To develop young children’s full potential, quality early childhood education has been found to be one of the greatest resources available. Early Childhood Professional Development: An African Perspective aims to explore ways to encourage the professionalization of practitioners in the ECD sector to provide opportunities for education improvement and positive change. The book’s value shifts from merely identifying and describing problems to providing creative real-life examples that could lead to action and mobilize existing skills and knowledge in rural and disadvantaged contexts.

PART 1: THE THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 1 - Early childhood education in South Africa: A historical overview
Chapter 2 - African theoretical perspectives: Ubuntu philosophy for early childhood education
Chapter 3 - African theoretical perspectives: Ubuntu pedagogy for early childhood education
Chapter 4 - The philosophical foundations of early childhood education
Chapter 5 - Theories of children's learning and development
Chapter 6 - Learning environments in the early years
Chapter 7 - Childhood education in a rural and disadvantaged context
Chapter 8 - Early childhood development policy trajectories in South Africa
Chapter 9 - Children’s voices in early childhood education setting

PART 2: THE PEDAGOGY OF EARLY YEARS EDUCATION
Chapter 10 - Gender issues and perspectives in the early years
Chapter 11 - Getting to the heart of early years’ transformative pedagogy: Policy directives for early 
childhood middle leaders
Chapter 12 - Movement play and outdoor play-based learning in early childhood education
Chapter 13 - STEAM education in the early years
Chapter 14 - The digital world in early childhood centers
Chapter 15 - Teaching life skills from zero to four years
Chapter 16 - Conversational language in the early years
Chapter 17 - Specific training on working in rural communities

PART 3: EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION WELL-BEING
Chapter 18 - Culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogies in early childhood education
Chapter 19 - Professional development for rural and disadvantaged contexts
Chapter 20 - Assessing, Observing, and Documenting in Early Childhood Education
Chapter 21 - Inclusive education and training for dealing with special needs children
Chapter 22 - Early childhood education for sustainable development
Chapter 23 - Understanding the world around the child
Chapter 24 - Holistic well-being in the early years
Chapter 25 - Identity and belonging in the early years

Part 4: MANAGEMENT ISSUES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROVISIONING
Chapter 26 - Nutrition and health in early childhood development
Chapter 27 - Financial management skills and training
Chapter 28 - The organizational structure of the early years center
Chapter 29 - Building organizational resilience and sustainability
Chapter 30 - Collaboration and partnerships in early childhood development
Chapter 31 - Parent-teacher collaboration in the early years
Chapter 32 - Educational inequality and community-based intervention strategies
Chapter 33 - Practitioner well-being: Challenges and prospects

ECD practitioners; preservice BEd students; Grade R diploma students; educational official and 
circuit managers