Research reveals that due to the intensifying demands of higher education work environments, academic staff are reporting increased levels of burnout and stress and decreasing wellbeing. Teacher educators are academic staff who are involved with teaching and research in the field of Initial Teacher Education (ITE). This scoping review aimed to draw together research about teacher educator wellbeing, stress and burnout, and to identify where there are gaps in evidence-based knowledge. This study revealed that teacher educator wellbeing, stress and burnout is a relatively new and under-researched area, and that there is a dearth of current evidence-based literature in this field. As a result of this finding, it is recommended that extensive qualitative and quantitative research be conducted to better understand teacher educator wellbeing, stress and burnout. It is hoped that this scoping review will drive innovation and reform in ITE by identifying what is known and unknown in the field, thus informing future research to better support teacher educator wellbeing.

In 2008, 201 beginning generalist teachers throughout Queensland, Australia, responded to a questionnaire intended to create a snapshot of current self-efficacy beliefs towards teaching music. Beginning teachers were asked to rank their perceived level of teacher self-efficacy for music, English and maths. Results were analysed through a series of repeated measures ANOVAs to compare the mean scores for statistical difference. Findings suggest that generalist beginning teacher self-efficacy for music declines as years of teaching experience increase, while teacher self-efficacy for English and maths increases during this period. Results provide key insights for teacher educators, school administrators and policy makers into the likelihood of long-term music teaching in the generalist classroom. Greater support is required to reverse the documented snapshot of low teacher self-efficacy for music education in Queensland generalist teacher classrooms.

Introduction This chapter introduces the life-course approach, defining developmental prevention and early intervention. Principles of prevention are discussed, including risk and protective factors, functional capabilities, contexts and the importance of prevention. Following this is a brief review of the effectiveness of the developmental approach, and some solutions are proposed to address the complexity of human development in enhancing the wellbeing of vulnerable groups. This chapter focuses mostly on the benefits that arise from interventions implemented in the early years (e.g. preschool) on outcomes well after intervention in later life (e.g. adolescence). The outcomes discussed mainly relate to non-health outcomes such as cognitive development, educational success, social-emotional development, deviance, social participation and family wellbeing. There is also a small discussion regarding the evidence on the mental health of Australian Indigenous children compared to non-Indigenous children. Policy Questions A number of important questions emerge when developing policy to improve the wellbeing of children. Two critical questions are: • What is it about individuals, families, communities and institutions (e.g. schools) that can adversely affect an individual's life and their wellbeing? • What measures can be implemented early in life to promote healthy development that enhances wellbeing? To begin to answer the first question, it is necessary to examine the key theories that explain differences in human developmental trajectories. The theories propose that the risk of adverse wellbeing exists within the individual as well as within the environment in which they live. Further, how the individual interacts with their environment is implicitly affected by a number of systems, including the family system, school and community systems, and the broader economic and political environments. Answering the second question involves a systematic review of the scientific evidence base. This exercise allows us to make objective assertions regarding efficacy of interventions in both the short-and long-term. Answering these questions goes some way towards developing strategies that allow for the adoption of a holistic approach aimed at promoting collective action in institutions of care and education, in order to enhance the wellbeing of vulnerable children. In Australia, the focus is often on those who present early manifestations of behavioural problems such as conduct disorder, are exposed to child abuse, sexual assault (either by an adult or another child) and domestic violence.

Quality in early childhood education is an important topic in many countries. Research suggests that high-quality preschool provides many long-term benefits for young children and society. How to measure early childhood quality however can be problematic. One approach has been the use of the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (ECERS), an observational scale of the learning environment created in the United States of America. The scale has been used in over 30 countries and translated into different languages. This article discusses cultural issues in relation to the use of ECERS-3 in Swedish preschools. While many of the indicators are easily transferable, some need cultural consideration. These include understanding the Swedish child perspective as expressed in the preschool curriculum, Swedish preschool design and Swedish pedagogy around interaction and safety issues. The article suggests that an adaptation of the scale is needed to be implemented effectively in the Swedish preschool context.

The Swedish preschool curriculum places strong emphasis on the home – preschool partnership and parent engagement in this regard is considered important for reasons such as promoting child well-being and a healthy development. The central target of inquiry of this study was thus to explores the three primary perspectives that interconnect in the preschool – home partnership (child, parent, teacher) and applies this exploration in order to better understand what parent engagement in preschool means to the child. Central to the study was determining the child’s position within the partnership, thus the theoretical framework of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was applied. Stories were collected through interviews which highlighted the interconnectedness of the three perspectives and analysed using story constellations. Through identifying harmonies and contradictions in the stories, the construct of children’s, parents and preschool teachers understanding of parent engagement in the Swedish preschool has been investigated, shedding light on the child’s sense of agency within the partnership.

In response to the increased demand for qualified early childhood educators in Queensland, many universities are being challenged to tailor make programs and identify innovative practices that support individuals interested in pursuing such a teaching qualification. Although research indicates that beliefs and perceptions are an important influence on pre-service teacher success in teacher education programs as well as in the workforce, little is known, however, about those of students as they enter early childhood education programs. This study focuses on the beliefs and perceptions that students bring to a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education (GDipECE) being offered at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. This snapshot provides key messages for teacher educators interested in improving the quality of teaching and learning.