I bakgrunden berör vi det sociokulturella perspektivet där Vygotskij och Säljö beskriver samspelets betydelse med omgivningen för barnets språkutveckling. Därefter belyser vi språkliga definitioner som följs av förskollärarnas samverkan med föräldrarna för att avslutningsvis ta upp förskolans roll för att stimulera barns språkutveckling. Studien syftar till att undersöka förskollärares uppfattningar kring modersmålet och samarbetets betydelse med föräldrarna för flerspråkiga barn i förskola. För att få svar på vår undersökning utförde vi kvalitativa intervjuer med fem förskollärare som arbetar i mångkulturella förskolor. Valet av förskollärare gjorde vi medvetet med utgångspunkt av tidigare erfarenheter kring den verksamhetsförlagda utbildningen. Vi har i metoden beskrivit hur vi gick tillväga för att besvara vårt syfte samt beskrivit de forskningsetiska principerna för att avslutningsvis beskriva validitet och reliabilitet. Resultatet av analysen visade på att de intervjuade förskollärarna såg både nackdelar och fördelar med att vara flerspråkig. Förskollärarna lyfter även upp modersmålslärarens betydelse för att barnen ska kunna behålla sitt modersmål. Det som även framgick i resultatet är vikten av ett bra samarbete mellan förskollärarna och föräldrarna för att skapa förutsättningar för barns fortsatta lärande. Samtliga förskollärare var eniga om att barnens språk och kultur ska belysas i förskolan för deras identitet och kulturtillhörighet.

Nepaisant pastaruoju metu pastebimų emigracijos intensyvumo pokyčių, šis reiškinys išlieka aktualia šiandienos problema. Iš Lietuvos emigruoja šeimos, vis dažniau su savimi pasiimančios ir mažamečius vaikus. Beveik pusė šių vaikų Lietuvoje lankė ikimokyklines ugdymo įstaigas. Išvykę į kitą šalį vaikai turi vėl adaptuotis. Tik antrąjį kartą adaptacija vyksta visiškai kitokioje sociokultūrinėje aplinkoje. Atlikto tyrimo objektas – ikimokyklinio amžiaus emigrantų vaikų adaptacija ugdymo įstaigose. Tyrimo tikslas – išanalizuoti emigrantų vaikų adaptacijos prielaidas. Tyrime dalyvavo 10 (dešimt) emigrantų, auginančių ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikus (4 berniukai ir 6 mergaitės). Empirinis tyrimas atliktas raštu apklausiant ikimokyklinio amžiaus vaikų tėvus. Apklausos duomenys buvo papildyti atliekant interviu. Empirinio tyrimo rezultatai atskleidė, kad pagrindiniai sunkumai, su kuriais susiduria emigrantų šeimos, pradėjusios vesti savo vaikus į ikimokyklines ugdymo įstaigas užsienio šalyse yra kalbos barjeras, ligos bei drausmės trūkumas. Tėvų praleidžiamas laikas ikimokyklinėje ugdymo įstaigoje kartu su vaiku bei pedagogų dėmesys ir pastangos padėti vaikui įsitraukti į grupės veiklą yra efektyvi pagalba. Toks veiksnys, kaip užsienio ikimokyklinės įstaigos organizuojamos veiklos pobūdis, respondentų yra įvardijamas kaip lengvesnio adaptacijos periodo sąlyga ir ikimokyklinės įstaigos privalumas. / Despite the latest changes in emigration rates this phenomenon remains as relevant nowadays issue. Families emigrate from Lithuania nad more often preschool aged children are going with them. Nearly half of these children have attended preschool education institutions in Lithuania. After migration to other country children experience one more adaptation. The second time adaptation is experienced in a completely different sociocultural environment. The object of the research – adaptation of preschool aged emigrant children in preschool education institutions. The aim of the researsch – to analyse adaptation assumptions of emigrant children. 10 emigrants raising preschool aged children (4 boys and 6 girls) took part in this research. Empirical research was conducted by giving parents of preschool age children a written survey. Interviews were added to the survey data. Findings of this empirical research revealed that emigrant families face these following issues when their children start to attend preschool education institutions: language barrier, illnesses and lack of discipline. The effective help during adaptation period for children is the time their parents spend together with them during their first weeks in preschool education institutions. Also the attention and endeavour to help them engage in group activities given by pedagogues. Such factor as a format of organised activities in groups of foreign preschool education institutions is named to be a condition of easier... [to full text]

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1951. / Typescript. Type C project. Sponsor: Ernest Osborne. Dissertation Committee: Ruth Cunningham, Emma D. Sheehy, . Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-154).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 243-280) Also available in print.

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M.A. / Die rol van vroeë kinderontwikkeling in die bevordering van sosio-ekonomiese ontwikkeling in landelike gebiede is ‘n navorsingsprojek wat in Nongoma, Noordelike Kwa Zulu-Natal uitgevoer is. Die doel van die projek was om die rol wat deur vroeë kinderontwikkelingsentra (creches) gespeel is in die bevordering van gemeenskapsontwikkeling in landelike gebiede te verken. ‘n Kwalitatiewe ontwerp is gebruik om data van respondente in te win. Die data is ingewin van deelnemers in die vroeë kinderontwikelingsentra deur middel van ‘n onderhoudskedule. Onderhoude is deur middel van oudiobande opgeneem en later op papier getranskribeer. Temas is uit die data wat deur die respondente verskaf is, ontwikkel. Die steekproef is uit dertien crechebestuurders, twaalf vrouens uit armoedige ontwikkelingsverligtingsprojekte, een raadslid en twee lede van gemeenskapsbaseerde organisasies, saamgestel. Die doelwitte van die ondersoek is: • Om die verskeie rolspelers in vroeë kinderontwikkeling te identifiseer • Om die sosio-ekonomiese belangrikheid van vroeë kinderleidingsentra in Nongoma te ondersoek • Om die uitdagings wat die verskaffers van vroeë kinderleidingsdienste in Nongoma konfronteer, te beskryf • Om die verhouding tussen vroeë kinderleidingsdienste en gemeenskapsontwikkeling te ontleed Die ondersoek het rolspelers (staatsdepartemente, burgerlike samelewing en die private sektor) geidentifiseer en het die rol wat deur elke rolspeler uitgevoer is omskryf. Dit het ook gapings in dienslewering geidentifiseer. Dit het die opvoedkundige, gesondheids-, maatskaplike, ekonomiese en sielkundige belangrikheid van creches uitgelig. Dit het die belangrikheid van vroeë kinderontwikkelingsentra in vrouens se maatskaplike ontwikkeling uitgestip. Dit het ook ‘n begrip van “plaaslike ontwikkeling met ‘n kindersorg fokus” ontwikkel. Aanbevelings ten opsigte van wat maatskaplike werkers kan doen om plaaslike ontwikkeling met ‘n kindersorgfokus te bevorder, is gemaak. / Prof. W. A. Mitchell

M.Ed. / The purpose of this study was to research and record the training process of teachers in a Grade R learning programme, within a context of inclusive education, by describing the teachers’ perception of the Grade R learning programme and by making certain changes to the training and training process that have been suggested in the study, and to offer guidelines with regard to the training of foundation phase educators, with specific reference to Grade R educators working within the context of inclusive education. The researcher opted for an interpretative action research design within a qualitative research paradigm since she wished to describe, interpret and explain actions within her research whilst attempting to bring about certain improvements within the teaching practice. The type of action research that was performed is known as practitioner action research because it was performed in the presence of, and with the cooperation of education practitioners as well as academics who assisted the researcher with relevant skills and resources. The following major themes were identified: Facilitating, programme implementation, complete empowerment, cooperation as well as common religious convictions. The most significant findings were the following: When we look at the facilitation of training programmes, it is of the utmost importance that the facilitator accepts from the onset that the participants as well as the facilitators will experience uncertainty within themselves, specifically regarding their own knowledge and abilities and the level of acceptance they will experience in the company of other professionals. It is therefore all the more important to determine each participant’s expectations regarding the purpose and outcomes of the the training programme as this will ease the process considerably and at the same time render the facilitator a clear idea of what needs to be addressed and what not. Facilitators of training programmes, especially within contexts similar to this study, should reflect on the importance of sound relationships being established between facilitator and participants. The initial level of experience and skill of each participant should be determined before the start of the programme and here the facilitator plays an enormous role as far as emotional and social support is concerned. When it comes to programme implementation, I should think that educators in all possible contexts will benefit immensely from the format of the lessons, the contents of the lessons as well as the presentation thereof because these are outcomes-based lessons. In terms of contexts similar to the one in this reseach, it is important that the facilitator works through each new lesson with the educators to ensure that they fully understand everything and also to give them the opportunity to ask questions as this will enable them to implement these lessons with enhanced confidence in their own classes. It was important for the teachers to experience their training in a practical manner because they learnt from one another, they had the opportunity to exchange ideas and, whatever problems they experienced, could be addressed and solved immediately. In conclusion I would like to strongly advocate the choice of practitioner research as research methodology in any study that is focussed on the improvement of the teaching practice. Not only does it hold immense benefits for practitioners, but as researcher I experienced complete personal enrichment in as far as I acted as an agent of meaningful change in the lives of the practitioners who accompanied me on this journey.

This study focused on preservice teachers at early childhood and elementary levels to identify prior beliefs they bring to their mathematics methods classes, how these beliefs affect their understandings about mathematics teaching and learning, and how these beliefs are reconstructed while engaged in a contructivist designed mathematics methods course. Data collected included in-depth student journal entries, personal histories of preservice teachers' prior mathematics experiences, and small group interviews. An interpretive analysis of the data identified emergent themes related to preservice teachers' beliefs about themselves as learners and teachers of mathematics and how these beliefs were reconstructed during the course. Five major themes were identified: preservice teachers prior beliefs and experiences; increased understandings about themselves as learners of mathematics; new learning about mathematical pedagogy; new or different ways of learning mathematics; and anger about their previous mathematics experiences.

This dissertation documents new curriculum and instructional strategies for teaching writing in a first and second grade classroom during the eight years of the Writing Box project. It is a first-person account of ongoing change as I, the teacher-researcher experienced and understood it. My descriptions of change and children's writing samples show how teaching practices and learning activities developed and evolved through incorporating writing at the core of student learning. My experiences demonstrate how substantive change can occur in elementary schools through the efforts of a teacher and students working together to create successful academic achievement. One hundred seventy-five first and second graders were given Writing Boxes to use at home and they were in a classroom that featured writing across the curriculum. Six conclusions are drawn from their experiences. First, choice of writing materials makes a difference in how willing children are to write. Interesting, open-ended materials are prerequisites for children to write all year. Second, teachers must create many writing times throughout the day. My students wrote during regularly scheduled writing times as well as before school began, during snack and "you-choose" time, and at recess and lunch. Third, how teachers talk with children about writing is crucial to children becoming active writers. I changed my vocabulary and approach to emphasize that children are writers right now with ideas and pictures in their heads to communicate to others through text. Fourth, process models for teaching writing based on the experiences of adult writers must be modified to create "a writing process fit for a child." This child-centered approach includes diverse ways of opening up writing, generating first drafts, revising and editing, and publishing. Fifth, writing can be integrated into the study of mathematics, science and social studies using "I Wonder" journals, fiction-nonfiction stories, and math comics. Finally, computers and other technologies promote writing. Having more than one computer in the classroom allowed me to do more small group instruction with writing. The machines provide different ways to write and to publish while supporting children's creativity and self-expression.

This study explores the relationships between family and social support and parent-child attachment. It uses an ecological approach to study ten at-risk families in two family support programs in two different cultural settings. The experiences and perspectives of the ten participants in the family support programs inform the study. The participants are mothers with children under five years of age. Five live in the United States and attend a family center. Five live in Ireland and use a home visiting program. The findings of this study are rooted in the unique cultural contexts of the two family support programs and the ten participants, their individual meanings, experiences, and understandings. A qualitative case study approach within the unique cultural contexts of the two family support programs is used. In-depth interviews, observations, surveys, videotaping, and document analysis are the primary research methods used. From these data, the findings are presented using descriptions and contextual details to compile portraits of the participants' experiences and perspectives. Member checks and peer debriefing established trustworthiness. The findings of this study suggest positive relationships between family and social support and parent-child attachment for the ten participants. The social support programs provided emotional support, material support, and information to the participants. Within the context of the family support programs, the participants reported that they experienced positive supportive relationships, a sense of empowerment and positive affirmation that promoted their self-esteem, self-worth and maternal confidence. They experienced non-judgmental support from the staff, opportunities to network and talk, respect for mothers, and models for parenting options and alternatives. Their relationships and interactions with staff and other mothers helped to relieve their depression, reduce their sense of social isolation, foster communication and provide social networks. They also positively affected maternal sensitivities and responsiveness and promoted feelings of self-confidence. The findings suggest that these family support programs aided in the development of parent-child bonds and parent-child attachment for the ten participants in their unique cultural contexts.