Preschool Education Program Research Articles

Relationship between financial literacy of preschool children and their parents

Introduction. The intensive development of the financial services market, optimal financial relations, which characterize the socio-economic situation in the modern world, require the improvement of the quality of education. The social order of the education system is a competitive member of society with a developed economic thinking and the ability to solve emerging problems in a constantly changing environment. Of particular importance is the task of developing financial literacy at the stage of preschool childhood, when children are just beginning to form ideas about financial categories. The purpose of this article was to identify the relationship between the levels of development of financial literacy in children and their parents. Materials and methods. The study involved 226 children of senior preschool age and their parents in the amount of 134 people. The main method for studying the financial literacy of older preschool children was a survey conducted on the basis of A.A. Smolentsev, modified by us. In order to identify the level of financial literacy of parents, we used a survey. For statistical processing of the obtained results, the Pearson correlation coefficient was used. Results. A high level of financial literacy was shown by 13% of six-year-old children: they explained the meaning of financial concepts, showed a steady interest in the work of their parents. 57% of children were at the average level. The existing representations of preschoolers were characterized as fuzzy and superficial. A low level was found in 30% of respondents. Preschoolers had no idea about the economic life of people. The results of the survey of parents showed the following: 12% of respondents were at a high level of financial literacy, 56% – at an average level and 32% – at a low level. A positive correlation was found between the levels of financial literacy of six-year-old children and their parents (p<0.05). Conclusion. The novelty of the study is to identify the relationship between the level of financial literacy of children and the specifics of economic literacy of their parents. The results obtained will improve the scientific and methodological support for the process of developing the basics of financial literacy in children of six years old, and can also be used in the development of preschool education programs.

Comparing Preschool Curricula of Turkey and Ohio in the Context of Value Education

This research has been performed in order to compare the preschool education in Turkey and Ohio early learning standards and the values in the introduction and objective section of both curricula. The study was carried out using document analysis. The data collected in the research covers the Preschool Curriculum of Turkey Ministry of National Education (MNE) 2013 and the Early Learning Standards of the USA, Ohio. The programs of both countries have been accessed through their official websites. In Turkey a single and joint program, prepared by the Ministry of Education, is used in Preschool education. In the state of Ohio, preschool education institutions organize their programs according to common standards. According to the survey, the values about Atatürk and being tidy exist only in the objectives of preschool education program in Turkey. The values of conservation of resources, conservation of natural life, cultural heritage, balance, and creativity are not included in the preschool curriculum objective statements of Turkey but they are integrated in the explanations. However, these values already exist in the Ohio early learning standards. On the other hand the values such as justice, scientific thought, courage, environmental awareness, effective and efficient use of language, discipline, etc. are included in the Ohio early learning standards.

A Systematic Literature Review of Structural Quality Policy Implementation in Public Preschools

The benefits of quality early childhood experiences are indisputable as more studies have demonstrated the positive results of high-quality early childhood care and education (ECCE) on child outcomes. These benefits have recently spurred many countries to prioritise preschool programmes in their national plans and pursue a quality preschool agenda. This systematic literature review (SLR) aimed to analyse the worldwide practice of policy implementation regarding public preschool structural quality and examine the related challenges. This paper was based solely on SLR, where the literature was examined via the Scopus and Web of Science databases and Google Scholar. The review adopted PRISMA Statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and thematic analysis was employed to analyse the relevant research papers. The SLR revealed that varying service quality was the main theme of global public preschool policy implementation. In many countries in the included articles, the preschool education programmes were conducted by multiple agencies, which resulted in varied quality of the service provided. In this study, the analysis revealed five main themes: wide-ranging policy aims, combined public and private funding, complex governance and management systems with mixed national and state involvement, persistent fragmented structural and organisational aspects between ECCE and primary schooling, and varied ECCE service regulation and quality assurance. Thus, future research is necessary to bridge the knowledge gap to examine policy implementation of structural quality, specifically in individual country settings.

Pre-School Teachers' Experiences in Astronomy Education

Astronomi konu ve kavramları çocukların her zaman ilgi odağında olan büyüleyici bir konu olmuştur. Bu sebeple okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin astronomi eğitimine yönelik deneyimlerini ortaya çıkarmak, nasıl etkinlikler tasarladıklarını ve bunları nasıl yürüttüklerini belirlemek, bu esnada kendilerini yeterli/yetersiz görmeleri ve bunun sebeplerini belirlemek önemlidir. Bu çalışmanın temel amacı okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin sınıflarında yaşadıkları astronomi eğitimine yönelik deneyimlerini ortaya çıkarmaktır. Araştırma Doğu Karadeniz Bölgesi’nde görev yapmakta olan 52 okul öncesi öğretmeni ile yürütülmüştür. Öğretmenlere veri toplamak amacıyla yarı yapılandırılmış mülakatlar aracılığıyla altı soru yöneltilmiş olup, bu veriler içerik analizi metodu ile analiz edilmiştir. Araştırmada çocukların öğretmenlerine astronomi konusunda en çok gök cisimleri ile ilgili sorular sorduğu, öğretmenlerin astronomi konu ve kavramlarını öğretirken kendilerini rahat ve mutlu hissettikleri bulunmuştur. Okul öncesi öğretmenleri okul öncesi eğitim programını astronomi konusunda yetersiz bulsa da büyük bir çoğunluğu bu eksikliği kendi tasarladıkları materyal ve etkinlikler sayesinde giderdiklerini ifade etmişlerdir. Bu sonuçlardan yola çıkarak okul öncesi eğitim lisans programında astronomi konu ve kavramlarına daha fazla yer verilmesi önerilebilir. Böylece örnek etkinlikler tasarlanması ve uygulanması öğretmen adaylarına ilerleyen yıllarda meslek hayatlarında fayda sağlayabilir.

The effect of STEM training practices developed for children on scientific process skills

This study was conducted to examine the effect of STEM education training practices developed for preschool children by the researcher on scientific process skills. The research is in the form of a quasi-experimental study. The research group consists of preschool children studying in the preschool classrooms of a primary school in 2020-2021. In the research, the "Preschool Scientific Process Skill Test " developed by Sahin, Yıldırım, Sürmeli, and Güven (2018) and the "General Information Form" developed by the researcher were used as data collection tools. At the beginning of the research, a pre-test was applied to each participant after obtaining the necessary permissions. STEM education training activities developed by the researcher were applied to the children in the experimental group during the research process; the daily education flow specified in the 2013 Preschool Education Program continued for the children in the control group. Independent groups T-Test was performed to reveal the difference between pre-test and post-test scores; paired sample T-Test was conducted to see if there was a significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores of experimental and control groups. T-Test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to see the effect of demographics on scientific process skills. According to the results of the analyses, no significant difference was found between pre-test scores; however, a significant difference was observed between post-test scores in favor of the experimental group. It was concluded that the developed STEM training practices positively affect the children's scientific process skills.

Values Education and Evaluation of Activities in Preschool Education Program in Turkey

This study aims to evaluate the views of preschool teachers about values education and activities in the preschool education program. Phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. The study group of our research consists of 15 pre-school teachers working in Nevşehir, Turkey. The data of the study were collected with semi-structured interview and analyzed by content analysis. The result of the research demonstrates that the teachers evaluated the values education in five main categories as “creating the foundation”, “educational process”, “behavior”, “responsibility” and “rules”. Some participants found the values education in the pre-school curriculum sufficient. The values that children learn most easily are love, respect, responsibility, tolerance, sharing, honesty and cooperation. In classroom practices, it was concluded that they generally teach the concepts of values education by using visual materials. The majority of the teachers participating in the research suggested that there should be cooperation with the family, teacher, school and environment regarding the values education in the pre-school education program. They also suggested that extra-class activities should be included in the program, in-service training, material support and practical activities should be given more time.

Developmental Outcomes of Anganwadi Children in Tribal Areas of Visakhapatnam District

The study aimed to assess the developmental outcomes of Anganwadi children in tribal areas of Visakhapatnam district. The sample consists of 120 Anganwadi children were selected from thirty Anganwadi centres. From each Anganwadi centre, four boys and four girls in the age group of 3-6 years were randomly selected. The findings revealed that most of the Anganwadi children were in the age group of 4 - 6 years and maximum percentages (42%) of children were found in the class of UKG (Upper Kindergarten). The majority of the children (67%) belong to the nuclear type family. More than half (65.9%) of the children are able to complete the task on overall developmental outcomes of children based on child assessment cards (3-6 years). Boys and girls performed almost equally in all areas of development. Girls performed better than boys in the area of physical (40%), cognitive (12.5%), socio-emotional development (39.1%) and creativity (36.7 %). Boys performed better than girls in the area of language development (20 %) only. The present study's findings showed a gap in the implementation of the preschool curriculum by Anganwadi workers based on their knowledge levels of curriculum and children's developmental outcomes. Hence measures should be taken by the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) to improve the implementation status of preschool curriculum by Anganwadi workers. Majorly, more focus should be provided on preschool education (PSE) programmes along with other services such as nutrition, growth monitoring, referral services, parent education programme and health services provided at Anganwadi centres. As the Anganwadi workers have more additional workloads, it is difficult for them to focus on the implementation of the curriculum. So, one more helper can be recruited by the government to carry out additional duties of the Anganwadi worker. More preschool education training or Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE) training should be conducted to enhance the growth & developmental need of children in an effective manner.

Preschool Teacher Candidates’ Ability to Design STEM-Focused Activities and Attitudes towards STEM

This study aimed to determine preschool teacher candidates’ ability to design Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-focused activities and their attitudes towards STEM. The research method of the study was determined as a case study. The study was carried out with 35 preschool teacher candidates in the 3rd grade of the Preschool Education program. In the study, it was seen that the preschool teacher candidates had prepared the STEM activities at the end of the 14-week STEM education given to them, and they were able to design a sufficient level of activity. In addition, it is seen that the 14-week training provided has a positive effect on their attitudes towards STEM. However, this period is not sufficient to develop attitudes. Therefore, it can be suggested to examine attitudes towards STEM in longer periods. Keywords: ability to design STEM-focused activities, attitude towards STEM, preschool teacher candidates, STEM-focused activity, STEM education

An Investigation of Preschool Level Out-of-Class Education Activities in Finland, Estonia, Ireland, and Turkey within the Framework of 21st Century Skills

The skills and competencies to be acquired in the 21st century are collected under these topics: learning and innovation skills; life and career skills; information, media and technology skills. The changes taking place in the world, in information technologies and global transformation, have promoted the development of different approaches, models, skills, and various learning theories in education. One of the prominent features shaping this period is the acquisition of these desired skills from the pre-school period, and this acquisition occurs through providing children with different experiences and offering rich environments and materials to children. In this respect, the activities carried outdoors have gained as much significance as in-class activities. This study aims to compare the 21st-century skills-based outdoor educational activities in Finland, Estonia, Ireland, and Turkey. In this respect, the horizontal and diagnostic approach used in comparative education studies is applied in combination. Document analysis is used in this research to gather data on the objectives of the countries regarding preschool out-of-class education as well as out-of-class education environments; the activities, modules, and assessment methods used were obtained from Finland, Estonia, Ireland, and Turkey’s Ministry of Education websites, countries’ laws on education, official pre-school education reports, education systems, articles, and online databases, etc. Among the countries examined, Finland, Estonia, and Ireland have learning modules related to out-of-class learning activities, which indicates that these countries have more options and thus a greater variety of out-of-class activities and environments. It also indicates that out-of-class education activities are carried out more extensively in these countries. It has been concluded that Ireland has more out-of-class learning activities in number and a number of the activities address a higher number of developmental areas. However, it has also been revealed that there is no module, program, or booklet for out-of-class learning activities in Turkey. From this point of view, the recommendation is for Turkish education to create a preschool education program module with out-of-class activities to adapt the Turkish preschool education program to the imperatives of contemporary learning outcomes.

Prospective Pre-School Teachers’ Distance Education Perspectives

Background: Distance education is a science-based system that supports learner independence through technology. Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the distance education system according to the experiences of prospective teachers studying the preschool education curriculum. Methodology/Approach: The research was conducted with a phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods. In this research, the study group was formed by selecting a number of first, second and third grade students on the preschool education programme to represent the study universe, and the study group of the research was determined with the stratified sampling method of non-probability sampling. The research data were collected through focus group interviews using a telecommunication tool. The collected data were analysed using the content analysis method. Findings and Discussion: According to the research findings, the prospective preschool teachers stated that the distance education system had a positive effect on the learning process in terms of convenience, saving time and money, use of technology, and flexibility. The participants reported that the distance education system affected them positively in terms of use of technology, self-discovery, time saving, acquisition of research skills and motivation, whereas it affected them negatively with regard to inefficiency, lack of communication, internet problems, and deterioration in social skills.

The Effects of the Mathematics Education Program Supported by Stories on the Mathematical Skills of 48'60-Month-old Children

This study aims to develop a mathematics education program supported by stories for 48–60-month-old children attending pre-school education institutions and examine its effect on children's early mathematics skills. The study group consists of 48–60-month-oldchildren who continue pre-school education in an independent kindergarten affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Usak province, in 2020-2021.The study was carried out with 33 children, 18 in the experimental and 15 in the control group. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design with a control group was used in the study. Test of Early Mathematics Ability -3 (TEMA-3), developed by Ginsburg and Barody, was used to collect data. The test's adaptation, validity, and reliability to 48-60-month-old Turkish children had been conducted by Seker (2013). Regarding data collection, TEMA-3 was administered as a pre-test to the experimental and control group students before implementing the program. After the pre-test, the "Mathematics Education Program Supported by Stories" was instructed to the experimental group three (3) days a week for eight (8) weeks. During the implementation, "Mathematics Education Program Supported by Stories" was instructed to the children in the experimental group by the researcher; the daily education flow specified in the 2013 Pre-School Education Program was continued for the control group children. The data obtained from the research were analyzed with the SPSS statistical program. Independent and dependent t-tests were used to test the difference between the pre-test and post-test between and within groups. Based on the findings obtained from the analyzes, there was no significant difference between the pre-test scores. However, there was a significant difference between the post-test scores in favor of the experimental group. It was concluded that the mathematics education program supported by stories effectively improved children's mathematics skills.

On creating a framework for teaching children’s literature in ELTE TÓK’s international pre-school programme

This study discusses pre-school teacher training of an exceptional kind in Hungary while additionally providing an overview of the underlying situation. In the light of current thinking in teacher education with a special focus on teaching literature for undergraduate students, a framework for the children’s literature course shall be introduced. The proposed framework takes the course requirements into consideration adapts the course material to the background knowledge and future needs of the English language Pre-School Education Programme students. Such a course had not existed earlier. The operative course documents and requirements had exclusively been written in Hungarian and specifically designed for the Hungarian Pre-School Education Programme students and context.

Intergrating STEAM Education in Organization of Activities for Children to be Confidental with Literature Works in Kindly School

Literature has great significance in early childhood education. Introducing children to literary works plays an important role in the preschool education program. Integrating STEAM education in preschool activities in teaching literary works is considered an effective method of educational improvement, in line with the innovation requirements in teaching specific subjects. This teaching approach brings many practical values not only for learners but also for teachers. Through studying the theoretical and practical basis of STEAM education in preschool education, the article explains the suitability of integrating STEAM education in teaching literary works, thereby proposing a practical process. The current paper proposes the integration of STEAM education in organizing activities to familiarize children with literary works in preschool.

Preschoolers' Attitudes, School Motivation, and Executive Functions in the Context of Various Types of Kindergarten.

European policy has seen a number of changes and innovations in the field of early childhood preschool education over the last decade, which have been reflected in various forms in the policies of individual EU countries. Within the Czech preschool policy, certain innovations and approaches have been implemented in the field of early children education, such as the introduction of compulsory preschool education before entering primary school from 2017, emphasis on inclusive education, equal conditions in education and enabling state-supported diversity in the education concepts of kindergartens. The aim of our study was to assess the influence of various preschool education systems in the Czech Republic in the context of psychological variables reflecting selected children’s outcomes which may contribute to future school achievement. The monitored variables were the attitudes, motivations and executive functions of children in the last year of preschool education. A comparison was made between the traditional preschool education program and the so-called alternative types of preschool education, such as Montessori, Waldorf and religious schools. The total sample was divided into four subgroups, namely a group of children attending traditional kindergartens (731, 84.9%), religious (65, 7.5%), Montessori (35, 4.1%), and Waldorf (30, 3.5%) kindergartens. To determine empirical data, the following research methods were used: Attitude Questionnaire, School Performance Motivation Scale, and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). The results of our survey show the fact that the type of kindergarten attended has a significant effect on the child’s level of school performance motivation, attitudes toward school as well as executive functions. Significant differences were found between the different types of kindergartens attended in the monitored variables.

Investigation of environmental awareness and attitudes of children attending nature centred private kindergartens and public kindergartens

AbstractThe aim of the research is to examine the environmental awareness and attitudes towards the environment of 5–6-year-old children attending nature-centred private kindergartens and public kindergartens. The study group of the descriptive research that used a screening model consists of 48 children from nature-centred Private Maki Kindergartens and 48 children from public kindergartens in the province of Balikesir in the 2020–2021 academic year. A Personal Information Form and Environmental Awareness and Attitude Scale for Preschool Children, developed by Soydan and Samur (International Electronic Journal of Environmental Education, 7(1), 78–97, 2017) for 60–72 months old children, were used in the study. The scale consists of two sub-dimensions as Attitude Towards Environment (15 items) and Environmental Awareness (11 Items) and 26 pictures. The Cronbachαcoefficients of the Environmental Awareness (.74) and Attitude (.78) Scale for Preschool Children and the overall scale (.82) were calculated. The data were collected by the researcher through one-on-one meetings with each child. The mean, mode, median, skewness and kurtosis values of the variables in the study were calculated. To determine whether the environmental awareness and environmental attitudes of the study group differ according to the school they attend, independent samplest-test was conducted. According to the results of the research, a significant difference was found in environmental attitudes and environmental awareness of children in nature-centred kindergartens compared to children in public kindergartens. Children attending public schools are less exposed to the environment. Preparing the Pre-School Education Program in an environment-friendly manner to increase the environmental awareness of children attending public schools will be effective in terms of making a difference in their attitudes towards the environment.

Improving Body Representation and Motor Skills with a Preschool Education Program: A Preliminary Study.

Background: Body representation is described as a fundamental ability to build efficient motor skills. However, no structured and evidence-based program on body representation currently exists. This study assesses the effectiveness of a school-based body representation program (ENCOR: EN for ‘Enfant’ and COR for ‘Corps’ in French) on body representation abilities and motor skills in preschool children. ENCOR focus on body representation abilities as a foundational ability for motor skills. It was designed with teachers and occupational therapists to be autonomously achieved by teachers. Methods: Twenty-three children aged 5–6 years were included and provided with education interventions (control versus ENCOR). Results: Body representation accuracy and precision in localization increased by about 20% and 37%, respectively, in the intervention program compared to the control intervention. In the body part naming task, participants performed fewer of the most frequent errors (i.e., from 198 to 116 left-right discrimination errors). As expected, performance in the body representation tasks and the motor skills tasks were correlated at baseline. We show that motor skills improved after the ENCOR training. Conclusions: Given the need for evidence-based programs in schools, this program could efficiently help implementing body representation education on a large scale. Future studies should evaluate the effectiveness of the program on other cognitive abilities and academic outcomes.

Primena holističkog pristupa u praksi iz perspektive vaspitača

In the paper we present the results of a research on applying a holistic approach in practice from the perspective of preschool teachers. The research was conducted during the school year 2021/2022, on a sample of 229 in-service preschool teachers from Vojvodina. The subject of the research is the preschool teachers' self-evaluation of their own knowledge, skills, valye system, and motivation regarding the application of the holistic approach in teaching preschool children. The aim is to determine the current situation relative to using this approach, as well as individual actions (supporting, expanding, modeling, encouraging children's initiatives, consulting) incorporated in the new Foundations of the Preschool Education Program - Years of Ascent (Osnove programa predškolskog vaspitanja i obrazovanja - "Godine uzleta"), for early development and learning from the point of view of the preschool teachers. The obtained results indicate that preschool teachers generally agree that using the holistic approach during an early development of children contributes to children's welfare. When it comes to individual actions, the results show that preschool teachers use supporting the most and modeling the least in their everyday work. In addition, teachers evaluate modeling and expanding as the most significant, and consulting and encouraging the least significant actions based on the holistic approach in their work with children.

Управляющие функции мозга и готовность к систематическому обучению у старших дошкольников

It is known that the formation of executive functions (EF), which exert control over cognitive processes and behavior is crucial for children’s cognitive development and social adaptation. It has been shown that the efficiency of EF during the preschool period is a predictor of academic performance in primary and secondary school. However, it is still unknown to what extent the age and individual characteristics of EF during the preschool period determine children’s potential school readiness and success in mastering preschool educational programs. To address this issue, we conducted a comparative study using qualitative and quantitative neuropsychological tests. Children aged 5—6 (n=132, M=5.67±0.46 years) and 6—7 years (n=163, M=6.67±0.37 years) participated in the study. According to teachers’ estimates, both groups were subdivided into three subgroups of participants with low, medium and high school readiness. The statistical analysis showed that such cognitive functions as programming, selective regulation and control of behavior, working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility and sustained attention were developed significantly (ps<0.05-0.001) better in children with a high level of school readiness (compared to children with low and medium levels of school readiness).

FORMATION OF PRESCHOOLERS’ CREATIVITY BY MEANS OF MODERN GAME AND ART MATERIALS WITH MAGIC-EFFECT

The issue of preschool children’s creativity formation by means of game and art materials with magic-effect isconsidered in the paper.It has been found that, in the current conditions of globalization, the child starting from their first year is surrounded by an environment filled with various processes, problems, changes, and transformations. It highlights the need and importance of creativity formation starting from preschool age. The modern information society places high demands on the competence of the younger generation and actively influences its formation. The paper provides a brief analysis of the regulatory framework on this issue. It has been found that the Law of Ukraine on Preschool Education (2021), the Basic Component of Preschool Education (2021), complex and partial programs proclaim creativity formation as a key quality of personality starting from preschool childhood. It has been found that a number of Ukrainian scientists dedicate their scientific and pedagogical research to the essence of the categories ‘creativity,’ ‘older preschool children’s creativity.’The article identifies and characterizes the creative potential of the modern game and art material with magiceffect (light boards, markers, and luminous paints). Educators of preschool educational institutions are offered to use game methods and techniques with preschool children.

Emotional and Cognitive Development of Preschool Children: Overview of International and Russian Studies on Role of Dialectical Thinking in the Regulation of Affect and Recognition of Complex Feelings

The article contains an overview of studies on the problem of emotional and cognitive development of preschool children (43 papers, including 6 in Russian and 37 in English) conducted in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Spain, Germany, Norway, Russia, etc). Special attention is paid to works that consider the reflexive aspect of childrens experiences characterized by duality, inconsistency and multypositionality, which makes it possible to identify and trace the line of dialectical transformations based on preschool childrens emotional experiences. The following statements are formulated as key conclusions: (1) dialectical thinking can be considered as a cognitive mechanism necessary for the analysis of complex, ambivalent and hidden feelings; (2) the unit of cognitive and affective development is experience, which involves reliance on an internal dialectical structure; (3) a two-position perspective in the game activity is a condition for forming preschool childrens dialectical thinking operations, which in turn can become a cognitive mechanism for regulating affect; (4) the cognitive basis of the emotional anticipation phenomenon includes a mental action of changing the alternative, which is in the zone of proximal development of preschool children and allows adults to use it as a mechanism of emotional co-regulation; and (5) philosophical dialog practices, which imply a discussion of problematic-contradictory content with preschoolers and are aimed at forming in them such actions of dialectical thinking as transformation, mediation and change of alternatives. These provisions represent are an effective tool for developing the ability to distinguish dual complex feelings and analyze their causes and consequences. The results of the work can serve as a basis for creating and implementing conceptually new preschool education programs aimed at both the creative and emotional development of children, where dialectical thinking is considered, inter alia, as an ability necessary for regulating affect and helping children to experience and cope with complex conflicting feelings.