and what (social-emotional competence; social-cultural knowledges; communication, creativity and critical thinking skills) children are learning. This review finds consistent evidence for the social-emotional benefits of IGPs for young children; however, evidence for other learning outcomes is somewhat limited, reflecting the need for further research to identify the full scope of benefits for children.

While evidence-based practice is linked to improved quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings, limited research examines how early childhood (EC) educators understand and use evidence in practice. The aim of this qualitative descriptive study was to gain insights into how EC educators in Australia use evidence to develop and/or enhance their programmes, practices and decision-making. Thirteen EC educators from diverse ECEC settings across Australia took part in semi-structured interviews to explore their perspectives on using evidence. Findings revealed diverse understandings of “evidence-based practice” ranging from practices grounded in research to those based on personal judgments. While research evidence was valued, there was a strong emphasis on using educator-generated evidence from observing children’s responses, along with drawing on multiple sources including online materials, feedback from families, and advice from other professionals. Key enablers to evidence use included supportive leadership, a shared service vision, professional learning opportunities, and systemic supports including time and resources. Barriers included resistance to change, workforce challenges, and lack of data literacy skills. The findings highlight the need for clearer conceptualisations of evidence use in early childhood education, effective research translation strategies, whole-service approaches, and professional development tailored to educators’ diverse qualifications and experiences. A multifaceted approach considering systemic factors is needed to bridge the research–practice gap and embed evidence-based practices across the early childhood sector.

Child wellbeing and mental health continues to be a significant public health issue, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Early childhood education and care (ECEC) professionals are uniquely positioned to monitor and support young children’s wellbeing and can thus provide important insights to inform early interventions and support. This qualitative study sought to explore Australian ECEC professionals’ perspectives about supporting young children’s social–emotional wellbeing in early learning settings. Twenty participants participated in six online focus groups, with five key themes conceptualised from the data: (1) escalation in child and educator wellbeing needs; (2) discrepancies in educator experience and skills; (3) access to high-quality professional development; (4) prioritising relationships and continuity of care; and (5) nurturing children’s agency, identity, and belonging. The findings encompass concerns about children’s wellbeing and educators’ capacity to support it, as well as suggested strategies to strengthen the support for children’s wellbeing in early learning settings. The implications of the study findings are discussed.

Coaching appears to be an effective form of professional development, yet how learning and change occur, in what order, and what role coaching plays in change are not well understood. We used the interconnected model of professional growth to analyze two case studies of coaching in early childhood education services in Australia. We found that, of the two mechanisms of change proposed by the model, reflection occurred more often. Change sequences varied within and between cases, and we found that changes in knowledge, beliefs, or attitudes can occur before or after changes in practice. However, reflecting on practice and its consequences appeared to be important for consolidating change. The variation in pathways of change suggests a complex interplay of context, individual characteristics, and content influenced the outcomes of coaching, although content may have played a more important role. The findings suggest that a strength of coaching is its flexibility to respond to the diversity of educators, content, and contexts, supporting them to change via various pathways over time. The findings indicate that further research is needed to define and explore the processes and mechanisms within coaching that drive learning and change for early childhood educators.

Research Findings: To explore distinct professional-wellbeing subgroups and variations in turnover intentions, we examined the factor structure of the Early Childhood Professional Wellbeing Questionnaire (McMullen et al., 2020), which was completed online by 368 Australian early childhood educators. Based on educators' scores on the Belonging and Connection, Impact Evaluation and Safety factors, we identified five professional-wellbeing subgroups who varied in job satisfaction, consideration of resigning, and intention to leave the field. Subgroup differences suggest that a decreased sense of safety from high to average as well as a below-average sense of belonging, connection and safety contribute to turnover intentions. Also, educators with low professional wellbeing have a poor sense of belonging and connection, a negative view of their professional impact and weak job satisfaction. Practice or Policy: Further studies exploring early childhood educator wellbeing subgroup differences in psychological health and attitudes to teaching and learning, the impact of external factors including professional roles and leadership support and broader systemic influences, as well as variation in the effects of wellbeing interventions are needed. Such research will provide a useful framework for developing policies and practices that address the complex, multifaceted nature of educators' wellbeing and help combat threats to their wellbeing.

Early childhood education and care programmes provide opportunities to enhance children's learning and development, especially when high-quality learning experiences and educator-child interactions are embedded within them. However, the quality of early childhood education programmes varies greatly. Quality in early childhood education and care is conceptualised in three domains: structural, process and system. Understanding how to drive quality improvements in early childhood education and care relies on clear, consistent evidence concerning each of these domains, however, the current literature is not comprehensive. This scoping review maps the extent and consistency of the research literature in each domain of quality to identify knowledge gaps and inform future research. Through a search of the peer-reviewed literature, 85 meta-analyses and systematic reviews meeting our inclusion criteria were identified. We found a wide variation in the number of included studies in each domain and sub-domain of quality. We found the greatest number of meta-analyses and systematic reviews related to programmes, interventions, and curricula (process quality) and professional development and support (structural quality). The literature included in this scoping review is heterogeneous and of varying methodological quality, with inconsistent or contradictory findings. The research is most consistent in relation to pedagogy, professional development and support, and programmes, interventions, and curricula (process quality) and learning environments (structural quality). Interactions between the different domains of quality are complex and future research should focus on the associations between different features of quality in early childhood education programmes and practices that are critical to implementing successful continuous improvement initiatives.

Despite evidence of the effectiveness of coaching as a form of ongoing professional development for educators, including in early childhood education, the field lacks an understanding of what the key components of coaching are and how and why they 'work'. An improved theoretical basis for coaching would assist in identifying these underlying mechanisms of change. However, the field has been largely undertheorised, and an awareness of which theories have been applied in the field is lacking. This study entailed a meta-narrative review of the literature to identify which theories have informed the study of ongoing professional development in education, with a focus on coaching for early childhood educators. We identified 11 foundational papers addressing ongoing professional development in education that proposed or applied theories, and 69 papers on coaching for early childhood educators with a theoretical focus published between 2002 and 2022. Among both groups of papers, there were 47 different main theories applied or proposed. The findings indicate that coaching and other forms of ongoing professional development in education remain undertheorised and theoretical consensus is lacking. The findings suggest that further empirical testing of theories is required before any path towards building a theoretical consensus will become clearer.

This paper describes the research protocol for the Educational and Developmental Gains in Early Childhood (EDGE) Study, which will examine the implementation of two years of funded kindergarten prior to the first year of school in Victoria, Australia. EDGE will examine whether children's language, cognitive, social-emotional, and behavioural outcomes are improved after two years of kindergarten compared to one year. The experiences of (and impacts on) teachers, service leaders, and families will also be examined. The study includes a cross-sectional cohort of 95 early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, and an embedded longitudinal observational cohort of children attending these services. Case studies of 15-20 ECEC services will also be collected, in addition to interviews with policy stakeholders.

The aims of this study were to establish a Research Network of Early Childhood Professionals and to identity network members’ top research priorities and preferred research methods. Australian early childhood education (ECE) professionals were invited to participate in a Delphi-style survey. In Stage 1, participants were asked to describe the most important issues in ECE that need addressing; from this, a ‘top 20’ list of the most common research priorities was generated. In Stage 2, respondents were asked to prioritise the top 20 research topics and to rate their interest in participating in various methods of research. A total of 182 ECE professionals completed the Stage 1 survey (pre-COVID-19), yielding 34 topics of research interest. Ninety-four respondents completed the Stage 2 survey (during the COVID-19 pandemic), ranking the top three most important research topics as: educator wellbeing and mental health, child wellbeing and mental health, and professional learning and development. Members of the network appear to be interested in participating in ECE research and their research priorities can help highlight real-world issues warranting further investigation. Facilitating research that addresses prioritised ECE areas is particularly timely given the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across the ECE sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services and families, impacting family access to services and their communication and engagement with educators. This study aimed to examine parents’ perspectives of family engagement with ECEC services during the pandemic. Primary caregivers in Victoria at the time of recruitment (September–November 2020) were invited to participate. Of the 66 participants who completed an online survey, 25 also took part in semi-structured video call or phone interviews; qualitative findings from these interviews are reported in this paper. Four key themes were conceptualised using a reflexive thematic approach: (1) disruptions to ECEC access and attendance impacting on family routines and relationships, and child development; (2) barriers to family engagement; (3) ECEC educators’ support of families and children during the pandemic; and (4) increased parental appreciation of the ECEC profession. Findings revealed that disruptions to ECEC access and routines during the pandemic adversely impacted family engagement, and child learning and social-emotional wellbeing for some families. These were aggravated by other stressors, including increased parental responsibilities in the home, financial and health concerns, and changed work conditions. Findings also demonstrated successful methods used by educators to maintain communication and connections with families. Importantly, parents expressed increasing appreciation of the profession and an increased awareness of the value of family involvement in children’s learning. Learnings regarding strategies for effective and alternative ways of engaging families are discussed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the wellbeing of children and families globally. With extended lockdown periods, early childhood education and school closures, and remote learning, families experienced increased stress and anxiety, financial hardship, and disrupted routines. This paper aims to explore associations between children’s social-emotional wellbeing and environmental factors (including the burden of COVID-19 on the family, early learning experiences in the home and early childhood education, and parent wellbeing and mental health) during COVID-19 in Australia and Germany, two countries that experienced significant lockdown periods. Using a longitudinal online survey design, parents of young children (aged 1–6 years) in Australia (N = 66) and Germany (N = 53) completed surveys on their own wellbeing; their child’s wellbeing; the home learning environment, and their satisfaction with early childhood education and care at two time points in 2020 and 2021. The burden of COVID-19 mitigation measures on families’ everyday lives correlated with child wellbeing outcomes in both the Australian and German cohorts. Findings also provide evidence of potential protective factors of children’s social-emotional wellbeing during stressful events, such as the lockdowns experienced by families in Germany and Australia during the pandemic.

‘Guḻarri (fresh water) has met the dhukun (metaphorically meaning confusion, doubt, misunderstandings or myths) and over the past three years become clear again, drinkable and nourishing.’ This story of freshwater, contamination and nourishment was told during a yarning circle by a community member. It was used to describe their research journey in a collaborative research project that sought to create, enact and evaluate a ‘bridge’ that early childhood education curriculum supported at one end by the strengths and content of local culture, and at the other by a proven pedagogy and learning strategy from the broader culture. This chapter draws on our experiences of implementing 3a (Abecedarian Approach Australia) in Families as First Teachers (FaFT) playgroups in two remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia and explores the contextual realities and relational aspects of researching family practices and young children's early learning in remote communities. Specifically, we discuss the factors that shaped the implementation of the research and consider the approaches to grow research relationships of trust and collaboration. These partnerships within the research team (university and FaFT) enabled culturally appropriate adaptations and local language interpretations that ensured the strengths of Aboriginal identity, culture and language were upheld in the implementation of the programme. Insights from our efforts to collaboratively develop a culturally responsive Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programme are discussed as design principles that might influence Indigenous early childhood educational research more broadly.