The impact of Australian policy shifts on early childhood teachers’ understandings of intentional teaching

Australian Early Childhood teachers face unprecedented times in the sector’s history as they come to terms with the introduction of multiple policies for quality standards and curriculum outcomes. Policy documents explicitly identifying ‘intentional teaching’ and ‘assessment for learning’ are two of a range of inter-related pedagogical approaches promoted in this policy narrative. It has been argued that these changes can discourage independent professional judgement and instead encourage a compliance mindset with respect to prescriptive directives of what and how to teach (Smith and Kovacs. [2011]. “The Impact of Standards-based Reform on Teachers: The Case of ‘No Child Left Behind’.” Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice 17 (1): 201–225. doi:10.1080/13540602.2011.539802). In this paper, we draw on research data from interviews and focus groups with EC practitioners and managers to suggest that ‘intentional teaching’ and ‘assessment for learning’ require a foundation of deep knowledge. The nurturing of young children as effective communicators especially in terms of oral language learning is one key area that could be fostered through such a rich, integrated approach to teaching.