Teachers-as-Action Researchers in Reflective Teaching Approach: Intervening for Preschool Children’s Social Emotional Competences in Molo Sub-County, Kenya

Kingaru Thumbi

doi:10.11648/j.ijeedu.20190801.12

Abstract

This study examined teachers-as-action researchers in reflective teaching approach on preschool children’s social emotional competences (SECs) in Molo Sub-County in Kenya from 71 preschool children and 4 teachers. Methodologies used were; quasi-experimental design with pretest postest model, a training module for preschool teachers, Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA), preschool teachers’ semi-structured interview schedule and documentary analysis for preschool teachers. The study sample was portioned into a treatment class and a control class. Teachers in the treatment class were trained to be classrooms’ action researchers in reflective teaching approach and to deliver explicit lessons that teach preschool children’s SECs while finding occasions for learners to reinforce their use in the course of the day. DESSA pretest and posttest were administered to all children in a span of three months between pretest and posttest. The social emotional composite scores obtained were converted to Standard T-score for data analysis using ANCOVA test. The study found statistically significant difference in the class where teachers were trained compared to the class where they were not. Semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis were also conducted in both classes. From the findings, teachers’ action research in reflective teaching approach could be effective in teaching preschool children’s SECs in the Sub-County. This takes place through growth and development of children’s social emotional cognitive schema and professionally for teachers. The study recommends preschool teachers’ to be trained and quality assured by both the National and County Governments in action research in reflective teaching approach for children’s SECs. This should happen through regular in-service training in teachers’ action research, teachers’ action research workshops and teachers’ action research seminars. Teachers’ action research in reflective teaching approach and children’s SECs scholarly materials should be made available in preschools offices/libraries and resource centers in the Sub-county to enable teachers to have a local resource.

Highlights

Critical dimensions for professional development of teachers that have captured the educational community for the last 80 years are reflective practice approach and action research [1]
Kingaru Thumbi et al.: Teachers-as-Action Researchers in Reflective Teaching Approach: Intervening for Preschool Children’s Social Emotional Competences in Molo Sub-County, Kenya of constructivism which argues that human generate knowledge and meaning from interaction between their experiences and their ideas [6]
The results of the analysis indicate that that there was a significant effect of teachers’ action research on preschool children’s social emotional competences (SECs) after controlling the effect of teaching SECs without teachers’ action research, F (1, 68) = 9.166, p

Summary

Introduction

Critical dimensions for professional development of teachers that have captured the educational community for the last 80 years are reflective practice approach and action research [1]. It was Stenhouse’s (1975) idea of teachers’ action researcher that the two came most grippingly into a link [2]. Action research is a sustained, intentional, recursive, and dynamic process of inquiry in which the teacher takes an action purposefully and ethically in a specific classroom context to improve teaching/learning and move towards uniting theory and practice [4, 5]. Doing classroom research includes knowing what the problem is in the classroom and how that problem can be addressed in order to improve the teaching and learning process [8]

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion