Accentuating the Negative: Views of Preschool Staff about Mothers in Japan

Japanese mothers are frequently portrayed in the American research literature as providing socialization experiences that complement—rather than replicate—the goals and strategies of the preschool. The present study expands upon this small empirical base, and challenges the assumption that there is widespread agreement within Japan concerning the appropriate roles of teacher and parent in educating and socializing young children. Staff members from 27 Japanese preschools were interviewed concerning their perspectives on the role of mother, their attitudes about the effectiveness of mothers' child-rearing strategies and their views about the home-school relationship. Qualitative analyses revealed that most directors and teachers believed that mothers should prioritize spending time with their children over other activities and should provide firm guidance regarding social behavior. They did not view cognitive stimulation as an important part of the maternal role. Few staff members felt that mothers were discharging these responsibilities in an adequate manner. Mothers were widely viewed as either overly permissive, overly protective, or detached and uninvolved. Additionally, many staff members thought mothers placed too much emphasis on structured academic learning. Staff attributed these limitations to a number of factors, including the small size of modem families, conflicting advice by professionals, isolation caused by apartment dwelling, and the incursion of such Western values as materialism, feminism and individualism. Staff views about parent involvement varied depending on the general philosophy of the preschool. These findings illustrate that concepts underlying the notion of “quality” depend on local cultural models in a particular society, as well as structural features of early childhood organizations.     

Examinations: Accentuating the Positive

Because instructor-led Supplemental Instruction (SI) offers additional benefits in student learning and engagement over the more traditional peer-led model, in this article the author argues that faculty should consider participating in SI sessions. Benefits to participating in instructor-led SI include: students spend more time on task in faculty-led sessions, earn higher grades on exams, meaningfully interact with their professor (even in a large enrollment class), appreciate working collaboratively with their peers, and report gains in their academic self-confidence. As such, while still a relatively understudied intervention strategy, faculty-led SI warrants greater study and attention.     

Suspected Child Maltreatment: Preschool Staff in a Conflict of Loyalty

Objective To investigate the actions of Swedish preschool staff when suspecting the maltreatment of children in their domestic environment, and the staff’s further experiences and relations to the family members. Methods A questionnaire in 2005 to the staff of 189 child groups in community preschools, including 3,100 children. Results A report to Child Protective Agency (CPA) was submitted in 30% of the cases where maltreatment was suspected. The staff’s decisions as well as their working situation, and how they estimated the parents’ benefits from CPA support were deeply affected by their different relations to the families. The staff had their best contact with the children and their most insecure and vulnerable contact with the fathers. Conclusions In situations with suspected child maltreatment the staff face conflicts of loyalty, mostly based on insecure relations, which could become an impediment to supporting and educating the children.     

幼儿园教师是什么——学前教育专业学生对幼儿园教师隐喻的理解

对112名学前教育专业学生的调查显示:他们对幼时幼儿园教师形象的理解普遍是教书匠+保姆,普遍认为当下理想的幼儿园教师形象是妈妈+孩子王+多面手。来自农村的学前教育专业学生对幼时幼儿园教师教学的印象是小学化现象严重。现在的学前教育专业学生普遍认为,富有爱心,能和孩子打成一片,具有多方面的技能是理想的幼儿园教师最重要的素养。     

Academic Expectations in Mothers of Preschool Children: A Psychometric Study of the Educational Attitude Scale

This study reports psychometric data on the Educational Attitude Scale, a new instrument designed to tap parental opinions about early academic, artistic, athletic, and social experiences. Mothers of 371 middle class prekindergarten children in 22 different schools completed the 32-item Likert-style survey. Mothers were highly similar in their views about the importance of social experiences, but differed widely in their opinions about early academic instruction for preschoolers. The scale proved to have excellent split-half and test-retest reliability. Correlational analysis and factor analysis supported the general domain structure along which the instrument was designed. Scores on the Educational Attitude Scale were significantly correlated with scores on a Developmental Expectations Card Sort. Highly significant differences were found in parent attitudes on the scale when schools were grouped into those High versus Low in academic emphasis by community reputation and observed classroom practices. Parents had significantly higher academic expectations than their children's teachers, particularly in schools with “Low Academic” emphasis.     

Academic Expectations in Mothers of Preschool Children: A Psychometric Study of the Educational Attitude Scale

This study reports psychometric data on the Educational Attitude Scale, a new instrument designed to tap parental opinions about early academic, artistic, athletic, and social experiences. Mothers of 371 middle class prekindergarten children in 22 different schools completed the 32-item Likert-style survey. Mothers were highly similar in their views about the importance of social experiences, but differed widely in their opinions about early academic instruction for preschoolers. The scale proved to have excellent split-half and test-retest reliability. Correlational analysis and factor analysis supported the general domain structure along which the instrument was designed. Scores on the Educational Attitude Scale were significantly correlated with scores on a Developmental Expectations Card Sort. Highly significant differences were found in parent attitudes on the scale when schools were grouped into those High versus Low in academic emphasis by community reputation and observed classroom practices. Parents had significantly higher academic expectations than their children's teachers, particularly in schools with "Low Academic" emphasis.     

农村幼儿教师队伍建设的现实问题及政策选择

构建覆盖城乡、布局合理的学前教育公共服务体系,加强农村幼儿教师队伍建设是今后一段时间我国学前教育政策关注的重点。目前我国农村幼儿教师队伍在数量、结构、质量等方面还存在诸多问题,应强化政府主体责任,建立多元开放教师补充机制,完善教师管理制度,落实教师权益保障,建设一支高素质专业化的农村幼儿教师队伍,切实保障适龄儿童接受基本的、有质量的学前教育。     

日本学前教育中的教育课程问题研究

日本关于学前教育中教育课程的相关规定不断完善,这是日本学前教育不断完善的一个重要标志。其幼儿园和保育园的教育课程明确各个年龄段的教育内容,可以说是保育机构的大体的设计图。教育课程应该是能够充分保证幼儿的主体活动的课程。幼儿园和保育园都按照五个领域规定的目的和内容,通过孩子的嬉戏和生活体验等主体性活动开展指导工作,通过具体的活动进行综合的指导。这要求保育工作者具备高度的专业性,即除了丰富的专业知识和高超的专业技能外,能够更好地理解孩子,更好地帮助孩子成长发育等深层次的含义。     

张宗麟本土化幼稚教育观简析

1840年以后,西方幼稚教育的一些概念、思想和机构随着西学东渐之风进入中国,从而在近代幼教领域出现了严重的外国化倾向。张宗麟以中国幼教史上男幼稚教师第一人的身份对近代幼稚教育民族性缺失的现象展开广泛的考察与研究,并协助陶行知先生、陈鹤琴先生进行幼稚教育本土化改革,提出了卓有成效的意见。这些意见对当代中国幼教的发展仍有裨益之处。     

历史虚无主义二题

历史虚无主义在现今主要表现为丑诋革命、否定革命,主张在近代史研究中以“现代化范式”代替“革命范式”,由此出发虚无中国革命的历史,虚无中国共产党的领导、马克思列宁主义的指导,虚无社会主义制度和人民民主专政,虚无以马克思主义和唯物史观为指导的史学研究。历史虚无主义的实质,是借歪曲历史本来面目来证明“学习西方”的主流文化是无法抗拒的历史必由之路,从而改变中国社会主义的道路。这无论在理论上还是在实践上,都是行不通的。     

中日儿童学前教育的比较分析

本文介绍了中日学前儿童学前教育的基本情况,比较了中日学前教育制度、教育方法的的异同,并对产生中日儿童学前教育差异的原因进行了初步的分析。     

梁启超的日本观

梁启超的思想与人生观主要由三种因素构成：中国的传统文化、西方思想以及来自日本的影响。早在戊戌变法时期，他就以明治维新为样板，提出了一整套的变法理论。流亡日本之后，梁启超通过阅读日文书籍，系统地吸收了西方的近代思想，形成了自己的启蒙思想体系。但随着对日本的观察、了解日益深入，他发现明治宪政存在着种种弊端，逐渐倾向于英国式的虚君制。进入民国期以后，梁启超对日本的侵华政策感到失望，批评日本的近代化是“路走歪了”。     

当前日本幼儿教育改革浅议

保障所有幼儿尽可能地接受良好教育和学习的权利不仅是现代幼儿教育民主化的基本趋势。也是各国发展国民基础教育所追寻的目标之一，尤其在新世纪肇始之际，在旨在建构知识社会的世界性终生学习的浪潮之中，幼儿教育一体化改革盛行于各国。文章就日本幼儿教育的目前改革试作粗浅的探索，期盼为我国的幼儿教育改革提供思索。     

对小学开办学前班的质疑

幼儿园已担负起学前教育的任务 ,大中城市学前幼儿绝大多数都进了幼儿园 ,读小学一年级的学生 ,是否一律要先读“学前班”是值得商榷的。把学前教育任务放在小学“学前班”上 ,使小学成为事实上的七年制 ,这是不妥的 ,从根本上来说是一种浪费     

Exploring Views about LARCs Among Parenting Rural Latinx Teenagers,Their Mothers,and Providers: Implications for Sexuality Education and Care

While long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) reduces risk of repeat-births, use remains low among rural Latinx adolescent mothers. This qualitative study identified perspectives about factors that influence LARC use among this population. Participants were dyads of parenting Latinx adolescent daughters and their mothers (n?=?9 dyads) and nurses (n?=?17). Findings revealed themes specific to this vulnerable population including (a) distinct ways LARC characteristics fit into parenting teenagers’ lives, (b) supportive health care climate toward LARCs, and (c) factors that inhibit LARC uptake. The study has implications for sexuality education that seeks to reduce repeat-births among this population.     

浅析新形势下农村幼儿教师队伍的建设

随着幼儿教育的飞速发展,建立一支高素质的幼儿教师队伍迫在眉睫。农村幼儿教育师资存在的人员流动频繁,师资队伍不稳定;师资学历水平偏低,教育观念陈旧;教师待遇偏低,社会保障缺失;师生比过高;教师在职培训机会少等问题严重影响着农村幼儿教育的健康发展,师资问题已经成为影响农村幼儿教育发展的关键因素。鉴于此,应该从加强对幼儿教育师资的管理、不断提高幼儿教师工资待遇、加强在职培训三方面加强农村幼儿教师队伍建设,以促进农村幼儿教育的发展。     

当前日本幼儿教育改革的新动向

进入新世纪,日本中央教育审议会和文部科学省发布了《幼儿教育振兴计划》等三份文件。本文以这三份文件为主要根据,探讨当前日本幼儿教育改革的新动向,并总结它对我国幼儿教育改革的启示。     

犯罪客体之新视野

刑法是保障法,是第二次保护的规范。刑法调整的不是一般的社会关系,而是经民法、行政法等其他法律调整过的社会关系即法律关系,因此,犯罪客体的本体应当是法律关系而不是一般的社会关系,具有广泛性、重大性、多重法律属性等特点。犯罪客体属于判断而不是概念的范畴,其内容是“行为对法律关系的破坏性”即行为的违法性。犯罪客体的实质是就行为的法益侵害性进行判断。     

在职培训对乡村幼儿教师队伍建设的积极影响——以湖南省幼师“国培计划”项目实施为例

本文以湖南省幼师"国培计划"项目实施为例,论述了在职培训对乡村幼儿教师队伍建设的积极影响:提高教师职业认同感,减少乡村幼儿园在职教师的流失;从专业理念、专业知识和专业能力三方面提升转岗教师的专业素质,优化乡村幼儿教师资源;搭建以信息化手段应用为核心的网络平台,转变教师的学习方式,为乡村幼儿教师提供专业持续发展的有力保障。据此,提出了将在职培训纳入乡村幼儿教师队伍建设的构想。