Ressourcenorientierung als Paradigma sportwissenschaftlicher Forschung

A variety of causes are responsible for a lack in promoting movement in German nursing homes. In this regard, research on resources holds the promise of a lasting capacity to act and should therefore be understood as a paradigm of gerontology of sports. The purpose of this paper is to make a contribution to theoretically and conceptually based approaches for operationalizing resources that promote motor abilities. Methodologically, different instruments are demonstrated that are able to assess the theoretical constructs “movement acitivity” and “influencing factors” as a basis for the subsequent analysis. Finally, a model that identifies resources is presented. It focuses on different personal and environmental factors as well as their interdependencies influencing the movement activity. The model analyzes resources and barriers to everyday movements. In this way, fundamental theoretical points of reference for research activity are shown.     

Governance of early childhood education and care: recent developments in OECD countries

Since the 1990s, many OECD countries have expanded their early childhood services and developed more coherent and coordinated policies. Through this process, countries have adopted very different approaches to governing their early childhood systems. Drawing from findings of a 12‐country comparative study, this article explores cross‐national approaches to the governance of early childhood systems, as well as some possible implications for future policy development. The article discusses the roles of the national government, the local authorities, the private sector and other stakeholders, such as teachers and parents, in making key decisions about how the system operates in different countries. The article calls for empirical research on the effects of governance on the nature of policies and programmes for young children and their families in different nations.     

Content not form predicts oral language comprehension: the influence of the medium on preschoolers’ story understanding

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of digital and non-digital storybooks on low-income preschoolers’ oral language comprehension. Employing a within-subject design on 38 four-year-olds from a Head Start program, we compared the effect of medium on preschoolers’ target words and comprehension of stories. Four digital storybooks were adapted and printed for read-alouds. Children were randomly read two stories on the digital platform, and two by the assessors. Following the story, children completed vocabulary and comprehension tasks, and a brief motivation checklist. We found no significant differences across medium; children comprehended equally well regardless of whether the story was read digitally or in person. However, using repeated ANOVA measures, we found a significant main effect of the story read. This research indicates that the content of the book rather than its form predicts story comprehension. Implications for using digital media in the preschool years are discussed.     

CHELLO: The Child/Home Environmental Language and Literacy Observation

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable tool for measuring the quality of the language and literacy environment in home-based settings. Based on a convergence of research on the ecological and psychological factors associated with early literacy development, the Child/Home Environmental Language and Literacy Observation (CHELLO) was developed to gauge the quality of current practices associated with positive early childhood literacy outcomes. Following the structure of the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation Scale (ELLCO) [Smith, M., & Dickinson, D. (2002). Early language & literacy classroom observation. Baltimore, MD: Brookes], we developed two interdependent tools: The Literacy Environment Checklist and the Group/Family Observation and Provider Interview. Inter-rater reliability using weighted kappas indicated acceptable reliability. Following this analysis, the CHELLO was administered in 128 home-based settings in four low-income urban areas. Initial evidence of its psychometric properties provided support for internal consistency. Although more research is needed, the CHELLO has the potential to serve as a useful tool for examining the language and literacy environment in home-based settings.     

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.     

Naturalistic inquiry and computer-based instruction: Rationale,procedures, and potential

The naturalistic paradigm offers exceptional promise for gaining the detailed, context-bound information necessary to understand the effectiveness of computer-based instruction (CBI) as it is experienced in classroom settings. Such an understanding is critical to the development of principles for designing courseware that meets the needs of the teachers and students who are its ultimate consumers. In this article, the author discusses the most significant theoretical assumptions of the paradigm as they relate to the nature of CBI and to the current needs of the field. Also described are several methods of naturalistic data collection and analysis that can be operationalized in an investigation of students' and teachers' interactions with instructional dimensions of courseware. The author suggests the kinds of insights the naturalistic paradigm can yield and the ways in which those insights can be incorporated into empirically based principles of courseware design.