Enhancing student teachers’ perceived pedagogical competence and motivation: the role of learning methods in blended ECE teacher education

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).

Teachers' Sense of Efficacy: An Important Factor in School Improvement

The Elementary School Journal Volume 81, Number 1 ? 1980 by The University of Chicago 0013-5984/81/8101-0008$0o1.00 In colleges and universities across the country, prospective and practicing teachers and administrators take courses on planning-curriculum-planning and instructional planning. During the courses, teachers and administrators usually study an objectives-first model of curriculumplanning. This model has four steps. Planners are expected to 1. Formulate objectives 2. Choose appropriate learning activities

This article focuses on a learning objective, as part of a teacher education course at a Swedish university, where student teachers should be able to discuss their own professional development and identify further development needs. Since both research and policy documents highlight professional development as an important part of teacher education, it is important to study professional development from the perspective of student teachers. The theoretical starting point is Communities of Practice (CoP), and the study focuses on knowledge and learning within a social community. Ten subject teacher students and six vocational teacher students are interviewed about their descriptions of what the professional development for teachers in teacher education means for them, which results in six prominent themes: 1) the developmentof identity formation, 2) the development of subject specific and vocational knowledge, 3) the development of leadership, 4) the development of relationship-building, 5) the development of knowledge about policy documents, laws, rules and regulations, 6) the development in relation to changes in the society. Despite common denominators in the students’ descriptions of professional development, there are also nuanced differences that can be understood by positioning actors about the (vocational) teacher education community. The vocational teacher students frequently connect their professional knowledge to industry and working life, whereas the subject teacher students often connect their subject knowledge to university courses and research. Both the vocational teacher students and the subject teacher students in the study describe that they need to stay up-to-date and continue developing their competence in pedagogy. However, the vocational teacher students specifically highlight the need for pedagogical knowledge within the school environment, rather than in the context of working life and workshop settings. This may be because some vocational teacher students are accustomed to training and teaching interns in these environments as part of their professional practice.

This article presents a qualitative study which presents professional competence development in an undergraduate initial teacher education (ITE) programme in Hong Kong. Fifteen student teachers participated in two rounds of interviews, one after the first ITE fieldwork and another after the second ITE fieldwork in a five-year Bachelor of Education Programme. The interviews placed focus on the ‘context-specific’ aspects of professional competence, namely Competence in Classroom Teaching and Competence to Work in Schools, as well as student teachers’ experiences in different aspects of the ITE fieldwork context. The findings provide important insights into re-conceptualising professional competence development with an integrated analysis which explicates the dynamic interaction between the teaching context, the school context and the student teacher’s approach to learning. Three distinctive patterns of competence development in terms of student teachers’ perceived change in the two ‘context-specific’ aspects of professional competence were identified. The insights from the integrated analysis also extend Mutton, Burn and Hagger’s (2010) study by connecting different patterns of professional competence development with the interaction between student teachers’ approaches to learning from experience and factors in the ITE fieldwork context. Enhancing and constraining conditions for professional competence development and implications for ITE stakeholders 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

In this article, we describe how multidisciplinary activities in a teacher education programme fostered the development of student teachers’ professional digital competence. Based on naturally occurring and interview data, the authors present three distinct periods of Norwegian teachers’ education with a focus on developing professional digital competence required by national and local regulations; we then present the OsloMet teacher education programme multidisciplinary activities that take place during these three periods. We discuss how various implementation approaches support student teachers´ professional digital competence (PDC) in particular teaching of, with and about technology. The authors conclude that locally implemented material structures are crucial to implementing student teachers’ professional digital competence and arranging for emerging transdisciplinary activities. As such, student teachers’ PDC can be described as a well-orchestrated system of multi-, inter- or transdisciplinary activities that develop student teachers’ competencies in teaching of, with and about technology.

Early childhood education as the main foundation of one's education is determined by the quality of teachers who can be seen through the performance of teachers and teachers, so the discourse of professional development is important. This study aims to determine how the performance of superior early childhood teachers and performance measurement as performance standards for outstanding teachers. Qualitative research is carried out with a psychological approach that is carried out directly on the object under study, to obtain data relating to aspects of teacher performance so that increased performance becomes an example for other teachers. Research data collection techniques using interviews, documentation, and observation. The results showed that the performance of outstanding early childhood teachers always tried to hone and control themselves by participating in outstanding teacher competitions to monitor their professional condition and performance. Early childhood teachers who have extraordinary grades also have strong scientific insight, understand learning, have broad social insights, are positive about their work, and show work performance according to the required performance criteria. The teacher's performance in the extraordinary category is the success and ability of the teacher in carrying out various learning tasks. Measuring the performance of early childhood teachers with achievement has two tasks as measurement standards, tasks related to the learning process and tasks related to structuring and planning learning tasks. Referring to these two tasks, there are three main criteria related to teacher performance in early childhood teacher professional development literacy, namely processes, teacher characteristics, and outcomes or products (changes in student attitudes). In the learning process, the performance of early childhood teachers who excel can be seen from the quality of work carried out related to professional teacher learning activities.
 Keywords: Early Childhood Education, Outstanding Educator Performance, Professional Development

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.

The development of high-quality vocational education is a critical factor in establishing a robust economy. Therefore, every nation places significant emphasis on the quality of teaching and learning within vocational education. This study investigates the use of the 1+X Certificate System to enhance teaching competence among nursery teacher students in China, with a particular focus on the experiences of Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher educators who support their students during their teacher education. Employing a qualitative research design, the study conducted four in-depth case studies of ECE teacher educators who integrated the 1+X Certificate System into the nursery teacher education curriculum at a college in China. The findings of the study reveal the 1) Alignment with the Existing Curriculum; 2) Effectiveness in Teacher Education; and 3) Adequacy of Teaching Resources; and 4) Establishing Partnerships with Nursey Schools that ECE teacher educators encountered in utilizing the 1+X Certificate System to improve the teaching competence of nursery teacher students. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on the integration of the 1+X Certificate System into nursery teacher education programs. The implications of this research may inform future efforts to enhance the quality of nursery student teacher education, leading to the development of a highly skilled workforce in the ECE sector.

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.

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>

ix Introduction The study has the purpose (1) to describe and explore the Mathematics student teachers’ performance inside the classroom during the training course “teaching practice” at the University of Jordan/ Amman, and (2) to include the main factors which influence the development of the professional teaching competence in their mode of action. This study has particularly the aim to investigate the difficulties which face the student teachers’ performance, and the facilities which help them in their performance and decrease the obstacles of the development of student teachers’ performance. The study has the aim to answer the following questions: 1. How does the performance of student teachers develop with respect to time of the training course? 2. What difficulties do the student teachers face during the training course? 3. What are the facilities that help in developing student teachers’ performance during the training course? 4. What are the factors related to performance? Are they personal, social, methodological, or related to mastering the curriculum? 5. What is the relation between student teachers’ performance and supervision? The 1st opening chapter of the study describes some facts about Jordan, the school system there, the system of pre-service teacher education, the background of the study, and the purpose of the study with the questions mentioned above. In the 2nd chapter a review of the existing literature follows with the theoretical concepts which are connected with the questions. Main concepts are: development of teachers’ performance, factors affecting the trainees’ performance, supervision and teacher development, problems of beginning teachers, models in teacher development, facilities that help trainees, standards of teaching competences, methodological basis of teaching Mathema tics. Chapter 3 describes the plan of the empirical research and the four methodological tools which are used: video tapes, interviews, questionnaires, and self reports. It is a case study with the seven Mathematics student teachers of the academic year 1999/2000 at the university of Jordan/Amman. Chapter 4 contains the data collection from the four resources in English. The data material was collected in Arabic and then translated into English by the author. Chapter 5 starts with the data analysis and description of the 7 cases. Chapter 6 continues the data analysis, presents the results, discusses these in an overview. This leads in chapter 7 to a combination of the results which come from the analysis of chapters 5 and 6, and to the answers to the que stions 1—5. The main results are concentrated around the main features of performance, which are in the teacher education plan of Amman five areas: lesson plan, mastering content knowledge, methods of teaching, assessment of teaching, and classroom management. This study is the first one which describes and analyses scientifically the phase of practice teaching at Jordanian universities. It is done exemplary at the University of Jordan/Amman with all Mathematics student teachers of one academic year. It for the first time is possible to win insight in the individual professional development of single student teachers in Jordan, and insight in the influence of specific relating factors. This study has a valuable starting point, looks to be won for a further development of the teacher-training in Jordan. These are attached in a short section as "recommendations".

This quantitative study investigates the impact of integrating the Nursery Teacher Certificate into teacher education in Chinese vocational and technical colleges, specifically focusing on the perspectives of student teachers majoring in Early Childhood Care Education. The study aims to assess the influence of integrating the Nursery Teacher Certificate into nursery teacher education on the teaching competences of student teachers. A sample of 95 respondents, enrolled in the Early Childhood Care Education program across five vocational and technical colleges in Shaanxi, China, participated in the study. The findings reveal that integrating the Nursery Teacher Certificate has a positive impact on student teachers’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes, enhancing their practical teaching competence. However, the certificate program neglects the cultivation of classroom management skills in the teacher education, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive approach to address this gap. These findings have implications for the revision of certificate curricula to incorporate explicit training in classroom management and emphasize the importance of nurturing well-rounded teaching competences. By addressing this discrepancy, teacher education programs can better prepare future nursery teacher educators for the challenges they may face in their teaching careers.