Early childhood teachers’ (N=73) level of education, length of employment, number of content areas covered in child development courses taken, and supervised practical experience were examined as factors affecting their knowledge of developmentally appropriate practice. Background information concerning each teacher's education, employment, content areas covered in child development courses taken, and supervised practical experiences was gathered in the Teacher Information Report. Knowledge of developmentally appropriate practice was assessed by having each teacher listen to 12 audiotaped vignettes describing situations typical to teacher-child interactions in preschool classrooms. They were asked to determine if each vignette described appropriate or inappropriate practice. A 3(level of education) x 3(length of employment) factorial analysis of variance revealed a significant level of education effect on developmentally appropriate practice scores F(2,2)=3.23, p < .05. Post-hoc comparisons indicated that those teachers with formal degrees in the area of child development (M=8.68) scored significantly higher than those with other types of training (M=7.62). There was no significant length of employment effect on developmentally appropriate practice scores. A 4(number of content areas covered) x 3(length of employment) factorial analysis of variance yielded a significant effect for number of content areas covered F(3,2)=6.18, p< .001. Post-hoc comparisons indicated that participants who had covered 10 or more content areas (M=8.91) scored significantly higher than those who had covered fewer than 10 content areas (M=7.10, 7.42. 7.75). A 4(number of content areas covered) x 3(supervised practical experience) factorial analysis of variance yielded a significant effect for number of content areas covered F(3,2)=8.921 p < .01. and an effect for supervised practical experience F(3,2)=3.153, E < .05. Tukey Multiple Comparisons Test indicated that of those participants who had both student teaching and fieldwork experience, those who had covered 10 or more content areas in child development scored significantly higher (M=9.00) than those who had covered fewer than 10 content areas. Of those participants who had covered 10 or mere content areas. those with both student teaching and fieldwork experience scored significantly higher on the assessment of developmentally appropriate practice (M=9.00) than did those who had no student teaching or fieldwork experience (M=7.00). Implications for teacher training are discussed in the thesis. / Master of Science

No description available.

This study investigated what constitutes a moral development program in Buddhist temple preschools in Thailand. The researcher employed three qualitative methods: structured, in-depth interviews, observations of teachers' instruction, and document analysis of curriculum guides. Four Buddhist temple preschools were selected as the sites. Participants for interview included three abbots and one head nun, four principals, and twelve teachers. Participants for observations included four teachers of third year classes in each preschool. The study concentrated on four research questions: (a) what are the elements of the character education curriculum? (b) How do teachers teach moral development concepts and skills? (c) What are the teachers' perceptions of the moral development of third year preschoolers? (d) How do teachers assess their pupils' moral development? Key findings for the research questions were: character education was not a subject in the National Preschool Curriculum which was implemented in the Buddhist temple preschools. Core morality was integrated into every topic. The moral behaviors emphasized in the curriculum and the lesson plans included discipline, mindfulness, kindness, helpfulness, patience, honesty, respect, thriftiness, and politeness. The Buddhist concept of the process of moral development includes character education and meditation. The preschoolers were trained to pay respect to teachers and parents as an obedience approach to character education. Preparation of teachers included screening for their values and pre-service training. The instruction of meditation was approached gradually and aroused the children's interest. After three years of schooling, the third year preschoolers were well-behaved, helpful, and kind; no aggressive behaviors were reported. The assessment of moral development of preschoolers was based on observation of the teachers throughout the school year. Implications for practice are discussed, including procedures for gathering information on beliefs, attitudes, and culture of the parents before implementation of different models of moral development. Finally, future research directions are proposed.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Filial Therapy training in increasing teachers of deaf and hard of hearing preschool students': 1) empathic responsiveness with their students; 2) communication of acceptance to their students; 3) allowance of self-direction by their students. A second purpose was to determine the effectiveness of Filial Therapy training in reducing experimental group students': 1) overall behavior problems; 2) internalizing behaviors; and 3) externalizing behavior problems. Filial Therapy is a didactic/dynamic modality used by play therapists to train parents and teachers to be therapeutic agents with their children and students. Teachers are taught primary child-centered play therapy skills for use with their own students in weekly play sessions with their students. Teachers learn to create a special environment that enhances and strengthens the teacher-student emotional bond by means of which both teacher and child are assisted in personal growth and change. The experimental group (N=24) consisted of 12 teachers, who participated in 11 weekly Filial Therapy training sessions (22 total instructional hours) during the fall semester at the preschool of a center for communications disorders, and 12 students chosen by the teachers as their student of focus. Teachers and students met once a week during the training for 30 minute teacher student play sessions in a room specified for this purpose. The non-treatment comparison group received no training during the 11 weeks. Teacher participants completed two written instruments: the Child Behavior Checklist/Caregiver-Teacher Report Form and the Meadow-Kendall Social-Emotional Assessment Inventory for Deaf and Hearing Impaired Students. Teachers who received Filial Therapy training were videotaped during student teacher play sessions. The videotaped sessions were used for pretest and posttest evaluation for the Measurement of Empathy in Adult-Child Interaction. Analysis of covariance revealed the children in the experimental group significantly decreased overall behavior problems. Teachers in the experimental group increased communication of empathy with their students of focus, significantly increased their attitude of acceptance with their students, and significantly increased in their ability to allow the students appropriate self-direction. This study supports Filial Therapy as an effective method of training teachers of deaf and hard of hearing preschool children to be therapeutic agents of change with their students.

Thesis (M.Ed. (Education)) - Rhodes University, 2009. / Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Environmental Education)

Research paper (M.A.)--Cardinal Stritch College--Milwaukee, 1979. / A research paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education (Education of Learning Disabled Children). Includes bibliographical references (p. 59-68).

The eleven studies which comprise the Consortium for Longitudinal Studies were described in order to determine long-term effects of preschool education on disadvantaged children. Research methods and results of the studies were evaluated and compared. An historical overview details the sociopolitical milieu from the time the eleven studies began in the 1960s to the present. Theories which impacted the preschool movement in the 1960s were also discussed, particularly those which concern the development of intelligence, the importance of early education and environmental impact on the development of intelligence. Demographic data were used to describe disadvantaged children's needs for quality early intervention programs. The results of the eleven Consortium studies indicate positive long-term effects for disadvantaged children enrolled in quality preschool programs.

The purpose of this dissertation is to provide research and data examining the impact of pre-kindergarten on Spanish-speaking ESL students on the third grade TAKS Reading test scores. The two questions that guided this study are: (1) As measured by the third grade TAKS reading test, what is the relationship between those limited english proficient (LEP) Spanish-speaking children who attended a pre-kindergarten program and those who did not attend a pre-kindergarten program? and (2) As measured by the third grade TAKS Reading test, how do the test scores of those LEP Spanish-speaking third graders who attended the district's pre-k program in 2000-2001 and testing in 2005, differ from those who attended the district's pre-k program in 2001-2002 and testing in 2006? The research study used a quantitative methodology designed as causal-comparative analysis. Independent t-tests were used to determine if there were any significant differences in test scores of third graders between the two groups of students. Although the results of the statistical analysis revealed some isolated statistically significant differences between those Spanish-speaking bilingual students who attended pre-kindergarten and those who did not, the data showed no real differences in the test scores of those students.