Psychological and Physiological Stress and Stressors in Early Childhood Educators: An Observational Pilot Study.

While early childhood educators' mental health is important, it may also affect the well-being and education of their students. Yet, little research has described the stress and stressors of early childhood educators (ECEs), particularly as the pandemic wanes. This pilot study aimed to (1) describe ECEs' psychological and physiological stress and (2) examine the association between ECEs' psychological and physiological stress levels with stressors. A convenience sample of 67 ECEs, serving children 0-5 years old from 13 early educational centers completed surveys on psychological stress (perceived stress, anxiety, and depression), stressors (economic hardship, food insecurity, adverse childhood experiences), and demographics in Fall 2021. A subsample of ECEs provided hair samples, analyzed for cortisol, to estimate physiologic stress. Regarding stress, 63% met the criteria for major depressive disorder and 41% for generalized anxiety disorder. Only 26% were taking medications to manage mental health. About 25% experienced the stressors of food insecurity and economic hardship; 80% experienced at least one adverse childhood experience. Only education level significantly predicted perceived stress and depression - above and beyond stressors, household income, race, and age. The results have policy and practice implications for implementing evidence-based solutions to buffer stress and stressors in early childhood educators.

Effect of capacity building interventions on classroom teacher and early childhood educator perceived capabilities, knowledge, and attitudes relating to physical activity and fundamental movement skills: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Capacity building may play an important role in improving classroom teachers' and early childhood educators' (ECE) capacity to implement physical activity and FMS interventions. Capacity building is the development of knowledge, skills, and structures to improve the capability of individuals and organisations to achieve effective health promotion. This review aimed to determine the efficacy of capacity building interventions on teachers' and ECEs' perceived capabilities, knowledge, and attitudes relating to physical activity and fundamental movement skills. METHODS: An exhaustive literature search of six electronic databases was conducted. Controlled, single-group pre-post studies were included if they measured the effect of a capacity building intervention on in-service or pre-service classroom teachers' (primary or secondary) or ECEs' physical activity or fundamental skills related perceived capabilities, knowledge, or attitudes. The effects of interventions were synthesised using random effects meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression was conducted to determine if the effects differed based on study design, type of teacher (ECE vs. primary school), or teacher level (pre-service vs. in-service). RESULTS: A total of 22 studies reporting on 25 unique samples were included in the meta-analyses. Only studies reporting on ECEs and primary school teachers were identified. Interventions most commonly included training/professional development, resources and toolkits, communities of practice, mentorships, and ongoing support. Results showed that capacity building interventions significantly improved teachers' and ECEs' perceived capabilities (g = 0.614, 95% CI = 0.442, 0.786), knowledge (g = 0.792 95% CI = 0.459, 1.125), and attitudes (g = 0.376 95% CI = 0.181, 0.571). The effects did not differ significantly as a function of any of the moderators examined. CONCLUSION: Findings from this review provide strong support that capacity building interventions are efficacious at improving teachers' and ECEs' perceived capabilities, knowledge, and attitudes related to promoting physical activity and teaching fundamental movement skills. Pre-service teachers and ECEs should be provided training in physical activity and fundamental movement skills as part of their degrees, and continual professional development and capacity building should be offered to in-service teachers and ECEs to promote physical activity and fundamental movement skills in children.

eHealth Tools Supporting Early Childhood Education and Care Centers to Assess and Enhance Nutrition and Physical Activity Environments: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Many children today are growing up in environments that predispose them to develop noncommunicable diseases. While no single preventive solution exists, evidence supports interventions in childcare settings for establishing good nutrition and physical activity behaviors as a "critical window" that could reduce the risk of developing noncommunicable diseases later in life. Emerging eHealth tools have shown potential in promoting best practices for nutrition and physical activity environments in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this review is to map the breadth of available evidence on eHealth tools currently available to assess and support best practices for nutrition, physical activity, or both in ECEC settings and to highlight potential research directions. METHODS: This scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual for Scoping Reviews with adherence to the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist guidelines. Eligibility is based on the Population, Concept, and Context criteria as follows: (1) early childhood educators (population); (2) eHealth (digital) technology, such as websites, smartphone apps, email, and social media (concept); and (3) measurement and intervention tools to support best practices for nutrition, physical activity, or both in ECEC settings (context). The information sources for this review are the bibliographic databases PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL Plus, ERIC, and Embase in English and French with no date restrictions. Following this, a scan of gray literature will be undertaken. The electronic search strategy was developed in collaboration with two librarians. Two independent reviewers will screen the titles and abstracts of all relevant publications against inclusion criteria, followed by a full-text review using a data extraction tool developed by the reviewers. A synthesis of included papers will describe the publication, assessment, and intervention tool details. A summary of the findings will describe the types of eHealth assessment tools available, psychometric properties, eHealth intervention components, and theoretical frameworks used for development. RESULTS: Preliminary searches of bibliographic databases to test and calibrate the search were carried out in May 2023. Study selection based on titles and abstracts was started in August 2023. The developed search strategy will guide our search for gray literature. The findings will be presented in visualized data map format, waffle chart, or tabular format accompanied by a narrative discussion. The scoping review is planned for completion in 2024. CONCLUSIONS: A structured review of the literature will provide a summary of the range and type of eHealth tools available for ECEC programs to assess and improve nutrition environments, physical activity environments, or both in order to identify gaps in the current evidence base and provide insights to guide future intervention research. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework XTRNZ; https://osf.io/xtrnz. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/52252.

Looking through the lens: a photovoice study examining access to services for newcomer children.

PURPOSE: Canadian new immigrant families (also known as newcomers) encounter challenges navigating systems when trying to access programmes critical for their children's healthy development. The purpose of this study is to understand how newcomer families find and use early childhood programmes and services from the perspective of families and early childhood educators (ECEs) working within a settlement organization. METHODS: Using photovoice methodology, newcomer family members (n = 8) with young children and ECEs (n = 6) participated in a series of virtual workshops to share photos and reflect on their experiences. RESULTS: Participants discussed the systemic barriers that obstructed newcomer families' access to services for young newcomer children. Financial challenges due to unemployment/underemployment, language and cultural differences were emphasized. Despite these barriers and challenges, participants shared how culturally responsive programmes enhanced their connections to programmes and services. Both groups of participants discussed the critical role of social networks in supporting newcomers to use programmes by helping families become aware of available services and assistance with various processes such as registration. CONCLUSIONS: This research illustrates the lived experiences of newcomer families and identifies opportunities to address inequities, improve early childhood programmes, and enhance families' access to programmes and services.

Early Childhood Educators' Knowledge, Self-Efficacy and Risk Tolerance for Outdoor Risky Play Following a Professional Risk Re-Framing Workshop.

Children's outdoor risky play is important for healthy development. However, Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) concern for child safety often restricts risky play affordances during childcare. To reduce this trend, an Outdoor Play Risk Re-Framing workshop was delivered to ECEs in London, Ontario, and the immediate/short-term impact of the workshop on ECEs' knowledge, self-efficacy, and risk tolerance for engaging children in outdoor risky play was examined. Via a natural experiment, using a quasi-experimental design, ECEs in the experimental group (n = 119) completed an Outdoor Play Risk Re-Framing workshop, while ECEs in the comparison group (n = 51) continued their typical curriculum. All ECEs completed the same survey assessing their knowledge (n = 11 items), self-efficacy (n = 15 items), and risk tolerance (n = 27 items) at baseline and 1-week post-intervention. A maximum likelihood linear mixed effects model was conducted, while deductive content analysis was used for open-ended items. The workshop intervention resulted in significant improvements in ECEs' self-efficacy (p = 0.001); however, no significant changes were observed for knowledge (i.e., awareness and practices; p = 0.01 and p = 0.49, respectively) or risk tolerance (p = 0.20). Qualitative data revealed similar findings across both groups, highlighting physical development as a benefit to outdoor risky play and fear of liability as a barrier. In conclusion, providing ECEs with an Outdoor Play Risk Re-Framing workshop shows promise for supporting their self-efficacy to promote this behavior but does not impact ECEs' knowledge or risk tolerance to lead outdoor risky play.

Professional Development in Phonological Awareness for Early Childhood Educators in Low-Income, Urban Classrooms: A Pilot Study Examining Dosage Effects.

Providing high-quality literacy instruction in early childhood may positively affect the long-term outcomes of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Previous research has shown that educators are generally lacking in their own phonological awareness knowledge and skills which could negatively impact the provision of effective instruction in code-focused early literacy skills. The purposes of this pilot study were to examine the effects of differing dosages of professional development in phonological awareness on early childhood educators' (ECEs) own phonological awareness skills and instructional practices, and to examine the effects on child outcomes. The comparison group consisted of 10 ECEs who were receiving professional development in emergent literacy and a sample of 59 children from their classrooms. The intervention group was composed of 10 similar ECEs who were in the same general professional development program but received an increased dosage of training focused on phonological awareness, and a sample of 53 children from their classrooms. Results showed that ECEs in the intervention group exhibited significantly greater improvements in their own phonological awareness skills and the quality of their instructional practices than the comparison group of ECEs. In addition, children in the intervention classrooms exhibited significantly larger gains on phonological awareness skills and upper-case alphabet knowledge. The results suggest that providing increased dosages of professional development focused on code-focused early literacy skills benefits both the ECEs and children in their classrooms. Implications of the current study and directions for future research are discussed.

'Staying Afloat': A Mixed Methods Study of the Financial and Psychological Well-being of Early Childhood Educators.

Early childhood educators play a critical role in the lives of young children, especially through their sensitive interactions. Educators' capacities to engage in high-quality interactions are shaped by their mental health. Studies examining early childhood educators' mental health often focus on psychopathology or negative aspects of mental health, despite the importance of understanding mental health through a well-being lens. This study explores the connection between two important areas of well-being: psychological and financial well-being. Using mixed methods, we examined 123 early childhood educators' financial well-being and psychological well-being. Financial well-being predicted psychological well-being, but the relationship was curvilinear; those with the highest and lowest financial well-being had the highest psychological well-being. Qualitative findings suggest possible buffers for psychological well-being among educators with low-financial well-being and highlight struggles of those with low psychological well-being. Implications for how early childhood educators' well-being might be supported with policy and practice initiatives are discussed. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10643-022-01429-9.

Programa de acompanhamento de educadoras de berçário: relato de experiência / Monitoring program for nursery educators: experience report / Programa de monitoreo de educadores de guardería: reporte de experiencia

O presente estudo tem por objetivo apresentar o Programa de Acompanhamento de Educadoras de Berçário - PROACEB e relatar a experiência de sua implementação, baseado em um estudo realizado com 32 educadoras que atendiam bebês. O PROACEB é fundamentado na abordagem de pikleriana e tem como finalidade promover a qualidade das interações educadora-bebê durante os cuidados básicos. Está organizado em módulos, embasados nos três princípios da abordagem pikleriana: 1) atividade autônoma do bebê; 2) organização do ambiente; 3) competências da educadora e o vínculo seguro com o bebê. Evidências dos relatos das educadoras indicam que o PROACEB se mostrou promissor como um programa inicial de formação continuada de educadoras de berçário, uma vez que vai ao encontro das demandas dos bebês e das profissionais.

This study aims to present the Mentoring Program for Nursery Educators - MPNE and to detail its implementation, based on a study carried out with 32 educators who attended to babies. MPNE is based on the Piklerian approach and aims to promote the quality of child-educator interactions during basic care. It is organized into modules, based on three principles of the piklerian approach: 1) autonomous baby activity; 2) organization of the environment; 3) the teacher's skills and the security bond with the baby. Evidence from the educators' speeches indicates that MPNE has shown to be useful as a starting point for addressing important knowledge and skills for a child-educator quality interaction.

Este estudio tiene como objetivo presentar el Programa de Monitoreo de Educadores de Guardería - PROACEB y detallar su implementación, a partir de un estudio realizado con 32 educadores infantiles. El PROACEB se basa en el enfoque Pikleriano y tiene como propósito promover la calidad de las interacciones educadora-infante durante la atención básica. Está organizado en módulos, basados en los tres principios del enfoque pikleriano: 1) actividad autónoma del bebé; 2) organización del ambiente; 3) las habilidades de la educadora y el vínculo seguro con el bebé. La evidencia de los informes de los educadores indica que PROACEB se ha mostrado prometedor como un programa de educación continua inicial para los educadores de guardeías, ya que satisface las demandas de los bebés y de los profesionales.

Workplace Bullying in Early Childhood Education Settings: Prevalence and Protective Factors.

Workplace bullying in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector is a pervasive and significant issue in Australia and globally. Workplace bullying can negatively impact early childhood professionals' mental health, contributing to staff turnover and attrition. Given the current, and predicted, future shortages of ECEC staff, it is critical that strategies be implemented to support staff well-being and maintain healthy and safe workplaces. The aims of this study were to examine the current prevalence of workplace bullying in the ECEC sector in Australia and to identify protective workplace factors associated with lower prevalence of workplace bullying. Using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, findings are drawn from qualitative and quantitative survey questions within a large study on ECEC educators' well-being conducted in Australia. Participants were 591 early childhood professionals working in ECEC a variety of ECEC settings. Findings indicated that 24.6% of respondents reported experiencing workplace bullying and that most bullying was perpetrated by co-workers. Some workplace factors were related to lower rates of bullying, including positive teamwork, better supervisor relations, lower work-related stressors and having greater influence on workplace decisions. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to informing policy and practices to address workplace bullying in the ECEC sector by identifying aspects of the workplace that serve as protective factors.

L'intimidation au travail dans le secteur de l'éducation et de la garde des jeunes enfants (EAJE) est un problème omniprésent et important en Australie et dans le monde. L'intimidation au travail peut avoir un impact négatif sur la santé mentale des professionnels de la petite enfance, contribuant au roulement et à l'attrition du personnel. Compte tenu des pénuries actuelles et prévues de personnel d'EAJE, il est essentiel que des stratégies soient mises en oeuvre pour soutenir le bien-être du personnel et maintenir des lieux de travail sains et sûrs. Les objectifs de cette étude étaient d'examiner la prévalence actuelle de l'intimidation au travail dans le secteur de l'EAJE en Australie et d'identifier les facteurs de protection sur le lieu de travail associés à une prévalence plus faible de l'intimidation au travail. En utilisant une conception de méthodes mixtes parallèles convergentes, les résultats sont tirés de questions d'enquête qualitatives et quantitatives dans le cadre d'une vaste étude sur le bienêtre des éducateurs de l'EAJE menée en Australie. Les participants étaient 591 professionnels de la petite enfance travaillant dans divers contextes d'EAJE. Les résultats ont indiqué que 24,6 % des répondants ont déclaré avoir été victimes d'intimidation au travail et que la plupart des intimidations étaient perpétrées par des collègues. Certains facteurs liés au lieu de travail étaient liés à des taux plus faibles d'intimidation, notamment un travail d'équipe positif, de meilleures relations avec les superviseurs, des facteurs de stress liés au travail moins élevés et une plus grande influence sur les décisions en milieu de travail. Les implications des résultats sont discutées par rapport à la politique et aux pratiques d'information pour lutter contre l'intimidation au travail dans le secteur de l'EAJE en identifiant les aspects du lieu de travail qui servent de facteurs de protection.

Implementation of an e-Learning course in physical activity and sedentary behavior for pre- and in-service early childhood educators: Evaluation of the TEACH pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Childcare-based physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) interventions have traditionally used in-person training to supplement early childhood educators' (ECEs) knowledge and confidence to facilitate physically active programming for the children in their care. However, this method of delivery is resource-intensive and unable to reach a high number of ECEs. The purpose of the Training pre-service EArly CHildhood educators in PA (TEACH) pilot study was to test the implementation (e.g., fidelity, feasibility, acceptability) of an e-Learning course targeting PA and SB among a sample of pre-service (i.e., post-secondary students) and in-service (i.e., practicing) ECEs in Canada. METHODS: A pre-/post-study design was adopted for this pilot study, and implementation outcomes were assessed cross-sectionally at post-intervention. Pre-service ECEs were purposefully recruited from three Canadian colleges and in-service ECEs were recruited via social media. Upon completing the e-Learning course, process evaluation surveys (n = 32 pre-service and 121 in-service ECEs) and interviews (n = 3 pre-service and 8 in-service ECEs) were completed to gather ECEs' perspectives on the e-Learning course. Fidelity was measured via e-Learning course metrics retrieved from the web platform. Descriptive statistics were calculated for quantitative data, and thematic analysis was conducted to analyze qualitative data. RESULTS: Moderate-to-high fidelity to the TEACH study e-Learning course was exhibited by pre-service (68%) and in-service (63%) ECEs. Participants reported that the course was highly acceptable, compatible, effective, feasible, and appropriate in complexity; however, some ECEs experienced technical difficulties with the e-Learning platform and noted a longer than anticipated course duration. The most enjoyed content for pre- and in-service ECEs focused on outdoor play (87.5% and 91.7%, respectively) and risky play (84.4% and 88.4%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate the value of e-Learning for professional development interventions for ECEs. Participant feedback will be used to make improvements to the TEACH e-Learning course to improve scalability of this training.

Can We Talk About Life Without Taking Death Into Account? Early Childhood Educators' Self-Perceived Ability to Approach the Topic of Death With Children.

The current explorative cross-sectional study evaluated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of early childhood educators towards death education and their self-perceived comfort to approach the topic of death in the classroom. All data were collected from June to July 2020. One hundred eight (108) early childhood educators participated in the study. The study was promoted through early childhood educators' support groups and social networks. Demographic characteristics, an ad hoc questionnaire, and the Greek version of the Death Attitude Profile-R questionnaire were used to assess the educators' comfort and attitudes. Results showed that participants' self-perceived ability to approach the topic of death in the classroom was affected by gender and personal attitudes towards death (specifically death avoidance and fear of death). Overall, this study emphasized early childhood educators' role in extreme situations which their students may face as death.

Impact of an outdoor loose parts intervention on Nova Scotia preschoolers' fundamental movement skills: a multi-methods randomized controlled trial.

Development of fundamental movement skills in early childhood supports lifelong health. The potential for outdoor play with loose parts to enhance fundamental movement skills has not been investigated. A multi-methods randomized controlled design was used to determine the efficacy of integrating outdoor loose parts play into Nova Scotia childcare centers (19 sites: 11 interventions, 8 control). Movement skills (n = 209, age 3-5 years) were assessed over a 6-month period to investigate changes in fundamental movement skills over time and between groups. Qualitative data was also collected on the educators' perceptions of outdoor loose parts play. Quantitative data (fundamental movement skills) revealed a non-intervention effect, however, educators spoke of outdoor loose parts play providing opportunities to combine/ repeat movements and take risks; supporting physical, cognitive and socio-emotional (holistic) development; and increasing awareness of children's physical development and how to support it. Our findings demonstrate value in outdoor loose parts play for the development of fundamental movement skills in childcare settings.

Implementation Adherence and Perspectives of the Childcare PhysicaL ActivitY (PLAY) Policy: A Process Evaluation.

The Childcare PhysicaL ActivitY (PLAY) policy was an evidence-informed, eight-item institutional-level policy document targeting children's physical activity, outdoor play, and sedentary time. Nine childcare centers in London, Ontario, participated in this cluster, randomized controlled trial. Early Childhood Educators allocated to the experimental group, from five childcare centers in London, Ontario, implemented the policy for young children (18 months to 4 years) for 8 weeks and documented adherence to each policy item (i.e., dose) in daily logs. Program evaluation surveys (n = 21) and interviews (n = 10) were completed postintervention to assess Early Childhood Educators' perspectives of feasibility, context, enjoyment, communication between researchers and childcare staff, and likelihood of future implementation. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and thematic analysis was conducted. Adherence to policy items ranged from 16.5% (for delivery of shorter, more frequent outdoor periods) to 85.9% (for delivery of unstructured/child-directed play). Participants reported effective communication between the research team and childcare centers (0 = not at all effective to 5 = very effective; M = 4.20; SD = 0.83) but noted that they were unlikely to continue the implementation of more frequent outdoor periods (0 = not at all likely to 5 = extremely likely; M = 2.19; SD = 1.21). Interview themes included weather as a prominent barrier and the use of verbal prompts as a solution for implementing the policy. As this was a small and short-term intervention, this pilot study offers important insight on larger scale policy interventions aimed at increasing physical activity and minimizing sedentary time among children enrolled in childcare.

Physical Activity, Physical Well-Being, and Psychological Well-Being: Associations with Life Satisfaction during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Early Childhood Educators.

Seeking personal well-being and life satisfaction during a global pandemic can be daunting, such is the case for early care and education teachers who were considered non-health care essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The potential changes in their physical activity, along with their overall physical and psychological well-being, may have ultimately influenced their life satisfaction. These changes included the potential for increased sedentary behaviors. Despite the high health risks associated with these factors during the pandemic, the role of physical activity in early care and education teachers' well-being and life satisfaction remains largely unknown. The purpose of this study is to examine the associations of physical activity and sedentary behaviors with teacher well-being and life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, we explored two competing models of the relationship between the teachers' physical activity, well-being, and life satisfaction, one with physical activity as a mediator and the other with teachers' well-being as a mediator. An online survey, that collected information on physical, psychological, and professional well-being, job demands, and life satisfaction, was completed by 1434 US ECE teachers in 46 states. To test our hypothesized models, we conducted confirmatory factor analyses, followed by structural equation modeling. Of the respondents, 77% were overweight or obese and only 39% met the recommended 150 min of moderate physical activity per week. They had a mean life satisfaction score that qualifies as slight satisfaction, they experience moderate stress, and, collectively, are approaching the threshold for depression yet still reflect moderate-to-high work commitment. The empirical test of our competing mediation models found the model where teacher well-being mediated the association between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and life satisfaction was the superior model. The relationships between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and overall well-being suggest that these modifiable risk factors can be addressed such that early care and education teachers can improve their overall physical and psychological well-being, along with their life satisfaction.

Measuring Early Childhood Educators' Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior-Related Self-Efficacy: A Systematic Review of Tools.

Early childhood educators' (ECEs) self-efficacy is often predictive of their ability and likelihood of promoting healthy activity behaviors in childcare settings. To date, ECEs' physical activity and sedentary behavior-related self-efficacy has been measured in a variety of ways in childcare-based research, creating difficulty when comparing across studies. To identify the different approaches ECEs' self-efficacy is assessed, the current study aimed to compare all existing tools that quantitatively measure physical activity and sedentary behavior-related self-efficacy of pre- and in-service ECEs. Seven online databases were searched for original, peer-reviewed, English-written journal articles. Articles were deemed eligible if they employed a tool which measured physical activity and/or sedentary behavior-related self-efficacy of pre- or in-service ECEs. A total of 16 studies were included in this review, and 13 unique tools were identified. All tools measured task self-efficacy (n = 13), while only 1 tool measured barrier self-efficacy, and approximately half of the tools (n = 7; 54%) reported on the validity and reliability. Great variability existed among the self-efficacy items included in the tools; however, common constructs included: teaching/leading physical activity, fundamental movement skill development, and physical activity programming. Very few tools mentioned sedentary behavior (n = 2) and outdoor/risky play (n = 2). Given the low number of studies that tested validity and reliability of their self-efficacy tools, the lack of consideration for barrier self-efficacy, and the paucity of tools that fully encompassed physical activity, sedentary behavior, and outdoor play considerations for ECEs, future research is needed to validate a new, reliable tool.

Impact of the Childcare Physical Activity (PLAY) Policy on Young Children's Physical Activity and Sedentary Time: A Pilot Clustered Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: The importance of daily physical activity is crucial for healthy development during the early years. Currently, a formal written physical activity policy is lacking in Canadian childcare centers, but holds promise for offering consistent physical activity opportunities. With eight recommendations, the Childcare PLAY policy is an evidence-informed, institutional-level document, targeting children's physical activity, outdoor play, and sedentary time. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the Childcare Physical Activity (PLAY) policy on the physical activity and sedentary time of young children (18 months-4 years) in childcare. Methods: Nine childcare centers in London, Ontario participated in the cluster, randomized controlled trial. The centers in the control condition (n = 4) continued their typical daily routines, while the centers in the intervention condition (n = 5) implemented the PLAY policy for eight weeks. To assess physical activity levels, toddlers and preschoolers wore ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers for five consecutive days during childcare hours, at baseline, mid- and post-intervention, and at the six-month follow-up. Raw accelerometry data were converted to 15 s epochs, and age- and device-specific cut-points were applied. The participants with two or more days of at least 5 h/day of wear-time at baseline, and at one additional time point, were included in the linear mixed-effects models. An adjusted alpha (p < 0.017) was used to account for multiple comparison bias. Results: A total of 148 children (31.92 ± 7.41 months) had valid accelerometry data. The intervention resulted in a significant increase in light physical activity among the participants in the experimental group at the six-month follow-up (+1.07 min/h, an 11.16% increase; p = 0.0017). The intervention did not have a statistically significant effect on the total physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, or sedentary time. Conclusions: The findings indicate that the Childcare PLAY policy was effective at increasing the toddlers' and preschoolers' light physical activity. This pilot intervention appears promising for supporting some improved movement behaviors among children in childcare settings; however, additional investigations are needed to explore the feasibility and effectiveness with larger and more-diverse samples.

Emotional Competence of Early Childhood Educators and Child Socio-Emotional Wellbeing.

BACKGROUND: Early childhood educators are attachment figures for babies and play an important role in emotion socialization. This study aims to analyze the role of educators as emotional socializers and its relationship with infants' social competence and attachment security, considering various characteristics of educators (age, years of experience, level of knowledge of development and parenting) and the context (day-care center-family communication). METHODS: 563 infants attending day-care centers (age: M = 25.98 months SD = 5.41) and their 223 early childhood educators (age: M = 42.61 SD = 11.02) took part in this study. The educators completed: CEESQ-Crèche Educator Emotional Style Questionnaire, Information Sources Questionnaire, two sub-scales of KIDI-Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory, QRS-F-Questionnaire on the Relationship between Services and Families, QPI-Questionnaire on Peer Interactions, and AQS-Attachment-Q-Sort. RESULTS: Results showed that the educator's coaching style has a relationship with attachment security and social skills and is positively correlated with the educators' emotional self-efficacy and with the level of communication between day-care centers and families, while the correlation with knowledge of parenting is weak. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of enhancing not only educators' knowledge about educative strategies, but above all their emotional competence to promote children adaptation to day-care centers.

Early Childhood Educators' Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The importance of Early Childhood (EC) educators' wellbeing has been brought into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic, as educators have navigated numerous additional stressors while providing education and care services for some children and ongoing support for many others learning at home. This study aimed to explore the impact of the pandemic on EC educators' wellbeing and educator-child relationships, as growing evidence shows the influence of these factors on children's developmental outcomes. In July 2020, members of a Research Network of EC Professionals-who previously identified educator wellbeing as a priority issue-were invited to participate in an online survey. The survey included two published, validated scales: the Early Childhood Professional Wellbeing scale (ECPW) and the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (modified). Survey items about educators' experiences during the pandemic were also included. Two hundred and thirty-two EC educators from across Australia completed the survey, mostly from Victoria where lockdowns were most severe. Linear regression analysis demonstrated stronger professional wellbeing was associated with less conflict in educator-child relationships and lower risk of staff turnover. This was more likely to be experienced by senior or more experienced staff. Although a negative impact of COVID-19 was reported, ECPW scores were relatively high, and organizational structures supporting professional wellbeing were most strongly associated with lower risk of turnover (r = 0.63, p < 0.001). Findings highlight that supporting EC educators' wellbeing is essential for workforce retention, and for promoting quality educator-child relationships which are central to young children's learning and development.

Distance Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey: Identifying the Needs of Early Childhood Educators.

This study aims to identify the needs of early childhood educators regarding distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic. This basic qualitative research was carried out with a study group of 24 early childhood educators, all of whom were determined via a maximum variation sampling method. The study data were gathered via interviews conducted with the participants and analyzed through an inductive approach. The study findings showed that early childhood educators need to improve their technological competencies, have more interactive resources at their disposal, be able to take advantage of a user-friendly educational platform specifically designed for the early childhood period, be provided with the resources to serve families, and have support for their psychological well-being. Considering the essential role of teachers, which the COVID-19 pandemic has called to mind, it is of vital importance to meet the abovementioned needs so as to improve the quality of distance education in early childhood.

Table Talk: revision of an observational tool to characterize the feeding environment in early care and education settings.

OBJECTIVE: The Table Talk tool is an observational assessment of early care and education teacher (ECET) mealtime practices. The Table Talk Revised (TT-R) tool incorporates new constructs that emerged from qualitative research and teases apart existing categories to improve nuance of data capture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the TT-R, document interrater reliability for the TT-R, and report on ECET feeding communications in broader settings than previously studied (i.e., beyond a single Lunch and Head Start only). METHODS: Trained observers conducted mealtime observations in classrooms (Nclassroms = 63, 10 sites) during Breakfast and two Lunches for both Lead and Assistant ECETs (N = 126). Classrooms were spread across Head Start in an urban area (60%), Head Starts in a rural area (24%), and a state-funded preschool (16%). RESULTS: On average, there were 22.17 (SD = 10.92) total verbal feeding communications at Breakfast, 37.72 (SD = 15.83) at Lunch1, and 34.39 (SD = 15.05) at Lunch2 with meals averaging 25 min. The most commonly observed supportive statement category was Exploring Foods for Lead (Breakfast = 1.61, Lunch1 = 3.23, Lunch2 = 2.70) and Assistant ECETs (Breakfast = .89, Lunch1 = 2.03) except for Lunch2 which was Encourages Trying in a Positive Way (Lunch2 = 1.30). The most commonly observed unsupportive statement category was Firm Behavioral Control for both Lead (Breakfast = 3.61, Lunch1 = 5.84, Lunch2 = 5.51) and Assistants ECETs (Breakfast = 3.11, Lunch1 = 6.38, Lunch2 = 4.32). The majority of Interclass Correlation Coefficients indicating interrater reliability were in the excellent range (64%) for commonly occurring statement categories, and 14 of the 19 low frequency statement categories had > 80% agreement. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Overall, items added to the Table Talk tool performed well, and interrater reliability was favorable. Our study also documented differences between Lead and Assistant teachers in mealtime practices and illustrated differing patterns of interaction between lunches and breakfast, important findings to inform future research and practice. The TT-R may be a useful measurement tool for monitoring and evaluating ECET practices in mealtime environments as well as informing intervention.