Preschool Classes Research Articles

PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: IMPACT ON IDENTITY FORMATION

This article aimed to understand the contribution of black social movements in defense of the decolonization of the school curriculum, and consequently for the teaching of African and Afro-descendant history and culture, from the perspective of black people and not of the colonizers. In this sense, it analyzes the changes that have been occurring since Law 10.639/03 and Law No. 11.645/2008, a legal framework for the policy that indicates the mandatory inclusion of the theme of Afro-Brazilian, African and indigenous history and culture in basic education. The study pointed out stereotypes suffered by black children in preschool classes, by their peers and teachers, and the impacts of racism in the form of prejudice and discrimination in the formation of the identity of black children. It also pointed out possibilities for interventions based on legal contributions such as security of rights.

FIELD STUDY ON FREE PLAY AS AN ENHANCER FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN'S AUTONOMY

The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of spontaneous play to the development of children's autonomy. To this end, a qualitative microethnographic study was conducted with six children, five boys and one girl, aged between two and three years old, who were part of a preschool class in kindergarten 1. They were observed daily for four months. Three thematic categories emerged from the participant observation: the importance of organizing spaces as a facilitator of free play; free play and interactions between children; and free play and the development of autonomy. The results showed that the organization of spaces interferes with free play and the development of children's autonomy; that when playing freely, children enhance symbolic play, assume roles and interact spontaneously; and when children play freely, they develop in their entirety, learning to think, question, discover, explore, and experience new discoveries. These factors are essential for the integral growth and development of children's autonomy through free play actions.

Preschool class pupils’ enhanced subitizing abilities by learning study interventions

PurposeThis study explores variation theory-based interventions’ contribution to enhancing preschoolers’ subitizing abilities during iterative lessons. Results are presented according to low, middle and high achievers, focused on those with prominent challenges.Design/methodology/approachIn total 68 Swedish preschoolers participated. They were randomly assigned to one of the intervention/control groups: 23 mixed design, 24 variation theory design and 21 controls. Data from 59 pupils were analyzed. A learning study with three lesson designs for each intervention group was used in autumn 2022 and spring 2023, respectively. The mixed design met ordinary textbook material and variation theory (VT) group instructions designed by VT during autumn, whereas all met instructions designed by VT in spring. Each group was divided into two subgroups. The controls followed business-as-usual math teaching. Two tests assessed pupils’ results before and after the interventions.FindingsAll groups showed significant improvements between pre- and post-tests. Pupils in the mixed and VT groups developed more knowledge than the controls. The low-achieving group developed the most. The VT group exhibited a more complex pattern of variation and a greater increase than the mixed group. The intervention groups showed a greater improvement in both tests’ results than the controls.Originality/valueThere is agreement on the importance of subitizing abilities as a predictor of future mathematical development; however, lesson design and research on pupils’ development regarding lessons offered are limited.

The fabrication of special education mathematics students as knowers through mandatory assessment in preschool class

ABSTRACT In Sweden, there has been a development of continuously more and earlier mandatory assessments in schools in the last decades. One of the latest is mandatory assessment in preschool classes from 2019, with one of the purposes to identify students in need of Special Education in Mathematics (SEM students). Preschool class is a compulsory school year for 6-year-olds which precedes compulsory school. The study at hand explores how teachers create knowledge of mathematics and the SEM student during their work with this mandatory assessment. Results show that mandatory assessment might affect how teachers assess knowledge, develop their teaching, and (re)produce knowledge of the six-year-olds as knowers and of knowledge in mathematics. We join the vast amount of research that has shown that mandatory assessment is a potentially sensitive situation for students who are already unprivileged, who face obstacles in their learning or who struggle with mathematics. Awareness of processes of inclusion, exclusion and (in)equity during assessment and in the following education is central to not count (SEM) students out as competent learners with valuable knowledge.

Early childhood discrimination: A comparison of countries

The study investigates taste-based discrimination in early childhood in two distinct experimental conditions, gender and preschool class and two countries, Russia and Uzbekistan, using a framed field experiment with more than 500 preschool children aged three to seven years. We extend on previous findings from Western countries by studying two non-Western countries to examine generalizable behavioral traits regarding taste-based discrimination across countries. The results show that out-group discrimination is prevalent in both experimental conditions and in both countries. However, the degree of discrimination and its determinants differ between countries and experimental conditions. The results suggest that discrimination is a generalizable human trait which is shaped by the environment.

An intervention study of adopting a health action model to improve the effectiveness of disaster prevention learning of preschool senior class students

This study investigates the effect of adopting the health action model (HAM) to improve disaster prevention learning among preschool senior class students. A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-tests was used to track the extended effects. Convenient sampling selected 60 senior-class students from a private preschool in New Taipei City, divided into experimental and control groups. The HAM was incorporated into 5 earthquake prevention lessons. The effectiveness was assessed using a Checklist of Earthquake-Prevention Learning Effectiveness, analyzed by generalized estimating equations. Results showed significant positive effects of the intervention on earthquake-prevention knowledge (post-test: B = 0.41, p < .001; follow-up test: B = 0.23, p = .001), attitudes (post-test: B = 0.91, p < .001; follow-up test: B = 0.97, p < .001), skills (post-test: B = 1.10, p < .001; follow-up test: B = 1.09, p < .001), intentions (post-test: B = 0.88, p < .001; follow-up test: B = 0.85, p = .001), and behaviors (post-test: B = 0.71, p < .001; follow-up test: B = 0.61, p < .001), with effects lasting for at least 5 weeks. These findings suggest that the intervention significantly enhances earthquake-prevention knowledge, attitudes, skills, intentions, and behaviors, and can serve as a reference for designing preschool earthquake-prevention courses.

Factors influencing kindergarten Families' perceptions of home–school interactions

AbstractThe transition to and through kindergarten is consequential for the academic, social, and emotional wellbeing of children. Policies and practices are in place to smooth that transition. Researchers are working to understand which practices work best and for whom, particularly as the student population in U.S. schools continues to diversify. In this study, we analysed data from a large longitudinal study of racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse families, children, and their teachers. We used multi‐level modelling to examine the factors associated with families' reports of strong home–school interactions at the transition to and through kindergarten on the Family Involvement Questionnaire. We found that children having attended preschool and lower class size were associated with family reports of strong interactions. Surprisingly, we also found that teacher–family language match, teachers' self‐efficacy for working with families, and teachers' beliefs about children were not significantly associated with families' reports of strong or weak interactions. This work has implications for family engagement policy and practice as children transition to and through kindergarten.

Examining teacher-child relationship profiles in forecasting children's self-regulation and social-emotional skills: A multilevel latent profile approach

Numerous studies have highlighted the crucial role of teacher-child relationships in children's self-regulation and social-emotional skills. However, whether teacher-child relationship profiles are linked to self-regulation and social-emotional skills remains unclear. The present study employed multilevel latent profile analysis (MLPA) to explore the teacher-child relationship profiles and their associations with self-regulation and social-emotional skills at both the child and class levels. Utilizing data from 584 children nested in 42 preschool classes, single-level LPA unveiled three teacher-child relationship profiles associated with different self-regulation and social-emotional skills. Notably, closeness and conflict emerged as significant factors in profile assignments. Children with low closeness and high conflict tended to experience challenges in self-regulation and social-emotional skills, whereas those with moderate to high closeness reported better outcomes. Furthermore, MLPA identified three class profiles based on the prevalence of children's profiles and their relationships with different class-mean self-regulation and social-emotional skills. Children's age, gender, and teachers' teaching experience were identified as factors related to child- and class-level profiles. These findings emphasize the interplay between teacher-child relationship profiles and classroom dynamics in relation to children's self-regulation and social-emotional skills within a Chinese cultural context.

Preschool Class Children and Grade One Pupils’ Questions about Molecules from a Digital Interactive Session at a Culture Center in Sweden

This study focuses on preschool class children and grade one pupils’ questions about the natural sciences. The article presents the questions that preschool class children and grade one pupils asked via a chat function in connection with a digital interactive lesson about molecules arranged by a culture center in Sweden. The results of the thematic analysis are discussed in relation to their didactic implications for natural science teaching with young learners. The most relevant conclusions are that children drew from their own experiences when approaching molecules, they could generalize their experiences and apply them to other contexts, and they needed time to process the content and then ask questions. Therefore, the authors suggest the use of children’s questions as a useful pedagogical tool for helping young children understand abstract concepts such as molecules. Furthermore, follow-up interviews with children are suggested as a means of mapping the origin of such questions.

Developing mathematics education contributing to equity in preschool class

I artikeln presenteras och diskuteras förskoleklasselevers förmåga att se och använda talstrukturer för att bestämma antal, samt hur förmågan utvecklas efter att de deltagit i interventioner under ett läsår. Totalt intervjuades 361 elever som deltagit i interventionerna alternativt i vanlig förskoleklassundervisning. Intervjuerna gjordes under tidig hösttermin samt vid förskoleklassårets slut. En specifik uppgift innehållande ett spatialt mönster i intervjumaterialet utgör underlag för att synliggöra hur eleverna erfar och använder talstrukturer, både kvantitativt och kvalitativt. Analysen tar vidare avstamp i en variationsteoretisk syn på lärande, där sättet att erfara ett fenomen, i detta fall tal och strukturer så som de framträder i en figur ordnad i ett spatialt mönster, har betydelse för vad eleven kan göra med tal, till exempel på vilket sätt man kan bestämma antal. Särskilt diskuteras vilka implikationer resultaten har för utvecklingen av matematikundervisning i förskoleklass och elevers fortsatta aritmetiklärande. Developing mathematics education contributing to equity in preschool class In the article, we present and discuss preschool class students’ ability to see and use number structures to determine number and how this ability develops after participating in interventions during one academic year. A total of 361 students who participated in the interventions or in regular preschool class teaching were interviewed early in the autumn term and at the end of the preschool class year. One task containing a spatial pattern in the interview material forms the basis for identifying how students experience and use number structures, quantitatively and qualitatively. The analysis is further based on a variation theory view of learning, where the way of experiencing a phenomenon, in this case numbers and structures as they appear in a figure arranged in a spatial pattern, has significance for what the student can do with numbers, e.g., how to determine numbers. In particular, implications of the results for developing mathematics teaching in preschool class and students continued arithmetic learning are discussed.

Developing mathematics education contributing to equity in preschool class

I den här artikeln presenteras en designstudie med målet att utforma en likvärdig matematikundervisning i förskoleklass i betydelsen att alla elever får tillgång till det matematiska innehållet och möjlighet att utveckla ett framgångsrikt förhållningssätt i och till matematikämnet. Designstudien är genomförd i en svensk kontext och tar utgångspunkt i den obligatoriska kartläggningen vid skolstart. Studien genomfördes av en förskoleklasslärare och två forskare som tillsammans planerade, genomförde och utvärderade matematikundervisning. Vid studiens start identifierades tre utvecklingsområden: instruktion, elevlösningar och talutrymme. För att möta dessa utvecklingsområden introducerades tre designprinciper: låg tröskel, öppna matematikuppgifter och resonemangsfrämjande repliker. I artikeln presenteras hur dessa designprinciper påverkade utvecklingsområdena i linje med designstudiens mål. Sammantaget visar resultaten utveckling av en matematikundervisning som möter elevers olikheter. Developing mathematics education contributing to equity in preschool class This article presents an educational design research study aiming to develop preschool class mathematics in line with equity. In the study, equity is defined as all students have access to mathematical content and opportunity to develop prosperous positions in and towards the subject. The design of the education was based on the mandatory assessment at the start of preschool class, one preschool class teacher and two researchers together planned, carried out, and evaluated the mathematics education. At the start of the study, three areas of development were identified: instruction, student solutions, and students’ verbal contributions. To address these areas of development, three design principles were introduced: low threshold, open-ended mathematical tasks, and prompts for reasoning. This article presents the way these design principles developed these areas of development in line with the goals of the study, that is, mathematics education that meets the diverse needs of students.

The Other Side: Preschool Children’s Experience of a Read-Aloud Focused on Social Justice

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to detail preschool age students’ exploration of social justice as they cocreated with their teacher an interactive read-aloud approach, named Picturebooks for Social Justice. Over the three phases, the teacher researcher studied her own preschool teaching as she read and explored 12 picturebooks with the 3-5-year-old children in her preschool class. Guided by relational and critical theoretical perspectives, findings demonstrate and detail examples of the children’s learning across the social justice standards of identity, diversity, justice, and action. These standards, which functioned both as the content and the goals of Picturebooks for Social Justice, were explored through books in the context of the strong bond between the children and teacher. The insights gained in this study can guide educators and researchers in understanding young children’s capacity to explore and understand social justice.

Factors Classifying School Adjustment of Children With and Without Special Needs in Inclusive Preschools

Abstract This study investigated the factors predicting the school adjustment of Turkish preschool children with and without special needs by assessing the school adjustment, social skills, developmental functions, problem behaviors, and cognitive skills of 122 children from 53 preschool classes in 13 public preschools, as well as teacher-child and teacher-parent relationships. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze data to identify the main predictors of school adjustment. The children’s classification structure was then modeled using a Chi-squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID) analysis, considering both their important predictors and school adjustment levels. The findings revealed that the children’s social skills were the most critical predictor of school adjustment. The decision tree created based on the results of the CHAID analysis classified the levels of school adjustment of children with different levels of social skills in terms of parent-teacher relations, developmental functions, and problem behaviors.

Portraits of Swedish natureculture identity – entanglements of (gender) equity and integration in early childhood education

ABSTRACT Photographs of children are used on a daily basis in Swedish preschool practice. Although the preschool curriculum prescribes gender equality and celebration of diversity, photographs of indoor activities have shown to display a homogenous view of children and an emphasis on masculine-coded productions and accomplishments. This article examines 325 photographs of outdoor activities from Swedish preschools with diverse ethnic compositions. Our results reveal a Swedish natureculture identity that is more explicitly performed in the multi-ethnic preschool classes. Since ideals of gender equality and closeness to nature connect to the image of Swedishness, this can be understood as compensatory pedagogy. Moreover, the natureculture identity appears to be neutral in relation to ethnicity and gender, which risks rendering diversity invisible. However, the displayed neutrality is also possible to understand as working towards equity where conventionally feminine values such as care, empathym and sensitivity are underscored as desirable for everyone.

Promoting Young Children’s Right to Participate in the Classroom through Picture Books

Practices to promote the right of children to participate in the classroom can benefit from picture books that encourage children to be involved in different settings that reflect the qualities of participation. This study aims to examine the effects of the processes planned regarding children’s right to participation with picture books on preschoolers’ perceptions of their right to participate in the classroom. The study employed a pretest–posttest design, a quasi-experimental research design with a control group. A random sampling method was employed to determine the study sample. The sample consisted of a total of 42 children (21 in the experimental group and 21 in the control group), attending classes of 5-year-olds in a public kindergarten affiliated with the Directorate of National Education in a province located in the Inner Aegean region of Turkey. A “Personal Information Form” and the “Participation Right Scale in Preschool Classes” developed by Koran (2017) and Şallı İdare (2018) were used as data collection tools. Twice a week during eight weeks, the researcher conducted activities with children in the experimental group, which were prepared with picture books and integrated with classroom activities. As the data obtained in the study show a normal distribution, a two-factor ANOVA test was performed with measurements repeated in one factor, and the the t test for the dependent groups and intergroup comparisons. After the experimental study, it was determined that the children in the experimental group started to participate more in classroom activities and decision-making processes, whereas there was no change in the involvement of the children in the control group. Based on this result, to promote preschoolers’ right to participate in the classroom, teachers should place more emphasis on processes that are designed to use quality children’s books and that the use of such books is integrated with classroom activities.

From Pre-Service Preparation to Professional Development: Early Childhood Teachers’ Learning Experiences, ECE Quality, and Child Development in China

ABSTRACT Research Findings: This study examined the associations between early childhood education (ECE) teachers’ pre-service education (PE), professional development (PD) experiences, ECE quality, and child development. The participants included 52 teachers and 706 children from 52 preschool classes in Shanghai and Guizhou. Teacher educational level was associated with classroom interaction quality. The frequency and diversity of PD activities that ECE teachers experienced in the past year were also related to overall ECE quality. Mediational analyses indicated that the diversity and frequency of PD were indirectly associated with child development through ECE quality. Region of residence moderated the associations between PE and child development and between ECE quality and child development. Practice or Policy: Together, the findings highlight the need for policy to support ECE teachers’ professional learning from pre-service education to ongoing professional development.

Mapping of Preschool Class Mathematics Teaching about Numbers - Qualitative Differences and Learning Opportunities

Mapping of Preschool Class Mathematics Teaching about Numbers - Qualitative Differences and Learning Opportunities

How school-built factors and organisational dimensions contribute to bodily exposure, degrading treatment and bullying in school changing rooms

ABSTRACT This paper explores how school-built factors and organisational dimensions contribute to bodily exposure, degrading treatment and bullying in school changing rooms. The findings in this study stem from an ethnographic research project exploring the relations between school bullying and the institutional context of schooling. The project focuses on the perspectives of teachers and pupils from pre-school class up to grade eight (i.e. approx. ages 5–15). In this particular study, we focus on participant observations and semi-structured interviews conducted at three elementary schools and one lower secondary school in Sweden. Analysis of the data was guided by constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2014) [Constructing grounded theory (2nd ed.). Sage]. Findings reveal how the changing room was a vulnerable and unsafe space associated with an ever-present fear of experiencing bodily exposure, degrading treatment, and bullying. Our findings illuminate how social-ecological elements such as the physical design of the space and organisational factors such as staffing and scheduling can both increase and decrease the risk of experiencing bodily exposure, degrading treatment, and bullying in the changing room. This demonstrates that much more consideration needs to be given to how social interactions and experiences within school changing rooms are influenced by school-built factors and the ways in which they are organised within the different social-ecological systems beyond the microsystem setting.

Does Vocabulary Grow in Nature? Exploring the Impacts of Nature-Based Early Learning on Young Children's Receptive Vocabulary Development

Abstract: This study examined the effect of nature-based practices on preschoolers' receptive vocabulary. We administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test to 134 children from 11 preschool classes at the beginning and end of the preschool year. Results suggest incorporating nature-based practices into preschool supported significant vocabulary growth, but that effectiveness varied by public vs. private school setting and children's socioeconomic status. This study contributes to the literature regarding effective practices for supporting vocabulary development and adds to the growing body of research surrounding the impact of play in natural environments on child development and school readiness.

Analysis of occlusion and its correlation with gender in primary and mixed dentition of pre-school and school children of Hazaribag city – A pilot study

The purpose of this pilot study was to analyse the prevalence of occlusion in primary and mixed dentition and correlate it with gender among pre-school and school children of Hazaribag city of Jharkhand. A total of 408 children participated in the study. Out of which, 202 children of 3-5 years age and 206 children of 7-11 years were selected from schools in Hazaribag city of Jharkhand., India, and their occlusion was recorded based on the terminal planes. Data were statistically analysed applying Chi-square test using SPSS software. The most prevalent occlusion seen in the present study for Primary Dentition was Mesial Step plane (69.3%) followed by Flush Terminal plane (28.7%) and Distal Step (2%) respectively and the results were statistically significant. A significant correlation was also noted with gender. Males showed more Mesial Step plane (72.6%) than females (65.6%) and order of occurrence of occlusion was same in both the sexes. The most prevalent occlusion seen in the present study for Mixed Dentition was Class I (94.7%) followed by Class II (4.4%) and Class III (0.9%) respectively and the results were statistically significant. A non-significant correlation was also noted with gender. Males showed slightly more Class I (94.8%) than females (94.5%) and order of occurrence of occlusion was same in both the sexes. The Mesial Step plane is significantly more prevalent in preschool children and Class I occlusion is significantly more prevalent in school children of Hazaribagh.