The relationship between early childhood teachers' instructional quality and children's mathematics development

This study examined how early childhood (EC) teachers' instructional quality predicted children's development in mathematics across two measurement occasions. Therefore, EC teachers' (n = 25) instructional quality was assessed using one standardized observation instrument covering both domain-specific and general aspects of instructional quality. Additionally, data on children's (n = 208) outcome in early number skills was collected applying a standardized test. Multilevel structural equation modeling was used accounting for nested data. Children's age and the average size of preschool groups were controlled for. Results revealed that EC teachers' instructional quality predicted children's development but was not associated with their initial achievement. The findings suggest that instruments covering domain-specific and general aspects might be helpful in order to measure EC teachers' instructional quality in mathematics and predict children's learning growth. Understanding the mechanisms between instructional quality and children's development may help EC teachers to enhance their math teaching in practice.     

The influence of experience on student teachers' beliefs about inclusion

Abstract

Teacher beliefs influence the implementation of inclusion practices in the classroom. Therefore, the importance of developing positive beliefs during the preservice years cannot be overstated. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of professional experiences on students’ beliefs about inclusion. This qualitative study was comprised of a series of interviews (group and individual) and analysis of reflective writings for six student teachers. Findings indicated that experiences both professional and personal contribute to the development of the students’ beliefs about inclusion. If these experiences were positive, the preservice teachers were more positively disposed to the concept of inclusion. Therefore, teacher training programs are afforded the opportunity to influence preservice teachers’ development of positive beliefs about inclusion which may ultimately affect the inclusion process.     

Using story dictation to support young children's vocabulary development: Outcomes and process

Creating opportunities for children to apply newly learned vocabulary in meaningful contexts is an important aspect of supporting vocabulary development. However, previous research has not adequately examined how this can be accomplished in preschool classrooms. To address this issue, we explored using story dictation to support preschoolers’ expressive vocabulary development. Thirteen children in a Head Start classroom were videotaped dictating a total of 38 stories. Scribed stories and videos of story dictation sessions were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively to examine the outcomes and process. Results indicated that children used and learned target vocabulary during story dictations, and that target word use increased in number and complexity over time. How the teacher supported story dictations and target word use is discussed.     

MENTORING: A CENTER FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY (CPDT) TALE

A paradigm shift has occurred in teacher training institutions in recent years. Many universities are abandoning traditional teacher training programs and are opting to offer this training through professional centers. These centers are grounded in research on best practices and usually incorporate more field experiences which results in the need for quality mentors. One South Texas university has five years of experience with such a program. Problems encountered have included cost, rewards, training, selection, collaboration and time constraints. Solutions to many of these have come from careful budgeting, legislation, research, increased community involvement, and state initiatives.     

‘Wounded memory’, post-war gender conflict and narrative identity: reinterpreting Reggio Emilia Schools’ origin stories

In this article, memory is examined as it relates to origin stories of the Reggio Emilia approach – an internationally renowned Italian education programme – and to the articulation of women’s experiences of gender and their narrative identity in this very particular context. The article shows that a number of women who partook in the founding of the Reggio Emilia schools suffer from what Ricoeur terms ‘wounded memory’, which occurs when public recognition and legitimisation of one’s own narrative is actively marginalised, suppressed or erased in historical, official and institutional accounts. The author describes this experience and feeling shared by the Reggio Emilia women who were interviewed and argues that this ‘wounded memory’ can be linked to a wider concern with gender inequality. The article concludes by presenting some of the missing accounts of leadership, creativity and initiative that were gathered among these women whose memory has been wounded.     

Experimental evaluation of the effects of cooperative learning on kindergarten children's mathematics ability

The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of cooperative learning on the mathematics ability and cooperative social behaviours of kindergarten children and to evaluate teachers’ perspectives on the application of the program. One control (n = 17) and one experimental group (n = 17) were studied. In the experimental group, a curriculum based on cooperative learning method activities was used. Significant improvements in mathematics abilities were found for children in the experimental group that utilised cooperative learning.     

Feminist tales of teaching and resistance: reimagining gender in early childhood education (Reggio Emilia,Italy)

ABSTRACT

This article investigates whether the memories of women’s movements that grew out of the Italian Resistance to the Nazi-Fascist Regime during the Second World War have left any legacy to women teachers in early childhood education. The article focuses on the case of internationally renowned and high-quality schools for young children, the municipal schools of a northern Italian town called Reggio Emilia. In contrast to much of the literature on gender and early childhood education, this paper reveals that many women teachers in these schools think of themselves as agents of social change, and that this is tied to their memories of the Italian Resistance.     

Interactive TV as an option in early childhood teacher education

Abstract

The qualitative study examined the processes and approaches to collaboration, reflection, and dialogue of preservice and mentoring teachers who were engaged in a yearlong internship experience. Within the context of a university course grounded in constructivism, social constructivism, and the concept of teacher as researcher, the study explored the social interactions of the teachers throughout the course of the school day. Teachers were observed in the process of planning and reflecting on daily classroom activities through collaborative meetings with a focus on the teaching and learning process. The preservice teachers were educated in the use of the main principles described by the Reggio Emilia Approach ‐ collaboration reflection, and dialogue (Edwards, Gandini &; Forman, 1998) and thus, served as a guide for the collaborative interactions with the mentoring teachers.     

Listening to young children outdoors with pedagogical documentation

If children are to be heard in research and pedagogy, we need to find ways to listen to them. But how do we listen to young children when words are not their primary means of communication? Drawing on research investigating children’s perspectives of outdoor spaces in pedagogical settings, this article discusses the use of pedagogical documentation as a way of listening to young children. This listening involves children and adults working together in a relationship of co-experimentation which requires suspension of judgment, openness and preparedness to be affected by the ‘other’ [Davies, Bronwyn. (2014). Listening to Children: Being and Becoming. London: Routledge; Rinaldi, Carla. (2006). In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, Researching and Learning. London: Routledge]. The article explores ways in which pedagogical documentation can not only lead to insights into children’s thinking, but also to questioning of taken-for-granted assumptions about children, learning and the wider world. Furthermore, the article highlights the way in which the materiality of pedagogical documentation strategies also actively contributes to the research. The study’s findings suggest that in thinking with pedagogical documentation, children, adults and nonhuman elements all work together in an interconnected and ever-changing assemblage which does not result in definitive conclusions but instead leads to more questions.     

Uncovering young children's motivational beliefs about learning science

Young children, ages 5–6 years, develop first beliefs about science and themselves as science learners, and these beliefs are considered important precursors of children's future motivation to pursue science. Yet, due to a lack of adequate measures, little is known about young children's motivational beliefs about learning science. The present two‐part study explores the motivational beliefs of young children using a new measure—the Young Children's Science Motivation (Y‐CSM) scale. Initial measurement development involved a thorough literature review of existing measures, and an extensive piloting phase until a final instrument was reached. To establish scale reliability, measurement invariance as well construct and criterion validity, the final instrument was administered to a new sample of 277 young children, age 5–6 years, in northern Germany. Results reveal that children's motivational beliefs can be empirically differentiated into their self‐confidence and enjoyment in science at this young age. Older children were more motivated in science, but no significant gender differences were found. Importantly, children in preschools with a science focus reported significantly higher science motivation. This finding stresses the importance of early science education for the development of children's motivational beliefs science.     

Preschool children's math-related behaviors mediate curriculum effects on math achievement gains

This study used a mediational model to examine the effect of curriculum condition on student behaviors and how those behaviors related to math achievement gains. The student behaviors examined were children's participation in learning-related activities, talking during learning activities, and level of engagement with the materials. Conducted as part of a larger project involving the implementation and evaluation of a preschool mathematics curriculum, this study involved twenty urban prekindergarten sites with 57 classrooms randomly assigned to the new curriculum or a practice-as-usual condition. The final analytic sample included 675 children, predominately from low-income homes. Results showed that the greater gains made by children in curriculum classrooms were mediated by the number of times children were observed focused on mathematics and the number of times they were observed talking during mathematics. Findings from this study demonstrate the importance of focusing on children's actual responses to a new curriculum in determining its effects.     

The indirect effect of children's gender on early childhood educators' mathematical talk

The purpose of this study is to examine how teachers might engage in mathematical talk differently with boys and girls within an early childhood classroom setting; therefore, possibly building and maintaining the stereotype of mathematics as a male domain. Utilizing a multi-model approach, results suggests minimal differences in the extent in which teachers in this study engaged in mathematical talk with girls and boys in class. However, any noted differences in mathematical talk and questions seem dependent upon the classroom contexts (i.e., whole-class, small group, and center time). Implications and future research will be discussed.     

解析瑞吉欧幼儿教育的学习机制

瑞吉欧幼儿教育体现一种独特的儿童观和教育观,为世界关注幼儿教育的个人和组织所注意。瑞吉欧幼儿教育具有包括活动学习有效性,幼儿园、家庭、社区交互协作性,系统的自组织性等核心学习机制。瑞吉欧幼儿教育的背景文化、教学方法、环境等要素揭示其活动学习有效性的效应机理,团体中心、社区管理模式反映了瑞吉欧幼儿教育学习环境的作用机制,系统的自组织则呈现出瑞吉欧幼儿教育学习系统的自组织机制并彰显生态课堂的特征。     

Parental perceptions of life context variables for involvement in their young children's education

The purpose of this study was to discover Turkish parents’ perceptions of life context variables, including personal knowledge and skills and personal time and energy for involvement activities in their young children's education. The scales used in this study were based on parents’ self-report, and included: (1) Parental Perceptions of Personal Knowledge and Skills for Involvement Activities and (2) Parental Perceptions of Personal Time and Energy for Involvement Activities. Moreover, a demographic survey was developed and used as the second instrument in this study. The results suggested that parents as a group tend to have positive perceptions of life context variables for involvement in their young children's education and their income is the strongest predictor of these perceptions.     

Examining the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education

Reggio Emilia, a prosperous region in Northern Italy, is the site of one of the most innovative, high-quality city-run infant-toddler and pre-primary systems in the world. The Reggio Emilia Approach to early childhood education draws from the ideas of many great thinkers, yet it is much more than an eclectic mix of theories. With that in mind, the following points concerning the learner, the instructor, and knowledge serve to guide the Reggio Emilia Approach to educating young children: the learner possesses rights, is an active constructor of knowledge, and is a social being; the instructor is a collaborator and co-learner along with the child, a guide and facilitator, and a researcher; and knowledge is viewed as being socially constructed, encompassing multiple forms of knowing, and comprised of meaningful wholes.     

幼教小学化之谬——学前教育应以适应幼儿为本

幼儿的教育问题是我国基础教育的重要问题,关于幼儿教育是应该以知识学习为主还是以游戏教育为主在我国社会上也已经争论已久。尽管教育部门就幼儿教育的问题出台了不少相关规定,但还是因为社会观念和家长需求的影响,导致部分规定无法有效推行,幼儿教育逐步朝着知识传授和智力开发的方向发展。本应该属于小学课程的部分以幼儿教育的形式进入幼儿教育机构中,给幼儿增添了不少负担,也给幼儿教育工作者制造了不少麻烦。     

The Importance of Intentional Socialization Among Children in Small Groups: A Conversation with Loris Malaguzzi

Loris Malaguzzi, founder and guide for 50 years to the schools of young children in Reggio Emilia, Italy, passed away in January 1994. In this interview, conducted in 1990, Malaguzzi speaks directly to early childhood educators in the United States. He blends theory and practice as he clarifies the theoretical base of the Reggio schools and discusses pedagogical implications for early childhood practitioners who want to work from a deep understanding of children's thinking and questions.     

The impact of teachers' beliefs on the literacy experiences of young children: a New Zealand perspective

There has been a growing focus in New Zealand on the early literacy learning of young children. This emphasis has challenged early childhood teachers to ensure there are appropriate literacy events within their programme. The aim of this study was to identify early childhood teachers' knowledge and beliefs about literacy learning and examine how these translated into literacy practices. Four early childhood settings were chosen—two sessional kindergartens and two full‐day early learning centres. Eight early childhood teachers from four different centres were interviewed. All teachers held a recognized early childhood qualification and were working within the framework of Te Whaariki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum. Five children in each setting were observed using narrative observations. All teachers were committed to providing meaningful and purposeful literacy experiences within a play‐based programme. However, although teachers had created rich early literacy environments, there was some tendency toward formal skills‐based interactions. The children themselves created many opportunities for authentic and rich literacy events.     

Constructing cultural‐historical tools for supporting young children's concept formation in early literacy and numeracy

Over the past 10 years, early childhood professionals have been increasingly influenced by cultural‐historical theory. In order to support professionals evolving their practice, the Australian government commissioned a set of cultural‐historical resources specifically designed to build literacy and numeracy experiences for children from birth to the age of five years. This paper reports on an investigation of how teachers and families used the tools for supporting concept formation in literacy and numeracy and how they came to understand cultural‐historical theory. A sample of 349 people (families, and qualified and unqualified early childhood professionals) were either surveyed online or interviewed in relation to the resources. The findings indicate that teachers focused more explicitly on cognitive outcomes for children as a result of using the resources, and most families interacted differently with their children in everyday situations after having piloted the resources.     

幼儿教育小学化倾向的表现原因及解决对策

幼儿教育是针对学龄前儿童的教育,目前幼儿教育往往是有严重的小学化倾向。为了解决当前幼儿教育中小学化的趋势,有必要分析其表现和形成原因,最终制定完善的解决策略,提高幼儿教育的效率,使儿童在良好的教育体系下实现健康稳定的发展目标。