With the growing recognition that teachers' decisions are guided by their thinking and knowledge, this study examines the educational principles of two experienced kindergarten teachers' classroom decisions and actions and shows how teachers' ideas are related to classroom practice. Data were collected from mid-March to early June and from late…

A number of environmental influences--social, cultural, political, economic, and personal--work against the development of sustained professional practice and a professional self-image in qualified staff in early child care centersin Australia. These influences derive from the low professional status of child care workers, the physical and…

This Australian study examined the attitudes of preservice early childhood teachers toward their male colleagues working in child care centers or preschool kindergartens. The study also investigated differences in perspectives between new students and graduating students, and whether students enrolled in child care courses held views different…

Recent changes in the field of early childhood education that suggest patterns of emerging professionalism in Australia are discussed. These changes include the following: (1) the development of a code of ethics for the Australian early childhood profession; (2) the transitions of training institutions into universities; (3) the development of…

This paper reports on a study designed to increase the psychological and educational knowledge of day care staff and develop content and methods appropriate for toddlers in day care settings. Preschool teachers and nursery nurses in three day care centers participated. They were interviewed at the beginning of the study, and 19 months later at the…

This practicum report describes a community college program developed for the purpose of increasing the awareness of early childhood personnel in a central Ontario (Canada) community concerning the benefits of developmentally appropriate practices. The need for the program arose from a discrepancy between the emphasis in community college courses…

A longitudinal study was conducted to: (1) describe characteristics of verbal interaction of children from 3 to 6 years of age with their mothers and preschool teachers; (2) analyze similarities and differences in conversational styles of mother-child and teacher-child dyads at the child's third, fourth, fifth, and sixth year; and (3) explore the…

This article focuses on an early childhood programme that has been initiated by the Institute for Educational Development at the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan. The programme is a Certificate in Education and involves training teachers so as to enable them to understand early childhood education and development, and to become effective…

This two-volume annotated bibliography cites 900 articles covering a variety of issues related to preschool education in several Eastern and Western countries, including England, France, Italy, Russia, Czechoslovakia, Germany, and the United States. Entries are classified into 13 main categories: social and ideological bases of preschool…

This conference proceedings compiles a representative sample of the papers presented at the Institute of Early Childhood in July 2001, one in a series of conferences examining the challenges which the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy present the early childhood profession in Australia. The conference focused on the interpretation of experiences and…

Noting that research demonstrates that high quality early childhood education (ECE) has long-term benefits for children, this review outlines definitions of quality early childhood education within the context of New Zealand. The focus is mainly on two specific aspects of quality: staff qualifications and indicators of quality. The review notes…

Ratings were made of childrens' verbal-social behavior by nursery nurses and teachers in day nurseries, nursery schools, and combined nursery centers. These ratings were analyzed for group differences, and validity was assessed by comparing ratings with observations of the children's behavior and scores on two language tests. (RH)

A study was made of the "cognitive demands" made of children during spontaneous conversations with their teachers at nursery school and their mothers at home. Teachers' talk contained a higher proportion of cognitive demands and "testing" demands than did mothers' talk; however, the hourly rate of these demands was higher in…

This qualitative study examined the job satisfaction of early childhood teachers in Hong Kong: one group of kindergarten teachers and their principal experiencing a top-down curriculum implementation, and a second group of student teachers implementing a bottom-up kindergarten art curriculum. Findings revealed the need for pedagogical skills and…

Summarizes ERIC documents on grandparents, the Situation Approach in Asia, and educating young children in a diverse society. Summarizes nine journal articles on child care, parenting, education, kindergarten and nursery schools, hearing-impaired children, and social policy in China, Australia, and various countries in Europe, Latin America, and…