Post-Structuralist Perspective

Experience

An experience that suits a post-structural perspective was when I was in Year 3. I found out that

learning information and processing was difficult for myself. I was assigned my first ever assignment

about rainforests, everyone around me was so excited and knew exactly what they were going to

do while I was still processing what the actual assignment was. I remember the due date getting

closer and closer and I was freaking out because I still didn’t know what to do and ended up asking

the teacher, who went out of her way to gather all the necessary information that I needed in order

to complete the assignment. After this, I felt a lot more confident in presenting the assignment and

the teacher understood where my weaknesses were when completing assignments.

Theory

Post-structuralism is described as theoretical approaches that concern the power of which

someone withholds ( Dillet 2017, p. 517 ). Drawing on Michael Foucault’s post-structural theory,

focusing on power and knowledge ( FinKelde 2013, pp.1247 ). Foucault and other theorist such as

Jennifer O’Brian, Bourdieu, and Canella ( Nolan & Raban 2015 ) explore a variety of ways of power

and relationships that are embedded into their practices, which benefits certain children over

others. Foucault’s’ theory revolved around post-structuralism and explores how the relationships

between ‘knowledge, truth and power’ ( Naughton 2005, p. 4 ) and the effects that it has on

children in their future education. Post-structuralism encouragers educators to think deeper about

their understanding of equity and powerful actions that impact students education ( Naughton

2005, p. 4 ).

Georgia Duncan Anne-Marie Shin

110230636 Reconceptualising Early Childhood Education
Through the experience, it is evident that the teacher was in the position of power, as they could

give clear and concise instruction when it came to doing the assignment. The teacher had the

power through being aware of the range of abilities within their classroom and alter the

assignment for students to make it easier and benefit not only myself, but the other members that

also found it difficult. In some situations the students had the power as it was us that caused the

teacher to change the assignment. This benefited myself and others within the classroom in a

variety of ways as we were able to complete the assignment. The teacher giving us the information

made it easier for me to explain what the rainforest is and how it works, showing that I am more of a

visual learner. I remember this experience because, it is when I realised I learn better visually then

textual.

Future Teaching

From analysing this experience and looking at it through a post-structural perspective, it is clear

that giving children some power in the decision making can be beneficial for students to learn.

Sometimes students just need a little extra help and clear instructions in order to complete the

task. I will use this information and be prepared for when I become a teacher and give children the

opportunity to learn visually and textually.

Georgia Duncan Anne-Marie Shin

110230636 Reconceptualising Early Childhood Education
References

Comber, B 2005, ‘Making use of theories about literacy and justice: teachers re-searching
practice’, Educational Action Research, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 43–56.

Dillet, B 2017, ‘What is Poststructuralism?’, Political Studies Review, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 516–527.

FinKelde , D (2013), ‘Post-Structualism’, Cengage Learning, Germany

Mac, Naughton, Glenda. Doing Foucault in Early Childhood Studies : Applying Post-Structural
Ideas, Routledge, 2005. ProQuest Ebook Central,
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/unisa/detail.action?docID=198470.

Nolan A. & Raban, B. (2015) “Theories into Practice: Understanding and rethinking our work with
young children and the EYLF”

Wolfe, C 2009, What Is Posthumanism?, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, pp. xxxiv, 357.

Georgia Duncan Anne-Marie Shin

110230636 Reconceptualising Early Childhood Education