Early Childhood Teacher Education Research Articles

The Role of Early Childhood Education Teachers in Communicating and Managing Schools Safe

When a disaster occurs, students are the most vulnerable to the effects, especially if the disaster occurs while the children are at school. With the large number of potential disasters that occur, disaster education is very important to do early on, and this is done by equipping early childhood teachers about disaster education and managing disaster-safe schools. In the end, education and management of disaster-safe schools can be conveyed to children through play activities according to the principles of learning for early childhood. Efforts to provide disaster education from an early age is an important and fundamental action that is not only an act of curriculum development or enrichment alone, but is also a preventive action for the life of every child in dealing with this phenomenon in the future, so that when faced with real events every child has optimal readiness to deal with it.

The Role of Early Childhood Education Teachers in Communicating and Managing Schools Safe

When a disaster occurs, students are the most vulnerable to the effects, especially if the disaster occurs while the children are at school. With the large number of potential disasters that occur, disaster education is very important to do early on, and this is done by equipping early childhood teachers about disaster education and managing disaster-safe schools. In the end, education and management of disaster-safe schools can be conveyed to children through play activities according to the principles of learning for early childhood. Efforts to provide disaster education from an early age is an important and fundamental action that is not only an act of curriculum development or enrichment alone, but is also a preventive action for the life of every child in dealing with this phenomenon in the future, so that when faced with real events every child has optimal readiness to deal with it.

The Influence of Welfare on the Performance of Early Childhood Education Teachers

This research aims to investigate the relationship between welfare and performance of early childhood education teachers. It employs a qualitative approach, allowing for an in-depth understanding of teachers' experiences and perceptions regarding welfare and its influence on their performance. Research participants consist of teachers teaching at TK Ar Rahman Tasikmadu, Karanganyar, selected through purposive sampling techniques to obtain variations in their experiences and perspectives. Data are collected through in-depth interviews with teachers, focusing on the aspects of welfare they experience in the workplace and their perceptions of performance as a result of welfare. Data analysis utilizes a thematic analysis approach to identify thematic patterns in the interviews and understand the relationship between welfare and teacher performance. The results of this research indicate that teacher certification serves as an indicator of teacher welfare to enhance their performance in schools. This study provides a better understanding of how teacher welfare affects their performance at TK Ar Rahman Tasikmadu and offers insights for the development of policies and human resource management practices that support welfare and performance of teachers in early childhood education institutions.
 Keywords: Welfare, Teacher Performance, Early Childhood Education

The Digital Teaching Landscape: Investigating the Roles of Interest, Self-Efficacy, and Experience in Shaping TPACK

Purpose –This study aims to analyze the relationship between interest, self-efficacy, and practical teaching experience concerning prospective early childhood education teachers' perceptions of Pedagogical Knowledge of Technology Content. Design/methods/approach – This research employs an associative correlational quantitative design, involving 84 students from the Early Childhood Islamic Education Study Program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. Data was collected through both offline and online questionnaires and analyzed using multiple linear regression techniques. This analysis assesses the predictive capacity of interest, self-efficacy, and teaching experience in determining TPACK within the perceptions of prospective ECCE teachers. Data analysis was aided by the statistical software SPSS 26 for Windows. Findings – The statistical tests indicate that interest, when considered individually, does not exhibit a positive and significant effect on TPACK. Conversely, self-efficacy and teaching practice experience, when examined separately, demonstrate a positive and significant influence on TPACK. Moreover, when these variables are collectively examined, interest, self-efficacy, and teaching practice experience collectively impact TPACK, showcasing a robust relationship of 75.4%. However, it's worth noting that there are some inconsistencies in the results concerning the impact of interest on TPACK, which may be attributed to a lack of specific context and a detailed examination of respondents' interest levels. Research implications/limitations – This study primarily focuses on elucidating the interplay between interest, self-efficacy, and practical teaching experience in TPACK development. Practical implications – These practical implications are envisioned to enhance the quality of early childhood education and prepare prospective ECCE teachers to confront the evolving technological landscape. Originality/value – This research contributes to an enhanced understanding of the interrelationships between interest, self-efficacy, and practical teaching experience in shaping prospective teachers' perceptions of TPACK, offering novel insights into the professional development of prospective ECCE teachers. Paper type Research paper

Introducing the PETaL approach in ECE classrooms in Indonesia

The study explores the implementation of the PETaL approach as a strategy to cultivate Intercultural Education (IE) in Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Indonesia through the lens of kindergarten teachers. The study implemented Mixed Methods Approach (Creswell & Clark, 2017) to provide reliable data about how the PETaL approach is perceived by teachers, and how it is actually being executed in the ECE context in Indonesia. The implementation included four hours of interventions to train participating teachers about Intercultural Education and a thorough introduction to the PETaL approach. This study used interviews and semi-structured observations as the instruments of the research. The data analyzed reported positive feedback from kindergarten teachers regarding the implementation of the PETaL approach in the Indonesian context. In accordance to how this approach has been applied, the study reported medium to high success rate in the application of the PETaL approach as the mean value showed 1,21 out of 2 in average with moderate to high variations. Conclusions indicate that the PETaL approach had been applied well by participating teachers of ECE in Indonesia, adhering coherently to its principles. Nevertheless, further training and continuous guidance are needed to improve the pertinence level of implementation in the Indonesian context.

Pentingnya Keterampilan Kewirausahaan Dalam Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini

Early childhood education has a crucial role in forming the basis of children's development. One aspect that is increasingly recognized as important in this education is the development of entrepreneurial skills. Although young children may not yet fully understand the concept of business, an introduction to the basic concepts of entrepreneurship can provide a strong foundation for their future development.What is the right way to build an entrepreneurial spirit for young children and what methods are appropriate to apply. Meanwhile, introducing and cultivating an entrepreneurial spirit cannot be done instantly with young children, and the role of parents here is very supportive in forming the character of an entrepreneur in the future. This research uses a qualitative approach with descriptive explanatory analytical studies, this method illustrates the importance of building an entrepreneurial spirit for young children. The aim of this research is to examine the benefits of building an entrepreneurial spirit in young children through the development of informal education and this research is only limited to cultivating an entrepreneurial spirit in the family and their immediate environment. Through entrepreneurship training for children from an early age, the aim is to foster self-confidence, independence and become people who have high creativity so that they become more productive when they grow up. Informal education is very influential in developing attitudes and character to become an entrepreneur.The problem found was a lack of awareness about the importance of entrepreneurial awareness. The subject was conducted with early childhood education teachers. Surveys will be conducted on teachers in various early childhood education institutions to evaluate their understanding of entrepreneurial skills and how they integrate them in daily learning. Results of Increasing Children's Creativity: Measuring the increase in children's creativity levels through the introduction of entrepreneurial concepts in learning activities. Implementation of project-based learning, Integrating entrepreneurial concepts in project activities to increase children's involvement in the learning process.

Opportunities and Barriers of Integrating the 1+X Certificate System into Nursery Teacher Education in China

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 Effect of Educational Qualifications and Teacher Professional Education Program on the Digital Literacy Skills of Early Childhood Educators

Digital literacy is mastered by Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers because the first education obtained by early childhood will be the foundation and basis of child development in the future. This study aims to determine whether there is an interaction between academic qualifications and teacher professional education on digital literacy. This research is quantitative research with a survey type. The study was conducted in Malang City, with data distributed through a questionnaire (G-Form). The data collected was analyzed with Two Way Anova with the help of the SPSS 26.0 application. Based on the research findings, it is known that there are differences in digital literacy skills based on the academic qualifications of Early Chilhood Education teachers (H1 accepted), there are differences in digital literacy skills based on the participation of Early Chilhood Education teachers in the Teacher Professional Education program (H2 accepted), and there is an interaction between academic qualifications and teacher professional education on digital literacy of Early Chilhood Education teachers (H3 accept). Skill development programs need to be held by schools to improve teacher competence.

Practicum of Early Childhood Teacher Students in Pandemic Times: A Narrative Perspective

The Covid-19 pandemic affected teacher education; universities had to adapt quickly through emergency pedagogy. One problem that emerged was the relationship between schools and teacher students. The situation was more critical in early childhood teacher education than in others. The conditions forced them to adjust to the absence of children in the student teachers’ practicum. This article addresses the relational problem in a practicum in early childhood teacher education. Through a narrative inquiry with two early childhood education teacher students, we give an account of learning experiences in different educational spaces. During the analysis, two concepts emerged: ‘the classroom taste’ and ‘presence’ in teacher education. The research allows us to reflect on the essential focus of the practicum in early childhood teacher education from the perspective of these two concepts.

The Influence of Number Dice Games in Improving Early Childhood Mathematical Logic in Early Childhood Education

Purpose of the study: The aim of this research is to determine the effect of the number dice game in improving the mathematical logic intelligence of young children in Early Childhood Education.
 Methodology: The method used in this research is quantitative with an experimental research design, the sampling technique is purposive sampling, with post test and pre test research instruments, the data analysis used is inferential statistics.
 Main Findings: The results of this research show that Early Childhood Education Teachers use the number dice game media used in mathematics learning, which is a game that children like because it is very easy and interesting to play. In order to stimulate various areas of development such as cognitive, language and social. Social skills trained in this game include the willingness to follow and obey the rules of the game, playing in turns. Mathematical cognitive skills that are stimulated are stating the order of numbers, recognizing number symbols and number concepts.
 Novelty/Originality of this study: The use of a number dice game introduces a novel and engaging way for young children to interact with mathematical concepts. It offers an enjoyable learning experience that can potentially enhance children's motivation and interest in mathematics, establishing a positive foundation for learning.

“I think my knowledge of intentional teaching is coming from those around me ...”: Intentional teaching and Te Whāriki

The 2017 refresh of Aotearoa New Zealand’s early childhood education (ECE) curriculum Te Whāriki was undertaken to better guide teachers in understanding their role in supporting children’s learning and to foster alignment of teaching practices, including intentional teaching, across the ECE sector. This article draws on a small-scale research project that explored whether the updated Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education, 2017) has been successful with purposely guiding ECE teachers in implementing intentional teaching practices. Findings noted that professional learning and development (PLD) has had an important impact on teachers’ understanding of intentional teaching and so the impact of both PLD and Te Whāriki itself are explored here.

유아교사교육과정에서의 인공지능 관련 교과목 개설현황 및 현직교사의 경험

Objectives This study analyzed the current status of AI-related curriculum offered in early childhood teacher edu-cation programs and explored the experiments of current teachers regarding AI education.
 Methods To achieve this, the study analyzed the websites of 61 universities with departments of early childhood education that had established AI-related curriculum, frequency and percentages were calculated. Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted with seven current teachers who had experience with AI education, using a qualitative data analysis approach to examine their experiences.
 Results The results of the study are as follows: Firstly, in terms of the current status of AI-related curriculum in early childhood teacher education programs, 49 courses were offered in four-year universities, and 45 courses were offered in three-year(or two-year) colleges. Both four-year universities and three-year(or two-year) col-leges offered the highest number of courses in the first semester of the first year. While four-year universities offered courses with major studies worth three credits, three-year(or two-year) colleges had more courses with general education worth two credits. Secondly, from the perspective of current teachers' experiences with AI ed-ucation, the study identified how current teachers get rid of a sense of vague apprehension, anxiety and negative perceptions, and specified the experiences of engaging with AI education through play.
 Conclusions This study contributes foundational data for the implementation of AI education in pre-service early childhood teacher education programs.

Enjoyment and intentionality in early childhood education

This paper explores teacher enjoyment and the notion of the intentional teacher in early childhood education. The research is part of a wider interrogation challenging existing discourses associated with the intentional teacher. A mixed-method research design was used to gather perspectives from early childhood teachers in relation to their experiences of enjoyment in their teaching practices and the connection with being an intentional teacher. Findings from participant responses highlight important aspects associated with early childhood teacher enjoyment and intentionality. The connection between enjoyment and intentional teaching was reflected in reports of ways of doing or acting, as well as in ways of being associated with teacher identity. Connection was made between experiences of enjoyment and intentional teaching through contributing, adding value, and personal impact. Association was also made with promoting social justice. Whilst small in scale, the research highlights the importance of challenging existing and potentially limiting discourses of the intentional teacher by giving attention to how intentional teaching is generated, as an internal encounter associated with ways of being and becoming and the role that enjoyment plays within this process.

Negotiating Discourses: A Pākehā Teacher Educator’s Exploration of Bicultural Teaching Practice

Bicultural teaching practice in Aotearoa New Zealand is based on commitment to partnerships reflecting Te Tiriti o Waitangi/ The Treaty of Waitangi between Māori and non-Māori cultures, and is governed by professional standards and documents. I am a Pākehā (European ethnicity) early childhood teacher educator concerned about how effectively I engage in bicultural teaching practice. According to Michel Foucault’s theories, individuals’ self-understandings are shaped within discourses that frame their values and beliefs, and their thoughts and actions. This article reports on poststructural self-study research into my negotiations within three discourses of bicultural teacher education practice, as well as discourses of colonisation that continue to pervade Aotearoa New Zealand.

Partners for quality: building professional pathways for diverse adult learners in early childhood education

PurposeThis paper describes the rationale and key aspects of how one school-university partnership leveraged resources to create, implement and refine an innovative professional pathway called the Early Childhood Certificate (ECC) program which reflects the National Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) Essential Guideline 4: Reflection and Innovation. The ECC program is an innovative, career-building model that leverages resources between a predominantly white regional state university, a nonprofit organization serving as a Head Start grantee, a large urban school district and community-based education settings across a Midwestern metropolitan region.Design/methodology/approachThis descriptive narrative documents how the ECC program developed as a professional pathway for early childhood educators to scale up their skills for teaching young children while strengthening their capacities and credentials within the early childhood education (ECE) profession pipeline. The narrative includes relevant literature and examples from the field.FindingsThis paper includes a discussion of the benefits and challenges related to the design, implementation and refinement of the professional learning ECC program.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a descriptive narrative. As such, generalizability is lacking. Research is needed to determine the effectiveness and sustainability of innovative teacher education programs.Practical implicationsRelevant research and lessons learned provide guidance for other school–university partnerships to consider how to meet workforce and career needs for educators in the field of ECE.Social implicationsSchool–university partnerships can be change agents and positively impact early childhood educators' career development.Originality/valueThis paper addresses the need for understanding how predominantly white early childhood teacher education programs can partner with schools and agencies and then together leverage resources to support workforce and career development opportunities.

PELAYANAN PENINGKATAN KEMAMPUAN MELAKSANAKAN PENELITIAN DAN PENGEMBANGAN PADA GURU PAUD DI KABUPATEN LOMBOK BARAT

Teachers play a vital role in the field of education, and having standard competencies related to their duties and responsibilities is essential. However, there is still a need for teachers to enhance their skills in supporting the learning process. Given this, the initiative to conduct service improvement activities focused on research and development for Early Childhood Education (PAUD) Teachers in West Lombok District is highly relevant. The implementation of these activities is divided into three stages: concept introduction stage, practical stage for preparing research and development proposals, and follow-up program preparation stage. This program commenced in early June and extended until September 2023, and it engaged a team of four implementation officers, two students, and 18 PAUD teachers in West Lombok District. Each phase of the program included assessments and evaluations to measure the level of competency achieved. Data were collected through tests and observations, along with the analysis of work products. The results of the service initiative showed that the mastery of research and development concepts and the preparation of draft research and development proposals after the service were included in the good category with an average score for understanding the concept of 74.56% and for preparing research and development proposals an average of 76.7% The results of this service initiative indicated significant progress. After attending the workshop, there was a noticeable improvement in the understanding of research and development concepts among PAUD teachers. Initially, their understanding was rated as "quite good," and after receiving the service, it was elevated to "good." A good grasp of these concepts has facilitated the preparation of research and development proposal drafts.

Does Participation Benefit Children’s Socio-Emotional Development? Positive Associations Between Children’s Participation and Self-Concept, Through Children’s Perceptions

ABSTRACT Participation, a fundamental right of all children, is described as an indicator of early childhood education (ECE) settings’ quality, and as an investment in children’s development and well-being. Teachers and children influence each other, within interactions that shape participatory processes. In this study, we examined associations between ECE teachers’ participation practices (i.e. both self-reported and observed), observed teacher-child interactions, and children’s socio-emotional outcomes (i.e. self-concept and social skills), mediated by children’s perceptions of their own participation. Participants in this study were 336 children (163 boys), aged between 42 and 76 months (M = 60.14, SD = 7.86), from 58 ECE classrooms in the Lisbon area, Portugal, and their lead teachers. Research Findings: Suggest positive associations between observed participation practices and children’s self-concept, mediated by children’s perceptions of participation. To our knowledge, this study represents the first empirical attempt to address the mechanisms by which participation practices are associated with children’s developmental outcomes, valuing children’s subjective experiences of participation, and accounting for different informants and levels of analysis. Practice or Policy: The main findings and study implications for research, practice, and policymaking are discussed.

Initiatives supporting student retention in early childhood teacher education qualifications

This paper describes a case study using quantitative and qualitative approaches to investigate student engagement and retention within an online early childhood teacher education program at a regional Australian university. Two key interventions, the identification and support of disengaged students and the Embedded Tutors Program are described and examined. Initial findings on these retention initiatives, developed to support Early Childhood Education undergraduates studying in the online environment, are presented. Additionally, discussion of the findings through the theory of practice architectures highlights the practices and institutional arrangements that create the conditions to support student retention. This study is significant in planning for Early Childhood Education workforce quality and supply. It may offer guidance to institutions for their retention practices with early childhood teacher undergraduates studying in the online environment.

Early childhood preservice teachers’ beliefs of creativity, creative individuals and creative environment: Perspectives from China

This qualitative study employs a phenomenological approach to comprehensively investigate the beliefs of early childhood preservice teachers (PTs) in China regarding creativity, creative individuals (children and teachers), and the creative learning environment. Data was collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 13 PTs. The findings suggest PTs exhibit limited understanding regarding the concept of creativity, which consequently affects their beliefs of creative individuals. PTs perceive both general personal characteristics and specific capacities relevant to the ECE context. However, motivation-related traits were not identified by PTs. Three themes concerning PTs’ beliefs about the creative environment emerged. PTs demonstrate positive attitudes toward fostering creativity in the ECE context, and they perceive multiple strategies of creative pedagogy. However, a gap exists between PTs’ attitudes valuing creativity and their actual pedagogical practice. The reasons contributing to the gap were discussed in the study. The findings have important implications for early childhood teacher education programs.

Hijaiyah Letter Learning Media Application for Early Age Muslim Children Based on Android

Introducing hijaiyah letters to children needs to be increased in terms of intensity and media. To increase the intensity and efficiency of delivery, supporting media is needed that is packaged in an attractive, relaxed, and interactive manner. Early childhood education is essential because at that stage the teaching system will influence children's behavior and thinking patterns. One of the necessary early childhood education is learning to spell. Spelling is pronouncing or saying letters one by one. This word spelling education can be supported with game-based learning media. Based on the results of the author's interviews with Early Childhood Education teachers at Raudlatul Jannah, information was obtained that the process of learning to recite the Koran, especially introducing hijaiyah letters, had not yet achieved optimal results, therefore the author aimed to design and build an Android-based hijaiyah letter learning media application to improve students' understanding. hijaiyah letters and as a fun learning support media. The results of this research are that a hijaiyah letter learning media application has been successfully developed and declared suitable as an auxiliary media for learning for early childhood at the Raudlatul Jannah school.