published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

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The early years of a child's growth and development are crucial for health, wellbeing and success in later life. Adequate stimulation during the pre-school years is a critical factor that can be associated with higher levels of achievement and better adjustment in school (Arnold, Barlett., Gowani, & Merali, 2006). Some children, for example those growing in contexts of adversity, are in particular need of pre-school assistance. This research evaluates a one-year implementation of the Psychomotor Education Programme (PMEP) at the Dalton Trust Education Centre, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. PMEP is an educational programme that stimulates the child‟s psychomotor functions and supports the development of the whole child through play in the pre-school years. An evaluation of the programme was required to establish if the PMEP had achieved the envisaged objectives of improving preparedness of children for their entrance into the formal school system. This summative evaluation used focus group discussions to collect data on whether the outcomes had been achieved from the perspective of the trained and experienced family facilitators who had participated in the PMEP. The participants were asked about the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the PMEP. The areas identified as being attributable to the PMEP include social-emotional competence, self-awareness, emotional regulation and autonomy. The participants reported that PMEP had enabled the children to achieve the learning outcomes described by the Revised National Curriculum Statement (South African Department of Education, 2005). However, further research is needed to overcome the difficulty of maintaining the achieved outcomes in a new environment, such as the formal school context, where methods of teaching and resources may differ substantially from those provided by the PMEP. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

The study aimed firstly to explore whether there were any differences in the quality of parent-child interactions in those children who scored high and those who scored low on the Pupil Behavior Rating Scale. Sixty-five pupils were randomly selected and rated on the Pupil Behavior Rating Scale concurrently by the teacher and the researcher. Ten of the highest performers and 10 lowest performers were then studied predominantly by the use of a questionnaire constructed by the researcher. However, the results of the study was hampered by the use of the questionnaire in that, unlike participant observation, it only showed differences in a limited number of areas. Much useful information, however, was obtained about the two groups of families, especially relating to socio-economic variables and attitudes to pre-schoo1 education. A second aim was to investigate the role of the social worker in promoting parental involvement in pre-schoo1 education. Here, the utilization of a needs assessment profile indicated that groupwork and social work intervention aimed at teachers were possible ways to promote parental involvement in pre-school education. An intervention programme was thus planned and executed by the researcher which confirmed that the social worker can be a useful resource in promoting home-school relations. Recommendations were made in regard to the role of the social worker, how the school system can be improved to promote parental involvement, and suggestions on future research. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1987.

Behavioral competencies are important elements of school readiness and make up an important component in any preschool curriculum. In this study, music therapy was implemented in a Head Start preschool program as a behavioral intervention. Forty-five subjects received music therapy sessions in groups of six to ten children for 25 minutes, twice weekly. The first treatment group received music therapy intervention along with the regular curriculum for eight weeks while the other subjects participated in the regular curriculum only. The second eight weeks, the second treatment group received music therapy intervention along with the regular curriculum while the first group participated in the regular curriculum only. Head Start teachers used the Behavioral Objective Sequence to assess all students at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the sixteen week period. Results indicated a significant increase in positive behavioral competencies associated with the music therapy intervention. Additionally, the music therapy intervention had a stronger impact on older students (ages five to six years) versus younger students (ages three to four years). / Department of Special Education

The purpose of this study was to identify parent perceptions of a developmentally appropriate curriculum (goals, teaching strategies, learning activities, and assessment methods) in selected early childhood centers. The relationship between income level and educational background and parent perceptions of a developmentally appropriate curriculum was also studied. Additionally, the relationship between parent perceptions of a developmentally appropriate curriculum and the selection of early childhood centers was examined.The Parent Perception Questionnaire, developed by the researcher, was mailed to 16 licensed early childhood centers in central Indiana. Respondents included 215 parents of 4- and 5-year-old children. Income level for the total group of parents ranged from less than $16,000 to more than $48,000. The largest group of parents (26.5%) reported an educational background of 1 to 3 years of college followed by parents (26.0%) with an educational level of a high school diploma.Through the use of a Likert scale, parents rated items on goals, teaching strategies, learning activities, and assessment methods as very important, important, somewhat important, or not important. A section for additional comments was also provided for parents. Each participating center was observed one time by the researcher. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale was used to assess the developmental appropriateness of the participating centers' environment. A two-way multivariate analysis of variance at the .05 level of significance was used to test hypotheses I, II, and III. The Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was applied to test hypothesis IV.Results1. An interaction effect of income level and educational background on parent perceptions of a developmentally appropriate curriculum (goals, teaching strategies, learning activities, and assessment methods) was found to be not significant. Hypothesis I was not rejected.2. The effect of income level on parent perceptions of a developmentally appropriate curriculum (goals, teaching strategies, learning activities, and assessment methods) was found to be not significant. Hypothesis II was not rejected.3. The effect of educational background on parent perceptions of a developmentally appropriate curriculum (goals, teaching strategies, learning activities, and assessment methods) was found to be significant. Hypothesis III was rejected.4. The relationship of parent perceptions of a developmentally appropriate curriculum to the curriculum of selected early childhood centers was correlated (r = .25). / Department of Elementary Education

The purpose of this study was to describe the levels of sociodramatic play among three and four year old Mexican-American migrant children by determining the frequency of sociodramatic play behaviors of these children. In addition, this study was designed to ascertain whether children's sociodramatic play behavior differed according to the sex of the child and the age of the child. The statistical design of this study also allowed for the investigation of Mexican-American migrant children to determine if they differ in occurrences on sociodramatic play behavior when placed in different play group combinations: same age, different sex; different age, same sex; different age, different sex.Forty-eight three and four year old Mexican-American migrant children were observed to determine the amount of sociodramatic play displayed. Children, in groups of four, were observed in a structured play setting for a total of 30 minutes over six five-minute periods. During each of the five-minute sessions, two trained observers focused attention exclusively on one child and recorded specimen observations of his play behaviors.The two observers, trained during four in-field training sessions and who also participated in four field testing sessions, were employed in the study to observe Mexican-American migrant three and four year old children to determine if any of the six elements of sociodramatic play identified by Sara Smilansky, Ohio State University, 1968, were present. The six elements of sociodramatic play are: (1) imitative role play, (2) make-believe in regard to objects, (3) make-believe in regard to actions and situations, (4) persistence, (5) interaction, (6) verbal communication.An observation record designed for the study was employed by the two observers to record specimen records of the child's play behaviors. Following the recording of play behaviors, frequency of play behaviors for each of the six elements of sociodramatic play was determined for each child in the study. A total play score across the six sessions were ascertained for each subject.Frequencies of play behaviors were descriptively analyzed to describe levels of play and statistically analyzed to determine the significance of differences in sociodramatic play according to sex, age, play groupings, and interaction effects among these variables.The statistical technique used was an analysis of variance performed on transformed data.The frequency of sociodramatic play among three and four year old Mexican-American migrant children appeared to be low. The following percentages were computed by comparing frequencies of occurrences with total possible occurrences of behavior: three year old males engaged in some aspect of sociodramatic play 2.6 percent of the total possible time; three year old females, 7.4 percent; four year old males, 9.8 percent; four year old females, 9.8 percent. When comparing sociodramatic play between Mexican-American migrant males and females, females scored significantly higher (p <.02) than males. When comparing differences in sociodramatic play between three and four year old Mexican-American migrant children, four year olds scored significantly higher than three year olds (p <.02). Although some differences did occur when children were placed in different play group combinations: same age, different sex; different age, same sex; different age, different sex; the differences were not statistically significant.

This research was embedded in the Effective Early Learning (EEL) Project (Pascal et al., 1995), a national evaluatory and development programme looking at the quality of learning experiences for 3 and 4 year olds in the varied range of settings which typify United Kingdom provision. It was, however, a separate and discrete study focused on the effectiveness of the adult, whatever her level of training, as an educator. It was a 'real world', inclusionary, interpretive, research enquiry using qualitative and quantitative paradigms. The purpose of this study was to develop and implement a methodology to assess and improve the quality of educators working in a range of settings. A conceptual framework for assessing quality was developed. Also an observation schedule, 'the Adult Engagement Scale', focusing on three aspects of educative interaction: 'Sensitivity', 'Stimulation' and 'Autonomy' was created. Evidence was gathered using this scale and triangulated with other data, including participant interview, professional biography questionnaire and focused observation. The cohort consisted of 169 practitioners in 115 settings who worked with the researcher to collect the data. The practitioners had varied roles and backgrounds and were trained by the researcher in the methdology. They mainly worked in settings broadly representational of the four most frequent types of UK centre based provision; Reception Classes in Primary Schools, Nursery Schools, Nursery Classes and Pre-school Learning Alliance Playgroups. The data generated by this strategy was analysed to consider the characteristics of an effective early childhood educator. The 'Adult Engagement Scale' was shown to be an effective means of assessment, development and improvement. The data revealed that an adult's ability to be an effective 'engager' was linked to her 'educative disposition', which included her 'professional self image and emotional well being'. The analysis showed that the educative categories of 'Sensitivity', 'Stimulation' and 'Autonomy' were hierarchical and progressively less well addressed. All settings scored relatively highly on Sensitivity. Those settings which were better at Stimulation generally had more qualified staff. Autonomy was least well addressed by all settings, yet appears to be the category most closely linked to adult effectiveness. Most early childhood educaors are emotionally committed to their work yet feel undervalued. Universally practitioners in this study displayed a poor profesisonal self image, and this was clearly linked to their ability to be effective as an 'engaging' educator of young children.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an integrated adapted physical education setting on the motor performance of preschool children with developmental delays. Subjects in this study participated in segregated and integrated adapted physical education classes. During the integrated conditions, same-age peers without delays participated in activities as "proximity peers" (Jenkins, Speltz & Odom , 1985). Child-directed activities were presented in each class and subjects were observed practicing locomotor and object control skills. The quality of each performance was analyzed to determine the number of critical elements present in the performance and the level of teacher or peer prompt required to initiate and complete each performance. A single subject reversal design (A-B-A-B) was used in this investigation. Four children with developmental delays were filmed within an eight-week school schedule while practicing two fundamental gross motor skills during segregated and integrated conditions. The level and trend of the data was calculated to describe the quality of each child's motor performance within each condition, between conditions, and across segregated and integrated conditions. The results of this study provide evidence that children with developmental delays are able to maintain their level of gross motor skill and independence within an integrated adapted physical education setting. Although day-to- day variability was calculated for each subject, overall skill level remained stable and their level of independence was not compromised in the integrated setting. Recommendations for future research are made based upon the results of this investigation. / Graduation date: 1993