Perceptions of Early Childhood Education: A Cross-National Comparison

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Autor/in	Mathien, Tara
Titel	Perceptions of Early Childhood Education: A Cross-National Comparison
Quelle	(2016), (4 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Early Childhood Education; Cross Cultural Studies; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Role; Preschool Teachers; Educational Quality; Child Development; Foreign Countries; Comparative Education; Switzerland; United States + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Early childhood; Education; Frühkindliche Bildung; Frühpädagogik; Cultural comparison; Kulturvergleich; Lehrerverhalten; Lehrerrolle; Pre-school education; Preschool education; Erzieher; Erzieherin; Kindergärtnerin; Vorschulerziehung; Vorschule; Quality of education; Bildungsqualität; Kindesentwicklung; Ausland; Vergleichende Erziehungswissenschaft; Schweiz; USA
Abstract	The objective of this research is to create a cross-national comparison of early childhood education beliefs and ideals in Switzerland and the United States. The goal is to interview teachers in Switzerland to gain insight into their perspective on various topics in early childhood education. Those responses will then be compared against commonly held beliefs and initiatives in the United States. Research questions include: Research Question 1: What do the two countries value in terms of young children's education and experiences? Research Question 2: How do teachers in both countries perceive their roles in ECE? Research Question 3: Do teachers in both countries share the same beliefs about how young children learn best? Research Question 4: How do both countries assess quality in ECE? Research Question 5: What academic or developmental milestones do each country consider most important? Participants in the study will include the early childhood teachers employed at KiddieLand in Zurich, Switzerland. There will be a total of 8-12 teachers at the time of data collection. Teachers employed at at least two other centers will also be solicited to gain a variety of perspectives from at least three different programs in the country. Further, three child care centers in the United States will also be identified to interview teachers. The result will be teacher perspectives gathered from Switzerland and the United States. Permission to conduct the study will be obtained by Harper College's Institutional Review Board (IRB) before any data is collected. This study has not been completed. The data collection is scheduled for and has been confirmed by the centers for August, 2015. Upon receiving approval, participants will be solicited with an introductory letter via email and an offer to discuss the details more fully and answer questions the participants may have before committing. Following commitment, participants will discuss an interview schedule that is mutually agreed upon by the teachers and the researcher. This study will use interviews as the primary data collection method. Teachers that choose to participate in the study will be able to choose the time of day and location that best suits their needs. This will allow for maximum comfort and confidence in the process. Data collection will occur during the week that I am in the country in August, 2015. Interviews in the United States will occur in September, 2015. Interviews will be conducted for approximately forty-five minutes. Questions will pertain to participant feelings about early childhood education, values placed on early childhood education in each country, and quality in early childhood education in each country. This study may benefit participants by providing them an opportunity to be heard, to share their stories, and to shed light on the early childhood field as a profession in their country. The participants may not have ever had an opportunity such as this where someone provides them a platform to share their experiences and be heard. Participation in the study poses only minimal risks. Risks include time taken to participate in the interview process. Further, participants may hesitate to disclose specific aspects of their roles or feelings toward the profession if they do not feel secure in the confidentiality of the process. With quality assurance such a key focus on early childhood education across the United States, it became of interest to engage other countries in this dialog. How we understand each other and the way we feel about early experiences for young children can help all teachers provide high quality experiences for all young children, despite the location. The results will support teaching and learning in the Early Childhood Education field by enhancing multicultural awareness in the field. Further, cultural sensitivity, teaching pedagogy, and quality assurance issues will be explored to help further the field of early childhood education. [At the time this paper was presented the research had not been completed. Paper was scheduled to be completed in August and September of 2015. It was intended to be made into a formal paper at the conclusion of the data collection.] (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01