5. Conclusion

from a cognitive constructivist perspective focused on the individual child's construction of meaning to a critical social constructionist paradigm concerned with the

By interacting with others (both adults and children), children will be exposed to a much wider range of "ways of seeing" (in this case, place) than is available when working or playing alone. The child finding their own way into a "landscape of ideas," concepts, terms and facts shared by others, is learning [21]. However, in this solitary process, their own perspectives limit individuals. By learning how others see and experience place, a child will be broadening their ideas of the multiple ways that "place" can be seen and "meaning is enriched in the process." In this process of co-constructing meaning, adults actively participate as "intentional mediators" [22] and this concept of "teaching as mediation" opens up new possibilities for thinking about teachers' work with early learners across the birth-8 years. This approach does not assume the dominance of one knowledge over another but different knowledges are not "valued as more or less true…but are put side by side and treated equally important as different ways of understanding"

As becomes evident, within this framework the role of the pedagogue is significant, the teacher has important work to do working alongside the learner/s, mediating between the known and the unknown. The teacher, is not only a "mediator of knowledge" but a "critical mediator of knowledge" whose role involves making the "culture, worldview and social arrangements and everyday practices of their society

Mediation involves many different pedagogical decisions. As previously discussed, the educator's consideration of whether a child's idea is pursued at an individual, small group, or whole group level is an intentional decision. Designing learning experiences for individual children, a small group or the whole group requires sophisticated and purposeful planning. One of the benefits of planning whole group experiences is that the "shared" experience ameliorates some of the inequities of individual children's opportunities. For example, as part of the group conversation about "place," a carefully planned excursion to a particular "place" (e.g., an Art gallery) offers all children to participate equally in a conversation about

what makes this place special, what happens there, and the people who are

culturally significant, natural places would be important.

involved, etc. The excursion forms the basis of a more equal conversation than sole reliance on children's previous opportunities. Again, the diversity of life-worlds can be brought into the conversation to extend children's understanding of place. For example an indigenous perspective regarding how, although many galleries now include indigenous artworks, in times past, indigenous artists displayed their art in

The language used in the educators' questions, resources, responses and comments is critically important from a critical social constructionist perspective. Using accurate words such as "space, artists, artworks, light, hanging" in context invites children to think about particular space (in this case the Art gallery) in new ways. Literature, storytelling, and multi-media resources are useful to enhance "shared" understandings about place. Asking the children why they think people have created art galleries stimulates thinking about how "places and spaces" are designed by people for particular activities: one of the core principles of understanding the

pair or group's understanding of a phenomena, experience or concept.

4.5 Teaching as mediating: extending pedagogic repertoires

([23] p. 285).

Early Childhood Education

more accessible" ([22] p. 349).

social and physical world.

76

This chapter has presented the possibility that revisiting our beliefs about knowledge from a critical social constructionist perspective offers early childhood educators the potential to make more socially just pedagogical decisions. Using examples drawn from the Social Sciences regarding the concept of "place and space" we have examined the potential of intentional teaching for sustaining, enhancing and extending young children's learning.

The chapter has explored how a metaphor of the child as participating in a "drama" as they find their way into a landscape of ideas, utilizing the cultural tools (such as language) that are made available in their life-worlds, offers the teacher a position as a critical mediator in the process of learning. The teacher is an important

player in the drama: making connections, supporting children's working theories, initiating and sustaining "big" ideas over time.

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A critical social constructionist epistemology opens up new ways of thinking about teaching and learning in the early years that moves beyond a choice between either a child-centered or teacher-directed approach. Pedagogy informed by an understanding of critical social constructionism pays attention to the knowledge that children bring and extends this knowledge in ways that contribute to a more socially just world.
