Dylematy nauczających czytania i pisania

The last decade has been marked by radical curriculum and pedagogical reforms in Vietnamese early childhood education (ECE). In essence, the reforms are paradigm shifts from teacher-centred to child-centred pedagogy, and from fragmented subject-based to a holistic integrated curriculum. Studies (Phan, 2005; Le, 2009, Nguyen, 2009) suggest that ECE teachers are struggling to enact the shifts. One of the reasons is speculated as the mismatch between what early childhood teacher education (ECTE) can offer and what new ECE practice needs. Thus, this study explores how Vietnamese ECTE perceives its professional situation - the challenges and opportunities the profession may face in response to the demands of changing ECE practice. This study employs dialectics and cultural-historical theory (Marx & Engels, 1998; Ratner, 2006, Ellis, Edwards, & Smagorinsky, 2010) as the theoretical tools to explain the current professional situation of Vietnamese ECTE, and the way participants of this study perceive it. In this case study, Vietnamese ECTE’s perspectives on its professional situation are gained from semi-structured, in-depth interviews with three Deans and nine lecturers at three ECTE faculties. Their perspectives are incorporated with the viewpoints of other ECTE stakeholders, including an ECE policy maker, two employers (kindergarten principals) and four ECE teachers (ECTE graduates). This study indicates that Vietnamese ECTE is now in a crisis, characterized by three threads of enormous challenges, relating key professional aspects. The first thread of challenges is ECTE’s difficulties in professional conceptualization - in understanding the new ECE philosophies promoted by the ECE reforms, and subsequently, re-conceptualizing its professional beliefs and practice in response to changing ECE practice. The second thread of challenges is that ECTE’s legacy (in terms of curriculum, pedagogy, and management), established within Vietnamese Confucian traditions and Soviet ethos and relatively unchanged up to now, strongly contradicts with the rapidly changing demands of ECE practice. The third thread of challenges is born out of intensive interaction between conservative ECTE and the fast changing Vietnamese contemporary socio-economic context. Vietnam’s shift to a market economy and responding higher education policies to the changing context have intensified ECTE’s persistent problems and brought in new conflicts. Together, the three threads of challenges indicate tense contradictions between the need to meet the increased demands of changing ECE practice and ECTE’s current capability; between ECTE’s responsibilities and conditions offered to the profession. Nevertheless, this study suggests that the crisis, recognized by the majority of participants, provides enormous opportunities for ECTE to move forward if the profession manages to resolve the contradictions. Resolving the contradictions is expected to be very challenging. Dealing with the new ECE practice means Vietnamese ECTE must, firstly, reconcile the sharp conflict between new ECE philosophies and the cultural-historical legacy deeply embedded in ECTE’s thinking and practice. Secondly, ECTE needs more efficient higher education policies to address its persistent professional problems and resolve competing influences from the fast changing societal context.

The planning, assessment and development (PAD) of pedagogy carried out by early childhood education (ECE) teachers is an important quality factor in ECE. In Finland, the working hours reserved for PAD tasks for ECE teachers were increased from 8 to 13% in 2018. The purpose of this study was to investigate ECE teachers’ and centre directors’ perceptions of the impact of increased PAD hours on the well-being of ECE staff. Based on the mixed-methods approach, 325 ECE teachers and 107 ECE centre directors participated in the study. The results of the study indicated that, apart from the atmosphere in the work community, the impact of working hours on the well-being at work was positive. In particular, the reform has increased the well-being of teachers at work. The increased PAD hours have had only a minor impact on the well-being of all staff.

This paper focuses on reflective perceptions about the presence of male teachers in Early Childhood Education, exploring the challenges and perspectives related to this issue. The research seeks to analyze the male presence in Early Childhood Education teaching, its challenges and perspectives, reflecting on how this presence can influence the quality of teaching and the development of children. This is because our hypothesis is to reflect on the importance of the presence of male teachers in the education of young children, considering gender diversity and the construction of an inclusive and equal education. The methodology used in this study is qualitative in nature, based on a bibliographical review and content analysis of articles, books and documents related to the topic. Renowned authors such as Paulo Freire, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Carlos Brandão, Heywood and Kuhlmann were considered, who contributed to understanding the presence of teachers in Early Childhood Education and to the concept of reflective teaching, which discusses inclusive and equal education. The main references used in this research deal with teacher training, the importance of gender diversity in Early Childhood Education, critical reflection on gender stereotypes and the social construction of masculinity. Also noteworthy are the works of Pimenta and Ghedin who discuss reflective teaching as an important pedagogical approach to encourage teachers to question their practices and reflect on their conceptions. In addition, our study is qualitative in nature and is based on participant research, the data collected from which was also based on the application of a questionnaire to the participants. As a result, we concluded that the presence of teachers in Early Childhood Education is fundamental to promoting quality education, under the reference of “reflective teaching”, when teachers are encouraged to develop a critical and reflective stance in their pedagogical practice, contributing to the construction of a more equal and respectful education. However, there are still challenges to be faced, such as deconstructing gender stereotypes and valuing diversity in the composition of the teaching staff for Early Childhood Education, which suggests a time for reflection, which includes other and new perspectives for the presence of teachers in classes of young children.

This paper focuses on reflective perceptions about the presence of male teachers in Early Childhood Education, exploring the challenges and perspectives related to this issue. The research seeks to analyze the male presence in Early Childhood Education teaching, its challenges and perspectives, reflecting on how this presence can influence the quality of teaching and the development of children. This is because our hypothesis is to reflect on the importance of the presence of male teachers in the education of young children, considering gender diversity and the construction of an inclusive and equal education. The methodology used in this study is qualitative in nature, based on a bibliographical review and content analysis of articles, books and documents related to the topic. Renowned authors such as Paulo Freire, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Carlos Brandão, Heywood and Kuhlmann were considered, who contributed to understanding the presence of teachers in Early Childhood Education and to the concept of reflective teaching, which discusses inclusive and equal education. The main references used in this research deal with teacher training, the importance of gender diversity in Early Childhood Education, critical reflection on gender stereotypes and the social construction of masculinity. Also noteworthy are the works of Pimenta and Ghedin who discuss reflective teaching as an important pedagogical approach to encourage teachers to question their practices and reflect on their conceptions. In addition, our study is qualitative in nature and is based on participant research, the data collected from which was also based on the application of a questionnaire to the participants. As a result, we concluded that the presence of teachers in Early Childhood Education is fundamental to promoting quality education, under the reference of “reflective teaching”, when teachers are encouraged to develop a critical and reflective stance in their pedagogical practice, contributing to the construction of a more equal and respectful education. However, there are still challenges to be faced, such as deconstructing gender stereotypes and valuing diversity in the composition of the teaching staff for Early Childhood Education, which suggests a time for reflection, which includes other and new perspectives for the presence of teachers in classes of young children.

Two pillars of the curricula for primary education and early childhood education in Chile are, respectively, the formal teaching of reading and the promotion of the pleasure of reading. These two objectives depend, in part, on the relationship that teachers themselves establish with reading. Previous studies have been critical, suggesting that teachers seem to act as “false readers,” endangering the formation of new readers. Under this premise, this research investigated the reading life of future teachers who are trained, among other things, to mediate subsequent learning, as well as the acquisition and development of committed readers. The study focused on the importance of reading, preservice teachers’ motivation to read different types of texts, reading habits, and actual reading done during 1 year. The research participants were 365 prospective Chilean early childhood (n = 164) and primary education (n = 201) teachers, who responded to Likert-type and open-ended questions. In line with previous studies, we observed teachers’ high reading valuation but low effective reading praxis. Regarding the importance of reading, we observe reading utility as a first dimension while “enjoyment” or “connecting with my history” are the least valuable dimensions. The implications of these findings for initial teacher training—and especially the role of children’s literature in this framework—are discussed.

Research on “Increasing Creativity On Early Childhood Education Teachers Through Educational Toys” aims to know the pedagogical competencies on the teachers of Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Ungaran; determine the level of creativity on ECE teachers; and know what the efforts is being done by ECE teachers to improve their pedagogic competence. The research procedure uses descriptive data in the form of words derived from a variety of data collection techniques used in this research is by using the method of observation, questionnaires and interviews. This research was conducted in four phases: Phase I: Preface/initial field observations carried out with; Phase II: Initial development, design to identify the level of creativity of ECE teachers in Ungaran; Phase III: Conducting interviews, filling the questionnaire about creativity in educational toys; and Phase IV: analyzing the creativity level of ECE teachers. The conclusions of this study are 1.The level of creativity ECE teachers in Ungaran is low; 2. The low of creativity in ECE teachers in Ungaran is due to (a) low of innovations in learning; (b) teachers is not able to use the materials around as an aid to learning; (c) the assumption of the teachers that the success of learning is determined by using expensive and luxurious media; (d) openness to new information in the world of education, particularly in ECE; and 4. According to the motto of learning in early childhood “Learning while Playing” the media which is used for Educational Games is made from used/recycled materials. How to cite Pusari, R., & DH, D. (2014). Increasing Creativity on Early Childhood Education Teachers through Educational Toys. Indonesian Journal Of Early Childhood Education Studies , 3(2), 108-113. doi:10.15294/ijeces.v3i2.9483

This research was conducted due to the importance value of mathematics for early childhood and the fact some researches showed the early childhood education (ECE) teachers' low level of basic mathematical knowledge, especially the one related to childhood developmental stages. The participants of this research were 35 ECE teachers from one of the cities in West Java province with teaching experience approximately ten years. In this research, 30 minutes was given to the participants to solve 20 questions, which tested teachers' knowledge related to verbal counting sequence, counting, the ordinal number of words, addition/subtraction, divisions of sets, written number symbols, and words. Besides, the interview was conducted to get more in-depth information from the participants. The quantitative descriptive analysis was used to identify the frequency, percentage, mean value, and standard deviation. The result of the research showed that ECE teachers had limited knowledge of children's mathematical development. It was revealed by the result of the mean value of the teachers’ responses, which were only 33% correct answers and 16% no idea answers. This result can become input for the stakeholders to hold a professional development program which aims to increase the quality of ECE teachers related to mathematical development activity.

ABSTRACTThe racial mismatch between teachers and students has become a salient issue in efforts to counter the historical failure of children of Color in American (pre)schools. To address this mismatch, scholars have argued for the critical need to recruit and retain teachers of Color. In this article, we propose that to successfully prepare teachers of Color so that they remain committed to the profession, we must learn from their experiences during their preservice preparation and their first years of teaching. Against the backdrop of normative institutional discourses shaping teachers and teaching, we sought to learn from the ways in which six early career early childhood teachers of Color reconciled their preservice teacher education experiences, identities, and beliefs about education with the construction of their identities as teachers. To do so, we asked: How do the discursive spaces of early childhood teaching and teacher education shape the practices, beliefs, and identities of early childhood teachers of Color during their teacher education programs and within their three first years of teaching? Through Critical Narrative Analysis of in-depth interviews, we sought to unveil the discourses that shape and are shaped by the experiences of early career early childhood teachers of Color. Findings indicate that instead of being colonized by institutional discourses and oppressed by others' perceptions, to remain in the profession, these early career early childhood teachers challenged and appropriated institutional discourses, reauthoring them agentively. Implications underscore the responsibility of teacher education programs in preparing teachers of Color to negotiate the ever-so-normative discursive space of early childhood teaching and teacher education, if they are to enter and remain in the profession.

Stage 1: Survival During Stage 1, which may last throughout the first full year of teaching, the teacher's main concern is whether she can survive. This preoccupation with survival may be expressed in questions the teacher asks: "Can I get through the day in one piece? Without losing a child? Can I make it until the end of the week? Until the next vacation? Can I really do this kind of work day after day? Will I be accepted by my colleagues?" Such questions are well expressed in Ryan's enlightening collection of accounts of first-year teaching experiences (3).

Psychological wellbeing in teachers. Study in teachers of early childhood and primary education

The purpose of this study is to examine beginning early childhood education teachers’ perceived needs and received supports in public schools. Recently, supporting new teachers has been emphasized more to empower them in teaching profession. First year of teaching is considered as an induction program in Turkey as well, and this study attempts to examine effectiveness of mentoring program in public schools in Turkey. Sixteen beginning early childhood education (ECE) teachers were interviewed at the end of the first and second semester of their first year of teaching. Audio-recorded interviews were analyzed through qualitative research methodologies. Findings revealed that new teachers struggled most to find out their ways in complex legislation and paperwork in public schools. It appeared that the induction program was not implemented properly and it was not helpful for new teachers. Beginning teachers’ expressions about their perceived needs in their first year was essentially a mentor.

A recent innovation in early childhood care and education in Aotearoa/New Zealand has been the new curriculum, Te Whäriki (Ministry of Education, 1996), which has a strong bicultural emphasis. This means that early childhood educators and teacher educators are attempting to address the challenges posed by a document which requires them to move outside the mono cultural dominant paradigm. Most early childhood teachers and teacher educators are not speakers of the Maori language, and lack Maori cultural knowledge. This paper discusses some of the strategies identified in research which addresses these issues. The role of teacher education in preparing non-Maori students to deliver a bicultural curriculum, and ‘indicators’ of bicultural development in early childhood centres are also discussed.

Research objectives and problem: Preparing to become a preschool and early childhood education teacher requires five years of academic training and many years of self-education. Success in the profession is not only ensured by strong academic performance and achievement of educational goals, but also by the development of emotional and social competencies, which are closely tied to professional competence. The goal of the study was to identify the relationships between emotional intelligence, social competence, and the self-assessment of professional competence among future preschool and early childhood education teachers. Research methods: The study utilized the Popular Questionnaire of Emotional Intelligence (PKIE) by Jaworowska, Matczak, Ciechanowicz, Stańczak, and Zalewska, the PROKOS questionnaire by Matczak and Martowska, and an in-house modified version of the Self-Assessment of Teacher Competence survey. Fifty-seven women aged 23 to 48 (mean age: 28) participated in the study. Research findings and their impact on the development of educational sciences: The findings confirmed a significant relationship between the studied variables. Higher levels of emotional intelligence and social competence correlated with higher self-assessments of professional competence. Conclusions and recommendations: Emotional and social competencies are strongly associated with readiness for the teaching profession in preschool and early childhood education. These results point out the need for incorporating courses on emotional and social competencies into academic training programs for pedagogical faculties.

Symbiotic programs provide alternative solutions to improve the quality of educators and teachers of non-formal education through the cooperation of mutual assistance between them. The programs provide a positive reciprocity between students majoring in Early Childhood Education and the teachers of Early Childhood Education in schools. The programs are conducted in the form of exchanging the theory and application of various knowledge of child education, media development, and "how to teach" development. Symbiotic programs provide a lot of positive value in improving the quality of teachers of early childhood education to increase their knowledge, skills, abilities, and expertise as educators as well as early childhood

Interactions among children requiring varying levels of support in general group settings within Early Childhood Education centers can be complex and challenging. Despite the importance of inclusive practices, limited research exists on the specific factors that trigger or enhance peer interactions. Interactional triggers refer to pedagogical strategies, specific practices or environmental conditions that promote interaction among children. In the Finnish context, special education teachers play a central role in supporting inclusive practices, drawing on their pedagogical expertise and the Early Childhood Education Core Curriculum. This study investigated the perspectives of Finnish early childhood education teachers and special education teachers regarding the triggers that facilitate children's interactions. Data were collected through semi-structured group discussions and individual interviews with eight early childhood education teachers and twelve special education teachers. The data were analyzed using the phenomenographic method to identify variations in teachers’ conceptions of interaction triggers. The findings revealed several perceived practices that promote children's interactions, including inclusive participation strategies, small group activities, content-specific and pedagogical approaches, environmental and resource-based support, and the involvement of familiar adults—such as substitute teachers and practical nurses—within the learning environment. These findings offer valuable insights for early childhood and special education teachers, as well as for universities responsible for teacher education and professional development.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu/0217/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>