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Childhood studies is an attractive field for research but presents a number of challenges because it is multi‐disciplinary and eclectic. It offers many opportunities to make connections between mainstream historical, literary, cultural, sociological, educational, and bibliographical studies. As such, it can benefit from novelty and suffer from scholarly credibility over agenda and methodology. At its best, it sheds light on the cultural crosscurrents and assumptions of its time, and helps library professionals better understand their work with children.

This paper discusses the findings of a mixed-methods study of early childhood instructional coaches employed in state-funded preschool (aged three and four years) programs in the state of New Jersey (NJ) in the United States (US), highlighting a case study of one coach that provides an example of individual and organizational factors influencing the work.

An online survey was distributed to all coaches (master teachers) in 35 districts' early childhood programs. Two master teachers were then studied for a period of five months. During that time, three structured interviews were conducted, focused observations occurred each month, and coach logs were collected.

The findings of the data analyses illuminated both individual (i.e., a coach's own professional development) and organizational (i.e., varying interpretations of role) factors that influenced the work of the early childhood coaches.

The data in this paper is limited to one US state's approach to early childhood coaching. The case study data examined is limited to the contexts of the specific participating districts and master teachers involved. It is suggested that future research be conducted on a nationwide pool of instructional coaches.

The findings of this study highlight the role of the state in providing more guidance surrounding the primary responsibilities of the master teacher. It is suggested that further attention be placed on creating and sustaining a professional development network for the master teachers serving NJ's early childhood programs.

As one of the few statewide studies of instructional coaching in early childhood, this study provides insights into how policy is translated into practice.

Researchers argue that much of who we are is developed during childhood. Yet, little exploratory research has been conducted regarding the childhood experiences, activities, personalities, and perceptions of successful leaders. This paper aims to address this issue.

In‐depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with ten women university presidents to investigate perceptions and experiences related to the lifetime development of leadership skills, abilities, and competencies. The lived experiences of these women were investigated using the phenomenological research methodology so that “voices” could be heard and unique insights examined. This paper explores a portion of this research focused on childhood personalities, school and other activities, influential individuals, and significant events and challenges.

Results support the growth‐task model of human development. As children, the presidents were generally obedient, reflective, observant, smart, self‐directed, competitive, and moderately to highly confident. It was important for them to live up to their own expectations and those of significant adults around them. These women were involved in a variety of helpful activities as children and thrived on learning and developing new skills, knowledge, and capabilities. Other than their own parents, influential individuals during childhood included predominantly women (elementary school teachers, aunts, and grandmothers). The most helpful learning experiences involved challenging and difficult situations or events (e.g. illness, relocation, and fear).

By understanding these influences, practitioners can design more effective interventions dependent on an individual's background.

This paper provides valuable information for those interested in individual leadership development efforts centered on working with individuals interested in obtaining positions at the highest levels in higher education.

The purpose of this study is to construct a scale that is contextually suitable for measuring early childhood leadership in China.

Following a standard scale development procedure, both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were addressed. Qualitative data was collected from 21 semistructured interviews with formal and informal teacher leaders in Xiamen City, China. Using survey data of 120 respondents and 305 respondents, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted twice to determine the underlying factorial structure of the scale. A further sample of 317 respondents were used to test the latent structure and validity of the scale using confirmatory factor analysis.

Based on the results from reliability and validity tests, this study indicates that the scale demonstrates sound psychometric properties. A three-factor model was determined, including staff management and development, peer learning and support and communication with parents.

The scale is the first of its kind for measuring early childhood leadership in China.

Students often do not understand the relevance of social studies, are not interested in it, and some early childhood students confuse it with other disciplines. Various external and internal factors prevent teachers from providing meaningful social studies instruction; however, practical solutions can be approached more appropriately and interestingly through collaboration. A team of second grade teachers’ participation in lesson study, a 50 plus-year old Japanese collaborative model, and implications of their activities for 41 students are reported in this interpretative case study. Data concerning students’ perceptions of their social studies classroom environments and attitudes about social studies lessons were collected before and after the lesson study, using surveys and focus group interviews. There were slight changes, both positive and negative, in students’ perceptions of their social studies learning environments, though they were puzzled about the discipline of social studies. Early childhood stakeholders benefit from learning what young students articulate about social studies and social studies learning environments. The description of team collaboration, with early childhood social studies, could be helpful also to teachers engaging in job-embedded professional development.

This paper aims to examine the prevalence of child sexual exploitation (CSE) and factors connected in a young adult population, through a series of connected studies. Each study considered exposure to poly-victimisation. The series of studies focussed on a number of factors felt to impact vulnerability and protective factors towards CSE. Specifically caregiver bonds, resilience and attachment style, adolescent risk-taking, quality of caregiver bonds, level/type of supportive relationships and positive schemas, as well as the impact of CSE disclosure and links to attachment style and maladaptive schemas.

These studies looked at a young adult population, mainly women. Study one (n = 263), study two (n = 138) and study three (n = 211), predominantly collected via a series of online measures.

Findings demonstrated that around half of children under 16 years had been approached sexually by an adult, with approximately one in four children subsequently exploited. Various results were noted, such as experiencing a primary caregiver as lacking in warmth and affection was associated with those reporting CSE, with further exposure to poly-victimisation contributing to a less functional coping style and insecure attachments. CSE was not associated with higher levels of adolescent risk-taking, poor bonds with the primary caregiver, fewer important childhood relationships and positive schemas.

This paper notes the importance of addressing the functions of behaviours for victims, to reduce re-victimisation risk. It noted the importance of applying theory when working with this population. It introduced the protect and vulnerability model against CSE and has practical applications for professionals working with victims of CSE. This paper argues the importance of individualised assessments for children who are deemed to be “at-risk” of CSE.

Findings were combined to propose the protection against the CSE model and the application of this to intervention and future research is acknowledged.

This study is a result of working with a first-grade teacher, Ellen Stubblefield, who plans, implements, and evaluates a modified Reggio Emilia approach. She documents students’ learning through visual means. In tandem with a kindergarten teacher, Glenda Watson, early childhood learners question and reflect about their community history and that of Harlem primarily through folk art but also in music, poetry, literature, and architecture. Students inquire about historical events in the Harlem Renaissance and connected it to Hoover, Alabama. They deconstruct art works, replicate their favorites, learn the history of the Harlem Renaissance, map Harlem, write about artists, visit the local museum’s exhibit of folk art and make comparisons to their community. Ultimately, they educated peers and parents about the diversity of the people who made Harlem such a wonderful community. As educators, we learn the most. We see young children can begin historical understanding with an active learning/research approach.

Early childhood social studies students deserve to learn in a powerful, in-depth fashion about their interests with teachers who facilitate cognitive and affective growth. Humanistic teachers offer democratic learning experiences characterized by exploration and inquiry within a challenging and caring environment. Growth toward acceptance of all types of diversity and every classmate is featured. Through discussion about social studies topics, learners proceed to graphically represent what they learn. This powerful social studies learning is found in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The tenets, strategies, and approaches are easily transferable and modified to create powerful and exemplar early childhood social studies learning for social rights and social justice. Early childhood is the perfect place to set social justice learning in motion.

Psychological developmental informed theories imply that addiction is not exclusively due to the addictive properties of the substance but that early psycho-social experiences are influential on later life. The purpose of this paper is to understand substance dependency, relapse and recovery amongst community-based substance using offenders in relation to their childhoods, relationships and significant life events, from their perspective. A key aim was to help better inform policy and practice.

A qualitative study (interpretative phenomenological analysis) was used to understand the impact of childhood, relationships and significant life events amongst (N = 17) adult ex/offenders with substance use dependency problems, (who were part of the UK Government rehabilitation programme), to understand their substance use and recovery from their own perspectives.

Four main superordinate themes were developed illustrating participants extremely adverse childhoods. Substance use was a means to cope with current and past trauma and crises and to help manage the emotions and mental health which could accompany these difficulties. Managing recovery was about learning to manage life itself, including emotions, mental health problems, trauma/responses, relationships and everyday life.

This group is under researched where qualitative methods have been used. The study focussed on early-psycho-social experiences and relationships and the influence of these throughout the life cycle, in relation to their substance use. The study was informed by theories often used in therapeutic settings but rarely in research, (Orford, 2008; Khantzian, 2012; Flores, 2012, Van Der Kolk, 2014).

This paper seeks to report from a qualitative study of the global television concept Pop Idol with the aim of evaluating children's and teenagers' involvement as consumers, both in their roles in purchasing goods and services, and being targets for well‐designed promotional activities.

Based on content analysis and interviews with children, the paper analyses the dynamics between marketing strategies, program content and child audiences.

The paper discusses how young consumers distinguish between two “regimes of truth” in the television concept: first the creation of a superstar, and second the broader phenomenon that Pop Idol represents, which is mainly about creating consumers through participation.

The paper contributes to acknowledging children's perspectives and childhood as not only valuable but necessary to inform consumer research, since children are deeply and unavoidably enmeshed in consumption in fundamental ways.