Research has found that many children who come from a low socioeconomic background often begin their schooling careers behind most students. Head Start programs around the nation are utilized to close the gap in achievement, by providing those students with the educational support necessary to prepare them for future schooling. However, when assessed with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), Head Start programs have been found to be weaker in the area of Instructional Support. As a result, teachers are falling short in the way they provide feedback, incorporate higher thinking skills, and foster language development. In order to strengthen the instructional support component, research has supported the utilization of professional development to foster ways of incorporating informative praise which then encourages the desired behaviors and provides a rich language model for children This study was designed to provide professional development to Head Start teachers in order to increase informative praise and decrease commands and negative comments utilized by teachers. An increase in the number of general praise statements and informative praise statements used directly after the training was administered was found. However, as time progressed, the amount of praise decreased back to the levels before the training was given. It was also found that negative comments and commands decreased continuously throughout all observations after the training.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Σκοπός της εργασίας αυτής ήταν μια πρώτη μελέτη του παιχνιδιού και της επικοινωνίας των κωφών/βαρηκόων παιδιών με τα ακούοντα παιδιά μέσα σε ένα νηπιαγωγείο. Συγκεκριμένα, σκοπός μας είναι η μελέτη του κοινωνικού παιχνιδιού και του μη κοινωνικού παιχνιδιού των κωφών/βαρηκόων παιδιών, καθώς και της επικοινωνίας τους με το περιβάλλον τους (κωφά ή ακούοντα παιδιά) μέσα και έξω από τη τάξη. Στη παρούσα εργασία έγινε προσπάθεια να απαντηθούν τα εξής ερωτήματα: α) το είδος παιχνιδιού που χρησιμοποιούν τα κωφά/βαρήκοα παιδιά μόνα τους, μεταξύ τους ή/και με τα ακούοντα παιδιά, μέσα και έξω από τη τάξη και β) τον τρόπο επικοινωνίας που χρησιμοποιούν τα κωφά/βαρήκοα παιδιά μεταξύ τους ή/και με τα ακούοντα παιδιά, μέσα και έξω από τη τάξη. Στην έρευνα έλαβαν μέρος 10 παιδιά (Ν=10), από τα οποία τα πέντε ήταν κωφά/βαρήκοα και τα υπόλοιπα πέντε ήταν ακούοντα παιδιά, τα οποία αποτέλεσαν και την ομάδα ελέγχου. Τα αποτελέσματα της εργασίας έδειξαν ότι τα κωφά/βαρήκοα παιδιά αλληλεπιδρούν και επικοινωνούν με τα ακούοντα παιδιά, μέσα στη τάξη, ενώ δεν συμβαίνει το ίδιο, έξω από τη τάξη, αφού τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν ότι τα κωφά/βαρήκοα παιδιά αλληλεπιδρούν και επικοινωνούν μόνο μεταξύ τους. Τέλος, τα αποτελέσματα αυτά θα πρέπει να ληφθούν υπόψη από τους εκπαιδευτικούς, προκειμένου οι τελευταίοι να αποκτήσουν τις απαραίτητες γνώσεις και πληροφορίες για τη σχολική ένταξη κωφών/βαρηκόων παιδιών σε σχολεία ακουόντων, με σκοπό να προσφέρουν ευκαιρίες για θετικές αλληλεπιδράσεις μεταξύ κωφών/βαρήκοων και ακουόντων παιδιών. / The aim of this assignment was a first study of the play and the communication among the deaf/hard of hearing children in the kindergarten. In particular, our aim is the study of social and non social play of deaf/hard of hearing children inside and outside of the classroom. At the present study, an effort was made to answer the following questions: a) the type of play that the deaf/hard of hearing children are using by themselves, between them or/and between hearing children, inside and outside the classroom and b) the way of communication, the deaf/hard of hearing children are using between them and/or the hearing children, inside and outside the classroom. In the study 10 children (N=10) participated, five of which were deaf/hard of hearing and the rest five were hearing children, which represented also the control group. The results of this assignment showed that the deaf/hard of hearing children interact and communicate with the hearing children, inside the classroom, but it does not happen the same outside the classroom, since the results showed that the deaf/hard of hearing children interact and communicate only among them. Finally, these results have to be taken under consideration by the teachers, so that they acquire the necessary knowledge and information for the school integration of the deaf/hard of hearing children in regular schools, with the purpose of offering opportunities for positive interactions between deaf/hard of hearing children and hearing children.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

We are currently in an era of accountability, so the need for measuring fidelity of implementation is gaining attention. However, there is little research in the area of fidelity of implementation and an inclusive early childhood classroom. In addition, most of the research is conducted using teachers. This study examined the fidelity of implementation by two teaching assistants using the teaching strategies of time delay and system of least prompts with children with and without disabilities in an inclusive early childhood setting. A multiple-probe design with conditions across two behaviors and across two participants design was used to determine the effects of teaching assistants’ fidelity of implementation of evidence-based teaching strategies. Also a multiple probe across two behaviors, replicated across children was used. Most importantly, the results showed that teaching assistants could implement systematic teaching strategies with fidelity. Secondly, the children were able to make progress towards their target skills.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there existed significant relationships between 4 and 5 year old children’s attitude toward school, their classroom teacher’s perception of their attitude toward school, length of time in school, sex, or a composite of these with their achievement on the Pre-School Attainment Record. A random sample of 55 Head Start children completed three instruments. The instruments used in this study were a revised Children’s Attitude Toward School Scale (CATSS-R), (Beere, 1970) The Pre-School Attainment Record (PAR), (Doll, 1966) and the Teachers Rating of Attitude of Children Toward School (TRACTS). The results of the multiple regression analysis yielded an R of .517 between the composite variable (CATSS-R and Age) and the PAR achievement measure. This was statistically significant at the .01 level of confidence and explained 26.7% of the PAR variance. The second composite variable consisting of CATSS0R, Age and TRACTS correlated with the PAR achievement variables at .530 and was significant at the .01 level, explaining 28.13% of the PAR variance. The third variable, TRACTS, contributed only 1.3% of the total composite variance explaining PAR achievement. Time in school and sex contributed even less when included with the other variables in the composite variable. Results of the Pearson-product moment correlation of each of the variables with PAR achievement demonstrated significant correlations for only CATSS-R and Age (r .45 and r -.30) at the .01 level of confidence. However, the ­ tests between Pearson correlation coefficients of each of the variables’ correlation with the PAR achievement revealed four out of a possible 10 significant differences. The ANOVA test showed that the four year olds were superior to the five year olds on the PAR. A brief discussion was given of the implications for education in regard to the vast differences between teachers perception and students own perception of their attitude toward school.

Hensikt Studiens hensikt er å få kunnskap om hvilke holdninger, meninger og verdier ansatte i norske barnehager har om bruk av fri natur til lek og aktivitet. Vi undersøkte også deres meninger om barnehagens rolle, samt fremmende og hemmende faktorer forbruk av natur til lek og aktivitet i barnehagen. Metode Tjueen barnehageansatte fra fire kommuner i Midt-Norge deltok på seks fokusgruppe-intervju.Informantene kom både fra barnehager som signaliserte et spesielt fokus på friluftsliv gjennom navnet på barnehagen eller på sin hjemmeside, og barnehager uten et slikt spesielt fokus. Kvalitativ innholdsanalyse ble brukt til analyseav datamaterialet. Resultat Tre kategorier ble identifisert: (i) Naturen som arena for fysisk og psykososial utvikling og læring,(ii) Barnehagen som formidler av friluftsliv og gode naturopplevelserog (iii)Faktorer som påvirker bruk av natur. Påvirkningsfaktorer ble identifisert både internt i den enkelte barnehage, iforhold utenfor barnehagen, og fra sentrale myndigheter Konklusjon Natur kan være en god arena for læring, helhetlig utvikling og helse for barn i barnehagen. I tillegg kan bruk av natur også bidra til å utjevne sosiale helseforskjeller. Hvis barnehagene skal kunne legge til rette for jevnlig aktivitet og lek i natur, må flere interne og eksterne faktorer tas i betraktning. / Purpose This study aimed to increase knowledge about the stance, opinion, and valuesof kindergarten employees regarding the use ofnature in playand general activity. We also investigated the role of kindergarten, and factors that promote or inhibit how kindergartens use nature. Method Twenty-one kindergarten employees from four municipalities in Central Norway participated in six focus group interviews. Study participants came from kindergartens that provided aspecificfocus on outdoor and nature in the name of the kindergarten, or on their homepages, as well as kindergartens that lacked such focus. We used qualitative contentanalysis to analyzethe data. Results Our analysis identified three categories: (i) nature as an arena for physical and psychosocial development and learning, (ii) kindergarten as a promoter of outdoor activities, and (iii) factors that influence the use of nature. We found that such influencesoccur within the kindergarten, in arenas outsidethe kindergarten,and from central authorities. Conclusion The use of nature can contribute to learning and the overall development and health of kindergartners. Moreover, nature may help reducesocial health inequalities. To enhance the facilitation of regular activity and playing in nature, several internal and external factorsshould be considered

Many environmental educators insist that environmental education (EE) should be started from a young age. The Korean Ministry of Education (1999) has also emphasized the importance of environmental education in early childhood by including content and objectives regarding EE in the 1999 National Curriculum of Kindergarten. However, many Korean kindergarten teachers do not sufficiently implement environmental education in their teaching practice. To address this issue, this study aimed at investigating and overcoming barriers to fully implement EE in the Korean kindergarten context. Four experienced Korean kindergarten teachers were involved in a fourteeniv week critical action research project that included weekly group meetings. At these group meetings, teachers reflected on the barriers preventing the full implementation of EE in their classrooms and discussed possible environmental education actions to be attempted in the following week. These actions, individually implemented in teachers’classrooms, were reviewed at subsequent group meetings. Data from group meetings and teacher lessons were used to analyze the effectiveness of this critical action research project for developing environmental education. At the beginning stages of this study, Korean kindergarten teachers felt strongly uncomfortable participating in group communication. However, through the continuous encouragement of the researcher and with the involvement of participants who have similar educational backgrounds, age, and working experiences, participants came to actively engage in group communication. Participants in this study identified the following barriers to fully implement EE in kindergartens: insufficient understandings and awareness of EE, reluctant attitudes towards the environment, lack of educational support and resources, low parental involvement, and discomfort about going on a field trip to environments. Teachers came to understand the importance, objectives, potential topics, and teaching methods of early childhood environmental education. While implementing environmental education in their classrooms, teachers recognized possibilities for environmental education through connections with children’s daily lives and previous activities conducted in their classrooms. Teachers also identified that critical action research through group communication provided practical and useful knowledge of their educational practices. Teachers’ improved pedagogical knowledge and awareness about EE increased their confidence to teach environmental education. To lessen the burden of going on a field trip to environments, teachers provided children direct experiences in the environment surrounding schools and during school picnics. Teachers also actively participated in environmental activities with children. These direct experiences of the environment helped teachers and children appreciate the beauty of the environment and change their reluctant attitudes towards the environment. By providing parents children’s products produced during EE, teachers were also able to help parents develop an interest in environmental education. While most educational research in Korean kindergartens is conducted by university-based researchers, this research inquiry revealed that action research by the effective partnership with a university-based researcher can encourage the confidence and passion of Korean kindergarten teachers to reflect and resolve issues arising from their experiences and to change educational practices.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Bremen. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 485-542) and index.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 288-310.