Hong Kong kindergarten teachers' beliefs and practices regarding early childhood inclusive education

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsz-ying Poon
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Kindergarten Teachers ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Teachers Beliefs

The Importance of Future Kindergarten Teachers' Beliefs about the Usefulness of Games Based Learning

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dionysios Manessis
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Early Childhood Education ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
Kindergarten Teachers ◽  
Computer Usage ◽  
Learning Beliefs ◽  
Childhood Education ◽  
Education Data ◽  
Teachers Beliefs

This paper examines the importance of future kindergarten teachers' beliefs about the usefulness of Games Based Learning in Early Childhood Education. Data were collected by using questionnaires which were given to the participants at the end of an introductory level, Information and Communication Technologies course. The sample of this study was 200 students attending a Bachelor in Education degree at the faculty of Early Childhood Education, University of Athens, in Greece. Results indicated that the majority of the sample had very positive beliefs about the use of Games Based Learning in pre-school education. Most of the students agreed that educational digital games are a useful way to enhance young children's learning. Beliefs were significantly affected by: year of study, frequency of computer usage, experience in a pre-school classroom, previous experience in playing computer games, and previous courses about the use/integration of educational technologies in kindergarten classroom.

scholarly journals Teachers’ Practices in the Acquisition of English by Asian Immigrant English Language Learners

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (Number 1) ◽  
pp. 207-232
Author(s):  
Mazlina Che Mustafa ◽  
Nor Mashitah Md. Radzi ◽  
Abdul Halim Masnan ◽  
Juppri Bacotang ◽  
Zainiah Mohamed Isa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
English Language Learners ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
English Language ◽  
Early Childhood Teachers ◽  
Asian Immigrant ◽  
English Language Acquisition ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Teachers Beliefs

Purpose - The increase in the enrolments of immigrant children in New Zealand seems to have posed great challenges to early childhood education services when it comes to developing the children’s English language acquisition. This qualitative case study explored how New Zealand early childhood teachers develop the English language acquisition of Asian immigrant English language learners (ELLs). The theoretical framework of this research drew on a range of sociocultural perspectives, including sociocultural adaptation and acculturation strategies. Methodology - The main participants of this study were seven early childhood teachers and six Asian immigrant ELLs from two early childhood centres. Data on the teachers were collected through observations and semi-structured interviews. For each centre, observations were carried out over a six week period which enabled a series of snapshots of how the teachers developed the English language acquisition of the ELLs. Findings - Making interactions comprehensible for the ELLs is one of the main strategies used by the teachers in developing the acquisition of English language by the ELLs. In the process of teaching the English language to the ELLs, most of the teachers were observed to use certain strategies in making interactions comprehensible for them. The teachers highlighted the strategies and modifications they made in order to make their interactions comprehensible for the ELLs. During the interview, it was clearly seen that with better proficiency in the English language, the communication between the ELLs and their teachers improved. Therefore, the sociocultural adaptation process takes place in a smooth manner for both the ELLs and the teachers. Significance - The central significance of the finding is that through the exploration of New Zealand early childhood teachers’ beliefs and practices, important insights are offered which lead to the improvement of educational practices in early childhood settings for immigrant children in relation to English acquisition. While some of the teachers’ beliefs and practices may have facilitative or positive effects on English acquisition, others may bring debilitative or harmful effects. The findings also add to the existing body of knowledge on teachers’ beliefs and practices in developing English acquisition among the ELLs, particularly Asian children. In the New Zealand early childhood education context, the study provides a platform on how early childhood teachers in New Zealand could develop English acquisition among Asian immigrant ELLs, while valuing and understanding children’s cultural backgrounds.

scholarly journals Πρακτικές και αντιλήψεις εκπαιδευτικών για την προώθηση του εγγραμματισμού σε πολύγλωσσα εκπαιδευτικά περιβάλλοντα: Το παράδειγμα ενός νηπιαγωγείου

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 149
Author(s):  
Georgia-Vasiliki Serifi ◽  
Eleni Triantafyllopoulou ◽  
Maria Sfyroera
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Practices ◽  
Theoretical Orientation ◽  
Kindergarten Teachers ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Classroom Context ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Teachers Beliefs ◽  
Current Survey ◽  
Children's Literacy

The purpose of the current study is to investigate and highlight teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding the promotion of children’s literacy in a multicultural and multilingual environment. The research focuses on two kindergarten classrooms at a school located in the center of Athens. More specifically, the goals of this study were a) to compare the stated practices of the participating kindergarten teachers with their observed practices in the classroom context b) to establish whether the teachers’ theoretical orientation is consistent in practice with their adopted methods and c) to determine the extent to which those methods are adapted to the respective educational setting. The theoretical framework of the current survey follows the contemporary pedagogical approach to literacy. The following research materials are used: a) the observation and recording of teachers’ instructional practices, b) observation checklists pertaining to the students’ oral and written communication skills, completed directly by the teachers and analyzed in this research to examine the extent to which the teachers are aware of the particularities of their classes and c) semi-structured interviews that enable sound comparisons between the teachers’ convictions and instruction methods. The findings of this study show that both kindergarten teachers employ traditional methods of literacy in most of their instructional practices, even though they espouse -at least partially- modern pedagogical approaches, as revealed by the interviews. In addition, the checklists demonstrate that the teachers do not have a clear understanding of their classes’ unique characteristics, which could be one of the reasons for the observed inconsistency between teachers’ beliefs and practices.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document