Quality in Inclusive Preschool Classrooms

Research Findings: Quality of care for preschool children in inclusive and noninclusive classrooms was examined in two studies. In Study 1, comparisons across a large sample of classrooms (N = 1, 313) showed that inclusive classrooms were higher than noninclusive classrooms in global quality as well as on two dimensions of quality (Activities/Materials and Language/Interactions). In Study 2, a more diverse sample of 44 classrooms (20 inclusive and 24 noninclusive) did not reveal differences on the global measures of quality but did show a difference on a measure of teacher–child interactions. Teachers in inclusive classrooms had higher quality and more appropriate interactions with all children than did teachers from noninclusive classrooms. Ratings of perceived severity of children's disabilities were not related to any of the measures of classroom quality in either study. Practice or Policy: Both studies suggest that including children with disabilities in regular preschool classrooms does not result in lower quality programs or in less adequate teacher–child interactions, particularly for children with mild to moderate disabilities. Results illustrate the importance of continued education for early childhood professionals on high-quality teacher–child interactions. Faculty in personnel preparation programs as well as policymakers need to continue to promote high-quality interactions between teachers and children.     

Instructional Activities and the Quality of Language in Chilean Preschool Classrooms

Research Findings: This study examines the association between preschool classroom activity and the quality of the language spoken by teachers and children. Eighteen classrooms serving low-income children between the ages of 3 and 4 in Santiago de Chile were audio-recorded during one morning shift. Recordings were transcribed and segmented into activities (greeting, learning experience, book sharing, book discussion, breakfast, lunch, free play and other noninstructional time). A total of 113 activity segments were identified. Characteristics of teacher and child language were measured in each segment. Differences between the eight activities were examined using analysis of variance. Activities were classified as instructional or noninstructional, and the association between this dimension and language characteristics was examined using multilevel path analysis. Results show that most of the variance in language outcomes occurs within classrooms. Analyses show that a significant portion of the variance in the way teachers and children talk is explained by the instructional/noninstructional dimension. Instructional activities are characterized by more language stimulation, more teaching, fewer directives, and more child talk than noninstructional activities. Practice or Policy Implications: We discuss implications for teacher professional development and early childhood education improvement in general and for Latin-America specifically.     

Quality of Language and Literacy Instruction in Preschool Classrooms Serving At-Risk Pupils

Policy-makers, administrators, researchers, and teachers are increasingly vested in ensuring the quality of preschool instruction, particularly in the areas of language and literacy. This research was conducted to characterize the quality of language and literacy instruction in 135 publicly-funded preschool classrooms serving at-risk pupils. As all teachers in these classrooms were implementing the same language and literacy curriculum, we also studied the interrelationships among procedural fidelity to a prescribed curriculum and the quality of language and literacy instruction, determining whether procedural fidelity is associated or disassociated with quality instruction. Results showed that the quality of language and literacy instruction in classrooms was low, with few teachers delivering high quality instruction. Although teachers were able to implement a prescribed language and literacy curriculum with a high degree of procedural fidelity, this was not associated with quality instruction. Few structural characteristics of classrooms of teachers were systematically associated with quality of instruction. Findings have important implications for professional development of teachers by suggesting a need for a sustained and coherent focus on the process of instruction to elevate instructional quality in language and literacy.     

An Observational Study of Print Literacy in Canadian Preschool Classrooms

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of print literacy in preschool classrooms. There were seven preschool teachers working in central Canada who were observed over three sessions. The process of analytic induction was used to formulate categories based on interviews, classroom observations and documents. The following categories were identified from the data: book engagement and availability, writing engagement, and print displays and materials. There were some consistencies across centres in the availability of print materials; however, variation often existed in the types of interactions with print. For example, in some preschool classrooms, teachers had a more structured approach toward writing development while in others, they did not. Such differences in practice may be attributed to different beliefs and knowledge of early literacy development. The results of this study offer insight on the role of print literacy in preschool classrooms.     

Friendship and Popularity in Preschool Classrooms

The development of friendships and peer acceptance and their relation to children's emotional regulation and social-emotional behavior with others among a group of 3-5-year-old children was examined. Peer relationships and social-emotional skills were assessed early in the preschool year and peer relationships were assessed again late in the year. Preschool friendships were prevalent, moderately consistent across situations, and moderately stable over the course of the school year; peer acceptance also was moderately stable. Popularity of preschool children was related to their social behavior with peers both early and late in the school year but acceptance by the group was unrelated to children's emotion regulation. Number of mutual friendship choices was related to children's emotional regulation but not to social behaviors with peers late in the year. Acceptance by the peer group was related to number of mutual friends but there were some well-liked children who had no friends and disliked children who had friends. These results show the importance of popularity and early friendships in preschool classrooms. That is, these peer relationships are lasting and related to social and emotional development. Therefore, efforts to foster both group relations and mutual dyadic relationships should be included in preschool programming.     

High-Quality Preschool: The Socioeconomic Composition of Preschool Classrooms and Children's Learning

Research Findings: As policymakers expand access to preschool, the sociodemographic composition of preschool classrooms will become increasingly important. These efforts may create programs that increase the concentration of children from low-income families or, alternatively, foster the creation of socioeconomically diverse preschool classrooms. What effect the creation of such contexts would have on very young children remains unclear. Using multilevel methods and data on 2,966 children in 704 prekindergarten classrooms, this study explores the relationship between socioeconomic classroom composition and children's social and cognitive development. The results indicate positive associations between the mean socioeconomic status (SES) of the class and children's receptive language, expressive language, and mathematics learning, regardless of children's own sociodemographic backgrounds and the characteristics of their classrooms. However, the analyses indicate no association between the development of social competence and class mean SES. Practice or Policy: The links between classroom SES and language and mathematics development were comparable in size to those associated with instructional quality and even children's own SES. Neither structural nor instructional characteristics of prekindergarten classrooms explained these relationships, suggesting the possibility of direct peer effects. The findings indicate that the composition of children's classrooms should be considered an important aspect of preschool quality.     

基于大学生认知的高校教学质量影响因子调查

本研究通过问卷和访谈的方法对H省四所高校的752名学生在教学质量影响因子方面的认知进行调查.发现,在学生的认知中办学理念、学校资源、学校管理、教师质量以及学习态度对高校教学质量影响重大,其中教师质量是关键因素.在各项子因子中,实验与实践、学习资源、课程设置、教师教育教学能力、学习积极性最重要.此外,不同年级、学科、学校的学生对教学质量影响因子的认知差异显著,不同性别与毕业意向的学生差异不显著.     

Mathematics and Science Learning Opportunities in Preschool Classrooms

Research Findings: The present study observed and coded instruction in 65 preschool classrooms to examine (a) overall amounts and (b) types of mathematics and science learning opportunities experienced by preschool children as well as (c) the extent to which these opportunities were associated with classroom and program characteristics. Results indicated that children were afforded an average of 24 and 26 min of mathematics and science learning opportunities, respectively, corresponding to spending approximately 25% of total instructional time in each domain. Considerable variability existed, however, in the amounts and types of mathematics and science opportunities provided to children in their classrooms; to some extent, this variability was associated with teachers' years of experience, teachers' levels of education, and the socioeconomic status of children served in the program. Practice or Policy: Although results suggest greater integration of mathematics and science in preschool classrooms than previously established, there was considerable diversity in the amounts and types of learning opportunities provided in the preschool classrooms. Affording mathematics and science experiences to all preschool children as outlined in professional and state standards may require additional professional development aimed at increasing preschool teachers' understanding and implementation of learning opportunities in these 2 domains in their classrooms.     

高校课堂教学质量的有效教学评价体系结构研究

有效教学评价的组织与实施关键在于评价指标的选择。本课题采用社会调查研究方法,运用多因素分析方法尝试深入分析有效教学评价的指标体系结构，比较有效教学评价与传统教学评价的差异，探索建立高校课堂教学有效教学评价体系。     

义务教育均衡发展背景下农村学校规模对教育质量的影响

学校撤并前后,西北六县的学校数量大幅减少,而学校规模、平均班级规模和学校班级数明显扩大。学校规模对数学、语文成绩合格率具有显著的负影响,对辍学率具有显著的正影响。此外,"经历学校撤并学生比例"对教育质量也产生了负面影响。由此,义务教育均衡发展进程中,应确保农村学校规模适度,以教育质量提升和公平原则为优先,并理顺大规模和小规模学校的关系,促进农村学校多元化发展。     

Measuring the Quality of Teaching in Elementary School Classrooms

This paper reviews the means by which teacher quality has been measured. It considers data sources such as students, peers, experts, and examines the psychometrics and scale properties of teacher quality assessment instruments with respect to reliability and validity. A list of items for possible inclusion in an elementary student focussed instrument is considered, together with the potential use of such an instrument in measuring teacher quality.     

优美课堂:课堂教学质量观重建

优和美是课堂教学价值追求中缺一不可的目标。课堂教学对优的追求主要指教学场域的优雅、教学过程的优化、教学效果的优质和教学体验的优卓;课堂教学对美的追求主要指生命美、智识美、情感美、和谐美。课堂教学中的优与美的关系体现为互为目的、互位相得的关系,科学与艺术统合的关系,智性与诗性融合的关系。优美课堂的提出,是对课堂教学质量观的重建,期望或偏向科学主义或偏向人文主义的教学质量观得以纠偏补正,并使二者实现和合。     

凤阳烤烟产量和质量波动的气候因素分析

本文采用统计学方法揭示凤阳烤烟生产与气候条件的关系，结果表明，４月份日平均气温、降水量和７月份降水量是影响烤烟产量的主要气象因子，７月份太阳总辐射能、８月份日平均气温、日照时数和太阳总辐射能是影响烤烟质量的主要气象因子，麦茬烟生长期间的热量条件远不及春烟优越。     

幼儿教师职业倦怠的现状及其与幼儿园组织气氛、教师教学效能感的关系

以573名幼儿教师为研究对象,采用问卷法考察幼儿教师职业倦怠的现状及其与幼儿园组织气氛、教师教学效能感之间的关系。研究发现:(1)从教一年内的幼儿教师的情感枯竭水平显著低于其他教龄的幼儿教师,民办幼儿园教师的情感枯竭水平显著低于公办幼儿园教师。(2)幼儿教师的职业倦怠分为三类:倦怠型、低成就感型、适应型,分别占22. 17%、37. 17%、40. 66%。(3)结构方程模型分析发现,组织气氛(园长行为)和组织气氛(教师行为)均直接负向预测教师的职业倦怠;幼儿教师教学效能感在组织气氛(教师行为)和教师职业倦怠之间起部分中介作用。     

Learning and Teaching in Microcomputer Classrooms:

No abstract available for this article.     

Goodness of Fit Between Children and Classrooms: Effects of Child Temperament and Preschool Classroom Quality on Achievement Trajectories

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine whether child temperament differentially predicted academic school readiness depending on the quality of classroom interactions for 179 Head Start preschoolers. Teachers rated children's temperament as overcontrolled, resilient, or undercontrolled in the fall and reported on children's language/literacy and math skills continuously throughout the year. Observations of classroom emotional and instructional support were conducted in the spring. Results from multilevel models indicated that overcontrolled children (compared to resilient children) made greater math gains in classrooms with higher instructional support, whereas a trend-level effect suggested that undercontrolled children (compared to resilient children) made lower math gains in classrooms with lower emotional support. Results also showed that resilient children's gains in language/literacy were more positively associated with high emotional support than were the scores of overcontrolled children. Practice or Policy: This study adds to prior findings suggesting that overcontrolled and undercontrolled children need special attention in the preschool classroom. Teachers and administrators may want to carefully consider the effect that classroom interactions and instructional techniques have on individual children and attempt to tailor instruction to meet the individual needs of children within classrooms.     

Making it REAL: Using Informational Picture Books in Preschool Classrooms

This article addresses the importance and benefits of integrating informational texts into read alouds in preschool classrooms through an instructional approach entitled REAL Time. Teachers use the REAL Time framework to pair complex storybooks with one or more informational texts in order to develop children’s understanding of key vocabulary and important real world concepts. Teachers are then encouraged to plan curricular experiences for children that deepen and extend their understanding. Such experiences help the teacher link children’s content knowledge across texts and learning experiences. While implementing REAL Time, teachers draw attention to text features and functions of informational texts in ways that build children’s understanding of print.     

A Multi-Instrument Examination of Preschool Classroom Quality and the Relationship Between Program,Classroom, and Teacher Characteristics

Research Findings: A statewide study of preschool classroom quality was conducted using 3 distinct classroom observation measures in order to inform a statewide quality rating system. Findings suggested that Tennessee preschool classrooms were approaching “good” quality on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale–Revised (ECERS-R) and provided a mid-to-high emotional and engaging climate as indicated by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) domains of Emotional Support and Student Engagement. However, classrooms were only minimal on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale–Extension and the CLASS Instructional Support domain. Past performance on a state quality rating assessment consistently predicted the current quality of preschool classrooms as assessed by all 3 measures. Lead teachers' education in early childhood and experience were also predictors across quality measures. Practice or Policy: Tennessee preschool classrooms scored higher on the ECERS-R, which is the measure utilized in the statewide Quality Rating and Improvement System. However, classrooms generally performed poorly on measures of instructional support and curriculum. This finding illuminates the importance of the tool selected to measure quality in state quality rating and improvement systems and has implications for policy as states work to build systems that enhance quality in early care and education.     

Factors Influencing Word-of-Mouth Recommendations by MBA Students: An Examination of School Quality,Educational Outcomes,and Value of the MBA

Word-of-mouth recommendations from current students are an important source of influence when prospective MBA students are selecting a school. Based on a sample of 16,297 graduating MBA students, this paper uses multiple regression analysis to identify the factors that affect a school recommendation and to assess their relative importance. Separate models are developed based on prior research on service quality, educational outcomes, and perceived equity; then, variables from the separate models are combined into an overall model. Implications are discussed for school administrators and the marketing professionals who support them.