Investigation of motivational factors among Chinese kindergarten teachers' engagement in music-specific professional development

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).

In line with the new trend toward reforming the education system in the 21st century, teachers are more willing to accept changes in order to improve performance and achieve success in the educational process. Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Saudi Arabia recently witnessed a huge revolution. Teacher Professional Development (PD) is one of the most influential elements in achieving quality education. The present study focuses on revealing the Professional Development Programs (PDPs) obstacles of kindergarten teachers from their perspectives, as well as their implications for overcoming these obstacles. These obstacles are divided into three main parts include administrative, personal, and digital. The current investigation adopted the exploratory approach, where a total of (n=102) kindergarten teachers in the city of Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, participated in this study by filling out a self-administered questionnaire. Results showed that all kindergarten teachers admitted that they faced several obstacles in their professional practices, which hindered the quality of their practices. Most kindergarten teachers reported a lack of motivation and adequate training opportunities, influencing their reluctance to participate in PDPs. However, they revealed their positive attitudes and willingness to implement a variety of strategies and practices that contribute to their own PD. It recommends that decision-makers and government agencies consider the needs and capabilities of kindergarten teachers during training and involve them in the professional planning and development process to ensure that the training outputs are more effective in their professional practice.Keywords;Administrative, digital obstacles, children, implications, kindergarten teachers, training program.

Science teaching belief-practice alignment is critical for ensuring high-quality, effective instruction that supports young children's learning and engagement in science. The goal of this study is to examine the alignment between preschool and kindergarten teachers' self-reported science teaching beliefs and observed practices before and after a science teaching professional development (PD) program and to explore whether the alignment is associated with children's science learning outcomes. The research questions are: (1) Whether and to what extent do science teaching beliefs and practices align before and after the PD program? (2) Whether and to what extent are science teaching beliefs associated with children's inquiry skills before and after the PD program? A total of 22 preschool and kindergarten teachers and 159 children (Mage = 47.78 months) from a Northwest state in the U.S. participated in a science teaching PD program. Teachers' self-reported science teaching efficacy and observed teaching practices and children's directly assessed science inquiry skills were measured before and after a one-year science PD program. Multilevel regression results revealed that science teaching beliefs were not correlated with practice before the PD but were significantly aligned following its completion. Further, while teachers' science teaching beliefs were not associated with children's inquiry skills before the PD, a positive correlation emerged after the PD. Our findings suggest the potential of targeted PD programs in fostering early childhood teachers' science teaching belief-practice alignment. The results also indicate that teachers' science teaching beliefs may not be a robust predictor of children's science learning outcomes unless they are aligned with teaching practices.

Teacher career plateaus hinder the high-quality development of teaching staff. Based on a nationwide questionnaire survey on Chinese kindergarten teachers’ career plateaus, this study developed a kindergarten teacher career plateauing structural model. The research findings indicate that overall career plateauing among Chinese kindergarten teachers is at a moderate level. The kindergarten teacher career plateauing model is best represented by the second-order single-factor/first-order three-factor structure, which consists of three dimensions: professional development, hierarchical, and emotional plateauing. Among these dimensions, emotional plateauing is most intensively perceived by teachers. Telltale signs of kindergarten teacher career plateauing range from stagnation of professional progress to losses of senses of meaning in work, constrained promotion of professional titles, slim chances of promotion to higher positions, fading positive emotional engagement, and increased negative workplace emotions. Implications of the study for building a professionalized preschool teaching force include emphases on teachers’ long-range career planning and their agency in career advancement. Special attention should be paid to their emotional needs.

Although Chinese early childhood education policies have high expectations for kindergarten teachers’ play pedagogy, teaching and play are still discussed as a bifurcation in Chinese kindergartens’ daily practice. To support Chinese kindergarten teachers’ development of play pedagogy, this study conducted an educational experiment (EE) framed by cultural-historical theory. The study was conducted in a public kindergarten located in the northeast of China. Two teachers and 34 children (4-5 years) were involved in the study. The data were collected using the methods of digital video observation, interviews, and focus group discussions. The findings indicate that EE creates a new social situation that can motivate teachers’ development in ways of collaborative teaching. Moreover, the collective reflection and Conceptual PlayWorld (CPW) implementation within the EE amplified teachers’ play pedagogy development. We argue that the EE works as a source of teachers’ professional development (PD) and builds their identity as experts in creating playful learning environments in a Chinese cultural context.

In early childhood education in China, kindergarten teachers are facing a period of reform and development in which advanced technologies should be integrated into traditional education. This research aims to identify Chinese kindergarten teachers’ opinions on using advanced technologies in their classrooms. The effects of four variables (age of teachers, teaching years, educational backgrounds, economic status of the kindergartens) on kindergarten teachers’ opinions on advanced technologies were analyzed. To serve these purposes, 563 in-service kindergarten teachers in China filled out a questionnaire. This study found that 90.2% of Chinese kindergartens were equipped with advanced technologies and 71.3% of Chinese kindergarten teachers had positive attitudes toward the use of advanced technologies in their classrooms. While computers are the most common technology mentioned, robots (14%) and drones (11%) are also listed as instructional materials of the kindergartens. Based on the results, this study found that most Chinese kindergarten teachers held positive attitudes toward advanced technologies. The findings emphasize that teachers with less than three years of experience are more convinced that advanced technologies have a positive impact on children. In addition, teachers in public kindergartens believed that advanced technologies are more beneficial to children’s development than in private kindergartens.

Kindergarten teachers' engagement in work is influenced by many factors. Total rewards perceptions, as an individual's evaluation of the rewards provided by the organization, may promote work engagement when it can meet their intrinsic and extrinsic work demands. To explore the relationship between kindergarten teachers' total rewards perceptions and work engagement, and the mediating role of organizational identification, a survey was conducted among 1,014 kindergarten teachers applying the Chinese versions of the Total Rewards Perceptions Scale for Kindergarten Teacher, Kindergarten Teacher Organizational Identification Scale, and Kindergarten Teacher Work Engagement Scale. The results showed that kindergarten teachers' total rewards perceptions and its four factors were positively correlated with organizational identification and work engagement. Organizational identification was positively related to work engagement. Organizational identification partially mediated the relationship between total rewards perception and work engagement among kindergarten teachers. We discussed the result of the relationship between total rewards perceptions, organizational identification, and work engagement among Chinese kindergarten teachers.

Kindergarten teachers’ performance at work has important implications for the quality of early childhood education and the development of children. Therefore, promoting teachers’ work performance is of interest to kindergarten managers and policymakers. Evidence suggests that professional development opportunities may play an important role in understanding employees’ work performance. However, the possible mechanism underlying the relationship between professional development opportunities and work performance remains underexplored, especially among kindergarten teachers. This cross-sectional study examined whether professional commitment and work engagement mediated the association of professional development opportunities with work performance among Chinese kindergarten teachers. Online questionnaire data were collected from 336 kindergarten teachers working in Hong Kong, China (mean age = 31.6 years; 86% of them were women). Kindergarten teachers rated the availability of professional development opportunities and their work performance. They also rated their professional commitment (indicated by affective, continuance, and normative commitment) and work engagement (indicated by vigor, dedication, and absorption). Structural equational modeling revealed that both professional commitment and work engagement uniquely mediated the association between professional development opportunities and work performance. The findings illustrated how professional development opportunities may enhance work performance by motivating teachers at the affective/cognitive and the behavioral levels. The findings also pointed to the potential utility of supporting the work performance of kindergarten teachers by providing them with ample professional development opportunities and promoting their professional commitment and work engagement.

Emotional labor, distinct from physical and mental labor, has gained significant attention in contemporary organizational psychology research. As a strategy for performing emotional labor, surface acting refers to the process of faking emotions to meet the demands of organizations' norms. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and surface acting among Chinese kindergarten teachers, focusing on the mediating role of self-efficacy and work engagement. Integrating the conservation of resources theory and the job demands-resources model, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 1,017 Chinese kindergarten teachers using Wong & Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, Self-Efficacy Scale, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and Surface Acting Scale. SPSS 26.0 was used to conduct descriptive statistics and correlation tests. Structural equation modeling and mediation analysis were constructed using AMOS 28.0. The results showed reveals several key findings. Firstly, kindergarten teachers' emotional intelligence significantly positively predicted surface acting rather than negatively. Secondly, self-efficacy and work engagement, respectively, mediate the relationship between emotional intelligence and surface acting in kindergarten teachers. Additionally, self-efficacy and work engagement have chain mediating effects in the relationship between kindergarten teachers' emotional intelligence and surface acting. The research findings reveal the influencing mechanism of kindergarten teachers' emotional intelligence on surface acting, providing a theoretical basis and practical implications for understanding and promoting the reasonable use of surface acting by kindergarten teachers in the Chinese context.

The self-regulation support strategies employed by Chinese kindergarten teachers and the challenges they face when implementing these strategies are investigated. Self-regulation is considered a crucial aspect of school readiness, and this study focuses on children aged 3-6 years. Through a qualitative approach that involves interviews with six kindergarten teachers, this study explores the different strategies used by teachers to promote self-regulation among young children. The findings show that Chinese kindergarten teachers use various techniques, including games, pretend play, music and songs and picture books, to help children develop their self-regulation skills. However, teachers may encounter challenges such as children not engaging in the activities and a lack of experience among the teachers themselves. In this study, the importance of effective self-regulation support strategies in early childhood education is highlighted, and insights are also provided into the specific approaches used by Chinese kindergarten teachers.

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

Background Science is an overlooked subject domain in early childhood education in the U.S. particularly in rural areas. The current state of early science education could be a result of insufficient teacher training and professional development (PD). Thus, we created an experimental PD program based on research about metacognition – Grow to Learn (GTL). GTL promotes preschool and kindergarten teachers’ and children’s holistic understanding of plant science concepts and the scientific discovery process through an immersive, hands-on sweet pea growing project. Purpose This study aims to determine the effect of GTL. Specifically, we examined the effect of GTL on preschool and kindergarten teachers’ science teaching efficacy and metacognitive awareness, and children’s cognitive skills and learning motivation. Design and method A mixed methods quasi-experimental design was used to determine the effect of GTL. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected before and after the PD program implementation using validated measurements. Sample A total of 11 preschool and kindergarten teachers and 76 children (Mage = 4.13 years) predominately from rural areas in North Idaho, U.S. completed the study. Results Results from multilevel repeated measures ANCOVA showed an increase in teachers’ procedural knowledge and children’s cognitive skills and learning motivation upon completing the program. A thematic analysis method was used to analyse qualitative data. Qualitative data analysis revealed evidence of children’s knowledge and learning skills gain, and teachers’ possible needs for classroom management training. Conclusions This study demonstrates the potential of conceptualizing early science education in the metacognition framework. Our results suggest that early childhood science teaching and learning could be improved by integrating metacognitive teaching and learning strategies in a PD program and by using immersive, hands-on activities as the broader inquiry learning context.

Early childhood education in China has a dynamic history of educational reform. The objective of this study was to examine kindergarten teachers’ current perceptions of educational philosophies and practices. As a consequence of globalization, researchers also examined what teachers perceived their international colleagues should understand regarding the current state of early education in China. Researchers employed qualitative methodology and a phenomenological approach. Eight master teachers and former teachers/current administrators in a university-affiliated kindergarten program in a major urban city on mainland China participated in a semi-structured focus-group guided by a series of open-ended questions. Results of systematic analysis of transcripts revealed five themes: (1) the kindergarten curriculum reflects changes in China’s educational goals, the view of child, and needs of the country; (2) contemporary kindergarten practices reflect a philosophical change from whole group, teacher-led instruction to inclusion of individualized, child-guided experiences; (3) the physical classroom environment reflects revised educational goals and the child as an actively engaged participant in his/her own learning; (4) kindergarten teachers purposefully engage families as partners in the child’s education, and (5) teachers suggest that international colleagues should understand the current philosophy of education developed within the Chinese culture. Teachers’ perceptions confirm the major pedagogical change from traditional teacher-directed practice to adaptation of Western child-centered philosophies; however, these results may not represent other programs in China. Implications for educators internationally suggest that pedagogical change is a gradual process of assimilation, not without challenges and requiring significant investment by teachers directly responsible for the translation of philosophy to practice.

Background: Early childhood teachers consist of kindergarten and elementary school teachers in the lower grades. Young children at school may increase the vocal load of these teachers. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of voice disorders and the associated factors in early childhood teachers, and to determine if differences exist between kindergarten and elementary school teachers. Method: A cross-sectional survey was performed in July 2019 as a network questionnaire. Through cluster sampling, teachers (n = 414) from all five public kindergartens (n = 211) in the urban area of Yancheng, China, and four public elementary schools (n = 203) in the same school district participated in this study. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations among the prevalence of voice disorders in the teachers, school type, and relevant factors. Results: Our results indicated, based on the Voice Handicap Index scale (VHI-10, China), that the prevalence of voice disorders in early childhood teachers was 59.7%, while that in elementary school teachers (65.5%) was significantly higher than that in kindergarten teachers (54.0%) during the previous semester. Contributing factors included daily class hours, classroom air humidity, and speaking loudly during teaching. Additionally, certain types of voice usage in teaching such as falsetto speak, speaking more than other teachers, not using vocal techniques, and habitual voice clearing, were significantly associated with voice disorders. Conclusion: Most early childhood teachers have voice disorders. Compared with the kindergarten teachers, the elementary school teachers experienced a significantly higher prevalence of voice disorders. Several factors among work organization, work environment, and types of voice usage in teaching were associated with the voice disorders in early childhood teachers. The finding suggests that voice training should be provided for early childhood teachers, classroom teaching time should be decreased, and the number of teachers in basic subjects should be increased in the lower grades of elementary schools.

This study examined Chinese kindergarten teachers’ learning and development (CKTLD) using a newly developed and validated instrument, the CKTLD scale. Altogether, 1170 kindergarten teachers who were randomly sampled from ten provinces in China participated in the survey. First, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed a seven-factor structure: motivation, information literacy, cultural literacy, reflection, career planning, teacher collaboration, and belief and mission, thereby indicating that the CKTLD scale was reliable and valid. Second, descriptive statistics showed that the overall status of kindergarten teachers’ learning and development was below average in China; meanwhile, the level of motivation ranked the highest, while that of information literacy and cultural literacy were lower. Third, hierarchical regression analysis revealed that job position and teaching experience were critical predictors of teachers’ learning and development, after controlling for personal and family factors. The findings indicate the necessity of reforming teacher education and providing school support to enhance kindergarten teachers’ learning and development. Further, this study broadens the research framework and provides a valuable tool with which to evaluate kindergarten teachers’ learning and development in China and other countries.