Teaching and learning in kindergarten

Teaching and learning in kindergarten is related, on the one hand, to the principles, methods and forms of teachers＇ work that should optimally contribute to pre-school child development and learning, and on the other hand, to the issues of the developing their reasoning and other aspects of their personality. It is for this reason that the responsibility of kindergarten teachers, in view Kindergartens must strive to ensure quality teaching and of instruction and learning of young children, is huge. learning environment for very young children, which in addition fosters an atmosphere of pleasure and comfort. This paper aims to present the significance of instruction and learning of pre-school children today, in particular that within the institutionalised education （in kindergarten）. The author＇s points of interest were how instruction and learning of young children in kindergarten was perceived in the past and the contemporary view on modern instruction and learning ofpre-school children in kindergartens.     

Does Physical Activity of Preschool Teachers Impact the Planning and Implementation of Movement Activities in the Kindergartens？

The authors of this paper compared the views of Slovenian and Portuguese preschool teachers about the importance of play and movement for the preschool children. In the paper, they focused on the question： Does physical activity of preschool teachers （spontaneous or planned） impact the planning and implementation of movement activities in their kindergarten group？ They also analyzed the influence of subjective theories on the planning of movement activities and the realization of the curriculum objectives in the field of movement. Most of the preschool teachers in Slovenia and Portugal give priority to natural forms of movement in nature and play, allowing the movement of the fingers, palms, and hands. Research has shown a link between physical activity of preschool teachers and their views on the importance of the implementation of the movement activities of preschool children. The authors also noted that the quality of the implementation of the education process in kindergartens in the area of movement activities depends on their subjective theories to a great extent and on the level of professional competence referred to the discussed topic.     

The impact of storybooks on kindergarten children＇s mathematical achievement and approaches to learning

This paper presents a mixed methods study that explored how storybooks influence kindergarten children＇s mathematical achievement and approaches to mathematics learning. Teachers＇ observations and research stating primary grade children＇s lack of mathematical knowledge and negative attitudes towards mathematics served as the impetus for the study. Three kindergarten teachers taught a mathematics unit using various children＇s storybooks and the characters in the stories as the context for mathematical problems. The results of the study show an impact on students＇ mathematical achievement as well as the identification of four themes that emerged on how students＇ approaches to learning were influenced when storybooks were integrated into the mathematics unit.     

Parents＇ views on preschool care and education in local community

In this text, the authors are analyzing preschool care and education in local community. They are focusing on the problem of information transfer between the kindergarten, parents and local community, as well as the model of relationship participation. Cooperation between parents, kindergarten and local community is an important element in the preschool institution quality, because it changes inner relationships, climate and culture. Expectations about cooperation in some authors＇ views （Resman, 1992; Schleicher, 1989; Coleman, 1998; Ryan, 1995） depend on tradition, objectives, social context, legal framework and situational demands. The research data show that Slovene kindergartens have more consumer-like relationships with parents instead of partnership. Kindergartens are clear about important information concerning their pedagogical work and organization, but they do not include parents in making decisions about the developing and executing of programs. 92.3% of parents think that the information they receive is clear, understandable only 89.6% think they are frequent. More then half of the interviewed parents frequently or always participate in kindergarten life and work, only about 43% believe that they can co-influence the development or realization of the programme. Parents also think that the local community is not giving them enough information about preschool care problems, because only 10.2% are included in solving current preschool care problems in their municipality.     

What Does Teaching in Samoan Bilingual Classrooms Look Like？ Observations as Evidence-Based From a New Zealand Professional Learning and Development Perspective

This paper reports on the instructional practice of teachers who have similar language and culture as their students in a bilingual cluster （Cluster A） involving three schools and seven teachers in delivering the curriculum to year 0 （5-year-old） to year 8 （12/13-year-old） students. The 30-40 minutes baseline observations conducted on teachers＇ instruction during a reading session were part of a Ministry of Education＇s （MOE） professional learning and development project （in progress） to increase student achievement in English literacy in these classrooms through evidence-based in-class facilitation. We hypothesized that teachers in these bilingual classes were perhaps not making optimal use of children＇s prior knowledge, particularly their linguistic and cultural strengths, to increase robust and in-depth oral discussions for understanding the texts during the reading lessons. The baseline observations were coded under exchanges known to enhance reading comprehension and specifically related to vocabulary, checking, incorporation, extended talk, awareness, and feedback, and were analyzed for the purposes of： （a） feeding back to teachers what their instruction looked like; （b） creating discussions around teachers＇ strengths and weaknesses that had arisen out of the instructional and student achievement data; and （c） identifying professional development needs for teachers and their students. It was found that teachers and students＇ discussions around a concept or word were limited and that students＇ oral strengths were not fully optimized for understanding. We report here the first phase involving Samoan teachers teaching Samoan students in Samoan bilingual classrooms. The second phase is in progress with the last phase starting midyear. The findings from these two phases will enable some discussions to be made around shifts in instructional practice, if any, their impact on student achievement and how these might be sustained.     

＂I don＇t see color,I only see children!＂： A study of teachers＇ color-blindness for Asian students/family

The purpose of this study is to explore USA educators＇ resistance toward cultural awareness for Korean students and families in the New York metropolitan area. The authors aim to challenge teachers＇ color-blindness that is widely spread among USA educators. Guided by critical race theory, the authors show that the perceived fairness of color-blindness could cause struggles for Korean parents and students in American schools. The authors posit USA teachers need to thoroughly understand that if a teacher does not see color, then s/he does not really see children. This study, hopefully, will help educators recognize the necessity of understanding diverse ethnic parents＇ perspectives and needs. Also, this study will provide an opportunity for educators to rethink assumptions that are embedded in color-blindness, and advance muiticultural education that is more culturally relevant and responsive for different ethnic/racial groups＇ needs.     

Parent and teacher perceptions of students＇ general scholastic abilities： Effects on involvement and communication

Parents＇ and teachers＇ perceptions of students＇ general scholastic abilities, such as being able to complete their school work, retain what they learn, and achieve sufficiently compared to other students at their ages, were analyzed for how well they predict parents＇ forms of involvement in their children＇s education and teachers＇ forms of communication to parents. Data were collected from parents and teachers in two Title I, public middle schools in a large, urban city in the southwest. Parent involvement and teacher communication practices were measured using the ＂school and family partnerships survey＂. Parents＇ and teachers＇ perceptions of students＇ general scholastic abilities were measured using a teacher-rating version of the ＂perceived competence scale for children＂. Linear regression analyses revealed that parents＇ perceptions did not predict their involvement, nor did teachers＇ perceptions predict their amount of communication as reported by parents. Although parents＇ and teachers＇ perceptions did not predict involvement in this study, perceptions of children＇s general academic abilities should be further explored in relation to family-school partnerships. The results suggest that involvement in middle school occurs in ways distinctive from elementary school. Therefore, improved instruments are needed to more accurately measure parent involvement and teacher communication at grade levels beyond elementary school.     

Usability design strategies for children： Developing children＇s learning and knowledge in decreasing their dental anxiety

This paper presents an example of how usability design strategies for children can be designed into educational material using CD-ROM based multimedia application for assisting parents and teachers to develop children＇s learning and knowledge in decreasing as well as motivate children aged 7-9 years old to reduce their anxious feelings towards dental treatment. In this paper, the authors provide usability design strategies for children in designing the information interfaces and presentation of a PMLE （persuasive multimedia learning environment）. PMLE is designed based on the six design categories of guidelines for children which have been applied to this study： general interaction, text, multimedia, navigation and search, graphical user interface and content. The results authors were able to on presenting this PMLE to 240 primary school children selected at random show how the decrease children＇s dental anxiety and motivate the children to get ready for dental visit.     

Research on ESL/EFL Teachers＇ Beliefs in China and Abroad： An Overview

Teachers＇ beliefs greatly influence the way that the teachers function in the classroom. Teacher as an important medium for student＇ language learning, the study of teachers and their beliefs in Western countries and in China is a worthwhile topic. This paper offers a selective review and rethinking about what has been done and being done in relation to the understanding of teacher＇s belief, and their belief about language teaching and learning, students learning, themselves as both teachers and individuals; identify some sources of teachers＇ belief and address the needs for change. Understanding teachers＇ conceptualizations of teaching, their beliefs, thinking, and decision making can help us better understand the nature of language teacher education and hence better prepare us for our roles as teacher and teacher educators.     

Values of Estonian students, teachers and parents

R. Inglehart （1990, 2005） considers values to be one＇s reactions to changes in the environment. According to his approach values develop in the socialisation process. Values can be divided into traditional, modernist and postmodernist. According to Rokeach （1973）, values are an element of culture, an image of the desirable that might not be directly expressed in human behaviour. Kalmus and Vihalemm （2004） found, based on Rokeach＇s and Schwartz＇s （1992） questionnaires, that Estonians consider most important values to be health, strong family ties, peace in the world, clean environment, happiness and state security. Also, the results of the study “infants＇ and toddlers＇ intelligence and the impact of the growth environment” financed by Estonian Science Foundation, allow to conclude that parents consider most important that children are healthy, happy and smart （Veisson, 2001）. In the framework of the state financed project of Tallinn University “school as developmental environment and students＇ coping” （2003-2007） questionnaires were administered to 3838 students, 2048 parents, 620 teachers and 120 school directors. According to the mean value a hierarchy of 14 values was formed. It appeared that students and parents think that the most important is academic success, whereas teachers place academic success on the 3rd-4th place and school directors even on the 8th place. Teachers and school directors consider the most important is their school students＇ security and the second is honesty. Also students and parents think that honesty is the 3rd most important value at school. Students consider politeness and parents discipline worth giving the second place among school values. Students＇ health is relatively highly valued by teachers and school directors （in case of both groups the 3rd place）. Unfortunately, children themselves and their parents think that in their school health is not very highly valued （10th place）. Joy of school came on the last place in the values hierarchy.     

Pre-service Physics Teachers＇ Conceptions of Nature of Science

Understanding of NOS （nature of science） appears as a prerequisite of a scientifically literate person. Promoting adequate understanding of NOS in pre-service physics teachers is, therefore, an important task of science educators. Before doing that, science educators must have information concerning their pre-service teachers＇ conceptions of NOS. This study used the MOSQ （myths of science questionnaire） to explore 17 pre-service physics teachers＇ conceptions of NOS. Commonly, these pre-service teachers expressed misunderstandings about NOS with respect to： （1） the relationship between theory and law; （2） science as cumulative; （3） subjectivity in science; （4） the scientific method; and （5） the relationship between science and technology. Science educators should consider and utilize these common misunderstandings as a basis of curricular framework for further improving pre-service physics teachers＇ understanding of NOS.     

An approach to develop physics student teachers＇ skills of using instructional technology

It is very important to develop student teachers＇ skills and knowledge during the pre-service teacher education process. In this study, the effectiveness of the approach in which student teachers＇ gained skills of developing and using TGMs （teacher-guided materials） based on integration of technology on physics education in STMC-Ⅱ （Special Teaching Methods Course-Ⅱ） for pre-service physics teachers was evaluated. The study was conducted with 33 physics student teachers in KTU （Karadeniz Technical University）. Student teachers were required to develop and present TGMs, which were based on principles of special teaching approaches and techniques and integration of technology through instruction. The data of the study were gained from semi-structured interviews conducted with 14 student teachers, observations of the lessons conducted by each student teacher and document analysis of the student teachers＇ diaries collected during the term. The student teachers stated that STMC-11 was a very helpful experience to gain teaching skills. It is believed that all these activities, which are designed and performed in the classroom by student teachers during STMC-Ⅱ course, will not only prepare them for their teaching but also help them gain basic experiences that they will need in their future career. At the end of the process, it is concluded that all the student teachers gained nearly the whole defined aims--skills and knowledge of the STMC-Ⅱ. The implementation process should be organized very well to have advance of gaining many skills together. Key words： physics student teacher; STMC-Ⅱ; the skills of developing TGMs and integration of technology     

Elementary Teachers＇ Perceptions About Implementation of Inclusive Education

The Disabilities Education Act was introduced in June, 1997 in the Turkish Education System. The Act states that schools have a duty to educate children with disabilities in general education classrooms. All children with disabilities should be educated with non-disabled children at their own age and have access to the general education curriculum. The philosophy of inclusive education aims at helping all children learn in regular classrooms. Children learn at their own pace and style within a nurturing learning environment because schools are important places for children to develop friendships and learn social skills. Children with and without disabilities learn together and from each other in inclusive classes. On the other hand, when children attend classes that reflect the similarities and differences of people in the real world, they learn to appreciate diversity. The aim of this study is to examine the perceptions of teachers about implementation of inclusive education in elementary schools. In order to collect data for this study, a questionnaire which consisted of eight open-ended questions was developed and administered to 66 elementary school teachers. The teachers worked at primary schools and taught 1-5 grades. They were asked to write their opinions and experiences about the implementation of inclusive education in the elementary schools. Primary school teachers generally have a positive attitude about inclusive education and its philosophical and psychological foundation. However, they express that they encounter some difficulties in implementing inclusive classrooms. A crowded classroom is a main obstacle to obtain desired objectives in educational activities. The levels of students＇ disability are related to effectiveness of classroom management. The effectiveness of inclusive education depends on not only the teachers＇ quality but also the school administrators＇. Some superintendents assess the effectiveness of teachers in inclusive and regular classrooms in the same way.     

The Influencing and Effective Model of Early Childhood Teachers＇Job Satisfaction in China

The purpose of this study was to explore the influencing and effective models of Chinese early childhood teachers＇ job satisfaction. Using a questionnaire of 317 teachers from 21 kindergartens in Shanghai, China, the present study established the influencing and effective structure model of teachers＇ job satisfaction. The results demonstrated that organizational climate and teachers＇ involvement in curriculum reform are the direct factors to affect teachers＇ job satisfaction, which is the important intermediate variable to influence on teachers＇ professional commitment, autonomy and burnout. It is also concluded that organizational climate improves teachers＇ professional commitment. What＇s more, involving in curriculum reform not only facilitates teachers＇ autonomy but also declines teachers＇ burnout.     

Exploring ICT Use and TPACK of Secondary Science Teachers in Two Contexts

The aims of the study were to census and compare the technological pedagogical and content knowledge （TPACK） of secondary science teachers and their most used information and communication technology （ICT） in two contexts, Taiwan and Shaanxi Province in China. A questionnaire was employed to examine secondary school science teachers＇ most used ICT and their TPACK in science teaching. Eight hundred and six secondary science teachers from Taiwan and 164 teachers from Shaanxi participated in the study. The analytical results showed that multimedia was the most used ICT in Taiwan, followed by PowerPoint （PPT）, Internet platforms, and interactive whiteboards （IWBs）. In Shaanxi, PPT was the most used ICT reported by science teachers, followed by multimedia, IWBs, and Intemet platforms. The findings indicated that in Taiwan, science teachers＇ TPACK was statistically significant in relation to different types of ICT, whereas in Shaanxi, science teachers＇ TPACK did not demonstrate significant difference. In Taiwan, science teachers who reported their most used ICT to be multimedia were found to show significant differences in TPACK according to gender and teaching experience. In Shaanxi, science teachers who reported their most used ICT to be PPT did not show any significant difference on TPACK by gender; however, they showed significant differences on TPACK in regard to teaching experience. The research implications of this study are provided below along with suggestions for future research.     

Teaching design of cultivating nursing students＇ creative thinking

Chinese nursing education levels have developed fast over the past few years. Many nursing educators are devoted to the research of nursing teaching. How to cultivate nursing students＇ creative thinking is one of the principle researches and has received increasing attention. In the course of nursing teaching, we renewed the teaching design based on the empirical education from nursing basics as follows. The teaching contents are enlarged to make students establish a sense of nursing development and dynamic study. The traditional teacher-centered teaching methods have been replaced by diversified students-centered methods from knowledge to activities. Evaluation of learning effect is developed to be a versatile comprehensive evaluation including students＇ Self-evaluation in accord with the multimedia teaching, group-evaluation in theoretical and discussion classes, and teachers＇ all-around evaluation. The new teaching design have embodied students＇ principal role and enhanced their abilities of creative thinking.     

Chinese feminist epistemology： Studies of Chinese mothers＇ experiences in immigration and education

This paper examines theoretical frameworks with which to study newly-immigrated mothers from China and calls for the need to make Chinese mothers become knowers and agents of knowledge. Although there are black and Chicana feminist epistemologies, currently there is no comparable discourse in the study of Chinese feminist epistemology, particularly on newly-immigrated Chinese mothers in the USA. By examining Chinese mothers＇ experiences immigrating to the United States and educating their children in the transnational context, the paper agrees that both endarkened feminist epistemology and transnational feminism cannot fully interpret and address newly-immigrated Chinese mothers＇ experiences. Drawing the research data directly from Chinese mothers, the paper describes different challenges Chinese mothers faced in immigrating and their children＇s education due to various factors, such as language, historical and cultural roots, to highlight Chinese mothers＇ various experiences in immigration and their children＇s education in the transnational context.     

Improving the teaching of the arts： Pre-service teacher self-efficacy towards arts education

Arts education is an essential component of a comprehensive education, requiring highly skilled teachers to achieve quality arts integration （Andrews, 2004）. It equips students with skills necessary for the 21st century workforce, allowing nations to develop the human resources necessary to tap their cultural capital （UNESCO, 2006）. A world trend however suggests that arts teaching by pre-service teachers is subject to lack of confdence, motivation and knowledge （Henessy, Rolfe ＆ Chedoy, 2001; Russell-Bowie, 2004）. Greater recognition of confirming and disconfirming experiences that shape pre-service teachers＇ self-efficacy beliefs for arts education is necessary. This paper provides insights into a research project that attempts to contribute towards filling this void in order to improve teacher effectiveness in the arts domain. After the first semester of teacher training, pre-service teachers completed a questionnaire based on their personal teaching beliefs for instructional design, student engagement and classroom management in arts education. Findings provide a greater understanding of how pre-service teachers regulate their own behaviour for teaching the arts, acting as validation beliefs of capabilities.     

The teaching of socioscientific issues in interdisciplinarity biology-philosophy, an ethical stake and citizenship issue

This research starts from a relatively optimistic thinking based on the fact that the teaching of the socioscientific issues through the practice of argued debates can contribute positively towards education in scientific citizenship. The teaching of techno-sciences raises topical questions which interfere in the classroom and at the same time carry scientific and social controversies within which it is possible to anchor the construction of new knowledge and citizen＇s behaviours. These controversial issues raise more questions and motivate the pupils more. Setting these topics for debate in the classroom could ＂restore, if only a little, what＂ Astolfi likes to call ＂the taste of knowledge （savoirs） ＇since the two words （saveur and savoir） come from the same Greek root＇ sapere＂, as Astolfi, 2006, marvellously put it in the foreword to the recent book How to teach socially acute questions （Legardez ＆ Simonneaux, 2006）. The present contribution is research in progress. It questions a protocol of training of future teachers. The principal objective is to train the pre-service teachers to teach socioscientific issues （SSI）. Like Funtowicz and Ravetz （1992, 1993）, we think that the SSI belong to ＂Post-Normal-Science＇. Accordingly, we will study the contribution of the training in epistemic, social and ethical values in the analysis of socioscientific issues by biology and philosophy future teachers. We will analyze the evolution of teacher trainees＇ decision-making after training on 3 socioscientific issues （the oncomice, the baby drug, the therapeutic cloning） and the impact of this socioepistemologic and ethical training on their teaching practices.     

The Impact of Teacher Education Programs on In-service Teachers in China and USA

Beliefs about knowledge, learning and teaching are assumed to impact teachers＇ practice （Brownlee, 2004; N. Entwistle, Skinner, D. Entwistle, ＆ Orr, 2000）. A change of beliefs is an important step for teacher learning, but it is often seen as difficult if not impossible （Cooney, Shealy, ＆ Arvold, 1998）. This study investigated the impact some teacher education programs from China and the USA had on the teachers＇ beliefs and teaching strategies and how these teachers integrated the acquired knowledge and teaching strategies in their practice. Researchers were particularly interested in investigating teachers＇ ability and willingness to use the strategies congruent with constructivist learning theory in their classrooms.