Who Cares About Caring in Early Childhood Teacher Education Programs?

The ability to care for oneself, near and distant others, animals, plants, human-made objects, and even ideas is an antidote for violence in its many forms as experienced in childhood as well as adulthood. This article makes a case for facilitating the development of the ability to care as children develop. The authors emphasize the importance of teachers facilitating this development. However, early education teachers may not be able to nurture the ability to care in others without the ability to care being facilitated in their own development. This article emphasizes the importance of creating caring teacher education programs as a model to foster its development in preservice early education teachers.     

Critically Redefining and Repositioning Media Texts in Early Childhood Teacher Education: What If? And Why?

Given the prevalence of popular media in the lives of young children today, early childhood teacher education stands to benefit from fostering critical media literacy practices. Through the use of critical media literary practices, early childhood teacher educators can facilitate a process whereby preservice teachers learn how to critically reposition cartoons and other media texts, transforming them into tools for more equitable teaching. Offering a situated representation of this phenomenon, this article features a semester-long qualitative study in which a teacher educator engaged preservice teacher educators in critically reading the texts and contexts of media, while simultaneously discussing inequities in education and society. Findings indicate that such media texts can serve as codifications of generative themes whereby preservice teachers can start acknowledging and addressing issues of inequity. Implications point toward the power and possibilities of early childhood teacher educators engaging preservice teachers in making curricula more accessible and equitable by repositioning popular culture media texts in early childhood classrooms.     

Inquiry-Based Field Experiences: Transforming Early Childhood Teacher Candidates’ Effectiveness

Contemporary teacher preparation programs are challenged to provide transformational learning experiences that enhance the development of highly effective teachers. This mixed-methods case study explored the influence of inquiry-based field experiences as a pedagogical approach to teacher preparation. Four teacher candidates participated in a 15-week practicum hosted by four community-based early childhood classrooms. Research methods included peer discussions, self-assessments, coaching sessions facilitated by the instructor/researcher, and a survey. Triangulated content analysis indicated that inquiry-based field experiences positively contributed to the participants’ (a) understanding and application of core knowledge, (b) consciousness of teacher–child interactions, (c) appreciation of co-inquiry learning, and (d) utilization of reflective learning. Inquiry-based field experiences also positively contributed to the participants’ professional intentionality and discernment.     

Should Science be Taught in Early Childhood?

This essay considers the question of why we should teach science to K-2. After initial consideration of two traditional reasons for studying science, six assertions supporting the idea that even small children should be exposed to science are given. These are, in order: (1) Children naturally enjoy observing and thinking about nature. (2) Exposing students to science develops positive attitudes towards science. (3) Early exposure to scientific phenomena leads to better understanding of the scientific concepts studied later in a formal way. (4) The use of scientifically informed language at an early age influences the eventual development of scientific concepts. (5) Children can understand scientific concepts and reason scientifically. (6) Science is an efficient means for developing scientific thinking. Concrete illustrations of some of the ideas discussed in this essay, particularly, how language and prior knowledge may influence the development of scientific concepts, are then provided. The essay concludes by emphasizing that there is a window of opportunity that educators should exploit by presenting science as part of the curriculum in both kindergarten and the first years of primary school.     

Mathematical Language in Early Childhood Settings: What Really Counts?

Previous research indicates that, prior to entering kindergarten, most children are exposed to some type of formal or direct mathematics instruction. However, the type of mathematical language and the frequency of its use vary greatly in terms of its emphasis on academic content. This study investigated the types and frequency of mathematical language used in six classrooms for children ranging in age from birth to five years. The study site was a quality early childhood setting at a state university in Southwest. Results indicated that utterances pertaining to spatial relations exceeded any other type of mathematical concepts by approximately twice the frequency. In addition, there was a paucity of higher level mathematical concepts observed. These data suggest a need for enhanced attention to higher level mathematical concepts explored in early childhood settings.     

Culturalizing Science Instruction: What Is It,What Does It Look Like and Why Do We Need It?

Journal of Science Teacher Education -     

Effects of Aggression on Achievement: Does Conflict With the Teacher Make It Worse?

This longitudinal study examined different explanations for negative associations between aggression and academic achievement using data collected from 403 children from low‐income families followed from kindergarten or first grade (ages 6 and 7 years) through fifth grade (ages 10–11 years). Most results of growth curve analyses examining change over time and path analyses examining associations among the variables within grades were consistent with the hypothesis that the effect of aggression on achievement was partially mediated by the conflictual relationships relatively more aggressive children tended to develop with their teachers and concomitant reductions in engagement in academic tasks. The evidence suggested, however, that the relationship between aggression and achievement is complex and reciprocal. Gender differences were also observed.     

Genetic Influences on Activity Level in Early Childhood: Do Situations Matter?

Although genetic influences on individual differences in activity level (AL) are well documented, few studies have considered the etiology of AL from a contextual perspective. In the present study, cross-situational and context-specific genetic effects on individual differences in AL at age 2 were examined. The AL of 312 twin pairs (144 monozygotic and 168 dzygotic) was mechanically assessed with actigraphs in the home and in laboratory test and play situations. AL displayed significant genetic variance in all 3 situations. Moreover, actigraph scores significantly correlated across situations. Multivariate genetic model-fitting analyses found that the observed cross-situational continuity in AL was due entirely to genetic factors. Situational differences in AL arise from genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental influences.     

The Influence of Teachers’ Efficacy and Beliefs Regarding Mathematics Instruction in the Early Childhood Classroom

This was a correlational study conducted with a population of prekindergarten educators from a large, metropolitan school district. The purpose was to examine if there were relationships between and among early childhood teachers’ sense of self-efficacy, their beliefs about the importance of mathematics, and their mathematics instructional practices. Examining teachers’ efficacy and beliefs can inform educational practice and help to differentiate between more and less successful instructional practices when teaching mathematics in the early childhood classroom. Data were collected on teacher efficacy and teacher beliefs about the importance of mathematics with two self-report questionnaires. The hypothesis that the teachers higher in efficacy will rate the importance of mathematics higher on the teacher-belief scale than the teachers with lower efficacy was found to be true with this sample, but the correlation was weak. The level of efficacy of the early childhood teachers in this sample confirmed that in assessing their capabilities, they rate themselves high in instructional strategies, classroom management, and student engagement. The early childhood teachers did not rate their belief in mathematics as high as their efficacy. Observations of mathematics instructional practices were conducted with twenty teachers. It was hypothesized that the combination of high teacher efficacy and high teacher mathematics beliefs would show alignment with the presence of standards-based mathematics instructional practices. The results were not statistically significant. No correlation signals a need for more research to explore what other personal or external factors relate to mathematics instructional practices in the early childhood classroom. The research may inform pre kindergarten teachers and teacher educators about effective instructional strategies and knowledge needed to launch early childhood students on a developmentally appropriate pathway to mathematical literacy.     

Can You Work It out?

Here is a very large moorrcake and a sharp knife.Questions :1.If you want to cut the mooricake in eight parts,how many cuts will you have to make at least?2.If you make six cuts on the mooncake,how many parts can you get at most'?     

Preservice Teachers' Beliefs About Childhood: Challenges for a Participatory Early Childhood Education?

This study examines preservice teachers' beliefs about childhood in an attempt to see how they may support an active, participatory role for children in early childhood education (ECE). Three hundred sixteen early childhood preservice teachers described childhood characteristics and children's ability for decision-making in a written text. These texts were content analyzed and then quantified. Preservice teachers' beliefs about childhood were found to vary and some of their beliefs corresponded to existing scientific theories and typologies. Despite this variation, preservice teachers' beliefs had dominant ontological and epistemological presuppositions that highlighted childhood as a homogeneous period of human life, as a state of being, rather than as a dynamic and developing period of life. The majority of preservice teachers assigned children with an ability to make decisions but only under specific preconditions. We argue that these beliefs may act as obstacles for the enhancement of participatory processes in ECE due to their ontological and epistemological underpinnings. Implications of current findings in relation to teacher education are discussed.     

Teacher–Child Interactions in Early Head Start Classrooms: Associations With Teacher Characteristics

ABSTRACT

Research Findings: The current study examined characteristics of 71 Early Head Start lead teachers in relation to classroom interactions with infants and toddlers. Measured teacher characteristics included education, years of experience, beliefs about child rearing, depressive symptoms, and the temperamental characteristics of positivity and frustration. Teacher–child interactions were measured using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, Toddler Version (La Paro, Hamre, & Pianta, 2012). Results indicated that field of degree was directly associated with the majority of dimensions of teacher–child interactions. Examination of teachers’ years of experience and intrapersonal characteristics revealed a number of significant interactions, indicating that teacher experience and appropriate beliefs may serve as protective factors in the presence of psychosocial risk factors. Practice or Policy: Overall, our findings suggest that both early childhood education degrees and years of experience are directly or indirectly associated with multiple dimensions of teacher–child interactions, confirming that these patterns established for preschool teachers hold for teachers of infants and toddlers. These results also suggest that years of experience and progressive beliefs about children may be especially important for teachers who are depressed or who have low levels of positivity and high levels of frustration. Implications for future research, as well as preservice and in-service professional development, are discussed.     

Instructional Leadership in Practice: What Does It Look Like,and What Influence Does It Have?

Literature on school reform has emphasized the need for principals to expand beyond their traditionally administrative role and become instructional leaders. This article examines the relationship between the practice of site-based instructional leadership and the professional development that teachers received in the context of a district-wide reform effort in San Diego City Schools. Using data from teacher surveys and school-based interviews, we find a connection between aspects of principal instructional leadership (coherent school-wide vision and leaders' engagement in instructional improvement) and selected research-based characteristics of effective teacher professional development (coherence and focus on content and curriculum). We conclude by addressing some of the tensions and limitations associated with a particular vision for site-based instructional leadership.     

Early Childhood Educators’ Self-Efficacy in Science,Math, and Literacy Instruction and Science Practice in the Classroom

Research Findings: Quality early science education is important for addressing the low science achievement, compared to international peers, of elementary students in the United States. Teachers’ beliefs about their skills in a content area, that is, their content self-efficacy is important because it has implications for teaching practice and child outcomes. However, little is known about how teachers’ self-efficacy for literacy, math and science compare and how domain-specific self-efficacy relates to teachers’ practice in the area of science. Analysis of survey and observation data from 67 Head Start classrooms across eight programs indicated that domain-specific self-efficacy was highest for literacy, significantly lower for science, and lowest for math. Classrooms varied, but in general, engaged in literacy far more than science, contained a modest amount of science materials, and their instructional support of science was low. Importantly, self-efficacy for science, but not literacy or math, related to teachers frequency of engaging children in science instruction. Teachers’ education and experience did not predict self-efficacy for science. Practice or Policy: To enhance the science opportunities provided in early childhood classrooms, pre-service and in-service education programs should provide teachers with content and practices for science rather than focusing exclusively on literacy.     

A Survey of Canadian Early Childhood Educators’ Psychological Wellbeing at Work

The study aims to describe early childhood educators’ psychological wellbeing at work in terms of their interpersonal fit, thriving, feeling of competency, perceived recognition and desire for involvement. The study approach draws links between perceptions of autonomy at work and wellbeing. The analysis examines the results of a survey conducted among 1,535 early childhood educators in the province of Québec, Canada, using the Index of Psychological Well-Being at Work, developed by Dagenais-Desmarais (2010), an instrument presenting good internal consistency indicators, with alphas varying between .72 and .86. Additionally, a measure of perceived autonomy at work, producing an internal consistency of .83, has been adapted from an instrument originally designed to measure basic needs satisfaction in sports contexts (Gillet et al. 2008). The study results show that overall levels of wellbeing among early childhood educators are high, both among those working in centre-based settings and those working in home-based settings (private homes), throughout all career stages. However, a decrease in wellbeing levels is observed following the first 5 years of work, later followed by an increase in wellbeing levels among educators with 20 years of experience or more, in both work settings. The perception of autonomy proves to be related to wellbeing, accounting for 23 % of variance. The autonomy dimension, therefore, calls for greater attention from administrators concerned with the psychological wellbeing of workers in this sector of activity. The authors argue for the relevance and necessity of further research into the work lives of early childhood educators by emphasising that the issues raised in the study overlap with three areas of concern for a significant part of the population: early childhood educators’ profession, community family services, and the accumulation of knowledge in work psychology.