Educator Expectations in Full-Day Kindergarten: Comparing the Factors That Contribute to the Formation of Early Childhood Educator and Teacher Expectations

Abstract

Teachers incorporate information from various sources as they form their academic expectations for students. The student record of prior achievement is the most salient factor that educators use to form their expectations for children’s achievement. Research on the factors that influence educator expectations has primarily focused on the ways teachers assimilate various pieces of information about students. More recently, there is an interest in moving away from this perspective and focusing more on teacher factors that may influence these differing expectations. The purpose of this research was to explore the factors that contribute to the formation of educator expectations in Full-Day Kindergarten. This study presents an in-depth examination of reports from Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) and teachers on their teaching philosophies, roles, teaching practices, and interactions that support students in meeting curriculum expectations. This study elucidates the differences in the two groups in terms of how their expectations are formed and in turn how they may affect processes leading to child outcomes. Furthermore, this research responds to existing gaps in the educator expectation field by extending the research to include the early years.