Children's knowledge, teachers' knowledge: Implications for early childhood teacher education

Abstract

A recent explosion of research on young children's knowledge raises issues for early childhood educators with regard to the extent to which early childhood programs incorporate the knowledge base that children bring to their learning. Recent psychological work on children's domain knowledge reveals early competencies that contribute to subsequent conceptual learning. Studies of learning in early childhood settings suggest further that sociocultural mechanisms (or constraints) of learning are important factors in children's knowledge construction in the early years. These studies also indicate the interface of content and processes in young children's knowledge construction. It is argued that the professional knowledge base of early childhood teachers should incorporate greater awareness of subject content knowledge. Implications for early childhood teacher education are discussed.