Preschool Teachers Research Articles

Mental Health of Preschool Teachers in Japan During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mental Health of Preschool Teachers in Japan During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Environmental education in preschool teacher training program: A systematic review

Environmental education in preschool teacher training program: A systematic review

Investigating Preschool Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Number Comparison

ABSTRACT Research Findings: The aim of this study was to investigate U.S. preschool teachers’ math pedagogical content knowledge in number comparison. Seventy-four in- and pre-service teachers completed a set of scenario-based questions from a researcher-designed questionnaire that is composed of learning scenarios. Through a mixed-method approach, the study revealed the following findings: a considerable portion of participants (89%) successfully identified the concept of number comparison embedded in a learning scenario, showcasing their specialized content knowledge. However, when it came to knowledge of content and students, only 24 participants (32%) were able to pinpoint both a child’s mathematical strength and area of need. In terms of knowledge of content and teaching, more than half of the participants (51%) recommended the utilization of hands-on materials and/or visual aids as part of their remediation techniques, while 49% did not reference these educational tools. Notably, no significant differences were observed between the pedagogical content knowledge of pre-and in-service teachers concerning number comparison. Practice or Policy: The findings indicate that teacher education and professional development should focus on helping teachers understand children’s learning trajectories on number comparison and include instructions on using concept specific developmentally appropriate strategies, and indicate that teaching experience cannot replace professional training.

Insights gained from a cultural adaptation of preschool promoting alternative thinking strategies©: the importance of teachers' cultures as an implementation driver.

Cultural adaptation of interventions is complex and yet vital to achieving the intended benefits of interventions with new populations. However, little is known regarding deliverers' perceptions of cultural adaptation and when a cultural adaptation process can be considered complete. The purpose of this study was to explore aspects of cultural adaptation that need further attention in an intervention that had undergone an initial cultural adaptation. Four focus groups (FGs) were conducted with preschool teachers who had worked with a culturally adapted version of preschool Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS©) in Sweden for approximately 6 months. In total, 16 teachers from eight preschools were included, with 3-5 teachers in each group. All FGs were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis with an inductive approach was applied to the transcribed data. Three themes were identified where teachers described the need for further cultural adaptation for the intervention to align with personal and societal fundamental cultural values and be useful for their work as teachers in the Swedish preschool setting. The themes pertained to culturally adapting a manual-based intervention to a foundational, value-based approach, such as the practical application of core values and the steering documents of the Swedish preschool. Furthermore, the practical function of the culturally adapted intervention in the new cultural context revealed a further need to adjust materials and activities in interaction with the children. Finally, the prerequisites within the Swedish cultural setting, including resources and collaboration with parents as part of the work structure for preschool teachers in Sweden, needed further attention in relation to the intervention. The findings of this study highlight the importance of the deliverer in the cultural adaptation process in addition to adaptations that focus on end users (children in the case of preschool PATHS). Furthermore, the study indicates a need for a more open-ended view of the cultural adaptation process for interventions than perhaps previously described in models of cultural adaptation of interventions.

Preschool teachers’ perspectives about diversity in nation-state country: a glimpse from Türkiye

PurposeThis study aims to investigate preschool teachers' perspectives on diversity in the unique educational context of Türkiye, a nation-state often underrepresented in the predominantly Western-centric diversity literature.Design/methodology/approachRecognizing teachers as critical content integrators, the study involved semi-structured interviews to explore their views on diversity within early childhood education.FindingsAnalysis of the interviews revealed two key themes: first, the challenge of maintaining nation-state ideology, where teachers balance fostering a national identity with acknowledging diverse cultural backgrounds; and second, a willingness among educators to embrace diversity, highlighting their efforts to create inclusive, multicultural classrooms.Practical implicationsThe authors call for developing context-specific teacher education programs addressing diversity in depth, equipping teachers to effectively promote context-specific multicultural education that would be different from Western countries.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is original in researching preschool teachers’ understandings of multicultural education in a nation-state country.

Changes in observed and self-reported emotion-focused teaching: Coaching in the context of an early childhood alternative licensure program

Preschool teachers’ emotion-focused teaching (modeling of, responding to, and instructing about emotions) is associated with children’s observed and teacher-reported expression and regulation skills, as well as their engagement with peers and learning tasks. The present study reports findings from an alternative licensure program in which teachers receive coaching during a residency on how to support children’s social and emotional development through emotion-focused teaching. Using baseline and post- observed and self-reported emotion-focused teaching from two cohorts of teacher residents (N = 65), we examined the extent to which emotion-focused teaching changed as a function of the number of coaching feedback sessions each teacher received as well as coaching modality, duration, and topical focus. Findings indicated that teachers improved in their observed and self-reported emotion-focused teaching, but characteristics of the feedback sessions were not individually associated with these improvements. Impact statementEarly educators play a significant role in promoting children’s emotional competence, especially in early childhood. Unfortunately, teachers receive little training on how to do so except through delivering curricula. This study assesses a new licensure program for early educators that uses flexible, individualized coaching to promote emotion-focused teaching. Participating preschool teachers significantly improved their emotion-focused teaching and were highly satisfied with the program overall. These findings can inform decisions by policy-makers and higher-education administrators as they seek to address critical shortages in skilled, emotionally attuned educators to meet the needs of young children.

Relationship between emotional labor and job satisfaction: a study on preschool teachers

Relationship between emotional labor and job satisfaction: a study on preschool teachers

Emotion socialization in early childhood education and care – How preschool teachers support children's emotion regulation

Children’s emotional experiences during early childhood education and care (ECEC) are important for children’s emotional development and the socialization of this development by teachers. One central goal of emotion socialization is that it should help children acquire reflective regulation of their emotions, resulting in socially acceptable and age-appropriate experience and behavior. The current study is based on emotionally challenging situations of children in ECEC and aims at investigating, first, associations of teachers’ emotion coaching and co-regulation with children’s self-regulation, and, second, how teachers’ emotion coaching and co-regulation are linked with characteristics of the specific emotion episode and the involved child. Based on extensive video observations in the preschool setting (N = 19 groups), this study analyzed episodes with teacher interventions (N = 48 teachers) following a negative emotion expression by one or two children (N = 213 children aged 2–6 years old). Multilevel results show, first, that teachers’ initial emotion coaching and co-regulation through meta-cognitive prompts were associated with children’s independent self-regulation. Second, teachers’ emotion coaching and co-regulation were systematically associated with characteristics of the emotion episode, especially emotion quality and intensity. The findings support the assumption that emotion coaching and co-regulation are especially valuable tools to support self-regulation. However, emotion coaching and the different co-regulation levels and strategies do not turn out to be universal strategies that are used indiscriminately, but teachers use them depending on individual child and situational characteristics.

Exploring Global Education in Early Childhood: Preschool Teachers' Perspective

The need for education to emphasize global perspectives is evident as globalisation increasingly permeates our daily lives, cultural interactions and ethnic diversity gain prominence. This study aims to explore the role of global education in the preschool years. Specifically, the present study examines the perspectives of preschool educators. Using a basic qualitative research design, this study involved 36 preschool teachers from different cities in Turkey. Convenience sampling was used to form the participant cohort. Data collection consisted of a personal information survey and a carefully designed semi-structured interviewing protocol developed by the researchers. Content analysis using MAXQDA software was used to analyse the data. The results of the analysis revealed that the educators had a foundational knowledge of the nature, content, pedagogical approaches and potential outcomes of global education in the context of early childhood education. At the same time, educators articulated potential challenges in implementing global education. They also identified potential needs for additional training and material support.

A Mixed Methods Exploration of Young Women's Agency and Mental Health during COVID-19 in Low-Income Communities in Mumbai, India.

Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in India face additional health inequities compared to their male peers, as gender norms constrain agency for prevention and self-care. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns deepened health inequities and often worsened mental health, but the impacts on agency are unclear. This exploratory sequential mixed methods paper examined mental health and COVID-19 elements that exacerbated or mitigated adverse consequences for AGYW in low-income communities in Mumbai. We conducted semi-structured interviews with AGYW (aged 15-25 years; N = 60) and adults (parents, healthcare providers, community-based organization representative; N = 30). We administered a structured survey to AGYW (N = 150) to assess health concerns, depression and anxiety symptoms (using the PHQ-8 and GAD-7 scales), and experiences during COVID-19. We analyzed qualitative data using the constant comparative approach in Atlas.ti, and quantitative data using R and SPSS. Qualitative data revealed that AGYW faced stressors and had limited agency during lockdowns due to limited access to education, financial insecurity, and community violence. Quantitative data indicated that limited agency in the context of COVID-19 was significantly associated with depression and anxiety. Financial resources to address COVID-19 created new employment and leadership opportunities for AGYW to become COVID educators and preschool teachers; participation in these opportunities was associated with less anxiety. Pandemic stress was difficult for low-income AGYW in Mumbai. Mitigating programs for COVID-19 control helped address acute needs and enable capabilities. Exploring similar themes among a broader population of youth can help design strategies and opportunities for young people in low-income communities during health emergencies.

The Exploration of Immersion Language Learning and Methods to Children's Preliminary Words Acquisition

This paper respectively pinpoints on the most EFFECTIVE and the most NATURAL approach for children to learn. In my paper, scientific experiments in four different ways of gaining basic vocabulary will be carried out and an interview with preschool teachers focusing on pronunciation will be conducted in this study. Moreover, Phonological Awareness Quick Assessment is utilized in the research to examine the standard level of each kid before the initiation of the experiment. This study reveals that the mix of regular letter-oriented word memorization and immersion English learning is the most natural way for preschoolers to learn English words while the combination of immersion and phonics-oriented word memorization method is the most effective one. As for its significance, apart from being helpful for teachers to realize whether they should change approaches to teaching preschoolers to memorize words the paper also gives directions to parents to understand whether they are supposed to adjust their strategies to assist and guide their kids to learn better for themselves.

ẢNH HƯỞNG CỦA THÁI ĐỘ MÔI TRƯỜNG ĐẾN NIỀM TIN VỀ GIÁO DỤC MÔI TRƯỜNG CỦA GIÁO VIÊN MẦM NON: SỬ DỤNG CÁCH TIẾP CẬN PLS-SEM

This study utilized a Structural Equation Modeling approach to model and measure the influence of environmental attitudes and preschool teachers' beliefs regarding environmental education. Data was collected from 324 preschool teachers in Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City through an online questionnaire. SmartPLS software was used for data analysis. The results indicated that the environmental attitudes of preschool teachers have a significant, positive, and strong influence on their beliefs regarding environmental education, with path coefficients valued at 0.734 (p < 0.05), the model's explanatory power of 0.539, and the effect size of 1.170. In addition, this study provided reliability and validity scales for environmental attitudes and preschool teachers' beliefs regarding environmental education. These findings imply that it is necessary to cultivate and enhance a positive attitude toward the environment among preschool teachers through initial preschool teacher training and professional development for in-service preschool teachers. This will help solidify their beliefs about environmental education. Keywords: Environmental attitudes; teachers’ beliefs; environmental education; early childhood education.

THIẾT KẾ TRÒ CHƠI HỌC TẬP GIÚP TRẺ MẦM NON LÀM QUEN BIỂU TƯỢNG TOÁN VỚI SỰ HỖ TRỢ CỦA PHẦN MỀM WORDWALL

Digital game-based learning is gradually becoming a trend in education, with certain positive impacts. Thanks to the game element, children's learning process becomes easier and more enjoyable. This study surveyed over 100 preschool teachers in Hue city, Thua Thien Hue province, to clarify the importance of applying technology software in designing educational games. Consequently, the process of designing and using educational games to help children become familiar with Math symbols is proposed based on Wordwall software. The proposed process received strong agreement from preschool teachers. To use Wordwall software-based games effectively in math familiarization activities, teachers need to be flexible and proactive in selecting games that are appropriate for the lesson’s objectives and content as well as the characteristics of preschool children. This study serves as a useful tool to support preschool teachers in designing educational games in general and educational games for familiarizing children with mathematical symbols in particular. Keywords: Educational games; Mathematical symbols; Wordwall; technology software; Thua Thien Hue

THỰC TRẠNG NHẬN THỨC VÀ THỰC HÀNH CỦA GIÁO VIÊN MẦM NON VỀ PHÁT TRIỂN KHẢ NĂNG SÁNG TẠO CHO TRẺ MẪU GIÁO THÔNG QUA HOẠT ĐỘNG KHÁM PHÁ KHOA HỌC

This study aims to investigate the current state of perception and practice of nurturing creativity for preschoolers in organizing science exploration activities at some preschools in Hue City, Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam. A quantitative survey method using a questionnaire was conducted with 54 preschool teachers from two preschools. Results show that most teachers have a comprehensive understanding of the importance of fostering creativity in science exploration activities for preschoolers. Additionally, teachers recognized the manifestations of creativity in children during these activities and actively apply various measures to stimulate creativity in children. The study also indicated a correlation between teachers' perception and practice in developing creativity for children through organizing science exploration activities. Although the research findings are quite positive, this study also emphasizes the necessity of nurturing preschool teachers in specific techniques for organizing scientific exploration activities to stimulate creativity in preschool children. Keywords: Teachers; science exploration; preschool; creativity.

Developing the music listening skills test (MLST) for pre-school and elementary school teacher candidates

In this study, it was aimed to develop a music listening skill test for primary school teacher candidates to determine their levels of perception of basic musical structures through listening. A total of 260 teacher candidates studying in the department of primary education (early childhood and elementary education) of a public university in Türkiye formed the study group of the research. KR-20 internal consistency coefficient of the Music Listening Skills Test (MLST) was determined as 0.731. The mean of the item difficulty index of the test is 0.60, and the mean of the item distinctiveness index is 0.38. The MLST consists of a total of 27 questions with 53 listening contents converted into audio files in MP3 format to be played by the practitioner. The MLST can be used as a preliminary assessment tool in studies on the development of musical competencies. In addition, the musical structures in the test content can be handled in the music education processes of teacher candidates. Assessing music listening skills can also make it easier to follow the steps to be followed in the education of teacher candidates. In this way, educational contents can be developed and music education programs can be updated.

Children health learning through Project Based Learning (PBL) in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Malaysia

Children who learn through Project-Based Learning (PBL) in preschool can be an environment that gives children the opportunity to gain wider knowledge to understand the reality of life and how to deal with it. This study aims to see the effect of the Project Based Learning (PBL) method on the development level of preschool children's health learning. This study used an action research design involving three boys and three-year-old girls from a preschool in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Data from observations, interviews and related documents were collected and analyzed narratively before and after the implementation of PBL. The results of the study found that the development level of children's health learning increased after being directly involved in the implementation of PBL. Findings also show positive behavioral changes. In addition, the study successfully gave positive implications to the need for preschool teachers to be exposed to the skills of the PBL method in order to create more effective teaching methods.

Hindrance stressors and turnover intentions among preschool teachers: The mediating role of work engagement and the moderating effect of meaningful work

BackgroundTeacher turnover in preschool settings poses significant challenges to educational quality and stability. Understanding the factors that influence turnover intentions is crucial for developing effective retention strategies. ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the relationships between hindrance stressors and turnover intentions among preschool teachers, with a particular focus on the mediating role of work engagement and the moderating effect of meaningful work. MethodsParticipants were recruited from Shanghai, China. The study involved 220 preschool teachers, with a mean age of 32.35 years, the majority of whom were female. All participants completed the Hindrance Stressors Scale, the Turnover Intention Scale, the Work and Meaning Inventory, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. ResultsFindings indicate a positive association between hindrance stressors and turnover intentions, partially mediated by decreased work engagement. Additionally, meaningful work was found to moderate the relationship between hindrance stressors and work engagement; it can mitigate the adverse effects of hindrance stressors on work engagement. ConclusionAddressing hindrance stressors and fostering work engagement and meaningful work are essential for mitigating turnover intentions. These insights offer valuable guidance for educational administrators in enhancing teacher retention and improving workplace well-being.

Exploring Preschool Teachers' Planning for the Implementation of Free Play Activities

Exploring Preschool Teachers' Planning for the Implementation of Free Play Activities

PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ VIEWS ON DIJITAL ADDICTION

The aim of this study is to show the views of pre-service teachers on digital addiction. The study group of the research consisted of Eskişehir Osmangazi University Education Faculty, social studies teacher, primary school mathematics teacher, English teacher, science teacher, special education teacher, classroom teacher, preschool teacher and psychological counseling and guidance (PDR) in the spring term of 2021-2022 academic year consists of 90 pre-service teachers studying at the 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades at the undergraduate level.Purposive sampling method was used while forming the study group of the research. As a data collection tool in the research, a semi-structured interview form, which was collected by e-mail in the online environment and formed by taking expert opinion, was used.The There have been a number of attempts by pre-service teachers to reduce digital addiction and they have often been unsuccessful. Analysis was used in the analysis of the data. Findings show that the students generally evaluated themselves as addicted. The students participating in the research stated that they spend most of their time in the digital environment for research, doing homework, communicating, following social media, shopping online, watching TV series and movies, listening to music and playing games.The students participating in the study stated that digital addiction caused them to disrupt their responsibilities and There have been a number of attempts by pre-service teachers to reduce digital addiction and they have been unsuccessful.

Understanding the Development of Professional Identity in Chinese Preservice Preschool Teachers: A Longitudinal Study

Understanding the Development of Professional Identity in Chinese Preservice Preschool Teachers: A Longitudinal Study