<p> This qualitative descriptive study explored the experiences of three Kuwaiti pre-service teachers with guided reflection and the extent to which video technology facilitates reflection. The data sources were semi-structured and video-elicited interviews, field notes, and researcher reflective journals. The study was guided by two research questions: In what ways does video elicitation facilitate Kuwaiti pre-service teachers&rsquo; reflections? What do Kuwaiti pre-service teachers reflect about? I used Rogoff&rsquo;s Sociocultural Theory (2003; 1995) as my conceptual lens for this study which stresses the importance of cultural contexts in all areas of education. I developed a concept I call &ldquo;third-eye&rdquo; thinking to define a multifaceted approach to education and reflection. I also developed a concept I call &ldquo;cultural spheres of influence&rdquo; to describe the multitude of cultural influences that shape individuals and groups in unique ways. This study also depended on guided reflection to complement the process of video elicitation. The findings of my study indicated that video elicitation provided concrete material as a basis for reflection. My findings showed that Kuwaiti early childhood pre-service teachers reflected on various topics including: teaching tools and materials, strategies and techniques, everyday problems and challenges, classroom dynamics and management, and evaluators and the evaluation process. This research contributes to the existing body of literature by giving reflection a new culturally-rooted definition based on its application by Kuwaiti pre-service teachers and through a careful consideration of the cultural spheres of influences that shaped who the participants were and what they brought to the reflective process. </p>

<p> This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of elementary school teachers who were engaged in teacher-coach partnerships to discover the influence of instructional coaching on the teaching practices of elementary school teachers. Data were collected through interviews, classroom observations, and a compilation of documents and artifacts. The findings are discussed through the three main themes that emerged from the analysis of qualitative data and interpretation. The three main themes that described how instructional coaching influences the teaching practices of elementary school teachers were: (a) relationship building, (b) self-reflection and goal setting, and (c) coaching perceived as evaluative rather than individualized professional learning. </p><p> Overall, the factor acknowledged by all participants as being the most influential in making instructional changes to their teaching practices was the importance of building relationships with an instructional coach. This study adds to the body of literature regarding instructional coaching and the influence instructional coaching has on teaching practices.</p><p>

<p> Due to narrowly defined quality measures, teacher preparation in Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio and LifeWays pedagogies is not recognized in many state ECE professional development systems. The problem is compounded by Quality Rating and Improvement System&rsquo;s child care program ratings, which rely on teacher qualifications as a component of program ratings. Limitations, due to philosophical dissimilarities pertaining to the spirit of the child, ill-fitting measurements of quality, and policy exclusion make it difficult for alternative pedagogy communities to meet qualifications or to obtain scores that count. This is exacerbated by narrow definitions regarding national versus regional accreditation in teacher preparation programs. U</p><p> sing a transformative, mixed-methods approach, this study asks, &ldquo;What is the role and relevance of alternative pedagogy teacher preparation to the professional development system, and where does it fit in the current policy landscape nationwide?&rdquo; As a follow up question, the study seeks to answer, &ldquo;What is the process for change?&rdquo; Through the use of surveys, interviews, and a cultural context model, a way forward is mapped. </p><p> Registry policy makers in 28 states and 46 teacher preparation directors, across three types of alternative-pedagogy teacher preparation programs, assisted in data collection, resulting in a recognition baseline. Public sources were used to triangulate a composite snapshot of this national policy situation, demonstrating appropriate policy inclusion in six out of 17 states&rsquo; career pathways and/or data collection in ECE workforce registries. Cumulative data revealed alternative pedagogy teacher recognition levels across the country and revealed how relevant policies evolved to become system inclusive. The study concludes by inviting community representatives to respond and to share their experiences and thoughts. Actionable study outcomes, community-developed recommendations, and an advocacy map were circulated in three of four alternative pedagogy communities. </p><p> Using a cultural equity paradigm, the study elucidates power relationships between alternative pedagogy teacher preparation and national/state efforts towards ECE professional development and quality improvement policy systems, illuminating where federal and state policy/initiatives are shaping, responding to, and limiting the alternative-pedagogy teacher preparation pipeline in the United States. Recommended courses of action encourage policy collaboration and a cultural shift from policy power over, to power with policy.</p>

<p> This phenomenological study explored five pre-kindergarten and five kindergarten teachers' expectations for entering kindergarteners, the sources of teachers' expectations, and nature of collaborations between pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews. The findings suggested that: (a) there were similarities and differences in expectations of both groups of teachers; (b) participants did not have differential expectations for children from different backgrounds, such as children's race and ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status; (c) teachers' ideal expectations did not always match with the competencies of children in their own classrooms; (d) teachers' classroom experience was the most influential source of teachers' expectations; and (e) there was no systematic collaborative relationships between participating pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs. The study's findings suggest the need for sustained collaborative relationships among preschool programs, kindergarten, and families of preschoolers to communicate realistic expectations for kindergarten.</p>

<p> Preschool teachers must overcome the pressure to become more academic in lieu of a whole child development curriculum approach in order to preserve developmentally appropriate practices and shape well-adjusted future citizens of society. In order to achieve this, it is important to give a voice to preschool teachers to better understand their struggle and to find effective resolutions. This is only possible through a qualitative case study that employs observations, interviews, and a focus group with an inductive analysis approach to the data. The development of the whole child will only be attainable through national policies that are supported by sound research and ongoing teacher training that is aligned with that research. When theory and practice are aligned, it provides more opportunities for teachers, parents, and the rest of the community to advocate for the same goals, which ultimately benefits children.</p>

<p> The purpose of this research was to explore factors influencing Kuwaiti kindergarten preservice teachers&rsquo; intentions to use Web 2.0 technologies in their future Kuwaiti kindergarten classrooms and their perceptions of using Web 2.0 technologies to enhance kindergarten student learning. This mixed methods study employed parallel collection of qualitative and quantitative data, separate analyses of the data, and then a merging of the findings. Gathered data were evaluated using the decomposed theory of planned behavior (DTPB) to predict the factors that influence Kuwaiti preservice teachers&rsquo; intentions to use Web 2.0 technologies in their future kindergarten classrooms. The central research questions of the study included the following: (1) What factors do Kuwaiti preservice kindergarten teachers describe as the best predictors of their intentions to use Web 2.0 technologies in their future classrooms? (2) What are Kuwaiti preservice kindergarten teachers&rsquo; perceptions of the pedagogical benefits of using Web 2.0 technologies in their future classrooms? (3) How do Kuwaiti preservice kindergarten teachers describe the factors that predict their intentions to use Web 2.0 technologies in their future kindergarten classrooms? (4) How do Kuwaiti preservice kindergarten teachers describe their perceptions of Web 2.0 technologies as pedagogical tools? The findings revealed that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control positively and significantly affect the preservice teachers&rsquo; intentions to use Web 2.0 technologies. </p><p> This study indicated Kuwaiti kindergarten preservice teachers&rsquo; intention to use YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Twitter in their future kindergarten classroom to improve student learning, communicate with parents, and share classrooms activities. Another important finding was the fact that the majority of Kuwaiti kindergarten preservice teachers did not use Wikis, Blogs, Facebook, and Skype. However, they proficiently used the popular Web 2.0 technologies in their social cultural environment. Most of the teachers believed that Web 2.0 technologies could improve kindergarten students&rsquo; learning, but they had concerns regarding inappropriate content. Hence, they were not prepared to use Web 2.0 technologies in educational settings. Finally, by using a mixed-method approach, this study offered educators a different dimension of the factors that affect preservice teachers&rsquo; intentions to use technology.</p>

Constructivist educators are concerned with methods that will help teachers understand young children's thinking in order to facilitate their learning along a developmental continuum in the acquisition of knowledge. This study focuses on the development and testing of the Broderick Notation System. The BNS is a format and system for teachers to map observable interactions of children's play over time in relation to teachers developing inferences about what children know and hypothesize about friendship, leadership, roles, and rules. The intention of this concept mapping system is to help teachers gain a deeper understanding of what children are thinking so they can more accurately assess appropriate entry points for facilitating learning with children. ^ Four preschool teachers were trained to use the BNS in six 2-hour trainings while viewing 2 short (under 10 minutes) videotapes of children at play. They were asked to use the BNS to identify the conceptual thinking underlying children's spontaneous play in the areas of friendship, leadership, roles, and rules. ^ Following the 6-week period each subject was tested individually. The test consisted of viewing two unseen videotapes (under 10 minutes each) that are similar but different from the original training videos. Subject's were allowed to take as long as they liked to complete the process of observing and coding with the BNS, and the video footage as seen on a computer that they could easily pause, forward, and reverse the footage in order to complete the notation to their satisfaction. Following the test each teacher was interviewed to obtain his/her record of the beginning and ending of each coded concept on the computer's time display. Teachers were interviewed to obtain more detailed information about the conceptual meaning they attached to each coded symbol and the behavior each coded symbol relates to. ^ The testing of interrater reliability among teacher subjects is a first step in a research program to be carried out over the next three to four years, in which the BNS will be tested for validity and use among trained educators.* ^ *This dissertation is a compound document (contains both a paper copy and a CD as part of the dissertation).^

Contemporary early childhood experts, via their major professional organization, the National Association for the education of young children (NAEYC), have adopted a set of guidelines for "developmentally appropriate practice" (DAP) in kindergartens. These guidelines, based on child development research, contrast sharply with a contrary educational movement for increased formal "academic" programming for young children. The primary purpose of this study was to survey the beliefs and practices of kindergarten teachers in Massachusetts, and to examine the congruence of those beliefs with the set of nationally proposed guidelines. A second purpose was to examine the relationship between the beliefs and practices reported and selected professional development variables. A questionnaire designed by a Louisiana group (Charlesworth et al., 1991) and based on the NAEYC guidelines was used. In addition, an author-designed set of questions on key demographic and professional development variables was included. Surveys were mailed to a random sample of 150 elementary schools in Massachusetts. One hundred twenty six teachers responded, representing 102 schools for an overall school return rate of 68%. Results indicated that Massachusetts teachers tend to follow the NAEYC guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice. Correlations between the Teacher Belief Scale and the Instructional Activities Scale (r =.6225, p,.0001) indicate that teachers in Massachusetts generally report using practices that are congruent with their beliefs. Significant positive relationships were found between teachers with advanced college training and both of the Teacher Questionnaire Scales. The professional development activities most frequently listed as valuable to Massachusetts kindergarten teachers included college courses, whole language workshops, Math Their Way workshops, DAP seminars, the Lesley College Kindergarten Conference and inclusion workshops. In further analysis, the sample was divided into thirds based on the total DAP scale scores. Those with high DAP scores differed from those with low DAP scores in the amount and type of professional development activities. The results were discussed with respect to the effectiveness of specific professional development activities.

<p> This qualitative multiple case study was undertaken to answer the following question: How did Reading Recovery^&reg; (RR) teachers and former Reading Recovery teachers in a mid-sized rural school system in the southeastern United States describe the influences of their Reading Recovery training as it related to their current professional lives? Additional questions included: (1) How did training in Reading Recovery position the teacher as a reading expert within her school? (2) How did Reading Recovery change her approach to working with struggling readers? (3) How did the "behind the glass" experience impact the teacher's own teaching? (4) How did training affect the teacher's ability to discuss complex reading problems with co-workers? (5) How has Reading Recovery training influenced the teacher's professional goals and ambitions? (6) How has the passage of time since the teacher's training year altered her perception of the usefulness of her training? </p><p> Two case studies were undertaken to answer these questions. Both studies involved face to face interviews, teacher observations, and electronic journal entries submitted by the participants. Case Study One looked at the professional lives of three currently active Reading Recovery teachers and revealed five themes: (1) Instructional empowerment, (2) Increased professional status, (3) Reliance on a community of learners, (4) Concern for the whole child, and (5) Lack of teaching/working time. </p><p> Two years later, Case Study Two was initiated. At this time Reading Recovery had been discontinued in the county school system. A total of 12 former RR teachers were interviewed, observed on the job, and contributed to electronic journals. Five themes emerged from this study: (1) Instructional knowledge from theory, (2) Student benefits, (3) School and community benefits, (4) Professional benefits, and (5) Personal benefits. The overarching theme for both cases was - Power through <i>Knowledge</i>. Unanticipated findings included: self-imposed teacher accountability, professional courage, "knowledge envy" by non-RR individuals, and the transferability of Reading Recovery knowledge outward into the school and local community.</p>

<p>Children need to be ready to enter kindergarten, or they may begin to fall further and further behind. The achievement gap may start prior to children entering kindergarten due to their lack of early learning opportunities. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of kindergarten teachers regarding which readiness skills preschool children should master prior to entering kindergarten in order to be successful. </p><p> A literature review supports the variance in perceptions kindergarten teachers have in relation to readiness skills. The conceptual framework starts with a brief history of preschool programs. Following is a discussion regarding the benefits of preschool programs. Next is an overview of the rigor of kindergarten and the transition between preschool and kindergarten. Finally, what readiness skills children need in order to be successful in kindergarten will be reviewed. </p><p> This quantitative study surveyed 30 kindergarten teachers in a suburban school district with nine elementary schools. From these surveys, data were collected on kindergarten teachers' perceptions of the readiness skills needed. The results indicated that kindergarten teachers endorsed social-emotional skills as very important skills that should be taught prior to entering kindergarten. Directions for future research or implications for practice are discussed. </p>