There are reasons why teaching behavior should be assessed, including (1) upgrading teacher education, (2) gaining insights into the learning of both teachers and children, and (3) studying social interactions. Two means of assessing teacher ability are quantification of teacher behavior by the use of rating scales, behavioral categories, etc.,…

A study identified characteristics that 43 kindergarten teachers used to describe themselves and students toward whom they held positive attitudes. Teacher self-perceptions and descriptions of favored students were examined. Results indicated that teachers used a common set of characteristics to describe themselves and those students they regarded…

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of Piagetian developmental theory on educational practice in kindergartens throughout southern Illinois. Data were collected through a questionnaire which sought information on teacher characteristics, the classroom setting, the teacher's curriculum approach and types of activities used in each…

Research literature suggests that adults from working-class minority backgrounds demonstrate authoritarian and coercive tendencies in their choices of disciplinary strategies when compared with adults from middle-class, "white", "Anglo", or "North American" backgrounds. However, in a recent study in New York City,…

This brief introduction to the career of early childhood special educator first describes the nature of the special educator's work with infants and preschool children, and then discusses the educator's role in involving families to develop and implement an individualized plan and work as part of a team of professionals and family members. The…

Recruitment and retention of qualified teachers in three critical instructional areas--science (n=50), mathematics (n=50), and kindergarten (n=50)--were investigated. The study sought to assess and compare selected variables bearing upon teachers who decide to continue teaching in these areas and those who choose to resign (n=41). A survey focused…

This report explores background variables related to preschool teaching, and emphasizes that statistics fluctuate in early childhood education. The increase for preprimary enrollment of 3- and 4-year-olds was 26 percent from 1966 to 1967. Accurate figures on preschool teaching personnel are not available, but a large proportion of Head Start…

The early childhood years serve as an essential foundation for subsequent literacy development. Despite the increased attention given to children's early literacy development, gaps remain in our understanding of what is actually taking place in child care programs across the nation. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to assess the extent…

Teachers' ratings of children's competencies may in part reflect characteristics and perspectives of teachers who assigned the ratings, which compromises their validity as a measure of child attributes. The purposes of this study were to use multilevel modeling to (a) estimate between-rater variance in teachers' ratings of children's social…

This paper analyzed the policy implications of disparate compensation and working conditions associated with teaching in three publicly funded early childhood systems in New York City. Survey data from 559 teachers (336 in public school, 134 in day care, and 89 in Head Start) included information on levels of training, credentials held, course…

Four dimensions of training for preschool teaching are suggested in this paper: (1) developmental stages of the teacher; (2) training needs of each stage; (3) location of the training; and (4) timing of training. The growth of preschool teachers generally occurs in stages associated with survival, consolidation, renewal, and maturity. Training…

This study explored the ways in which early childhood special education teachers supported children's social behavior within the context of their preschool classrooms. Data collected for six children through naturalistic classroom observations were coded and analyzed for emergent themes within a qualitative framework. Findings revealed a variety…

This paper examines the life-span approach to developmental psychology as it relates to teacher development research and presents some empirical results demonstrating the potential of the approach for increasing understanding of teacher development. Five assumptions of the life-span orientation as applied to the study of teacher development are…

Research concerning the Child Development Associate (CDA) program at the Pennsylvania State University aims to define more carefully the characteristics of the adult learners enrolled in CDA training, delineate the characteristics and process of training, and broaden the scope of outcome variables studied. To address this third aim, a series of…

For early childhood educators a cognitive approach to stress therapy is a valuable supplement to other approaches. Early childhood educators, like others, may develop psychological vulnerabilities that contribute to stress and depression. An exaggerated need for approval or an unhealthy demand for perfectionism may contribute to their experience…