Although technology is available and used in early childhood classrooms, little is known about what early childhood teachers believe about the use of technology and how technology is integrated into early childhood curricula. This study was designed to (a) determine the beliefs of early childhood teachers about technology integration into early childhood curricula and (b) describe the extent to which early childhood teachers integrate technology in their early childhood curricula. The participants included 39 prekindergarten teachers who volunteered to participate in a technology integration project. The treatment group accessed a Web-based technology integration training program and participated in two classroom observations, along with completing an attitudinal questionnaire pretest and posttest. The Prekindergarten Web-based Technology Integration Training included four modules each expanding the following themes: (a) national and state standards and guidelines for technology; (b) setting up a computer center; (c) integrating technology; (d) using the digital camera. The control group participated in two classroom observations without the benefit of the Web-based technology integration training program and completed the attitudinal questionnaire pretest and posttest. Results indicate that Prekindergarten teachers believe that technology can enhance a child's learning, but there was no statistically significant difference between the control and the treatment group.

Early childhood educators working to establish and maintain productive parent-teacher relationships are essential to the success of school-community partnerships in military- connected schools. The purpose of this study was to seek understanding of what early childhood educators had experienced while working with military families. Epstein's model of school, family, and community partnerships provided the conceptual framework for this study. The questions that guided this case study were designed to explore how early childhood educators established and maintained relationships with military families. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews with 8 early childhood educators in military-connected schools. Inductive data analysis was used to code the data initially and then to determine these 5 themes: (a) educators used many methods to communicate with families; (b) parent involvement was influenced by educator communication, family life, and school culture; (c) deployments impacted student achievement; (d) strong community resources were deemed necessary; and (e) military children benefitted from having resilient educators. Participants believed timely training addressing the unique needs of military families would be advantageous. A 3-day professional development for early childhood educators was developed to incorporate the findings of this study. School districts implementing the professional development for early childhood educators in a strong school, family, and community partnership will result and will lead to positive social change by increasing the academic achievement, emotional wellbeing, and social welfare of children of military families attending military-connected schools.

The purpose of this research was to identify the impact of process changes that have been made to the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, which is a beginning early childhood teacher credential that focuses on competency based standards widely seen as necessary for early childhood teachers to possess. The process in which early childhood teachers receive their credential changed in 2013 with the implementation of CDA credential 2.0. Changes included taking a computerized exam and the implementation of a professional development specialist conducting an on-site classroom observation. In order to determine the impact that CDA 2.0 had on teacher credentialing success rates, a mixed-method sequential design was employed. First, existing data sets of success rates from a national scholarship program were reviewed. Following, interviews with CDA credential seekers were conducted. Findings revealed that while candidate success rates increased for those receiving CDA credentials under the 2.0 system, the actual number of candidates receiving scholarships to pursue the CDA credential through the national scholarship program decreased. Qualitative analysis of the semi-structured interviews indicated that three areas that impacted CDA 2.0 candidate success rates were the professional education programs and instructors, the CDA Exam, and Professional Development Specialists. This is the first research study to examine the CDA credential process. The findings demonstrate that the 2.0 system provides candidates with necessary supports to be successful. A significant question arising out of the data is how a determination is made to issue a credential. Before QRIS and public policy initiatives employ more efforts to professionalize the field of early childhood – primarily through the CDA credential – the process by which one obtains a credential should be more thoroughly examined.

The Thai government has strongly advocated for the learner-centered education for the past decade. Success For Life Thailand (SFLT), a brain-research-based early childhood education program blended with the theories of the developmentally appropriate practices and child-centered philosophies, has been implemented in Thailand for over 8 years. The purposes of the present study were to: (a) describe the current statuses of the Thai early childhood educators' learner-centered beliefs and practices, (b) identify if the SFLT training workshop affects teachers' learner-centered beliefs and practices, and (c) examine if other variables, along with familiarity with the SFLT program, predict teachers' learner-centered beliefs and practices. Ninety-three preschool and kindergarten teachers participated in the study. Among them, 17 were SFLT trainees in 1999 and 2000 (i.e., the previously trained group), 43 were trained in Year 2006 (the currently trained group), and the others were comparable to the currently trained group by matching the key personal and school variables. The Teachers Beliefs and Practices Survey: 3-5 Year Olds (Burts et al., 2000) and the Learner-Centered Education: the Assessment of Learner- Centered (ALCP) for K-3 (McCombs, 2001) were used to collect data on the various domains of the learner-centered beliefs and practices. Findings reveal that: (a) Thai teachers highly endorse learner-centered beliefs, (b) Thai educators demonstrate relatively low levels of developmentally appropriate practices and high levels of developmentally inappropriate practices (DIP) in comparing with the American early childhood educators, (c) the previously trained SFLT teachers score higher on the DAP domains and lower on the DIP domains than the other two groups, and (d) familiarity with the SFLT program, along with teacher's education level, years of teaching experience, and the total number of students in the classroom do not predict variations on the different domains of the DAP and learner-centered learning questionnaires. Future studies need to use indigenous measurement instruments appropriate to Thai education to evaluate the impacts of the SLFT program on teachers' learner-centered beliefs and practices when more trainees become available, and possibly to include other teacher, student, and school variables.

<p>Godkännandedatum: 2015-06-07</p>

Dans le secteur des crèches et de l’accueil de la petite enfance, la dimension identitaire au travail pèse sur les relations et sur le vécu des professionnelles. Cette thèse est centrée sur le groupe professionnel des éducatrices de jeunes enfants (EJE) dont les mutations récentes sont analyseurs de changements profonds du secteur qui abandonne progressivement la logique historique sanitaire pour une approche psychopédagogique. Ce travail propose une lecture critique des théories sociologiques de l’« identité professionnelle » et de la professionnalisation au prisme des études de genre et de la psychanalyse, et il rend compte des résultats d’une recherche empirique menée selon une approche clinique d’orientation psychanalytique. L’identité est ici conçue comme un discours performatif, selon les repères donnés par les théories queer. L’investigation empirique repose sur des entretiens avec des professionnelles et sur des observations de longue durée de crèches municipales et parentale. Le recrutement toujours massivement « féminin » des éducatrices, ainsi que les formes de souffrance au travail que cette thèse expose de manière inédite, témoignent des limites de la logique de l’« identité professionnelle », celle-ci produisant des divisions et des systèmes d’opposition catégorielle - le « professionnel », opposé au « maternel », au « féminin », à la « parentalité » et à l’« enfance » -, qui acculent les éducatrices dans des impasses et provoquent des rigidités relationnelles. L’imprégnation des éducatrices par les savoirs psychopédagogiques renforce le couple d’opposition mère-professionnelle du fait de l’importance donnée à la relation mère-enfant, toujours naturalisée, et cela malgré la prégnance des discours sur la parentalité. / In the sector of nurseries and day care centers, the identity dimension at work weighs on relationships and professional activities. This thesis is centered on the professional group of early childhood educators: the recent changes in this profession are analyzers for the profound changes in this activity area which gradually abandons the historic health approach for a psychological and pedagogical approach. This work offers a critical reading of sociological theories of "professional identity" and professionalization through the prism of gender studies and psychoanalysis. It also reports the results of an empirical research conducted through a psychoanalytically orientated clinical approach. Identity is here conceived as a performative speech, according to the landmarks given by the queer theories. The empirical investigation is based on interviews with professional and on long-term observations of municipal and parental day care centers. The still overwhelmingly 'female' recruitment of the educators, as well as forms of suffering at work that this thesis presents in a new way, reflect the logical limits of "professional identity", the latter producing divisions and systems of categorical oppositions - the "professional" opposed to the "mother", the "female", "parenting” and to “chilhood” - that drive educators into dead ends and cause relational rigidities. The impregnation of educators by psychological knowledge strengthens the mother-professional binary opposition because of the importance given to the still naturalized mother-child relationship, despite the significance of discourse on parenthood.

The present study aims to investigate early childhood educators' experiences with digital technology and its integration in their teaching practices in kindergartens in Finland and their beliefs on the impact on children's learning. Digital technology has already influenced various aspects of life, and it would be inevitable not to impact Early Childhood Education settings. Therefore, it is essential to scrutinize early childhood educators' experience regarding the implementation of digital technology in everyday life in kindergarten, how they involve children with it, and their perspective on the impact on children's learning. The abovementioned rationale motivated the present qualitative research study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six early childhood educators who work actively in kindergartens in Finland. The interview consisted of open-ended questions, which attempted to delve into early childhood educators' beliefs on the role of digital technology in Early Childhood Education, the ways of implementation in kindergarten, and the effects on children's learning. The collected data from the semi-structured interviews were analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the participants of the study use partially digital technology equipment in the kindergarten with children. However, they strongly believe they need more training to implement digital technology in Early Childhood Education adequately. Despite their feelings, they attempt to support children with utilizing digital technology. Moreover, the analysis of the collected data showed that children have the opportunity to practice emotional and social skills while using digital technology equipment but learn the conventional use of the digital devices too.

Music activities and free musical play have significant developmental, social, and emotional benefits for young children. Early childhood educators can play an important role in integrating music-related activities into children’s everyday lives. This study explored the music experiences of early childhood educators in British Columbia (BC) before they become educators. Using an interpretive phenomenological approach (IPA), this study sought to address the following research question: How do early childhood educators’ pre-professional music learning and pedagogical experiences influence their use of music in their practices with young children in formalized childcare settings? In this exploratory study, I conducted semi-structured and in-depth interviews with six early childhood educators who had studied early childhood education (ECE) in BC, worked in the Greater Victoria area, and had music-related experiences before and during their post-secondary studies. I identified the following three main themes in the data: (a) Sense of Belonging; (b) Repeating and Performing, and (c) Growing by Doing. These themes highlight further subthemes to present insights into the relationship between early childhood educator participants’ music experiences (before becoming early childhood educators) and their views on and use of music with children in their ECE practice. The findings and their implications based on participants’ shared stories can assist ECE post-secondary programs, BC educational policymakers, as well as future researchers in this area to address and support early childhood educators’ music-related professional experiences. / Graduate

The Reception Year (Grade R) classroom is the educational setting for lifelong learning to take place. The Reception Year teacher is primarily involved in equipping the young child with care and education. Quality education calls for trained teachers with diverse, intense training; teachers who would use their knowledge, skills and attitudes to lead the child to ultimately reach his/her full potential in the classroom setting through the curriculum. This study investigates what constitutes and influences quality teaching in the Reception Year classroom. The investigation includes a literature review and empirical research using quantitative research approaches and expands on the role of the Reception Year teacher with regards to the child in totality, Grade R curriculum and outcomes-based education. Findings show that teachers with specialised qualifications in early childhood education bring to the Grade R classroom relevant skills, knowledge and attitudes that affect the young child’s developmental needs. / Teacher Education / M.Ed. (Didactics)

A Educação Infantil tem sido um importante contexto de desenvolvimento para muitas crianças. No caso de bebês, os cuidados, as interações educadora-bebê e os espaços precisam ser pensados para que atendam as necessidades individuais de cada um, considerando o momento delicado do seu desenvolvimento. Deste modo, a presente pesquisa investigou, em dois estudos, as contribuições do Programa de acompanhamento para educadoras de berçário – PROACEB, baseado na abordagem pikleriana, para a promoção da qualidade das interações educadora-bebê. O Estudo 1 investigou, a partir dos relatos de sete educadoras de dois berçários da rede pública municipal de Porto Alegre, as contribuições do PROACEB para a atividade autônoma do bebê, a organização do espaço e a rotina do berçário, bem como as competências das próprias educadoras na interação com o bebê. As contribuições do PROACEB foram examinadas através de entrevistas, realizadas antes e após a intervenção. Já o Estudo 2 apresenta um estudo de caso que investigou os relatos de uma educadora sobre os conteúdos de cada encontro do PROACEB em relação as mesmas categorias de análise, que buscou destacar as impressões da educadora sobre o PROACEB e os diálogos educadora-pesquisadora frente a cada conteúdo apresentado no acompanhamento. Os resultados de ambos os estudos revelaram que o PROACEB propiciou um espaço de escuta e sensibilização para os conteúdos abordados, bem como de troca de conhecimento. Além disto, contribuiu para a promoção da qualidade das interações educadora-bebê, principalmente no que diz respeito ao reconhecimento da autonomia do bebê e organização do ambiente. A abordagem pikleriana, embasadora do PROACEB, se mostrou útil como ponto de partida para abordar conhecimentos e competências importantes para uma interação educadora-bebê de qualidade. / The Early Childhood Education has been an important development context for many children. In the case of infants, the care, the child-educator interactions and the spaces must be designed to meet the individual needs, considering the delicate moment of its development. Thus, this research investigated in two studies, the contributions of the Monitoring Program for Nursery Educators – PROACEB, based on piklerian approach, to promote the quality of child-educator interactions. The Study 1 investigated, from reports of seven educators from two nurseries of the public services of Porto Alegre, PROACEB contributions to the autonomous activity of the child, the organization of space and the routine of the nursery as well as the educators’ skills to interaction with the child. The PROACEB contributions were examined through interviews conducted before and after the intervention. While Study 2 presents a case study which investigated reports of an educator on the contents of each PROACEB meeting, in relation to the same categories of analysis. It sought to highlight the impressions of the educator on PROACEB and educator-researcher dialogues in front of each content approached on the monitoring. The results of both studies revealed that PROACEB provided a space for listening and awareness of the content covered, as well as exchange of knowledge. In addition, it contributed to the promotion of the quality of the child-educator interactions, especially with regard to the recognition of the child's autonomy and organization of the environment. The piklerian approach that based the PROACEB, proved useful as a starting point for addressing important knowledge and skills for a child-educator quality interaction.