Dissertations / Theses: 'Sustainability Study and teaching (Early childhood)'

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McArdle, Felicity. "Art in early childhood : the discourse of 'proper' teaching." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2001.

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This thesis is a problematisation of the teaching of art to young children. To problematise a domain of social endeavour, is, in Michel Foucault's terms, to ask how we come to believe that "something ... can and must be thought" (Foucault, 1985:7). The aim is to document what counts (i.e., what is sayable, thinkable, feelable) as proper art teaching in Queensland at this point ofhistorical time. In this sense, the thesis is a departure from more recognisable research on 'more effective' teaching, including critical studies of art teaching and early childhood teaching. It treats 'good teaching' as an effect of moral training made possible through disciplinary discourses organised around certain epistemic rules at a particular place and time. There are four key tasks accomplished within the thesis. The first is to describe an event which is not easily resolved by means of orthodox theories or explanations, either liberal-humanist or critical ones. The second is to indicate how poststructuralist understandings of the self and social practice enable fresh engagements with uneasy pedagogical moments. What follows this discussion is the documentation of an empirical investigation that was made into texts generated by early childhood teachers, artists and parents about what constitutes 'good practice' in art teaching. Twenty-two participants produced text to tell and re-tell the meaning of 'proper' art education, from different subject positions. Rather than attempting to capture 'typical' representations of art education in the early years, a pool of 'exemplary' teachers, artists and parents were chosen, using "purposeful sampling", and from this pool, three videos were filmed and later discussed by the audience of participants. The fourth aspect of the thesis involves developing a means of analysing these texts in such a way as to allow a 're-description' of the field of art teaching by attempting to foreground the epistemic rules through which such teacher-generated texts come to count as true ie, as propriety in art pedagogy. This analysis drew on Donna Haraway's (1995) understanding of 'ironic' categorisation to hold the tensions within the propositions inside the categories of analysis rather than setting these up as discursive oppositions. The analysis is therefore ironic in the sense that Richard Rorty (1989) understands the term to apply to social scientific research. Three 'ironic' categories were argued to inform the discursive construction of 'proper' art teaching. It is argued that a teacher should (a) Teach without teaching; (b) Manufacture the natural; and (c) Train for creativity. These ironic categories work to undo modernist assumptions about theory/practice gaps and finding a 'balance' between oppositional binary terms. They were produced through a discourse theoretical reading of the texts generated by the participants in the study, texts that these same individuals use as a means of discipline and self-training as they work to teach properly. In arguing the usefulness of such approaches to empirical data analysis, the thesis challenges early childhood research in arts education, in relation to its capacity to deal with ambiguity and to acknowledge contradiction in the work of teachers and in their explanations for what they do. It works as a challenge at a range of levels - at the level of theorising, of method and of analysis. In opening up thinking about normalised categories, and questioning traditional Western philosophy and the grand narratives of early childhood art pedagogy, it makes a space for re-thinking art pedagogy as "a game oftruth and error" (Foucault, 1985). In doing so, it opens up a space for thinking how art education might be otherwise.

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Gehringer, Jennefer Fry. "A study of developmentally appropriate teaching strategies for teaching writing in the early childhood classroom." Instructions for remote access. Click here to access this electronic resource. Access available to Kutztown University faculty, staff, and students only, 2003. http://www.kutztown.edu/library/services/remote_access.asp.

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Thesis (M. Ed.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 2003.
Abstract precedes thesis as preliminary leaf i. Typescript. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2770. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 29-31).

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Kim, Soyoung. "A comparative study of early childhood curriculum documents focused on education for sustainability in South Korea and Australia." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2016. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/94087/1/Soyoung_Kim_Thesis.pdf.

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This thesis is about a comparative study of early childhood education (ECE) curriculum documents focused on education for sustainability (EfS) in South Korea and Australia. It examined how the national ECE curriculum documents in two culturally different contexts align with contemporary concepts of sustainability and activist early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS) principles. Drawing on systems theory, Korean and Australian ECE curriculum documents were used as the primary sources for this study within the framework of critical document analysis (CDA). This study offers a step forward in developing culturally inclusive/holistic understandings of sustainability and more contextualised/localised approaches to ECEfS.

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Keller, Rebecca A. "Fostering sustainability| A qualitative interview study exploring how educators work to cultivate nature awareness in young children." Thesis, Mills College, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1557349.

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The purpose of this study is to examine how educators are working to foster sustainability through cultivating nature awareness in young children. Data were collected in the form of qualitative semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using descriptive and deductive coding methods. Findings were viewed through the lens of critical pedagogy and the methods and models of teaching for nature awareness, which included ecological literacy, place based education, and education for sustainable development. There were five major themes and findings that emerged from the interviews with the participants in this study: terms and definitions used, personal stories, strategies for teaching nature awareness and sustainability, barriers, and current issues. This study may benefit those wishing to begin or continue to foster sustainability through teaching nature awareness. The literature review presented in the study aims to address the gap between the practice and pedagogy in teaching for nature awareness and sustainability.

Keywords: teaching, nature awareness, sustainability, educators, young children, elementary, preschool, school, natural world, ecological literacy, place-based education, education for sustainable development, critical pedagogy

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Kirby, Barbara Mary. "Playful sciencing and the early childhood classroom." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2005. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2662.

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The purpose of this project is to examine the power of play, guided discovery, and hands-on experiences in the early childhood classroom, specifically as it relates to early childhood science experience. This paper will also propose a science curriculum encompassing a hands-on, guided discovery, play-based approach.

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Adkins, Deborah. "Is Decoding Sufficient to Predict Reading Ability in Kindergarten Through 2nd Grade Students?" PDXScholar, 2011. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/178.

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This research considers the predictive utility of 10 decoding skills on a student's ability to read. The 10 skills are Consonant Blends/Digraphs, Decode Multi-Syllable Words, Decode Patterns/Word Families, Letter Identification, Manipulation of Sounds, Matching Letters to Sounds, Phoneme Identification, Phonological Awareness, Syllable Types: CVC, CVCe, R-Control, and Vowel Digraphs/Diphthongs. The research also examines the nature of the relationships between the decoding skills and reading ability. Furthermore, the research decomposes reading ability into segment 1 assessing decoding, and segment 2, assessing comprehension. Specifically, the study assesses the manner in which each of the 10 skills contributes to the variance in the two segment scores. The literature is limited to efficacy studies related to programs used to teach reading, and prior studies addressing skills have failed to extend examination beyond correlations between phonological and phonemic awareness, and a student's ability to read. These issues were examined in the present research using assessment records of 541 kindergarten, first, and second grade students who had each been administered the 10 aforementioned decoding skills tests as well as a reading assessment administered in two parts (decoding and comprehension). All records reflected assessments occurring within the same school year for each student assessed. The dependent variables are scaled scores with a valid range from 100 to 350 and represent the combined reading score plus each of the two segment scores. Multiple regression analysis was employed to consider the predictive utility and examine the correlations between the variables. Hierarchical regression was employed to further scrutinize the variance accounted for by each decoding skill. As a group, the 10 decoding skills indicated that students scoring higher overall on decoding also scored higher on overall reading ability, segment 1, and segment 2 (p < .001). However, the coefficient of variation indicates the grouped decoding skills may not be useful for prediction purposes for the segment 1 assessment (CV = .103). Correlations between all independent variables and the dependent variables were moderate to high (.617 to .880), with the exception of Letter Identification and Matching Letters to Sounds which were low to moderate (.248 to .500). The correlation between Letter Identification and Matching Letters to Sounds was moderate (.579). Post hoc analysis indicated the inclusion of Letter Identification and Matching Letters to Sounds did not account for any statistically significant additional variance in the combined reading score (p = .459), the segment 1 score (p = .261), nor in the segment 2 score (p =.749). By itself decoding does not sufficiently predict reading ability. This study brings to light the nature of the relationship between discrete decoding skills and reading ability for early learners. The research identifies additional information for consideration by educators providing early literacy instruction which may help them zero in on difficulties students may be having as they advance in their literacy.

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Tselentis, Colleen McDonald. "Effective teaching practices in a preschool music and movement program: An observational study." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/291902.

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This study examines the behavior and actions of one music and movement teacher, coupled with a look at one little boy's participation and reactions. It focuses on the following questions: What music and movement activities create opportunities for social, motor, cognitive, and language development? In what ways would a child having difficulty in the classroom respond to the teacher and activities in a music and movement enrichment program? What teacher qualities make a positive impact on the child's behavior and development? The study showed that the music and movement activities promoted positive experiences for the subject. It also found that the skillfulness of the teacher was one of the most important factors in the successful music and movement program. The study led to several recommendations including the following: ECE teachers need support, education, and resources; classes should be small; and young children need to music and movement to maximize development.

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Sheek, Lesley E. "A phenomological study of the impact of National Board for Professional Teaching Standards on early childhood teachers." Birmingham, Ala. : University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2007. http://www.mhsl.uab.edu/dt/2007p/sheek.pdf.

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Moore, Wendy M. "Clever talk : using literature to boost vocabulary through explicit teaching in early childhood." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2013. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/685.

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Vocabulary knowledge is an important predictor of literacy and broader academic outcomes. Children’s literature is a rich source of sophisticated vocabulary, and this study investigated the efficacy of boosting word learning by incorporating explicit instruction approaches into story-book read-aloud sessions. This design-based research study sought to compare two models: teaching a greater number of word meanings more briefly and teaching fewer words in greater depth. Six schools from low SES areas participated, with the main intervention program running for three 6 week blocks. Overall, both of the explicit approaches were more effective in improving word learning for Grade One students than a traditional, student-centred or constructivist approach. Teaching more words briefly (greater breadth) was just as effective overall as teaching fewer words in a robust manner (greater depth). Students made larger gains on more difficult words than on simpler words, although the pattern of word learning was affected by the students’ vocabulary knowledge at the outset. Students with the highest initial vocabulary scores made greater gains, and learnt more of the most difficult words, than students with lower initial scores. While the intervention resulted in large effect size gains on target vocabulary words as assessed by researcher-developed measures, there was no impact on standardised vocabulary measures (PPVT and EVT) when compared to a control group. Explicit instructional approaches have not been widely used in Western Australian classrooms, so the study used group interviews to investigate teachers’ responses to the programs. Mitigating and facilitative factors influencing the adoption of vocabulary instruction practices in schools were explored. Student engagement, ease of use, time efficiency and the provision of prepared materials were important factors in teacher responsiveness to the programs.

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SUMSION, Jennifer. "EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDENT TEACHERS' REFLECTION ON THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PRACTICE: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY." University of Sydney, -, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/379.

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During the past fifteen years there has been increasing interest in the role of reflection in professional development, especially amongst teacher educators. Yet although many preservice programs now place considerable emphasis on encouraging and assisting student teachers to reflect on their practice, reflection remaings a problematic notion. There is little consensus, for example, about what constitutes reflection, how it might be identified, and whether it can be promoted. This thesis reports a longitudinal study conducted over four years which explored the above issues within the context of an early childhood teacher education program, in Sydney (NSW), Australia. The specific purpose of this study was to investigate changes in student teachers' reflection on their professional development and practice during their enrolment in the Guided Practice component of their preservice program. A strength of this study is its focus on reflection as a multidimensional phenomenon involving far more than the processes of analytical thought typically addressed by most previous research in this area. Drawing on an eclectic range of literature, this thesis argues that emotion, imagination, intuition, and contemplation can also play an integral role. As such, it asserts that reflection can be seen, in effect, as a complex and holistic search for meaning. Conceptualising reflection in this holistic manner raises numerous methodological challenges. These challenges and the methodological decisions made in response to them are outlined prior to developing profiles of the participants' reflection. These profiles indicated that there was little consistent change in the reflection of eight of the 18 participants. For four student teachers, on the other hand, there was some change, while for six, there was considerable change. Several factors which appeared instrumental in hindering or promoting these student teachers' reflection are identified. These include commitment (or lack of) to teaching and to reflection; an epistemological perspective of received or constructed knowing; and the extent to which the learning environment was perceived as supportive. The study concludes with a discussion of some of the implications for teacher educators and for those intending to undertake further research into reflection.

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Mohamad, Hanapi. "Promoting creativity in early childhood education in Brunei." University of Western Australia. Graduate School of Education, 2006. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2006.0130.

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[Truncated abstract] The overall aim of this study was to examine Bruneian preschool teachers’ conceptions about creativity (including factors related to creativity), their beliefs on how to promote children’s creativity in the classroom, how their beliefs may influence their actual practice and whether their practices are consistent with the requirements of the Brunei National Curriculum. It will also try to identify any factors that constrain or influence teachers’ practice. The research employed a grounded theory approach involving semi-structured interviews and classroom observations of preschool teachers. The findings of this study indicate that the teachers primarily conceptualise creativity as something mainly but not exclusively to do with art work . . . Teachers’ actual practice mainly consists of teacher control, enforcement of obedience, rote learning, teacher directed and teacher chosen activities and heavy emphasis on whole-class teaching. Other mediating constraints on their promotion of creativity included: pressure from Primary 1 teachers, parents and the officials in Ministry of Educations to complete and adhere to the National Curriculum; teachers’ own pedagogical limitations; large class size; lack of adult help and the presence of special children in the classroom; lack of resources and pressure from other non-teaching commitments. The implication of the findings are that further research needs to be conducted into Brunei’s preschool teacher training programmes, to identify contradictory messages about the value of creativity and to find a more culturally appropriate way of promoting children’s creativity through the curriculum.

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Broderick, Jane Tingle, Seong Bock Hong, and G. Wohlford. "Teaching Teachers to Converse Productively with Students: a Study Using the Cycle of Inquiry System." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2017. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/4196.

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Hackmack, Karin Erna. "An investigation into understanding of academic literacies of students registered in Early Childhood Development courses." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013548.

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Purpose and research questions- This research was based on students enrolled on courses at Rhodes University's Centre for Social Development, an Institute delivering Early Childhood Development courses in the Grahamstown area. Having provided the students with access to a career path and its courses, it was imperative to assist the students to develop a standard of academic literacy comparable to that of in-service education students, in the Intermediate and Senior Phases. This study was influenced by Gee's (2004) definition of literacy as 'mastery over a discourse'. Gee (1990) termed discourse as the socially accepted way of thinking, believing and being. The study therefore investigated the enablers which assisted students to produce academic texts. This was achieved by finding out how the students and the course facilitators construct academic literacy; in other words what their discourses were regarding academic literacy. In order to ascertain this information, the students and the course facilitators were asked what reading and writing the students had done prior to enrolling on the course, what they had brought to the course, what the students and the course facilitators thought comprised a successful academic assignment, and how the students were supported in their academic literacy during the course. Data was gathered through interviews with both students and course facilitators, analysis of course assignments, and assessment reports written by the course facilitators. This data was analysed, looking for discourses on similarities and contradictions. Critical Discourse analysis was used to investigate the discourses that the course facilitators and students were using. Findings: It was evident from the data that the autonomous view of literacy was predominantly used. The course facilitators and, to a limited extent, the students, saw literacy as a set of technical skills that needed to be mastered. The students and course facilitators did not take into account that literacy is a social practice, and that literacy occurs within a particular social context and cultural context. The course facilitators tended to hold a deficit discourse related to the perception of inferior education under Bantu Education, which was seen as an inhibiting factor to academic literacy and academic success. The discourse of second language was also an issue that both the course facilitators and the students noted which prevented students' academic literacy. Christie's (1985) Received Tradition of Literacy, which focused on the forms and functions of literacy, was a discourse that both the students and the course facilitators ascribed to. Conclusions and recommendations: The course facilitators' and students' discourses were very similar, both being embedded within the autonomous and deficit models of literacy. It is recommended that course facilitators become cognisant with the models of academic literacy and that they become aware of the various discourses evident on the course and articulate these discourses for themselves. Furthermore they should assist the students by clearly articulating and unpacking the course requirements regarding academic literary.

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Moss, Lynette Kaye. "Insights into drama in the early childhood setting: A rationale for the use of drama." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2000. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1388.

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This research is an investigation into the implementation of drama in early childhood education conducted in one Perth metropolitan primary school, over a three-week period. The six drama lessons were taught by the researcher/practitioner in a Pre-primary and a Year One class. These students were chosen for their limited exposure to the Drama in Education experience. The expectation was of a less conditioned response both in their conduct and expression within the drama environment. The lessons were captured on video and transcribed, then analysed utilising an ethnomethodological methodology. The responses of these children were recorded in an attempt to disclose how a group of young children share knowledge during a drama class, and examine the social conventions, articulating the features of common rule-usage and assumed communication. The discourse also examines the complex and at times ambiguous nature of drama and the need to articulate and to analyse practices, to unravel how drama is constructed and perceived. The practice of drama in the early childhood classroom highlights the role and relationship of the practitioner and the children. The study offers insights into the foundation issues within drama in education that are a product of the historical, cultural and social domains of knowledge and affect the implementation of drama in the early childhood. This research provides information on drama in education within the pre-primary school setting. It would be of interest to any teacher or researcher who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of the issues that surround drama in early childhood years, and provides insights into the interactions of the participants.

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Hawthorne, Wendy. "Professional development and practice: A study of early childhood teachers of mathematics." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 1998. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1443.

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In the past twenty years there has been increased interest in the ways in which teachers construct their professional lives. It is no longer assumed that preservice education alone will enable teachers to meet the challenges of their teaching lives. Ongoing professional development is seen as an essential component of contemporary teachers' lives but remains a challenge for professional development planners and providers. The nature and extent of teachers' participation in professional development was a significant dimension of the investigation of professional development contained in this thesis. The research questions which formed the basis for the data collection in this thesis related to a specific group of teachers, early childhood teachers, and to a particular curriculum area, mathematics. The research goals were to obtain descriptive data related to teachers' professional development experiences and to explore the relationships between the realities of practice and the rhetoric of the literature on professional development, early childhood education and mathematics education. The data were obtained in the Northern Territory and came principally from questionnaire responses and interviews. The results of this study highlight the complexities of teaching in the 1990s and indicate that early childhood teachers are faced with a number of professional dilemmas, the resolution of which indicates the need for a range of professional development interventions. The recommendations contained in the latter part of the thesis make reference to the need for the provision of a wider range of professional development options and for a greater emphasis to be placed on collegial support. The results of this study suggest that change can occur if teachers are encouraged and supported in their endeavours to improve their practice.

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Hebe, Headman Ngilosi. "Exploring the implementation of environmental education in Grade R : a case study of selected Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/98015.

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Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Planet Earth is plagued by a myriad of problems which have been on the increase in recent years. These include, among other things, e–waste; reduction in biodiversity, air pollution, global warming and many more. Undoubtedly, the greed of human beings more than the quest to satisfy needs has been at the core of these problems which threaten the sustainability of earth’s ecosystems. For some years now, Environmental Education (EE) has been acknowledged and, consequently, employed as the vehicle to offset the impact of the challenges which continue to degrade Planet Earth. Hence, many levels of education, especially formal education; have been making some inroads towards empowering people to change their behaviour and help others through the integration of EE in learning and teaching activities. Unfortunately, the early childhood stage of human development has been neglected when it comes to education issues, in general (Calman and Tarr–Whelan 2005; Davis 1998), and in the context of this study, in issues concerning Environmental Education (Davis 2009). For example, Davis (2009) conducted a literature survey for the period 1996 – 2007 with a focus on environmental education/education for sustainability and childhood education and discovered that little research had been conducted in this area. Hence, she laments, “in general, early childhood education researchers have not engaged with environmental/sustainability issues, and environmental education researchers have not focused on very young children and educational settings” (Davis 2009: 229). Accordingly, this study was undertaken in response to Davis’s (2009) outcry and the realisation that, indeed, even in the context of South Africa, there is paucity of research in the areas identified by Davis (2009). The purpose of this qualitative–interpretive paradigm guided inquiry was to investigate the extent to which Environmental Education is integrated in Grade R teaching and learning activities at selected Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres in the North West Province of South Africa. In order to gain in–depth information and multiple perspectives (Creswell 2007) on the subject of inquiry, the maximum variation strategy, a subtype of purposeful sampling (McMillan and Schumacher 1997) was used for case selection.Consequently, four Grade R offering ECD centres with diverse characteristics participated in this inquiry. From each of the selected centres, one Grade R classroom was selected for investigation. Likewise, the Grade R teachers whose classes were selected together with their principals participated in the investigation. Three data generation strategies were used in this inquiry, namely; participant observations, semi–structured interviews, and document and artefact analysis. And, in order to assign meaning to generated data, two data analysis strategies were utilized, namely; constant comparison (Leech and Onwuegbuzie 2007) and domain analysis (Neuman 2011). Evidence from this study suggests that, to a very limited extent, some Grade R teachers do integrate environmental issues in their activities. However, this infusion of EE is done, mainly, in the form of teaching about the environment with little or no teaching in/through and for the environment. Hence, viewed from Kopelke’s (2012) perspective, this integration of environmental issues can be considered to be environmental studies. Likewise, hindrances to the integration of EE in selected Grade R classes were identified. These included the following: classroom overcrowding, underfunding, inadequate teacher training and lack of resources. On the other hand, the following were some of the factors identified as enablers of EE infusion: collaboration among the Grade R teachers, well–designed Learning and Teaching Support Material (LTSM) and, enabling curriculum frameworks. The study makes the following recommendations, among other things: the prioritisation of Grade R teacher training and remuneration, on–going and meaningful professional support for Grade R teachers, adherence to the norms and standards for Grade R funding and empowerment of School Management Teams and Senior Education Specialists to adequately support the Grade R teachers. Additionally, studies of similar nature are recommended and the study is rounded off with some guidelines on the integration of EE in Grade R.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Planeet Aarde word deur ontelbare probleme wat in die afgelope jare verhoog geteister. Hierdie probleme sluit in, onder andere, e–afval, vermindering van biodiversiteit, lugbesoedeling, aardverwarming en nog meer. Sonder twyfel word die gulsigheid van die mens liewer as die voorsiening van behoeftes as die kern van hierdie probleme, wat die volhoubaarheid van die aarde se ekosisteme bedreig, beskou. Vir ’n paar jaar word Omgewingsopvoeding (OO) erken en gevolglik gebruik om die effek van die voortdurende uitdagings om Planeet Aarde te degradeer en te neutraliseer. Gevolglik het baie vlakke van onderwys, veral formele onderwys; deur die integrasie van Omgewingsopvoeding in leer= en onderrigaktieiteite vordering t.o.v die bemagtiging van mense gemaak om sodoende hul gedrag te verander en ander mense in die proses te help. Ongelukkig word die vroeë kinderfasee van menslike ontwikkeling in die algemeen, verwaarlos waneer dit by onderwyskwessies kom (Calman en Tarr–Whelan 2005; Davis 1998), en veral in die konteks van hierdie studie, spesifiek die kwessies van Omgewingsopvoeding(Davis, 2009). Davis (2009) het ’n literatuuroorsig vir die tydperk 1996 – 2007 met die fokus op omgewings /opvoeding vir volhoubaarheid in kinderonderwys gedoen, en ontdek dat baie min navorsing in hierdie gebied gedoen is. Dus betreur sy die feit dat “in die algemeen navorsers in vroeë kinderonderwys nie die kwessies van volhoubaarheid aangeraak het nie en die navorsers in omgewingsopvoeding nie op baie jong kinders en hulle opvoedkundige kontekste gefokus het nie” (Davis 2009: 229). Gevolglik is hierdie studie onderneem in respons op Davis (2009) se verweer en ook die besef dat, inderdaad; selfs in die konteks van Suid–Afrika, daar ‘n gebrek aan navorsing in die areas wat deur Davis (2009) geidentifiseer is bestaan. Die doel van hierdie kwalitatiewe–interpretatiewe ondersoek is om die mate waarin omgewingsopvoeding, in Graad R–onderrig en leeraktiwiteite by Vroeëkindontwikkeling (VKO) sentrums in die Noordwes Provinsie van Suid–Afrika geintegeer is, te ondersoek. Ten einde, in–diepte inligting en veelvuldige perspektiewe (Creswell 2007) oor die onderwerp van ondersoek te verwerf, is die maksimum variasie–strategie (McMillan and Schumacher 1997), wat ‘n sub–kategorie van doelgerigte steekproewe is as keuse vir hierdie gevallestudie gebruik. Gevolglik is vier VKO–sentrums, met uiteenlopende kenmerke, wat Graad R aanbied by hierdie ondersoek betrek. Uit elke gekose sentrum is een Graad R–klaskamer vir ondersoek gekies. Terselfdetyd het die Graad R–onderwysers van die gekose klasse en hul skoolhoofde aan die ondersoek deelgeneem. Drie strategiee is gebruik om data in hierdie ondersoek te genereer naamlik; deelnemer–waarneming, semi–gestruktureerde onderhoude en die analise van dokumente en artefakte. Twee strategiee is gebruik om data te analiseer en betekenis daaraan te gee, naamlik; konstant–vergelykings (Leech and Onwuegbuzie 2007) en domein– analise (Neuman 2011). Bewyse uit hierdie studie dui daarop dat, sekere Graad R–onderwysers tot ’n baie beperkte mate, omgewingskwessies in hul aktiwiteite integreer. Hierdie integrasie van omgewingsopvoeding sluit hoofsaaklik onderrig oor die omgewing in met min of geen onderrig of/deur en vir die omgewing. Dus, vanuit Kopelke (2012) se perspektief, kan hierdie integrasie van omgewings–kwessies in aanmerking geneem word by omgewingsstudies. Daarbenewens is ook, hindernisse tot die integrasie van OO in gekoste Graad R–klase identifiseer. Dit sluit die volgende in: oorbevolkte klaskamers, swakbefondsing, onvoldoende opleiding van onderwysers en ’n gebrek aan hulpbronne. Andersyds is die volgende faktore identifiseer as geleenthede wat die integrasie van OO kan bevorder: samewerking tussen die Graad R–onderwysers, goed ontwerpte Leer en Onderrig Ondersteuning Materiaal (LOOM) en bemagtigende kurrikulumraamwerke. Die studie maak onder andere die volgende aanbevelings: die prioritisering van Graad R–onderwyser- opleiding, deurlopende en betekenisvolle professionele ondersteuning aan Graad R–onderwysers, voldoening aan die norme en standaarde vir Graad R–befondsing, en die bemagtiging van Skoolbestuurspanne en Senior Onderwys–spesialiste tot die effektiewe ondersteuning van Graad R–onderwysers. Daarbenewens word, studies van soortgelyke aard aanbeveel en word die studie met ’n paar riglyne oor die integrasie van OO in Graad R afgerond.

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Doyle, Katherine Mary. "Mapping the language of science and science teaching practices : a case study of early childhood school science." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2011. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/45941/1/Katherine_Doyle_Thesis.pdf.

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Concerns raised in educational reports about school science in terms of students. outcomes and attitudes, as well as science teaching practices prompted investigation into science learning and teaching practices at the foundational level of school science. Without science content and process knowledge, understanding issues of modern society and active participation in decision-making is difficult. This study contended that a focus on the development of the language of science could enable learners to engage more effectively in learning science and enhance their interest and attitudes towards science. Furthermore, it argued that explicit teaching practices where science language is modelled and scaffolded would facilitate the learning of science by young children at the beginning of their formal schooling. This study aimed to investigate science language development at the foundational level of school science learning in the preparatory-school with students aged five and six years. It focussed on the language of science and science teaching practices in early childhood. In particular, the study focussed on the capacity for young students to engage with and understand science language. Previous research suggests that students have difficulty with the language of science most likely because of the complexities and ambiguities of science language. Furthermore, literature indicates that tensions transpire between traditional science teaching practices and accepted early childhood teaching practices. This contention prompted investigation into means and models of pedagogy for learning foundational science language, knowledge and processes in early childhood. This study was positioned within qualitative assumptions of research and reported via descriptive case study. It was located in a preparatory-school classroom with the class teacher, teacher-aide, and nineteen students aged four and five years who participated with the researcher in the study. Basil Bernstein.s pedagogical theory coupled with Halliday.s Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) framed an examination of science pedagogical practices for early childhood science learning. Students. science learning outcomes were gauged by focussing a Hallydayan lens on their oral and reflective language during 12 science-focussed episodes of teaching. Data were collected throughout the 12 episodes. Data included video and audio-taped science activities, student artefacts, journal and anecdotal records, semi-structured interviews and photographs. Data were analysed according to Bernstein.s visible and invisible pedagogies and performance and competence models. Additionally, Halliday.s SFL provided the resource to examine teacher and student language to determine teacher/student interpersonal relationships as well as specialised science and everyday language used in teacher and student science talk. Their analysis established the socio-linguistic characteristics that promoted science competencies in young children. An analysis of the data identified those teaching practices that facilitate young children.s acquisition of science meanings. Positive indications for modelling science language and science text types to young children have emerged. Teaching within the studied setting diverged from perceived notions of common early childhood practices and the benefits of dynamic shifting pedagogies were validated. Significantly, young students demonstrated use of particular specialised components of school-science language in terms of science language features and vocabulary. As well, their use of language demonstrated the students. knowledge of science concepts, processes and text types. The young students made sense of science phenomena through their incorporation of a variety of science language and text-types in explanations during both teacher-directed and independent situations. The study informs early childhood science practices as well as practices for foundational school science teaching and learning. It has exposed implications for science education policy, curriculum and practices. It supports other findings in relation to the capabilities of young students. The study contributes to Systemic Functional Linguistic theory through the development of a specific resource to determine the technicality of teacher language used in teaching young students. Furthermore, the study contributes to methodology practices relating to Bernsteinian theoretical perspectives and has demonstrated new ways of depicting and reporting teaching practices. It provides an analytical tool which couples Bernsteinian and Hallidayan theoretical perspectives. Ultimately, it defines directions for further research in terms of foundation science language learning, ongoing learning of the language of science and learning science, science teaching and learning practices, specifically in foundational school science, and relationships between home and school science language experiences.

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Weber-Mayrer, Melissa Margaret. "Early Childhood Professional Development: An Experimental Study of Adult Teaching Practices Derived from Adult Learning Theory." The Ohio State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1467133461.

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Lau, Gay-lei Carrie, and 劉姬莉. "Home and school influences on the English vocabulary development of Chinese preschoolers in Hong Kong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10722/208573.

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The teaching and learning of English is pervasive in Hong Kong, and children begin to learn English as a second language from as early as when they enter kindergarten at the age of three. Early vocabulary development (i.e., the knowledge of word meanings) is one of the important building blocks for reading development in English. This thesis portrayed two contexts, namely the home and the school, within which the teaching and learning of English vocabulary occurred for young children in Hong Kong. Two studies were conducted to (i) describe the home literacy environment and the English vocabulary skills of children from different socioeconomic backgrounds; (ii) explore the relationship between the home literacy environment and children’s English vocabulary skills; (iii) describe the contexts in which English vocabulary instruction occurred; and (iv) identify the teaching strategies adopted by teachers during English vocabulary instruction in early childhood classrooms. In Study 1, participants were 65 Chinese children (including 40 girls) and their mothers or fathers from four kindergartens. Children’s nonverbal IQ and receptive and expressive vocabulary were assessed. Parents completed a questionnaire which tapped family demographics and the home literacy environment. There were significant differences in home literacy practices and English vocabulary skills as a function of socio-economic status. The home literacy environment, as measured by book reading practices and the teaching of print-related skills, accounted for unique additional variance in English receptive and expressive vocabulary after controlling for the effects of child age, nonverbal IQ and maternal education. In Study 2, English vocabulary instruction was observed in six early childhood classrooms from three kindergartens over the course of a week. From 23 sessions of observations and 535 minutes of data, field notes were coded to identify the contexts of vocabulary instruction and the strategies used in teaching words. The teaching of vocabulary occurred in 12 out of 23 sessions and words were taught within the context of theme-based learning, systematic phonics instruction and storybook read-aloud. Teachers predominantly used certain strategies that promoted children’s recognition and memorization of words, such as the use of visuals, the emphasis on the pronunciation and written form of words, and pointing and labeling of words. This thesis provides an account of the home and school context for the English vocabulary development of Chinese children learning English as a second language. The findings highlight the importance of a rich home literacy environment for the support of second language vocabulary development and reflect the instructional strategies used in early childhood classrooms to facilitate word learning. Implications of these findings are discussed.
published_or_final_version
Education
Doctoral
Doctor of Philosophy

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Hare, Addie Y. V. McGriff. "Revealing What Urban Early Childhood Teachers Think About Mathematics and How They Teach It: Implications for Practice." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1999. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2437/.

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Hersh (1986) states, "One's conception of what mathematics is affects one's conception of how it should be presented. One's manner of presenting it is an indication of what one believes to be most essential in it." In this research study, three hundred ninety-seven urban early childhood teachers were given a survey that examined their attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics teaching, their views of mathematics, views of teaching mathematics, and views of children learning mathematics. The purpose of this study was to identify the attitudes and beliefs of early childhood teachers in two urban school districts to determine if mathematics reform efforts made a difference in teachers' attitudes and beliefs about mathematics and its teaching. Questionnaires were mailed directly to teachers in one school district and principals distributed questionnaires in the other. Summary scores were calculated for parts of the instrument. The researcher performed descriptive statistics, comparative analysis, and conducted frequency distributions, t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson Correlations. Findings revealed that teachers with 30 or more years of teaching experience had more positive attitudes toward mathematics than teachers with 1-3 years of experience. African American teachers had more positive attitudes toward mathematics and its teaching than other ethnic groups. Teachers who held a minor or major in mathematics had more positive attitudes toward mathematics and its teaching than teachers without a minor or major in mathematics. Teachers in District-A favored constructivist learning while teachers in District-B favored rote learning. Both school districts' teachers favored the problem-solving approach to teaching mathematics. If instruction is to be transformed, reformers need to understand teachers' beliefs about mathematics. Beliefs, which are essential for teachers' development, seldom change without significant intervention (Lappan and Theule-Lubienski, 1994). Therefore, school districts must be informed about the changes necessary for the reform of mathematics teaching and identify and implement through staff developments and other measures what they perceive mathematics to be and how it should be taught.

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Villines, Meredith. "Early Childhood Inclusion: Teacher Perception of the Supports Needed to Fully Include Children with Special Needs." PDXScholar, 2011. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/425.

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Inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood settings remains a goal for many early care and education centers and professionals. In this study, the perceptions of supports needed to accomplish this goal were examined. Early childhood teachers from a university-based child care center, which is inspired by the schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, were interviewed and asked to explore their feelings and thoughts on fully including children with disabilities in their classrooms. An examination of their perceptions led to the identification of four major themes: a) everyone is valuable in the classroom community, b) additional training is needed, c) support from administrators, peers, specialists, and therapists, d) experience fosters success. From these themes the researcher found that teachers felt support from administrators(staffing, policies and procedures, time for meetings), peers, and on-site consultants, additional training, and an over arching philosophy of accepting differences were crucial to successful inclusion. The participants also indicated that all new teachers, whether in pre-service or through in-service should have access to these supports and be provided with information about the benefits and positive experiences of others who have included a child with a disability into their classroom. This study will add to the continuing discussion of early childhood inclusion and provide additional information for programmatic decision making within a particular setting.

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Zhang, Jun, and 張俊. "Development and evaluation of instructivist and constructivist approaches to early science teaching in Chinese urban kindergartens." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10722/196463.

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Early childhood has been proven critical for science learning and development, but there is a dearth of empirical research comparing the effects of different teaching approaches in the Chinese context. This study had three main objectives: (1) to observe early science teaching systematically in urban kindergartens in Mainland China; (2) to develop three different teaching approaches (constructivist, instructivist and combined) for a science curriculum for 5-year-olds based on these observations and current views on appropriate early science pedagogy; (3) to implement and examine the effectiveness of the differing approaches to early science teaching. In Study 1, classes in three kindergartens rated as good, average and unsatisfactory by the government regulatory body were video-recorded in their science classrooms with 6 lessons on appointed topics and 6 on self-chosen topics. Teaching behaviors were analyzed in terms of the instructional approach and its effectiveness. The results indicated variations in teaching approaches across the kindergartens. The teacher from the unsatisfactory kindergarten adopted a typical instructivist approach in science teaching, whereas the other two teachers gave children hands-on experiences as well as group discussions and direct instructions; nevertheless, there was poor connectedness among them. All three teachers were weak in considering the scientific conceptions embedded in the topics as well as the children’s prior conceptions when planning their teaching. To examine the appropriateness of teaching approaches in a Chinese context, the researcher developed three sets of early science programs for 5-year-olds, each of which contained three topics: ants, trees, and shadows. The three programs adopted instructivist, constructivist, and combined approaches. Employing the above programs, Study 2 was conducted in another kindergarten rated as average by the regulatory body. The participants were 4 qualified teachers and their 117 five-year-old students. The children were assigned randomly to four groups, one using an instructivist approach, one a constructivist approach, one combined approaches, and a control group. During the 15-week intervention, each group had science lesson once a week. Three teachers were invited to implement the provided programs and accepted ongoing training. The fidelity of their implementation of the curricula was also assessed. Pretest, posttest, and follow-up (12 weeks delayed) tests were administered to the children, covering three aspects of their science learning: content (curriculum-related and general knowledge about science), process (observation, scientific thinking, and problem-solving skills), and attitude (scientific interest and curiosity as well as approaches to learning). A repeated measures ANOVA yielded a significant main effect of time but no effect of group. Further analyses indicated that the combined approach was more effective than the control group’s approach in promoting children’s development of conceptual knowledge and curiosity. These findings provide empirical evidence about the teaching and learning of science in kindergartens in a Chinese context. The study has implications for the reform in early science teaching approach and corresponding in-service teacher training in Mainland China.
published_or_final_version
Education
Doctoral
Doctor of Philosophy

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Masters, Jennifer Ellen. "Investigations in geometric thinking : young children learning with technology." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 1997. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36544/1/36544_Masters_1997.pdf.

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While it is usually assumed that the implementation of computers in the classroom will enhance teaching and learning, research has suggested that too often the use of computers does not meet this assumption. This thesis investigated the implementation of a technology-based mathematics curriculum unit that was characterised by tasks designed to promote exploration and investigation of geometric concepts. In particular it focused on the children's application of prior mathematical knowledge while they worked in pairs on computer -based tasks. The study found that children could often apply prior mathematical knowledge to solve problems in a new context, however, on other occasions they were unable to do so or they choose to apply less sophisticated mathematical strategies (such as visual approximation). Other evidence suggested that at times the children appeared to be constructing new mathematical ideas or at least, implementing concepts not formally presented in a school context. A further observation of this study was that the results of this type of technological project seemed to be highly dependent on dynamic group structures and teacher support mechanisms such as scaffolding. Consequently it was recommended that further research wa

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Alkhawaldeh, Mustafa. "Information and communication technology (ICT) : practice within Jordanian early years education." Thesis, Swansea University, 2014. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.678628.

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This study investigates the current status of integration and implementation of ICT practice in Jordanian kindergartens, stakeholders' understanding of policy recommendations for ICT integration, obstructions to the implementation of ICT practices in ECE, and the types of ICT practices used in ECE and their effects on children's development.

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Baker, Jessica. "Parent education programmes for early childhood development : reflections of practitioners." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95853.

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Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Parent education programmes have been identified as intervention strategies which address numerous social problems in South Africa. This study aimed to highlight the importance of empowering parents through knowledge and skill development in order to positively invest in the future generations of South Africa. Early childhood development is a field which has emerged on the agenda of the helping professions, such as social work, psychology and education. The development of parent education programmes is an example of advancement in this field. The topic of parent education is noteworthy in light of the growing need to empower parents to raise well-developed children. The development of effective parent education programmes is beneficial to both the parents and practitioners. However, practitioners are seldom given the opportunity to reflect on their own professional experiences of delivering these programmes. Therefore, there is a need to investigate and analyse these experiences to potentially improve programme delivery. Consequently, the aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of practitioners’ experiences of facilitating programmes aimed towards early childhood development by utilising social learning and cognitive behavioural approaches. A combination of a quantitative and qualitative research approach was used in this study. Exploratory and descriptive research designs were implemented in order to describe the social phenomenon of parent education programmes for early childhood development. Practitioners delivering parent education programmes in the Cape Metropole in South Africa were selected to participate in the study. Data was collected during individually administered interviews by means of a semi-structured questionnaire. Practitioners were given the opportunity to share their reflections (which are qualitative in nature) on their experiences of facilitating programmes aimed at early child development. The main findings of this study indicated that there is a need for practitioners to be adequately trained to deliver programmes which are engaging and relevant to the needs of parents. Group-based and community programmes were found to be effective platforms for this intervention. The nature and components of parent education programmes, as outlined in the literature, provide clear guidelines for organisations and practitioners wishing to deliver such programmes and it is recommended that they be incorporated into facilitators’ training sessions. Furthermore, the findings of this study are significant for practitioners facilitating parent education programmes as they confirmed that the effectiveness of the implementation of such programmes are linked to the delivery by and experiences of practitioners. An effort should therefore be made to enhance these experiences by endorsing the use of best practice methods for programme delivery. South Africa has recently begun to explore the innovative avenue of parent education through group-based parenting programmes. The enhancement of parents’ capabilities through these programmes are seen as an asset for promoting social development and advancing legislation on childhood development. The conclusions drawn in this study indicate a need for further research into the topic of parent education programmes in South Africa. Consequently, recommendations are provided for further research that would complement this study and elaborate on its findings.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Oueropleidingsprogramme word beskou as ŉ intervensiestrategie wat talryke maatskaplike probleme in Suid-Afrika aanspreek. Hierdie studie het dit ten doel gestel om te wys hoe belangrik dit is om ouers te bemagtig deur die ontwikkeling van hul kennis en vaardighede om so ŉ positiewe bydrae tot die toekomstige generasies van Suid-Afrikaners te maak. Vroeë kinderontwikkeling is ŉ veld waaraan daar toenemend aandag geskenk word in die hulpverleningsprofessies, byvoorbeeld maatskaplike werk, die sielkunde en die onderwys. ŉ Voorbeeld van vordering wat al op hierdie gebied gemaak is, is die ontwikkeling van oueropleidingsprogramme. Hierdie programme is van belang om die toenemende behoefte daaraan om ouers te bemagtig om goed ontwikkelde kinders groot te maak, aan te spreek. Die ontwikkeling van effektiewe oueropleidingsprogramme is voordelig vir sowel ouers as praktisyns. Praktisyns word egter selde die geleentheid gegun om te reflekteer op hul eie professionele ervaring as fasiliteerders van sodanige programme. Daarom is daar ŉ behoefte daaraan om hierdie ervarings te ondersoek en te analiseer om die lewering van hierdie programme moontlik te verbeter. Na aanleiding van hierdie behoefte, was die doel van hierdie studie om ŉ beter begrip te vorm van die praktisyns se ervaring van die fasilitering van programme vir vroeë kinderontwikkeling deur van die sosiale leer- en kognitiewe gedragsbenaderings gebruik te maak. ŉ Kombinasie van kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenaderings is in hierdie studie gevolg. ŉ Verkennende en beskrywende navorsingsontwerp is toegepas om die sosiale fenomeen van oueropleidingsprogramme vir vroeë kinderontwikkeling te beskryf. Praktisyns van oueropleidingsprogramme wat in die Kaapse Metropool in Suid-Afrika aangebied word, is gekies om aan die studie deel te neem. Data is ingesamel tydens individuele onderhoude deur middel van semi gestruktureerde vraelyste. Praktisyns is die geleentheid gebied om te reflekteer (ŉ kwalitatiewe benadering) op hulle ervaring van die fasilitering van programme wat gerig is op vroeë kinderontwikkeling. Die hoofbevindinge van hierdie studie dui op ŉ behoefte vir praktisyns om doeltreffend opgelei te word om programme aan te bied wat aantreklik en relevant is vir ouers om hulle behoeftes aan te spreek. Daar is bevind dat groepsgebaseerde en gemeenskapsprogramme effektiewe platforms vir hierdie intervensie is. Die aard en komponente van oueropleidingsprogramme, soos uiteengesit in die literatuur, bied duidelike riglyne vir organisasies en praktisyns wat sodanige programme wil aanbied en daar word aanbeveel dat dit in opleidingsessies vir fasiliteerders inkorporeer word. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie is verder van belang vir fasiliteerders van oueropleidingsprogramme aangesien dit bevestig dat die geslaagdheid van die programme gekoppel is aan praktisyns se lewering en ervaring daarvan. ŉ Poging moet dus aangewend word om hierdie ervaring te verbeter deur praktisyns aan te moedig om die “beste praktyk”-metodes te gebruik wanneer hulle programme aanbied. Suid-Afrika het onlangs ŉ innoverende benadering tot oueropleiding begin volg, naamlik om sodanige programme in groepsverband aan te bied. Die verbetering van ouers se bekwaamheid deur middel van hierdie programme word beskou as ŉ manier om vooruitgang in maatskaplike ontwikkeling te bewerkstellig en wetgewing oor kinderontwikkeling te bevorder. Die gevolgtrekkings waartoe daar in hierdie studie gekom word, dui aan dat daar ŉ behoefte vir verdere navorsing oor oueropleidingsprogramme in Suid-Afrika bestaan. Gevolglik word daar ter afsluiting aanbevelings gemaak ten opsigte van verdere navorsingsgeleenthede wat hierdie studie kan aanvul en op sy bevindinge kan uitbrei.

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Butler, Ami R. "Funds of Knowledge and Early Literacy: A Case Study." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2015. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc799487/.

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When teachers are charged with educating students that are racially, culturally, or economically different from them, they may have little information on the culture and type of family involvement of their students. This lack of information contributes to perceptions of working-class families as socially disorganized and intellectually deficient. However, research embodying the theoretical framework funds of knowledge (FoK) attempts to counter deficient models through its assertion that all families possess extensive bodies of knowledge that have developed through social, historical, political, and economic contexts. The primary purpose of this study was to carefully examine Hispanic parents’ support of young children’s early literacy development in the home. The knowledge gleaned from an initial study of home support, by spending time in the home of a Hispanic family provided an avenue for action research in the classroom. A second purpose was to determine if the introduction of FoK ways of learning, when applied in the classroom, had an effect on early literacy skills. In addition, I maintained a journal that chronicled my experiences and led to an autoethnographic study of myself as a transforming white, female, prekindergarten teacher. The results indicated that the family possessed extensive FoK developed through historical, cultural, educational, and social experiences. Results further indicate that introduction of these familial FoK improved the oral language skills of prekindergarten students thus enhancing their early literacy development. Autoethnographic results indicate a personal progression toward not only understanding, but becoming an advocate, for the Hispanic population.

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27

Burson, Susan J. "The relationship of classroom quality to kindergarten achievement." CardinalScholar 1.0, 2010. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1560832.

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28

Snuffer, Moira Calligan. "A Study of the Watershed Management in the Headwaters of the Hocking River: Environmental Communication in the City." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1597266102553851.

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29

Boatright, Mattie Anderson. "Curriculum for a major in early childhood education at the community college level." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1995. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1013.

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30

Lee, Eun Young. "Perceptions about Student Diversity and Equity in Early Childhood Science Education: A Teacher Preparation Study." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2018. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1157635/.

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Using a mixed-methods approach, the current study examined the relationship between early childhood preservice teachers' cultural awareness and their self-efficacy in equitable science education. It further aimed to determine if the relationship between these two constructs was moderated by their race/ethnicity or the number of languages they speak. Finally, it sought to identify preservice teachers' understanding of equity in science education, as well as how they planned to incorporate the equity concept into their future science teaching practices for diverse learners in early childhood classrooms. Data for this study were drawn from 380 preservice teachers who self-enrolled in a science methods course as part of a teacher preparation program. To measure the preservice teachers' cultural awareness and self-efficacy in equitable science education, two Likert-scale instruments, Cultural Diversity Awareness Inventory (CDAI) and Self-Efficacy Beliefs about Equitable Science Teaching and Learning (SEBEST), were employed. Qualitative data were collected by administering six open-ended questions. For quantitative results, statistically significant findings indicated that when the participants were more aware of creating a multicultural environment and instruction and/or when they were less biased and were more sensitive/knowledgeable about diversity of students and families, their expectations about science learning of students from diverse backgrounds would be higher. Furthermore, when the participants were more aware of creating a multicultural environment and instruction and/or when they felt more comfortable about confronting students or parents whose cultures and languages were different from their own, they tended to have a stronger sense of efficacy in teaching science to those students. In addition, when the participants were less biased and were also sensitive and knowledgeable about students' and families' diverse backgrounds, they were more likely to have a strong sense of science teaching efficacy. Along with these findings, participants' race/ethnicity was a statistically significant moderator affecting the relationship between their sense of science teaching outcome expectancy and awareness of creating a multicultural environment and instruction. When the awareness of creating a multicultural environment and instruction of both White and non-White participants were increased at an equal level, White participants' expectations for science learning of students from diverse backgrounds were higher than those of non-White participants. Measurement challenges were identified through the analysis process that compromised the validity of the quantitative findings. Thus, they should be interpreted with caution. For qualitative results, three predominant themes related to the participants' conceptualization of equity in science education were identified. First, the participants harbored alternative understandings of the definitions of equity in science education. One third of the participants understood equity as providing appropriate access and support based on the levels of students' needs whereas another one third defined equity as providing identical teaching services and resources to all students regardless of their backgrounds. They also conceptualized equity in science education as an issue independent of their future students' racial/ethnic backgrounds; instead, they regarded it as a subject associated with their students' English proficiency.

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31

Chan, Sing-pui, and 陳聲珮. "A study of Hong Kong young children's early Chinese character writing development." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2013. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B50643265.

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Due to a scarcity of research on young children’s Chinese character writing development and learning, there is insufficient empirical evidence to support the practices of helping young children learn to write in the context of Hong Kong. Grounded on the views about the nature of Chinese language and from the perspective of emergent literacy, this study looked into young children’s Chinese character writing forms under free writing conditions and focused attention on categorizing the forms and identifies the developmental patterns. In consideration of the purpose of study to pursue a better understanding about the field of study, this study used qualitative methods to research. The design adopted a strategy of multiple-case study, longitudinal approach and qualitative data collection methods. Data analysis employed an inductive and analytical approach incorporating some quantitative techniques to aggregate results in order to generate findings. The categorization of writing forms gave rise to a classification scheme based on aggregated time-order emergences of writing categories. Synthesis of the findings led to identifying the developmental patterns that was framed by a general progression of two-stage development. Under a pattern of gradual change in the two-stage development, variations of writing forms indicated patterns of variability in relation to the stroke, component, and character units of Chinese character, which encompass a range of linguistic features including stroke-order writing. These findings revealed child’s underlying knowledge in Chinese characters, which will be useful for the educational field. The findings contribute to a tentative theory of early Chinese character writing about children demonstrating a gradual progression in two stages embracing individual differences in forms and time of development in early Chinese character writing during the preschool years. Insights derived from the findings of this study enabled the author to discuss the relation of the unique nature and characteristics of Chinese character to children’s learning to write, and point to inadequacies of some current thinking and practices. The thesis ends with educational implications of orthographic-focused Chinese character writing instruction and research implications of the tentative framework of understanding.
published_or_final_version
Education
Doctoral
Doctor of Education

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32

Taylor, Cynthia Lynn. "Scaffolding the Development of Early Self-Regulation: The Role of Structure and Routine in Children's Daily Activities." PDXScholar, 2011. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/287.

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Learning to self-regulate one's behavior is a core developmental task in early childhood. Regulation of behavior is a challenge for young children largely due to cognitive constraints, specifically in the areas of attention and memory. As such, it has been theorized that both caregivers and a child's environment can support the development of behavioral self-regulation by providing cues as to what constitutes acceptable behavior in any given context. Although much research has been conducted on the role caregivers play in this regard, little is known about how a child's environment may also serve to support emerging self-regulation of behavior. The present study sought to identify differences among children's daily activities in terms of their degree of structure and routine and how they related to changes in patterns of self-regulated behavior over time. Twenty-one children ages 6 to 60 months in three age-graded classrooms at a constructivist child-care center were video-taped at three measurement points over a six-month period as they engaged in a variety of daily activities (i.e., free play, meals and clean-up). Trained observers coded for nine self-regulatory behaviors and the daily activities during which they occurred. It was hypothesized that structured and routine daily activities would scaffold the development of self-regulation and internalization such that these behaviors would occur more frequently during activities high in structure and routine. Over time, practice during activities that are high and low in structure and routine should support self-regulated behavior in the absence of structure and routine as well. Overall, results demonstrated that in the presence of environmental cues for expected behavior (i.e., structure and routine) children tend to engage in more self-regulated behavior than in the absence of such cues.

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Braford, Patricia Irene. "Connecting science and literature for first grade." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1993. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/692.

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Robinson, Kristen E. "Identifying Early Markers of Childhood Depression Using the NICHD-SECCYD Longitudinal Dataset." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1319136243.

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Kim, Soyoung. "A comparative case study of Korean and Australian early childhood education for sustainability: Exploring teachers’ practices, beliefs, and assumptions through a cultural lens." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2022. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/231545/1/Soyoung_Kim_Thesis.pdf.

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This thesis investigated Korean and Australian teachers’ pedagogical practices and beliefs related to early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS) and their assumptions about human-nature relationships. This comparative case study identified that the teachers’ practices, pedagogical beliefs, and assumptions differed, aligning with predominant cultural characteristics of the two countries. Although teachers in different contexts may draw on similar ECEfS pedagogies and learning theories, understandings and interpretations can vary across cultures, and ECEfS practices can be reproduced by these cultural contexts. This research endorses the need for cultural consideration in understanding teachers’ practices, pedagogical beliefs, and assumptions for a culturally inclusive ECEfS.

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Mickelson, Ann Marie. "Blending Worlds, Reforming Practice?: An Instrumental Case Study Of Collaborative Early Childhood Teacher Education." Scholar Commons, 2013. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/4729.

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Collaborative models of teacher education have grown from the belief that through such models we can improve the quality and availability of truly inclusive opportunities for children with diverse abilities and their families. Little is known however as to the extent collaborative models are capable of influencing inclusive service delivery or in terms of their efficacy to impact the relative inclusive practice of their graduates as compared to other models of teacher education. As an important first step toward examining the relative worth and efficacy of collaborative models of early childhood teacher education, this case study applied a conceptual framework derived from activity systems theory (Engeström, 1987; 1999) and the recommended research framework for investigation into collaborative models (Pugach & Blanton, 2009) to consider one such teacher education program as a system. Doing so offers the literature a description of one program's parameters of practice and efforts to produce effective, inclusive teachers and leaders through a collaborative approach; something that was previously lacking in the literature base. Working to understand how this teacher education program operates as a system helped characterize the parameters of practice specific to collaborative program dimensions. Elements of harmony and tension as well as cultural tools specific to the program's attempts to meet its object and ultimate outcome per activity theory were also identified. Finally, case study analysis of this particular program through the conceptual framework provided insight related to current and future efforts of collaborative early childhood teacher education and broader teacher education reform

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Koch-Locner, Aletta Maria. "Music for early childhood : guidelines for parents in the Western Cape." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/19635.

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Thesis (M.Mus.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The research for this thesis is presented in the form of a practical guideline for parents and educators in the Western Cape area. The important role of music in early childhood is emphasised throughout. Research, guidance and practical activities for the music education and development of the toddler and preschooler, are presented. The author answers and discusses the questions frequently asked by parents concerning musical education for their children, namely why, when and how, in the five chapters of the thesis. The importance of music education for children (the question concerning why) is discussed and emphasised by means of eleven different reasons supported by research. In Chapter 2, the important role of the parent as the child’s first music educator and prenatal stimulation is discussed (the question concerning when). In the two chapters that follow, the author provides parents with information about basic music concepts and skills that children should be able to master at specific ages. Throughout these chapters, practical activities to illustrate these concepts and to practise the relevant skills are suggested (the how question). Guidelines are presented concerning how play with the child should be approached and handled, as well as guidelines for the child’s first formal instrumental teaching and for choosing an instrument and a music teacher. The research is concluded with a practical section containing extensive lists of songs (in categories), CDs, DVDs, books and web addresses for the use of parents needing resources and further guidance.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorsing vir hierdie tesis word in die vorm van ‘n praktiese handleiding vir ouers en opvoeders in die Wes-Kaap provinsie aangebied. Die belangrike rol van musiek in die voorskoolse kind se lewe word deurgaans beklemtoon. Navorsing, riglyne en praktiese aktiwiteite vir die musiekopvoeding en ontwikkeling van die voorskoolse kindword, word prakties aangebied en bespreek.Die outeur beantwoord en bespreek die vernaamste vrae wat ouers ten opsigte van musiekopvoeding vir hul kinders vra, naamlik hoekom, wanneer en hoe, in die vyf hoofstukke van die tesis. Die belangrikheid van musiekopvoeding vir kinders (die hoekom vraag) word aan die hand van elf verskillende redes en wat deur navorsing ondersteun word, bespreek. Die belangrike rol van die ouer as eerste musiekopvoeder en prenatale stimulasie word in Hoofstuk 2 bespreek (die vraag aangaande wanneer). In die twee daaropvolgende hoofstukke bied die outeur verdere inligting aan ouers oor basiese musiekkonsepte en vaardighede wat kinders op sekere ouderdomme moet kan bemeester. Praktiese aktiwiteite om hierdie konsepte te illustreer en die verlangde vaardighede te oefen (die hoe vraag) word deurgaans voorgestel. Riglyne word gegee oor hoe spel met die kind benader en hanteer moet word, asook riglyne vir die kind se eerste formele instrumentale onderrig, die keuse van ‘n instrument en van ‘n musiekonderwyser. Die navorsing word afgesluit met ‘n praktiese afdeling waarin uitgebreide lyste van liedjies (volgens verskillende kategorieë), beskikbare CD-opnames, DVD-opnames, boeke en webadresse vir ouers gegee word as bronne en as verdere riglyne.

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Mattison, Amira Conservilla. "Do Early Elementary Teacher Ratings of Classroom Behavior Predict Similar Outcomes Across Demographic Groups? An Examination Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K)." Scholar Commons, 2016. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6317.

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Research suggests that how teachers perceive the behavior of individual children in the early years of elementary school has important implications for the school success of those youth over time (Darney et al., 2013; Hibel et al., 2010; Jimerson et al., 1997; Reinke et al., 2008). This may be because children who are of concern to teachers are often identified for practices such as grade retention and/or special education placement. Although these practices are intended to help children, they have not been shown to be associated with long-term positive outcomes. Rather, youth who are subject to these practices experience negative outcomes more often than their peers, including lower academic achievement, higher rates of exclusionary discipline, and lower rates of high school graduation (Darney et al., 2013; Sullivan & Bal, 2013; Stearns et al., 2007). From an educational equity standpoint, it is important to understand how early elementary teacher concerns are related to outcomes over time for children from different demographic groups. It may be that teacher concerns regarding behavior for some children (e.g., boys, children from minority backgrounds, poor children) are more likely to lead to educational practices (e.g., special education, retention) that have been associated with poor outcomes for youth. The purpose of the current study was to examine how early elementary teacher behavior ratings were related to long-term outcomes for youth and whether those relationships were similar for youth of different races, gender, and socioeconomic statuses (SES). Three research questions were posed: (1) Do teacher behavior ratings in kindergarten and first grade predict special education placement and/or grade retention by fifth grade and/or school suspension by eighth grade? (2) To what extent are the relationships between these variables moderated by student gender, race, and/or SES? (3) To what extent are special education placement, grade retention, and school suspension related to each other? Archival data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort of 1998 (ECLS-K) were used to answer these questions. Results showed that teacher perceptions of behavior problems in early elementary school significantly predicted all three aforementioned outcomes. Of the various teacher-perceived behavior problems measured, approaches to learning (e.g., paying attention, being organized) was the most predictive. Black students with teacher-perceived weak approaches to learning were at higher risk than their White peers with weak approaches to learning for being retained and suspended. Additionally, female students with perceived weak approaches to learning were more likely to be retained than their male peers with weak approaches to learning. Special education, grade retention, and school suspension outcomes were weakly correlated with each other. The weak correlations among these outcomes suggests that youth who are perceived to be behaviorally at risk can potentially be on different paths that lead them to experience different long-term outcomes. Implications for educators, researchers, and policymakers are discussed.

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Baker, Angela H. Ms. "An Exploratory Critical Study of Questioning Strategies Posed by Early Childhood Teachers During Literacy Blocks." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2014. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2403.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the cognitive types and functions of questions orally posed by early childhood teachers in kindergarten through 3rd grade during a 90-minute literacy block. The cognitive types of questions were determined by the criteria established using Hess’ Cognitive Rigor Matrix (Hess, Jones, Carlock, & Walkup, 2009). The functions of the posed questions were determined by criteria based on the work of Costa (2001), Hughes (as cited in Fusco, 2012), and Lowery (as cited in Fusco, 2012). This study examined questioning strategies used by 12 early childhood teachers from a Northeast Tennessee School District. The 12 teachers orally posed questions were recorded, scripted, and coded by the researcher to determine each question’s type, frequency, and function and how these indicators serve to increase student engagement during the literacy block. Results from the study show that the majority of questions posed are low in cognitive level requiring students to perform primarily at the basic level of remembering and understanding. The primary function of the recorded posed questions called for students to verify their understanding and many closed questions were asked during the documented lessons. The time teachers gave students to answer a question was minimal and a single student generated response was the predominant vehicle used to glean an answer to a presented question. While the teachers in this study appeared to understand the importance of posing high level cognitive questions in order to increase Common Core Standards instruction, results from this study showed that there seems to be a disconnect between what teachers think they do and their actual practice in regard to posing effective questions as a strategy for active student engagement and learning.

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Hayes, Lori. "A Phenomenological Study of Perceptions of Early Childhood Administrators Related to Transformational Leadership, Educational Paths, and Organizational Climate." ScholarWorks, 2011. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/994.

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Early childhood (EC) administrators could be the most important contributors to quality experiences in EC settings; they are also responsible for the caliber of experiences for children and staff. A quality EC program is licensed and accredited with administrators who have professional preparation and work experience and can lead and manage EC programs. There are the few direct educational paths to become an EC administrator. This lack of standardization influences the quality of leadership and organizational climate in EC settings. The purpose of this qualitative study as reflected in the research questions was to explore the experiences of EC administrators regarding their educational paths, their views of themselves as transformational leaders, and the influence of their leadership on their organizational climate. Prior research on the subject of leadership practices in EC suggests that Burns' transformational leadership is most beneficial, but this leadership style has not been explored in detail in EC settings. This phenomenological study included interviews of six EC administrators about their educational paths, their views as transformational leaders, and how their leadership influenced the organizational climate in their setting. Data were analyzed for themes that emerged. Findings suggested the need for streamlined undergraduate and graduate coursework. Implications for positive social change are the potential for improved quality of programs and for the support needed for early childhood leadership.

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Chou, Lan-Ying. "A Study of Taiwan Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Curriculum for Language Development, Language Teaching and Bilingualism Within the Context of Higher Education." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1246896140.

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Stuhmcke, Sharon Marie. "Children as change agents for sustainability : an action research case study in a kindergarten." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2012. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/61005/1/Sharon_Stuhmcke_Thesis.pdf.

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At a time when global consumption and production levels are 25 percent higher than the Earth’s sustainable carrying capacity, there are worldwide calls to find ways to sustain the Earth for this and future generations. A central premise of this study is that education systems have an obligation to participate in this move towards sustainability and can respond by embedding education for sustainability into curricula. This study took early childhood education as its focus due to the teacherresearcher’s own concerns about the state of the planet, coupled with early childhood education’s established traditions of nature-based and child-centred pedagogy. The study explored the experiences of a class of kindergarten children as they undertook a Project Approach to learning about environmental sustainability. The Project Approach is an adaptation of Chard’s work which is situated within a constructivist theoretical framework (Chard, 2011). The Project Approach involves in-depth investigations around an identified topic of interest. It has three phases: introductory, synthesising and culminating phase. The study also investigated the learning journey of the classroom teacher/researcher who broadened her long-held co-constructivist teaching approaches to include transformative practices in order to facilitate curriculum which embedded education for sustainability. While coconstructivist approaches focus on the co-construction of knowledge, transformative practices are concerned with creating change. An action research case study was conducted. This involved twenty-two children who attended an Australian kindergarten. Data were collected and analysed over a seven week period. The study found that young children can be change agents for sustainability when a Project Approach is broadened to include transformative practices. The study also found that the child participants were able to think critically about environmental and sustainability issues, were able to create change in their local contexts, and took on the role of educators to influence others’ environmental behaviours. Another finding was that the teacher-researcher’s participation in the study caused a transformation of both her teaching philosophy and the culture at the kindergarten. An important outcome of the study was the development of a new curriculum model that integrates and has applicability for curriculum development and teacher practice.

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Turner, Elisabeth. "Factors in the development of early childhood distance education curriculum materials for language and literacy in Western Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2001. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1079.

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Many factors influence the changing nature of education: family structures, cultural diversity, rapid technological change, social conditions. In response to these changes the Curriculum Framework for Western Australian schools has been developed to establish the learning outcomes expected of all students from K-12. Students in isolated and distance education settings are supplied curriculum materials designed to meet their diverse educational needs. This study presents one snapshot of an ongoing research project in which new language and literacy curriculum materials for early childhood distance education learners were developed, trialled and further developed. Some factors that appear to be important in the development of early childhood distance education curriculum materials for language and literacy in Western Australia were identified through the use of grounded theory and explored through the development of draft and final curriculum materials for K-3 students in distance education. These factors include; state government mandated Curricufrm1 Framework and Outcomes and Standards Framework, federal government initiatives, the impact of information and communication technologies, the needs of home tutors, the diversity of students enrolled in distance education and factors related to early childhood language an literacy needs identified through the literature review. The implications highlight the need to continue to seek feedback from all stakeholders, especially home tutors and the need for frequent reviews and rewriting of curriculum materials, taking into account current literature, technologies and pedagogical change.

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Koong, May-kay Maggie, and 孔美琪. "Development of addition strategies in young children." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1990. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31955927.

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Greenwood, Joseph Thomas. "Bilingual vocabulary acquisition between ages 12 and 24 months: a case study." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2012. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B48539557.

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This dissertation is on the subject of bilingual vocabulary acquisition, specifically regarding children between the age of 12 and 20-24 months, and presents a longitudinal case study of a Cantonese-English bilingual child. We begin by questioning the role of exposure (in terms of number and frequency of utterances) as a reliable indicator of vocabulary acquisition at such a young age. While exposure is undoubtedly a good indicator of acquisition from age 2;0 upwards (Huttenlocher, Haight, Byrk, Seltzer, & Lyons, 1991, David & Li, 2008), we suggest that other more specific factors are more crucial at earlier stages, when the rate of vocabulary growth is slower. As such, using a parental diary and a series of video experiments, we propose and test hypotheses concerning the roles of child directed speech (CDS), salience of exposure, emotional arousal and phonological complexity in early language acquisition. Regarding CDS, results taken from the parental diary show apparent selection and adaptation of vocabulary to fit reduplicated forms between the ages of 1;0 and 1;5. In conjunction with previous research, we propose that, between 1;0 and 1;5, during the whole-word stage (Vihman & Croft, 2007), salience and phonological simplicity of exposure are key factors in vocabulary acquisition. This hypothesis points to a likely initial Cantonese dominance in English-Cantonese bilinguals, which is supported by our data. Our results from video experiments appear to support hypotheses concerning positive emotional arousal as a facilitator of vocabulary acquisition prior to 20-24 months, and also of a child’s ability to acquire language with minimal exposure, in a similar but not identical process to fast mapping (Carey & Bartlett, 1978). We propose as such that emotional arousal is a key component in language acquisition before age 2;0, and link this type acquisition to flashbulb memories (Brown & Kulik, 1977). Finally we show that our parental diary data corroborates the well documented verb and noun biases in Chinese (Choi & Gopnik, 1995) and English (Bornstein et al., 2004) respectively. We question what these conflicting biases may mean for a bilingual child in terms of language dominance and code mixing, and also discuss potential reasons for, and implications of, these biases.
published_or_final_version
Linguistics
Master
Master of Arts

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Wong, Shu-sing Paul, and 黃樹誠. "A case study on the problems encountered by kindergarten teachers in the teaching of early childhood physical education in Macau: implications for INSET." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1993. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31956932.

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Wong, Shu-sing Paul. "A case study on the problems encountered by kindergarten teachers in the teaching of early childhood physical education in Macau : implications for INSET /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1993. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B13836596.

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Parnell, William A. "Teacher Learning: Documentation, Collaboration, and Reflection." PDXScholar, 2005. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/743.

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Inspired by the Municipal preprimary schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, two art studio teachers and a researcher have explored experiences and meaning in the atelier. When studio teachers document children's thinking through digital photographs. transcribed audio tapes, quotations of a child's verbal thoughts, and copies of their work, an indescribable moment in teacher thinking interweaves with the child's learning, As teachers capture children's representations, investigate, interpret, and share their ideas with colleagues and community-an underlying question emerges. What are studio teachers' experiences o/teaching-learning in the atelier as they utilize documentation, collaboration, and reflection as a way to inform their practices? From this question, reader and researcher start a journey together into a six-month phenomenological study of studio teaching experiences. As a core member in the teaching team, the studio teacher resides in the atelier to bring teaching and learning together in a profound way, to bridge classroom experiences with representative arts, and to facilitate the community's learning about teaching-learning. The methods used to inform this study include observations, in-depth interviews, electronic journaling, description, photos, and interpretation of studio work. Overall, this study's methods inform the phenomenological research and construct an in-depth look at experiences in the artist's studio. The results of this research are retold through narratives focusing on experiences and meaning-making in the studios. Stories such as living with the cracked egg; isolation in the studio: gifts for others; rough stones polishing one another; and many others, utilize photographs to enhance meaning through picturesque artifacts. Essential themes, conclusions, and implications appear in the webbing of experiences and are explored in the final chapter. The themes include conceptual frameworks such as life eats entropy, serendipity and synergy and more. Conclusions are drawn and findings are made connecting studio experiences to participant voice, disequilibrium, listening, engaging, stepping back, and slowing time; demonstrating documentation as learning, revisiting, representation, and manageability; making meaning of collaboration as struggle, communication, and reconstruction; and reflecting back as purposeful and an act of teaching-learning. Overall, this research study exposes techniques, ideas, and wonderings from two studio teachers' and a researcher's experiences in the atelier.

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Baron, Alexander Macomber. "From teacher-regulation to self-regulation in early childhood : an analysis of Tools of the Mind's curricular effects." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2017. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:e58a6fcc-d737-44ae-a79c-67652d196099.

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The aim of my DPhil is to identify educational practices predictive of students' self-regulation development during early childhood. Specifically, I will analyze the Tools of the Mind preschool curriculum (Tools), which emphasizes students' self-regulation cultivation as its paramount aim. Since its development in 1993, Tools has spread to schools in the United States, Canada, and South America. In the face of Tools' proliferation, two questions emerge: does Tools significantly improve children's self-regulation skills? And, if so, then which of its effective elements could be applied across various educational contexts? This dissertation contains two studies. In the first, I will systematically review extant Tools research and then execute a multilevel meta-analysis of the quantitative results. Study one serves three purposes: 1) to identify all studies in the existing Tools evidence base, 2) to estimate an aggregate curricular effect, and 3) to determine how that effect varies across contexts and student characteristics. Thus, study one will assess whether Tools, at the curricular level, improves students' self-regulation. By contrast, study two will involve more granular analyses of the discrete learning activities that collectively comprise Tools. Specifically, study two will analyze child-level self-regulation and teacher-level Tools implementation data for 1145 preschool children in 80 classrooms across six American school districts. I will employ multilevel structural equation models to assess which Tools activities are associated with students' self-regulation growth, which are associated with decline, and which exhibit no association at all. Ultimately, this dissertation features the first Tools meta-analysis as well as the first analysis of specific Tools instructional activities. It is hoped that these analyses will identify educational practices predictive of self-regulation development both within and beyond the Tools curricular context.

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Safrina, Rien. "THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CULTURALLY RELEVANT PEDAGOGY THROUGH MUSIC EDUCATION COURSE: A SELF-STUDY IN PRE-SERVICE EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM IN INDONESIA." The Ohio State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1385851709.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Sustainability Study and teaching (Early childhood)'

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