ABSTRACT
The evidence is overwhelming: training for caregiving does matter (Arnett 1989; Dunn 1993; Burchinal et al. 1996; Dinneen 2002a). The realisation of its importance spans almost two decades and, as a research topic, it is still attracting attention (Cain et al. 2007) as having a significant role in the holistic development of young children. The type of training indicated here is that of the professional development of educarers. Studying early childhood to degree level is common practice in the twenty-first century in many developed countries globally, and Ireland is no exception. While the intake on all programmes universally is predominately female, in spite of EU and national targets in Ireland to attract more males into
In Phase 1 of this study, 12 students at Mary Immaculate College were randomly selected out of a class of 60 in the spring of 2007 to have the sensitivity of their interactions with toddlers measured through the use of Arnett’s (1989) Caregiver Interaction Scale (CIS). Running records were used with 12 other students in order to capture the occurrence and development of joint involvement episodes (JIEs) in their interactions with babies. Simultaneously, the existence of correlates was probed between the sensitivity of the students as measured on the CIS and their ability to promote relational pedagogy using a variety of other research methodologies. (Phase 2 of this study will take place with the same students in similar settings in the autumn of 2008.) This chapter, prepared at the completion of Phase 1, details the aim and objective of the study and outlines the research methodology. The findings for Phase 1 support the hypothesis that relationship training does matter. The research aim was threefold: to examine the correlation between relational pedagogy and the sensitivity of the studentcarers; to document the emerging ability of students to promote and enhance language and total development; and to provide clear insights into supportive methodologies for the training of educarers.
