The leadership role of Australian early childhood organisations in communicating health information during COVID-19: lessons from elite interviews

Sandie Wong; Lauren Sadow; Manjula Waniganayake; Yvonne Zurynski; Janaki Amin; Rebecca Bull; Maria R. Dahm; Sheila Degotardi; Michael J.  Donovan; Fay Hadley; Linda J. Harrison

The leadership role of Australian early childhood organisations in communicating health information during COVID-19: lessons from elite interviews

Sandie Wong, Lauren Sadow, Manjula Waniganayake, Yvonne Zurynski, Janaki Amin, Rebecca Bull, Maria R. Dahm, Sheila Degotardi, Michael J. Donovan, Fay Hadley, Linda J. Harrison

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

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Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, early childhood education (ECE) organisations had to source, evaluate and communicate information effectively, and implement appropriate strategies and processes to keep children, families and educators safe. Based on a knowledge brokering perspective of health communication, this chapter reports on an Australian study investigating the leadership role of ECE organisations in communicating health messages. Thematic analysis of 20 elite interviews with leaders in ECE and health organisations identified five overarching themes: (i) roles and responsibilities; (ii) sourcing and assessing information; (iii) communicating to ECE services; (iv) factors that influence effective communication; and (v) resources required by ECE organisations. Overall, the study demonstrates that ECE organisations are willing and able to communicate health messages, but require consistent, timely information that is accessible, from ‘one source of truth’, specific for the ECE sector, and contextualised for different service types and geographic locations. Closer engagement between the Health and ECE sectors, contextualised health information, and adequate leadership support and resourcing, are required to sustain effective public health messaging within the ECE sector.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Early childhood education leadership in times of crisis
Subtitle of host publication	international studies during the COVID-19 pandemic
Editors	Elina Fonsén, Raisa Ahtiainen, Kirsi-Marja Heikkinen, Lauri Heikonen, Petra Strehmel, Emanuel Tamir
Place of Publication	Opladen, Germany
Publisher	Verlag Barbara Budrich
Chapter	9
Pages	135-150
Number of pages	16
ISBN (Electronic)	9783847418559
ISBN (Print)	9783847426837
Publication status	Published - 2023

Bibliographical note

Keywords

health communication
elite interviews
knowledge brokering

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Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 476 KBLicence: CC BY

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Wong, S., Sadow, L., Waniganayake, M., Zurynski, Y., Amin, J., Bull, R., Dahm, M. R., Degotardi, S., Donovan, M. J., Hadley, F., & Harrison, L. J. (2023). The leadership role of Australian early childhood organisations in communicating health information during COVID-19: lessons from elite interviews. In E. Fonsén, R. Ahtiainen, K.-M. Heikkinen, L. Heikonen, P. Strehmel, & E. Tamir (Eds.), Early childhood education leadership in times of crisis: international studies during the COVID-19 pandemic (pp. 135-150). Verlag Barbara Budrich.

Wong, Sandie ; Sadow, Lauren ; Waniganayake, Manjula et al. / The leadership role of Australian early childhood organisations in communicating health information during COVID-19 : lessons from elite interviews. Early childhood education leadership in times of crisis: international studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. editor / Elina Fonsén ; Raisa Ahtiainen ; Kirsi-Marja Heikkinen ; Lauri Heikonen ; Petra Strehmel ; Emanuel Tamir. Opladen, Germany : Verlag Barbara Budrich, 2023. pp. 135-150

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abstract = "During the COVID-19 pandemic, early childhood education (ECE) organisations had to source, evaluate and communicate information effectively, and implement appropriate strategies and processes to keep children, families and educators safe. Based on a knowledge brokering perspective of health communication, this chapter reports on an Australian study investigating the leadership role of ECE organisations in communicating health messages. Thematic analysis of 20 elite interviews with leaders in ECE and health organisations identified five overarching themes: (i) roles and responsibilities; (ii) sourcing and assessing information; (iii) communicating to ECE services; (iv) factors that influence effective communication; and (v) resources required by ECE organisations. Overall, the study demonstrates that ECE organisations are willing and able to communicate health messages, but require consistent, timely information that is accessible, from {\textquoteleft}one source of truth{\textquoteright}, specific for the ECE sector, and contextualised for different service types and geographic locations. Closer engagement between the Health and ECE sectors, contextualised health information, and adequate leadership support and resourcing, are required to sustain effective public health messaging within the ECE sector.",

keywords = "health communication, elite interviews, knowledge brokering",

author = "Sandie Wong and Lauren Sadow and Manjula Waniganayake and Yvonne Zurynski and Janaki Amin and Rebecca Bull and Dahm, {Maria R.} and Sheila Degotardi and Donovan, {Michael J.} and Fay Hadley and Harrison, {Linda J.}",

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year = "2023",

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pages = "135--150",

editor = "Elina Fons{\'e}n and Raisa Ahtiainen and Kirsi-Marja Heikkinen and Lauri Heikonen and Petra Strehmel and Emanuel Tamir",

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Wong, S, Sadow, L, Waniganayake, M , Zurynski, Y , Amin, J , Bull, R, Dahm, MR, Degotardi, S, Donovan, MJ, Hadley, F & Harrison, LJ 2023, The leadership role of Australian early childhood organisations in communicating health information during COVID-19: lessons from elite interviews. in E Fonsén, R Ahtiainen, K-M Heikkinen, L Heikonen, P Strehmel & E Tamir (eds), Early childhood education leadership in times of crisis: international studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Verlag Barbara Budrich, Opladen, Germany, pp. 135-150.

The leadership role of Australian early childhood organisations in communicating health information during COVID-19: lessons from elite interviews. / Wong, Sandie; Sadow, Lauren; Waniganayake, Manjula et al.
Early childhood education leadership in times of crisis: international studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. ed. / Elina Fonsén; Raisa Ahtiainen; Kirsi-Marja Heikkinen; Lauri Heikonen; Petra Strehmel; Emanuel Tamir. Opladen, Germany: Verlag Barbara Budrich, 2023. p. 135-150.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

TY - CHAP

T1 - The leadership role of Australian early childhood organisations in communicating health information during COVID-19

T2 - lessons from elite interviews

AU - Wong, Sandie

AU - Sadow, Lauren

AU - Waniganayake, Manjula

AU - Zurynski, Yvonne

AU - Amin, Janaki

AU - Bull, Rebecca

AU - Dahm, Maria R.

AU - Degotardi, Sheila

AU - Donovan, Michael J.

AU - Hadley, Fay

AU - Harrison, Linda J.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - During the COVID-19 pandemic, early childhood education (ECE) organisations had to source, evaluate and communicate information effectively, and implement appropriate strategies and processes to keep children, families and educators safe. Based on a knowledge brokering perspective of health communication, this chapter reports on an Australian study investigating the leadership role of ECE organisations in communicating health messages. Thematic analysis of 20 elite interviews with leaders in ECE and health organisations identified five overarching themes: (i) roles and responsibilities; (ii) sourcing and assessing information; (iii) communicating to ECE services; (iv) factors that influence effective communication; and (v) resources required by ECE organisations. Overall, the study demonstrates that ECE organisations are willing and able to communicate health messages, but require consistent, timely information that is accessible, from ‘one source of truth’, specific for the ECE sector, and contextualised for different service types and geographic locations. Closer engagement between the Health and ECE sectors, contextualised health information, and adequate leadership support and resourcing, are required to sustain effective public health messaging within the ECE sector.

AB - During the COVID-19 pandemic, early childhood education (ECE) organisations had to source, evaluate and communicate information effectively, and implement appropriate strategies and processes to keep children, families and educators safe. Based on a knowledge brokering perspective of health communication, this chapter reports on an Australian study investigating the leadership role of ECE organisations in communicating health messages. Thematic analysis of 20 elite interviews with leaders in ECE and health organisations identified five overarching themes: (i) roles and responsibilities; (ii) sourcing and assessing information; (iii) communicating to ECE services; (iv) factors that influence effective communication; and (v) resources required by ECE organisations. Overall, the study demonstrates that ECE organisations are willing and able to communicate health messages, but require consistent, timely information that is accessible, from ‘one source of truth’, specific for the ECE sector, and contextualised for different service types and geographic locations. Closer engagement between the Health and ECE sectors, contextualised health information, and adequate leadership support and resourcing, are required to sustain effective public health messaging within the ECE sector.

KW - health communication

KW - elite interviews

KW - knowledge brokering

UR - https://doi.org/10.3224/84742683

M3 - Chapter

SN - 9783847426837

SP - 135

EP - 150

BT - Early childhood education leadership in times of crisis

A2 - Fonsén, Elina

A2 - Ahtiainen, Raisa

A2 - Heikkinen, Kirsi-Marja

A2 - Heikonen, Lauri

A2 - Strehmel, Petra

A2 - Tamir, Emanuel

PB - Verlag Barbara Budrich

CY - Opladen, Germany

ER -

Wong S, Sadow L, Waniganayake M , Zurynski Y , Amin J , Bull R et al. The leadership role of Australian early childhood organisations in communicating health information during COVID-19: lessons from elite interviews. In Fonsén E, Ahtiainen R, Heikkinen KM, Heikonen L, Strehmel P, Tamir E, editors, Early childhood education leadership in times of crisis: international studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Opladen, Germany: Verlag Barbara Budrich. 2023. p. 135-150

The leadership role of Australian early childhood organisations in communicating health information during COVID-19: lessons from elite interviews

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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Harnessing the health communication potential of the early childhood sector

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