Discusses characteristics of professionalism and the professional. Considers early childhood education professionals' skills, attributes, and attitudes; their obligation to develop and articulate their knowledge base; and their obligation to advocate on behalf of children and their families. (BG)

A questionnaire was used to survey teachers in an attempt to determine whether there were characteristics particular to kindergarten teachers who strongly supported parent involvement in kindergarten programs. Findings suggest that there are such characteristics. (Author/BB)

Surveyed 235 randomly selected teachers to investigate their sense of well-being in the context of 10 child care activities. Results indicated that child-related education, experience, and interaction did not influence the overall well-being of teachers. Nurturing children and working with parents were found to be their most enjoyable and least…

Analysis of questionnaire responses from 71 preschool teachers found that the more satisfied teachers were with the level of support and training they received regarding inclusion of children with disabilities, the more positive were their attitudes toward the inclusion concept. Self-perceptions of competency were also related to positive…

Investigated which cognitive style characteristics 846 kindergarten students considered important in a teacher. Determined students' own cognitive styles and their ratings of preferred teacher characteristics through their responses to a field dependence independence (FDI) measure. Field dependent teachers received higher ratings, and a preference…

Twenty-six Head Start preschool classrooms participated in a yearlong intervention designed to link the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework with authentic assessment practices. Teachers in intervention and pilot classrooms implemented an assessment approach that incorporated the use of a curriculum-based assessment tool, the development of…

This paper summarizes demographic information on early childhood programs and teachers of 3- and 4-year-olds. Questionnaires were sent to a random sample of early childhood programs across the United States. Data were collected on teacher characteristics and structural features of early childhood programs (enrollment, class size, hours of…

Noting that there is little information available about how child and teacher characteristics are related to child engagement behaviors, this study examined the effects of child characteristics on observed engagement in early childhood settings, and the interaction effects of child characteristics and teacher interaction behaviors on observed…

Most caregivers and teachers of young children are familiar with the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. Many may not be aware that there are two additional senses: the proprioceptive and vestibular senses. Proprioceptive sensors are located in the joints and tendons and enable a person to know the location of each part of the…

For the two past two decades, a child-centered view and integration of curriculum have become critical to developing literacy. Also, the emphasis on the importance of the teacher's role in teaching literacy has increased. Thus, teachers have been provided with the opportunity to reflect on their beliefs about children literacy and to increase…

As one step in the process of developing consensus on the definition of school readiness, the National Education Goals Panel requested a survey about the current beliefs and professional judgments of public school kindergarten teachers regarding school readiness. Conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics in the spring of 1993, the…

Six teachers were given instructions and materials with which to conduct a 20-minute teaching session. The sessions were filmed. The films will be scrutinized to obtain comparisons of teaching styles, tasks (the instructions and materials provided each teacher), and teacher-task interactions. The films have not been completely processed yet and so…

Teacher-child relationships are complex phenomena which can be described and observed from a variety of angles, on many different levels. Recent research contributes some information applicable to the analysis of teacher-child relations and identifies issues for further study. Teacher functions or duties may depend, in part, upon the teacher's…

This study assessed the extent to which teachers' perceptions of their relationships with young students varied as a function of child and teacher characteristics in a large, demographically diverse sample of 197 preschool and kindergarten teachers and 840 children. Children were approximately evenly divided between boys and girls. Regression…

By analogy, research suggests that training Child Development Associate (CDA) candidates to handle the complexity and autonomy of the early childhood teaching job is likely to have long range effects on the teacher and the early childhood education field. That is, a truly competent teacher behaves professionally and will become increasingly…