The purpose of the newly implemented Transitional Kindergarten program in California is to provide an additional year of early childhood education to young students in order to prepare them for school (American Institutes for Research, 2012). The implementation of Transitional Kindergarten into California’s public school districts was executed quickly without clear guidelines or training for teachers. The resultant gap in understanding Transitional Kindergarten’s goals is an educational issue that needs to be addressed. Until standards and guidelines are finalized for Transitional Kindergarten programs, California’s school districts decide how to implement their programs. The purpose of this research study was to examine the extent to which Transitional Kindergarten teachers perceive they are prepared to teach in a Transitional Kindergarten Classroom and to identify resources, support for, and professional development teachers in TK believe they need. The following research questions guided the study: 1. To what extent do participants perceive they are prepared to teach in a Transitional Kindergarten class? 2. To what extent does the level of perceived preparedness correlate to the participants’ years of experience, type of district, or Pre-school teaching experience? 3. What resources, support, and professional development opportunities do participants believe they need from their school district to teach in a Transitional Kindergarten class? Through an analysis of a quantitative survey, the conclusion of this study confirmed that Early Childhood Education knowledge is desired by Transitional Kindergarten teachers. The researcher contacted forty-five Transitional Kindergarten teachers within San Joaquin County and seventeen teachers participated. The study found that the additional support desired by Transitional Kindergarten teachers are: 1) teachers aides/assistants, 2) help with assessments, and 3) a more clear message about what Transitional Kindergarten curriculum should cover. It is recommended by the researcher based on the results that districts provide clarity about the expectations of TK to all stakeholders, create an implementation guide, and clear standards for all TK teachers.

Die vorliegende Broschüre beschäftigt sich mit der Leitfrage: „Ist die Kita ein Schutzraum vor Gesellschaft und Politik?“ Sie fasst die Arbeit der letzten zweieinhalb Jahre der Fachstelle Jugendhilfe – Mit Demokratiewerten gegen Rechtsextremismus im Bereich der Elementarpädagogik zusammen. Redaktionsschluss: Januar 2017

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A subject didactic analysis of the development of the spatial knowledge of young children through a problem-centred approach to mathematics teaching and learning Researchers and educators are in agreement that it is very important that the spatial knowledge of the young child should be developed from the first years of school. In order to develop these skills the appropriate materials and activities need to be designed. This can only be realised through proper research methods that not only acknowledge the cognitive abilities of the young child, but also the social and cultural backgrounds of the children. This implies that due attention should be given to language, beliefs, cognitive skills, socio-economic background, schooling and teaching systems. The immediate worlds of the children should be used in developing the spatial skills of these children. The work that is described in this document is an effort to describe the complexity of such a research endeavour. The development of the spatial skills of young children were investigated through three different instructional/executional media namely language, drawing/writing and physical constructions. The three major variables that were described as influencing the spatial development in the different media were the task that was given to the children, the objects that the children worked with and the dimension and viewpoints of the objects and situations. It was clear from the research that in the development of the spatial skills of children, attention should. be given to: the real-world of the children, hands-on-experiences of the children, the cultural background, the language of instruction, the socio-economic background the classroom culture, the media of instruction and the cognitive skills of the children. / Proefskrif (PhD (Didaktiese Opvoedkunde))--PU vir CHO, 1997

A subject didactic analysis of the development of the spatial knowledge of young children through a problem-centred approach to mathematics teaching and learning Researchers and educators are in agreement that it is very important that the spatial knowledge of the young child should be developed from the first years of school. In order to develop these skills the appropriate materials and activities need to be designed. This can only be realised through proper research methods that not only acknowledge the cognitive abilities of the young child, but also the social and cultural backgrounds of the children. This implies that due attention should be given to language, beliefs, cognitive skills, socio-economic background, schooling and teaching systems. The immediate worlds of the children should be used in developing the spatial skills of these children. The work that is described in this document is an effort to describe the complexity of such a research endeavour. The development of the spatial skills of young children were investigated through three different instructional/executional media namely language, drawing/writing and physical constructions. The three major variables that were described as influencing the spatial development in the different media were the task that was given to the children, the objects that the children worked with and the dimension and viewpoints of the objects and situations. It was clear from the research that in the development of the spatial skills of children, attention should. be given to: the real-world of the children, hands-on-experiences of the children, the cultural background, the language of instruction, the socio-economic background the classroom culture, the media of instruction and the cognitive skills of the children. / Proefskrif (PhD (Didaktiese Opvoedkunde))--PU vir CHO, 1997

L'approche démocratique des CPE est reconnue pour favoriser les compétences sociales des enfants. Or, bien que les hommes ne représentent que 4 % du personnel éducateur, des études relatent que leurs approches diffèrent de celles des femmes, et que cette complémentarité peut contribuer au développement positif des enfants. La présente étude a pour objectifs: 1) d'évaluer le lien entre trois aspects des conduites éducatives démocratiques des éducateurs et des éducatrices (la qualité des consignes, le partage du contrôle et les échanges affectifs) et les compétences sociales des enfants; 2) vérifier s'il existe des différences entre les éducatrices et les éducateurs sur ces trois aspects des conduites éducatives. Les données ont été recueillies à partir de l'observation directe de 17 éducateurs et de 19 éducatrices en situation de jeu dyadique avec un garçon et une fille (62 observations au total). Les conduites éducatives sont évaluées à partir d'une grille de fréquence et les compétences sociales par le Profil Socio-Affectif (Dumas et coll., 1995).

Thesis (MEdPsych)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Historical disadvantaged learners do not necessarily acquire the necessary skills that are essential for successful enrolling in a school in the primary educational environment. Certain factors in the problematic situation of the historical disadvantaged play an important role in the readiness of the child to learn. Due to the vicious circle of poverty, young children are caught in a web of insufficient education, lack of involvement and illiteracy of parents and are often left emotionally, socially and intellectually deprived. A case study was used in a qualitative research design, which involved a focused study of the Grade 1 class at Vlottenburg Primary, outside Stellenbosch. It was found that factors within the learner's immediate environment frequently inhibit his or her development, but that it can not be separated from the effect of socio-economic factors which filter through to the wider community, family, the school and everyday existence of the learner. Teachers are often not capable to educate and take care of overcrowded classes with learners that are on different levels of readiness and development and to handle the class situation in historical disadvantaged areas. Learning support guidelines, which are based on the research findings, were drawn up to empower teachers from historical disadvantaged communities to work with learners from disadvantaged environments and to give them the opportunity to development to their full potential. In future, there should be a focus on the empowerment of parents to break free from poverty and illiteracy. This will have a positive effect on the education of the child. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Historiesbenadeelde leerders leer nie noodwendig die nodige vaardighede, wat noodsaaklik is vir suksesvolle skooltoetrede in die primere opvoedingsituasie, aan nie. Bepaalde faktore in die problematiese situasie van die historiesbenadeelde speel 'n groot rol in die leergereedheid van die kind: Weens die bose kringloop van armoede is kleuters vasgevang in ontoereikende opvoeding, onbetrokkenheid en ongeletterdheid van ouers en word dikwels emosioneel, sosiaal en intellektueel gedepriveerd gelaat. In 'n kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp is gebruik gemaak van 'n gevallestudie wat 'n gefokusde studie van die Graad l-klas by Vlottenburg Primer, in die Stellenboschomgewing, behels het. Daar is gevind dat faktore binne die leerder se onmiddellike omgewing dikwels sy of haar ontwikkeling inhibeer, maar nie losgemaak kan word van die effek van sosio-ekonomiese faktore wat deursyfer na die wye samelewing, gemeenskap, gesin, die skool en alledaagse bestaan van die leerder nie. Die leerkrag se bevoegdheid verleen hom of haar dikwels nie daartoe om 'n groot aantal leerders met verskillende vlakke van gereedheid te onderrig en die klassituasie uit 'n historiesbenadeelde omgewing te kan hanteer nie. Leerondersteuningsriglyne, wat gebaseer is op die navorsingsbevindings, is opgestel om die leerkragte uit historiesbenadeelde omgewings te bemagtig om leerders uit hierdie benadeelde omstandighede te hanteer en aan hulle die geleentheid te gee om optimaal te ontwikkel. Daar behoort in die toekoms gefokus te word op die bemagtiging van die ouers om te breek van armoede en ongeletterdheid, wat weer 'n positiewe effek op die opvoeding van die kind sal he.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education