The influence of curriculum and policy documents on the decision-making of educators is of particular interest in the field of early childhood. Reports of competing pedagogical approaches with a ‘push-down’ of curriculum alongside advocacy for play-based pedagogies raise questions as to the potential of curriculum and policy documents to create tension through multiple discourses. This is significant in light of politically driven discourses in education and their potential to influence the decision-making of educators. This research draws on an interpretivist epistemology framed by a post-structural approach to induce and examine discourses that exist across curriculum and policy documents relevant to the first year of compulsory school in Western Australia. A discourse analysis revealed three powerful discourses: inclusivity, achievement and ‘PED’ – a discourse encapsulating the interrelationships between play, engagement and development. The power embedded within these discourses provided evidence of how persuasive and prescriptive language is used to engender distinct ethical responsibilities. The findings illuminate the potent influence of powerful discourses on the negotiation of priorities in pedagogical decision-making in the early years.

在幼儿领域，课程和政策文件对教育者决策的影响尤为重要。关于竞争性教学方法与“下推式”课程以及倡导以游戏为基础的教学法的报道，提出了关于课程和政策文件通过多种话语产生紧张关系的潜力的质疑。鉴于政治驱动的教育话语及其影响教育者决策的潜力，因此这一点意义重大。这项研究借鉴了一种解释主义的认识论，这种认识论以一种后结构的方法为框架，以诱导和检验与西澳义务教育第一年有关的课程和政策文件中存在的各种论述。话语分析揭示了三种强大的话语：包容性，成就和“ PED” –涵盖游戏，参与和发展之间相互关系的论述。这些话语中蕴含的力量提供了有说服力和说明性语言如何用于产生不同的道德责任的证据。这些发现阐明了早期强有力的话语对教学决策中优先事项谈判的强大影响。