<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>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:1524156 |
| Date | 22 November 2013 |
| Creators | Sakuma, Reiko |
| Publisher | California State University, Long Beach |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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