2016 Research Journal #1

WONG Kit-mei Betty,

Ph.D. The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

CHENG, Yuk-lin,

Ph.D. The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Editorial

There are six papers in the present volume of International Art in Early Childhood Research Journal. Four of the articles endeavour to explore the issue of developing early childhood educators’ ability and confidence to make and teach art. Gai Lindsay challenges the mistaken assumptions that influence early childhood educators’ visual art pedagogies and argues the need to support educators to evaluate critically the quality of visual art experiences offered to children. Jane Smyth and Diana Davis develop a mentoring programme which aims at building preschool teachers’ confidence in art teaching. Allison Ohlsen studies the influence of visual arts experiences on student teachers’ “attitudes, beliefs and perceptions of self-concept in the visual arts”, (Ohlsen 2016), while Sarah Probine conducts a case study on the evolvement of early childhood teachers’ visual arts pedagogies that value the role of visual art in children’s construction of knowledge.

The other two articles in this volume engage readers to rethink the power of art for young children. Kathy Danko-McGhee looks into the connection between art experiences and literacy development in infants. Kathy documents the learning process of babies and their parents in an art gallery. Through critical discussion on a series of theories and examples of artworks, Felicity McArdle challenges early childhood teachers, art educators and academics to reflect on their own theories and practices in early childhood art education.

While enjoying the articles, spare time to reflect and develop your own ideas on art for young children to share with us in The 7th Art in Early Childhood Conference in 2017.

WONG Kit-mei Betty, Ph.D.
The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

CHENG, Yuk-lin, Ph.D.
The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Andri. Savvi, University of Cyprus, Cyprus

Barbara Piscitelli

Bian Xia, Nanjing Normal University, China

Cheng Yuk-Lin (Editor), The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Cheung Lai-Ha Lily, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Christine Marmé Thompson, Penn State University, USA

Emese Hall, University of Exeter, United Kingdom

Felicity McArdle, Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Geraldine Burke, Monash University, Australia

Hsiao Ching-Yuan, National University of Tainan, Taiwan

Kathy Danko McGhee, First Encounters, USA

Lee Ching-Fang, National Chunghua University of Education, Taiwan

Linda Knight, University of Canberra, Australia

Lisa Terreni, University of Wellington, New Zealand

Lyndal O’Gorman, Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Margaret Brooks, University of New England, Australia

Robert Anthony Brown, University of Melbourne , Australia

Rosemary Richards, Australian Catholic University. Australia

Sinikka Rusanen, University of Helsinki, Finland

Victoria de Rijke, Middlesex University, London, UK

Wong Kit-Mei Betty (Editor), The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong