How can teachers deepen their understanding of their work? How can researchers make sure their work is grounded in and responsive to community needs? In this assemblage of rich examples of partnership research in early years education, Duncan and Conner set out how early childhood teachers and researchers can work in partnerships that benefit them both. Drawing on examples of successful partnerships from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, they tell the stories of the successes, struggles, insights, and opportunities that come from working in such partnerships. Each chapter describes its own political, social, cultural and educational contexts, identifying the importance of complementary and reciprocal expertise required to solve educational puzzles. Through skillful analysis, this volume demonstrates how collaborative research on early childhood education results in gains for educators, researchers, and children alike.

Taking the body as a locus for discussion, Rachael S. Burke and Judith Duncan argue not only that implicit cultural practices shape most of the interactions taking place in early childhood curricula and pedagogy but that many of these practices often go unnoticed or unrecognized as being pedagogy. Current scholars, inspired by Foucault, acknowledge that the body is socially and culturally produced and historically situated-it is simultaneously a part of nature and society as well as a representation of the way that nature and society can be conceived. Every natural symbol originating from the body contains and conveys a social meaning, and every culture selects its own meaning from the myriad of potential body symbolisms. Bodies as Sites of Cultural Reflection in Early Childhood Education uses empirical examples from qualitative fieldwork conducted in New Zealand and Japan to explore these theories and discuss the ways in which children's bodies represent a central focus in teachers' pedagogical discussions and create contexts for the embodiment of children's experiences in the early years.

Taking the body as a locus for discussion, Rachael S. Burke and Judith Duncan argue not only that implicit cultural practices shape most of the interactions taking place in early childhood curricula and pedagogy but that many of these practices often go unnoticed or unrecognized as being pedagogy. Current scholars, inspired by Foucault, acknowledge that the body is socially and culturally produced and historically situated-it is simultaneously a part of nature and society as well as a representation of the way that nature and society can be conceived. Every natural symbol originating from the body contains and conveys a social meaning, and every culture selects its own meaning from the myriad of potential body symbolisms. Bodies as Sites of Cultural Reflection in Early Childhood Education uses empirical examples from qualitative fieldwork conducted in New Zealand and Japan to explore these theories and discuss the ways in which children's bodies represent a central focus in teachers' pedagogical discussions and create contexts for the embodiment of children's experiences in the early years.

Duncan and Conner demonstrate how collaborative research on early childhood education results in gains for educators, researchers, and children alike. Drawing on examples of successful partnerships from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, they set out the successes, struggles, insights, and opportunities that come from such partnerships.

This book describes research examining how eight New Zealand women kindergarten teachers experienced their lives, personally and professionally, in relation to the restructuring of education that took place in New Zealand between 1984 to 1996. Drawing on life history interviews with the teachers, and using the theoretical ideas of Foucault as a 'tool kit' - an aid to analysis - the teachers' stories highlight how their lives were restructured as the kindergarten service was reformed. Not only were their day-to-day teaching experiences reshaped, but their personal lives and their subjectivities became reshaped and reformed. The teachers' narratives enable a view of early childhood education restructuring to be reconceptualised addressing both the philosophies of the kindergarten service and the professional and personal commitment of teachers to early childhood education. This book provides insights into educational restructuring, and postmodern approaches to educational research. It will be a useful resource for all educational researchers, teachers and scholars.