Institutional characteristics and faculty/administrator perceptions of outcomes: An exploratory analysis

Linkages between faculty/administrator perceptions of student outcomes and selected institutional characteristics were examined using data drawn from a survey of 320 four-year institutions and the HEGIS database. A particular focus of the study was to investigate the contribution of institutional culture variables on perceptions of effectiveness, independent of more traditional institutional characteristics such as size, type, selectivity, and control. Independent effects were established for perceptions of student satisfaction and student personal development, but were not demonstrated for student academic development or student career development. The study also confirmed relationships between institutional culture and faculty/administrator perceptions of a number of educational process variables generally held to be linked to student outcomes, for example, the frequency of student/faculty contact and the degree to which information and feedback are valued in decision making. Results suggest that institutional culture may be a powerful determinant of perceived effectiveness regardless of its structural setting.     

Using standards to evaluate accountability policy in context: School administrator and teacher perceptions of a teacher evaluation system

Accountability policy in the United States requiring school districts to design and implement state policy-directed teacher evaluation systems that utilize multiple measures, most often observations of professional practice and student achievement data, has been reflective of shifting international public discourse surrounding educational accountability, specifically related to teacher quality. Although the most recent wave of policy change provides states some flexibility in determining how teachers are evaluated, many are still mired in debate on how to improve teacher professional practice and increase student learning. This study examined the perceptions of school administrators and teachers in a large, suburban, public school district regarding their district’s new teacher evaluation system. Understanding the convergent and divergent views of participant groups regarding how (i.e., the standards by which) they defined and measured the effectiveness of the evaluation system is necessary to not only better understand their lived experiences but also to potentially inform policy change.     

The mediating roles of collective teacher efficacy in the relations of teachers' perceptions of school organizational climate to their burnout

This study examined the relationships between school organizational climate, collective teacher efficacy, and burnout in a sample of Korean middle school teachers. Using SEM, the results showed that school organizational climate reflecting higher levels of reflective dialogues was associated with both higher levels of collective teacher efficacy and lower levels of teachers' burnout. In contrast, school organizational climate reflecting higher levels of organizational politics was associated with lower levels of collective teacher efficacy, and did not have a direct effect on teachers' burnout. The relationship between school organizational climate and teachers' burnout was mediated by collective teacher efficacy.     

Embers to bonfires: an analysis of early childhood teacher training in Zambia

This study examined a five-year project initiated by the Women’s Global Connection (WGC) to train pre-primary teachers in schools serving HIV/AIDS orphans in Zambia. The researchers evaluated the contextual factors of the training initiative to clarify why some teachers possess high self-efficacy, while others do not. The article analyses the self-report survey responses of all training participants and also describes compelling interview narratives obtained from a random sampling of extreme groups. When stories from the groups were compared, factors emerged that had enabled some participants to feel more successful than others. The researchers selected the Success Case Method (SCM) as a research process for its straightforward determination of the impact of organisational initiatives on the organisation’s project goals. The results may guide international teacher training for developing countries.     

Exploring the relationship between early childhood and elementary grade-level overlap and early childhood teacher output

This study explores the relationship between grade-level overlap between elementary education (ELED) and early childhood education (ECED) licenses and ECED teacher output. Analysis of Title 2 data indicates that ECED/ELED overlap is extensive, as evidenced by the number of states with grade-level overlaps of 5 (n = 2), 4 (n = 24), 3 (n = 10), and 2 years (n = 7). In the 47 states with both types of credentials, ELED licensees may teach preschool in two states, kindergarten in 30, first grade in 41, second grade in 42, and third grade in 43. The percentage of ECED (relative to ELED) teacher licensure program completers is low in states where elementary licenses begin in preschool (5%), kindergarten (14%), and Grade 1 (23%), but higher in states where elementary licenses begin in Grades 2 (45%), 3 (44%), and 4 (70%).     

How teachers' perceptions of the parent–teacher relationship affect children's risk for early childhood expulsion

Rates of expulsion from early care and education settings (e.g., childcare and preschool programs) exceed those in K‐12, and relatively little is known of how to prevent such disciplinary decisions. In addition, expulsion disproportionately affects children of color, especially boys. The present study explores a potential protective strategy existent in all early care and education settings, the parent–teacher relationship. Surveys with early childhood teachers (N = 295) outline the association between teachers' perceptions of the parent–teacher relationship and a child's risk for expulsion. Findings indicate that teachers' perceptions of high‐quality parent–teacher relationships are related to a lower risk for expulsion for children who have not been expelled, with the strongest association found for Black children. In contrast, for children identified as previously expelled, we found no association between teachers' perceptions of the parent–teacher relationship and future expulsion risk. Each finding will be described in detail with an eye towards implications and intervention.     

Closing the gap between the theory and practice of teaching: implications for teacher education programmes in Hong Kong

The gap between the theory and practice of teaching is an issue of concern in teacher education. Although researching this gap is not new, few studies have been conducted in Hong Kong. It is worth investigating the contemporary Asian models of teacher education that can provide reference to the international literature. This paper examines this theory–practice gap by reporting a study that researched the inconsistencies between student teachers' best teaching strategies and their most commonly employed ones. Specifically, we investigated: (1) the considerations that contribute to the inconsistencies in the student teachers' conceptions of teaching; and (2) the enhancing factors of the teacher education programme which help to close the gap between the theory and practice of teaching. Through examining the interview data, the findings revealed three main dimensions of consideration attributing to the inconsistencies in the conceptions of teaching: pre‐training experience, teaching context and student needs. These considerations lead to expansive or constraining impacts on the student teachers' selections of teaching strategies. Influences from the teacher education programme that might close this gap are identified. Implications for improving teacher education programmes are also discussed.     

Teacher and administrator perceptions of gender in the classroom

Gendered stereotypes persist in American classrooms despite efforts to create equitable learning environments. Within this qualitative study, we examined both teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of gender in the classroom and present the data of the continued gender bias among some educators in their own words. The data showed teachers and administrators attributed conflict styles based upon gender and consistently reference boys conflict resolution style as “over quickly” in contrast to girls conflict resolution style. Likewise, participants’ gendered perceptions extended to the kinds of feedback they expected girls and boys to prefer. Additionally, our findings show that participants misunderstood or lacked knowledge of scientifically sound research and participants described changing the curriculum in a single-sex class/school to use stereotypical topics and activities for student engagement. The authors suggest this data should open a discussion between education scholars and practitioners to help align current knowledge about gender and development and implications of stereotypes for classroom practice.     

Multicultural visions in early reading classrooms: Implications for early childhood teacher educators

Abstract

Teachers and teacher educators are faced with an urgent responsibility to support the learning of an increasingly diverse population of young children. Based on the sociocultural perspective of reading, a literature‐based approach is outlined for early reading teachers. The implications of this approach to teacher education programs are further discussed from the author's own experiences of transmitting multicultural visions to preservice teachers in a multicultural course and a literacy method course she taught. The author maintains that teacher educators are in a unique position to help early childhood teacher candidates nurture multicultural visions in their teacher education programs today, and carry these visions to their future early reading classrooms tomorrow. © 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.     

Continuity and change in the visions of childhood in head start: Implications for early childhood teacher educators

ABSTRACT

Drawing on an autoethnographic approach, the purpose of this article is to support: 1) teacher educators in thinking about how to mentor sexual minority students as they consider the decision to disclose (or not) their sexual identities in their school placements; and 2) sexual minority students in navigating the decision to disclose (or not) their sexual identities in the context of practicum or student teaching. Early childhood teacher education faculty must be prepared to support sexual minority students in confronting decisions about disclosing their sexual orientation in the context of practicum and student teaching. Though sexual minority educators may choose to seek employment in schools or districts with explicit values about nondiscrimination, preservice teachers may not enjoy similar agency or protection, given that student placements are often dictated by geographic proximity to the university and partnerships with teacher preparation programs.     

Learning to contribute: text connections in early childhood teacher education

ABSTRACT

Face-to-face time with students in the early childhood college setting is at a premium and often flies by before we begin to scratch the surface of active learning. Building a community of learners is one of our main goals as instructors; therefore, we strive to set up active learning environments optimal for all students. This reflection on practice highlights the text connections learning strategy, describes how four early childhood education instructors use it, and analyzes its theoretical underpinnings to investigate how it helps students learn to contribute to the learning of all. Student examples and reflections from the instructors are included.     

Korean early childhood educators' multi-dimensional teacher self-efficacy and ECE center climate and depression severity in teachers as contributing factors

This study investigated profiles of South Korean early childhood educators' teacher self-efficacy and contributing factors to teacher self-efficacy. The contributing factors were examined with a focus on early childhood education (ECE) center climate and depression severity in teachers as well as teacher and classroom characteristics. The results suggested that Korean early childhood educators' teacher self-efficacy was multi-dimensional, and each dimension had unique predictors. ECE center climate emerged as the most significant contributor to all teacher self-efficacy domains. Depression severity in teachers was associated with teacher self-efficacy but the facets of association were different according to the attributes of the efficacy domains. Instructional efficacy, which directly pertains to teaching professions, was not associated with depression in teachers. On the other hand, teacher self-efficacy domains containing affective aspects, such as creating positive social contexts and parental involvement and decision-making, were vulnerable to depression severity.     

Attitude and passion: becoming a teacher in early childhood education and care

By focusing on a collective aesthetics based on sensation and affect, researchers, especially in Stockholm, Sweden, are exploring a pedagogy that opens up space for assemblages of desire, acknowledging the expressions of children who transform themselves and their milieus into a weave of bodies, spaces, signs and media. By analysing this pedagogy, against the background of the theories of Henri Wallon and Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, I wish to investigate the concept of a ‘thinner skin mentality’. This willingness to transgress one’s own stabilising attitude, to move towards a greater sensitivity to relational and situational affectivity when accompanying the learning of children, may provide a point of reference for a preschool teacher qualification.     

Influence of perceptions: Listening to early childhood preservice teachers

Abstract

This qualitative study examined how the perceptions of preservice teachers influenced their developing teaching role, and how the perceptions of preservice teachers can be influenced by teacher preparation programs. The influences of perceptions are mostly unrecognized, but are significant to the teacher preparation process. Without identifying their perceptions about the teaching role, and explicitly enhancing or changing perceptions, preservice teachers may return unknowingly to their implicit perceptions when they begin teaching. Thus, their practices may or may not reflect what they have been taught about appropriate practices for young children. Suggestions are made to facilitate the learning of prospective teachers about the influence of their perceptions, and how they can begin the process of changing/enhancing their perceptions regarding the role of the practitioner. © 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.     

论音乐教学中幼儿师范生创造力的培养

将以“创造性”学习理论为依据。笔者通过对幼儿师范生学习心理的分析,结合幼儿师范生所开设的各音乐学科的特点,注重与幼儿园实际音乐教学的联系,探讨如何在主体课堂教学环境下对学生进行创造能力的培养。     

Preparing children for an uncertain future: the role of the early childhood teacher

ABSTRACT

This paper proposes that the future is uncertain for many children. Both natural and human-made disasters are adversely affecting the lives of millions of children and their families. An example of an environment-related disaster is cited from Sichuan Province, China, where a massive earthquake killed some 70,000 people in 2008. How the teachers responded to such a disaster is explained through drawings by the children illustrating their feelings. This paper discusses how early childhood teachers can prepare children before, during and after disasters. Various strategies are discussed including, facilitating children’s expressions of emotions, empathy, and resilience in the face of adversity. The use of dramatic play and storytelling are discussed with examples that can be a stimulus for curriculum development. The role of the teacher is viewed as critical in helping children readjust to life and regain some semblance of well-being.