Abstract
This study examined the teaching approaches and practices of student teachers in early childhood education using a convergent parallel mixed methods design. The participants were 112 student teachers for the quantitative strand and 29 randomly selected student teachers for the qualitative strand of the study. Participants reported on their teaching approaches in the quantitative strand, and video recordings of teaching practices of student teachers were used in the qualitative strand of the study. Quantitative data were analyzed using cluster analyses, and qualitative data were analyzed using an observational coding of behaviors, following that which the quantitative and qualitative results were merged. Cluster analyses showed that student teachers to be categorized into three groups (traditional, constructivist, and mixed) that reflect their teaching approaches. The qualitative analyses from the video recordings consistently showed that student teachers reflected their perceptions of teaching approaches in their practice. Findings from the current study highlight the importance of understanding student teachers’ teaching approaches and practices in early childhood.
Highlights
Teaching requires substantial amount of the knowledge, skills and competencies pertaining to content, classroom management, teaching approaches and practices utilized during the teaching in their educational settings
The Bayesian information criterion (BIC) starts increasing after Cluster 3, which implies Cluster 3 is the best solution in the two-step cluster analyses
Relative distribution of student teachers in this cluster tend to skew from average to higher scores on traditional teaching approach; we named this group as traditional teaching approach
Summary
Teaching requires substantial amount of the knowledge, skills and competencies pertaining to content, classroom management, teaching approaches and practices utilized during the teaching in their educational settings. As children experience schooling more often through guidance from teachers, the biggest role in children's academic and social success empowered by teachers, in early childhood (Acar, Hong, & Wu, 2017; Beteille & Loeb, 2009; Darling-Hammond, 2003). Taken all these into account, the educational practices and approaches of the teachers constitute the most important component of the education process in early childhood settings. Researchers and training practicum providers (e.g., trencher training programs) may learn better which aspects of the programs should be scaffolded so that student teachers will have competence in their practices and approaches once they start their careers in early childhood settings
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