Professional practicum: Conceptions of an effective early childhood environment

Within the last decade, there have been significant changes to the field of early childhood care and education, both in the perceived role of early childhood programs and in the types of services that are available to young children and their families. For many service users and providers, the ideal or most effective environment for young children may vary considerably.

This study was conducted in order to attempt to reach a clearer understanding of the phenomenon of an effective early childhood environment. More specifically, this study centres around gathering service users' conceptions of what constitutes an effective early childhood environment for young children.

A phenomenographic approach was utilised, with several service users being interviewed during this study, in order to identify and characterise the different ways in which they conceptualise the phenomenon of an effective early childhood environment. This work provided a valuable learning experience in the use of phenomenoeraphic methodology.