Early Years Catalyst – Mental Models
Presents the findings of a deep dive into the mental models that are influencing the current early years system and early child development outcomes in Australia
The Early Years Catalyst commissioned the Telethon Kids Institute to undertake a deep dive to identify the mental models that influence the current early years system and early childhood development outcomes and explore potential strategies to shift them to create positive change.
Method
This involved a synthesis of published research; consultation with parents and carers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, service providers, peak organisations, subject matter experts and policy makers; social media sentiment analysis, design thinking workshops and case study analysis.
Key Findings
- The deep dive surfaced 22 prevailing mental models across four focus areas that influence outcomes for young children and families in Australia today: child development and parenting, proactive, efficient governments and policymaking, breaking cycles of inequity and disadvantage and integrated, connected and proactive early childhood development systems.
- Mental models about inequity, disadvantage, race and racism have a pervasive impact, impacting mental models across all four focus areas.
- Shifting mental models requires a multi-faceted approach addressing attitudes, behaviour and organisational/environmental conditions across multiple points and different levels in the system.
Mental Models are the deeply held societal beliefs or narratives that influence the way we see the world, including expectations, values, and norms. These things are often unstated, may be outside awareness, not necessarily true or something you personally believe, and they can be confronting.
Some of the mental models set out in the report and webinar contain deficit-based language and stigmatising terms which represent the lived experience of people who participated in the deep dive consultations. This includes people from marginalised social and cultural groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and those with lived experience of disability. To give voice to those with this lived experience, it is presented in the way it was reported. Where statements were made by people from dominant social and cultural groups they largely represent perceptions of cultural models (i.e., what the majority believe) rather than individual beliefs.
Please take care when engaging in this content, particularly if it resonates closely with your own lived experience.
Watch the webinar
In this webinar (presented in August 2023), the team from Telethon Kids Institute share their discoveries from the mental models deep dive by answering two key questions:
- What does the early years field need to understand about the mental models that are holding current conditions in place and the mental models that are required to support the desired future state of the early years system?
- What are the most effective strategies available to shift those mental models to the future state?
Social Ventures Australia (SVA) was one of twelve founding members of the Early Years Catalyst and also served as the backbone organisation providing ongoing leadership and coordination. As the Early Years Catalyst has now formally concluded, SVA is hosting key publications from this initiative to ensure this rich evidence base remains accessible to the field.
