Preschool Education Students Research Articles

The (Co-)Construction of Knowledge within Initial Teacher Training: Experiences from Croatia

“Learning by doing” within and together with a “community that learns” ought to become the fundamental method of learning – not only for children, but also for their teachers and other participants in the educational process. To what extent are students of early and preschool education involved in such work methods, and what have their experiences been like?An example of a research-based, reflective approach to practice grounded in action research and the co-construction of knowledge with students shall be presented as an example of quality practice at the Faculty of Teacher Education in Rijeka. Such a form of practice creates knowledge through the action itself and through contemplation of one’s actions and the actions of others, all with the purpose of strengthening the practical competencies of future teachers. Our conclusion is that mutual learning, as propounded by the social constructivist approach to education, within the context of the mutual discussions between students and teachers that we organized directly contributed to the development of (self-)reflectioncompetencies among future teachers, while also immersing all participants in an environment conducive to deliberation and the (re)definition of oneself and one’s own pedagogical work.

The Role of School Activities in Training /Development of the Professional Skills Specific for the Teaching Profession

The present study aims to analyze the role of teaching and research activities in developing professional skills of preschool and primary education students (license cycle). For this, the study aims to identify students’ perceptions about the role of school activities in professional skills training. In this respect, the study examines some educational variables determinative for the training and development of professional skills, namely teaching contents analyzed as subjects in the curriculum, teaching practice, research activities in which students are involved, specific educational activities (student scientific sessions, school competitions, organizing the activity with students of primary and preschool etc.).

How Students of Preschool Education Perceive Their Play Competences – An Analysis of Their Involvement in Children’s Play

Preschool teachers play a very important but highly sensitive role in preschool children’s play. It is therefore very important to build their play competences in a quality way. As this is not easily achieved, the main objective of the present study was to analyse the roles of students of preschool education in children’s play. The study included 36 students enrolled at the Faculty of Teacher Education in Rijeka, Croatia. Through a qualitative analysis of the students’ preparations for their practice, it was determined that the majority of students use didactic play and play with rules with children. Although the students demonstrated the expected role in children’s play, which positively influenced the educational work and the overall well-being of the children, some of the students were not decisive. Thus, the question arises as to how to improve the acquisition of play competences in students of preschool education.

Las TIC en la formación universitaria. Logros y desafíos para la formación en psicología y educación

The present study aims to develop significant learning in college students through active and participative learning methods that promote autonomy and self-reflection. Study 1 aims to explore students´ perceptions of the use of clickers in Psychology students. Participants were 60 college students ages 19 to 26 (M = 21.12, SD = 1.47) who answered a 40-item multiple alternative likert-scale with additional open-ended questions. Results revealed perceived benefits (class dynamic, theory review and reinforcement), and perceived uses (debates, experiments, evaluations with immediate reinforcement, and knowledge verification). It is concluded that the use of clickers in undergraduate formation in Psychology is an effective tool to introduce IT to support students´ learning process. Study 2 is an exploratory study using flipped classroom with 5th semester preschool and primary education students, using active methods inside, and outside the classroom. Results revealed that college students tend to internalize better the theoretical concepts, and display better levels of motivation, as well as satisfaction with their achievements.

Efectos de la intervención en conciencia fonológica y velocidad de denominación sobre el aprendizaje de la escritura

The aim of this research was to analyze the causal effect that intervention on phonological awareness and naming speed could have on learning to write. A total of 271 students participate (138 experimental group and 133 control group). The experimental group received instructions on phonological awareness and naming speed throughout three courses, and the control group followed the official curriculum. The instructions given to students of pre-school education (4 and 5 years old) and first grade of primary school (6 years old), were evaluated in writing with standardized test three years later. The experimental group obtained higher scores than the control group in the phonological and rapid naming tasks. And more interesting, the experimental group obtained better results in writing tasks. These results have important theoretical implications, as they show the relationship between phonological awareness and naming speed in learning to write. There are also educational implications, since it provides guidelines to facilitate the learning of writing in the classroom.

Strategies of Emotion Regulation in Students - Future Human Relations Professionals

In the presented study, selected emotion regulation (ER) strategies were designed in accordance with Gross and Thompson’s model. Students of primary education (n = 116), social pedagogy (n = 72) and preschool education (n = 54) - future human relations professionals - assessed the frequency of the use and efficiency of these ER strategies. Students use various ER strategies, the most frequent and efficient being physical activation and social support, and the least frequent and efficient being substance use. Correlations between the use and efficiency of ER strategies within the groups of students are mostly moderately high or high. There are only a few differences between the student groups in terms of perception of the use and efficiency of ER strategies.

Psycho-Motor Education of the Pre-School Children - A Possibility for Qualitative Training

The present-day vigorous development of the scientific thought preconditions a directed and time-bound intervention into different fields of education for new generations as an immediate problem, beginning from the pre-school age, which the stage when the organized education starts. In these terms, the aim of this writing is to bring some qualitative training alternatives into the readers' attention, based on the theoretical-didactic references in the field of the pre-school children's psychomotor education. Also, by shedding light on the features and the elusiveness the children of this age bear, regarding motoric abilities, education and evolvement - seen as integrated with other fields of cognition, we are trying to bring forth some instances or models from the curricula and teaching sessions, urged by the desire to contribute to the preparation of the pre-school education teachers and students methodic activities in the domain of psychomotor education.

Live What You Teach & Teach What You Live: Student Views on the Acceptability of Teachers’ Value-Related Statements about Sustainability and Climate Change

This paper presents the results of a survey among pre-service and inservice students of pre-school education and students of environmental sciences on the acceptability of value-laden statements made by their teachers on issues of sustainable development and climate change. Fifteen statements were provided, and students had to choose among the options »acceptable statement«, »unacceptable statement« and »cannot decide«. The questionnaire was completed by 139 students from two universities in Slovenia. The results show that the students expect their teachers to promote the principles of sustainable development. The majority of students considered any teacher’s statement that would cast doubt on the cause or the necessity to act against climate change to be unacceptable. Teacher’s statements emphasising global issues that have, or could have, a direct impact on developed countries (e.g. climate change) received higher support than those global questions that more heavily impact underdeveloped or developing countries (e.g. poverty, child labour, access to natural resources). In the conclusion, it is emphasised that teachers should assist students in developing their own moral positions on complex issues such as sustainable development and climate change. Structured discussion techniques, such as a panel discussion, forum and debate, should be regularly and carefully implemented into lectures at the university level.

Achieving the Objectives of Arts and Cultural Education in Slovenian Pre-Service Teacher Training

The paper presents the results of research involving students from across Slovenia, exploring opinions on whether the objectives of arts and cultural education in their higher education have been met so far and their attitude towards education and the arts. The results of the research show that the general aims of arts and cultural education were more frequently incorporated in the study process than the aims relating to developing an attitude towards cultural heritage. Students from various study programs agree in particular on the need for team planning of the learning process, and on the importance of art education in the development of the individual’s creative potential. However, they agree less on measures aimed at improving the quality of art education and viewpoints relating to the content of future preschool and school teacher higher education. The results relating to the research aims also display statistically significant differences between study programs. Arts and cultural education in the education system was given higher importance by students of social sciences, preschool education and class teaching than by students of natural sciences.

Early Childhood Teachers' Opinions about and Suggestions for Inclusion Programs

The purpose of this study is to determine the opinions and suggestions of teachers about inclusion who works at five preschool education institutions and students with disabilities in their classes. Inductive research technique was used in this study and semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten teachers who had mainstreamed students in their classes. The data were analyzed with inductive analyze technique. As a result of the inductive analyze technique, the data were themed and the findings of the research were attained. Results showed that the teachers expressed positive opinions about the necessity of inclusion but they generally have problems about inclusion in their classes, schools and they are not satisfied with this implementation. Teachers expressed that they have very little knowledge about inclusion, this knowledge is inadequate for them and not having adequate knowledge caused them to be incapable about inclusion in their classes and face problems. The majority of the teachers who expressed that inclusion have lots of benefits for students with disabilities, also mentioned that it is not appropriate to include visually and severe mentally handicapped in the preschool education institutions, other students with disabilities should be accepted in inclusion as long as they can learn. Besides, as a result of the research it is revealed that the teachers emphasized that inclusion implemented in our country has lots of shortages and they have suggestions about inclusion with expectations from various foundations and individuals.

Initial Music Training of Generalist Kindergarten Teachers in Greece: What Do They Ask For and What Do They Receive?

This article investigates generalist kindergarten teachers’ academic music training based on data collected from students undertaking an undergraduate degree in preschool (kindergarten) education (students aged 4–6 years) in Greece. The study was carried out through a questionnaire survey that addressed students’ aspirations when entering the university and the real learning outcomes by the end of their studies. This article seeks to find relationships between students’ academic experiences and their level of confidence and enthusiasm to teach music in kindergarten. The findings suggest that higher education provides students with most of the learning outcomes that they anticipate. However, students lack adequate practical experiences in terms of observing lessons in real educational settings, which can significantly affect their confidence levels. Finally, the author explores some implications for higher education policy and teaching practice.

Towards an innovative model of teaching Greek traditional dances

This article describes an experiential qualitative research project related to dance education, in which the authors examine the effect of teaching Greek traditional dances to a group of students in a Preschool Teachers' Education department. The research process focuses on methodologies that can support Preschool Education students (future teachers) to utilize embodied-creative practices in learning traditional dances and, thus, to expand their views about culture as well. We would like to argue that dance education could be a means of self-knowledge, which contributes to self-development. This goal is approached by using an innovative model, which applies somatics along with creative dance methods in order to support students to explore traditional dance through movement improvisation. We also suggest that somatic practices are not to be considered as natural but culturally specific and developing in particular contexts. Indeed the findings illustrate that the practice gave students competence in involving themselves in a dialogue, through which they gained self-awareness in dance practice, they realized changes in body/mind perceptions and became confident both about their bodies and their cultural identity. The text is divided into the following sections: introduction, the aim of the study, the methodology of the study, findings, further considerations on the cultural construction of body movement, and epilogue.

Sexual-i-hablando, las representaciones sociales de las estudiantes de Educación Preescolar en relación con la Educación para la Sexualidad

Recibido 22 de noviembre 2006 • Aprobado 14 de marzo 2007
 
 
 
 La presente investigación aborda las representaciones que tienen las estudiantes de la carrera de Educación Preescolar de la División de Educación Básica (DEB), sobre el curso Educación para la Sexualidad, impartido en el IV nivel del Bachillerato, a partir de la información que tienen las estudiantes sobre la sexualidad y de las expectativas respecto a su práctica profesional en las aulas preescolares sobre la educación para la sexualidad, con el fin de reflexionar acerca del impacto en los niveles pedagógico y subjetivo de la propuesta metodológica y de contenidos. También, se sugieren estrategias didácticas áulicas y la consecuente incorporación de éstas de parte de las y los estudiantes en su práctica profesional.
 La metodología utilizada, desde el enfoque cualitativo, consideró adecuada la realización de entrevistas en profundidad, así como de relatos inducidos que dieran cuenta de las vivencias en torno a la educación para la sexualidad las dudas, temores, práctica docente y las estrategias para abordar la temática, entre otros.
 La investigación obtuvo como resultados una propuesta en contenidos y método para este curso. Además, una Prueba de Oraciones Incompletas (TOI), diseñado para conocer la información general que manejan las y los estudiantes que se matriculan en él, respecto de: la sexualidad, educación para la sexualidad, la sexualidad de las mujeres, la sexualidad de mujeres adolescentes, la sexualidad de las niñas, la sexualidad de los varones, sexualidad de varones adolescentes y la sexualidad de los niños.