The Day-to-Day Reality of Teacher Turnover in Preschool Classrooms: An Analysis of Classroom Context and Teacher, Director, and Parent Perspectives

The purpose of the current study is to examine teacher turnover comprehensively by triangulating the experiences of teachers, directors, parents, and children through actual, “real-time” turnover transitions. We intentionally examined turnover with a small sample size (N = 13 classrooms) to facilitate comprehensive data collection utilizing multiple qualitative and quantitative measures and to gain a rich understanding of the implications of teacher turnover on classroom quality, staff, and the parents and children with whom they work. The study utilized an interpretive paradigm to illuminate and juxtapose the experiences of teachers, directors, parents, and children through the turnover transition—as teachers departed and their replacements began. Strategies used to respond to turnover were identified at the program and classroom levels. Implications for early childhood classroom quality and policy are discussed

Teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding developmentally appropriate practices: A study conducted in India

The study assessed kindergarten teachers’ beliefs, stated practices and actual practices regarding developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) in India. Forty kindergarten teachers from the urban city of Mumbai (India) participated in the study. Overall, the results indicated that teachers’ beliefs were more developmentally appropriate than their stated practices or actual practices in the classroom. Further, teachers congruent in their developmentally appropriate beliefs and stated practices had classrooms with higher scores on actual practices. Lastly, group size was a significant predictor of teachers’ actual practices. The implications of these results for the early childhood education system of India are discussed in detail

“The Changers and the Changed”: Preparing Early Childhood Teachers to Work With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Families

The Census Bureau estimates that up to 14 million children under the age of 18 are being raised by lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) families. Just as heterosexual families require child care to enable work and want high-quality early childhood education to enhance their children's development, LGBT families experience the same needs and desires for their children. However, similar to other educational institutions, the early childhood field has either held negative beliefs regarding diverse family structures or ignored the unique needs of LGBT families. As part of an effort to address teachers' understandings of equity, faculty at a southeastern university sponsored a course designed to prepare early childhood teacher education students to offer welcoming, inclusive learning environments for LGBT families and their young children. The purpose of this article is to examine the learning process and transformation of students in this course. Findings from quantitative and qualitative data are presented, as is a discussion on how courses on family equity can and should be incorporated into teacher education programs

Teacher and Parent Perspectives on Looping

This manuscript describes the implementation of looping or continuity of care in a high-quality child care facility. Through interviews with parents and teachers, themes were identified including the advantages (stability and continuity of care, ease in transition, anticipating children's needs, parent friendships and networking) and challenges (caregivers' age group preference and skills, planning classroom activities, strained parent teacher relationship, transition from looping and philosophies, no opportunity to experience new things). The reality of implementing the practice of continuity of care and recommendation for implementation are discussed

Child Care Work Environments: the Relationship with Learning Environments

The study explores the relationship between child care program administration, organizational climate, and global quality. The recently developed Program Administration Scale (PAS; Talan & Bloom, 2004) was utilized in the study. Both program administration and organizational climate were found to be positively correlated with preschool classroom global quality. There was also a significant relationship between organizational climate and a language/interaction factor of the ECERS-R. The level of education of the director was related to higher quality administrative practices and not-for-profit centers scored significantly better than for-profit centers did on the PAS. Additionally, a statistically significant relationship between the PAS and the Parents and Staff Subscale of the ITERS-R and ECERS-R was found

Kindergarten Teachers' Perspectives on Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP): A Study Conducted in Mumbai (India)

A qualitative study examining teachers' beliefs regarding developmentally appropriate practices was conducted in the city of Mumbai, India. Twelve kindergarten teachers were interviewed for this study, and a constant comparative method was used to analyze the interviews. Six themes were identified within this study. The themes highlighted distinct differences between American and Indian cultures, as well as striking similarities, and pinpoint the importance of culture as the foundation for classroom practices. Themes included a focus on academics vs. play, the importance of worksheets, the importance of groups for socialization, and the difficulties of implementing a play-based curriculum. The description of these themes and its implication for the early childhood care and education of India are discussed in detail

Quality in Inclusive and Noninclusive Infant and Toddler Classrooms

The quality of care in infant and toddler classrooms as compared across inclusive (n=64) and noninclusive classrooms (n=400). Quality was measured using the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ITERS-R). An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed four distinct dimensions of quality within the ITERS-R. Inclusive classrooms were higher in quality on the overall scale as well as on three of the four factor-based scales. Teachers reported, on average, that children had mild to moderate disabilities. Correlational analyses indicated that neither having more children with disabilities nor having children with more severe disabilities was associated with higher or lower quality scores. Teacher education and teacher-child ratios were important predictors of quality. Information on low-scoring items on the Personal Care Routines subscale is also presented

Teacher Ethnicity and Variation in Context: The Implications for Classroom Quality

Research Findings: The current study examined the differences in global quality between classrooms with African American teachers and European American teachers. The study included 1,687 classrooms (802 with African American teachers and 885 with European American teachers). Initial analyses revealed significant differences in overall global quality as well as on 2 factor scores: Language/Interactions and Activities/Materials. However, when an analysis of covariance was conducted controlling for numerous structural variables (i.e., level of education, years of experience in early childhood, total number of teachers in the classroom, teacher–child ratio, proportion of children on subsidy, proportion of African American children in the class, and ethnicity of the observer), no differences by race were found. Practice or Policy: Findings are discussed with regard to the contextual constraints experienced by African American teachers in preschool classrooms to create high-quality learning environments. Policy implications of classroom inequities by racial/ethnic background are examined

A Microanalysis of Teachers' Verbalizations in Inclusive Classrooms

The present study examined the verbalizations of 16 teachers from inclusive preschool classrooms. Two hours of audiotaped verbalizations for each teacher were analyzed for one-on-one interactions between teachers and children and also for interactions between teachers and small groups of children. Results showed that teachers did not modify their question-asking behavior depending on the ability level of the children or the composition of small groups of children. Teachers asked primarily low-level questions to all children. In their statements, teachers used more logical directives and directives, and fewer supportive responses to children with disabilities than they did to typically developing children. The focus of teachers' verbalizations differed depending on whether children had disabilities or were typically developing. These results suggest that teachers need to be provided with information that will help them challenge children by varying the demand level of questions and matching their verbalizations to the child's ability level. Future research should address the bi-directionality of interactions and the implications for teacher preparation programs

Teacher Structure and Child Care Quality in Preschool Classrooms

The present study examined the relationships between teacher structure, teacher behaviors, and child care quality. Participants included 72 female teachers from 44 preschool classrooms. Both a global measure of quality and a measure of teacher-child interaction were utilized. Results showed that a co-teacher structure was associated with higher quality child care and more positive teacher behaviors than a hierarchical two-teacher structure or a single-teacher structure. Comparisons between lead and assistant teachers in a hierarchical structure also revealed that teacher behaviors of lead teachers and assistant teachers were very similar, although their education levels were significantly different. Lower ratios and smaller group size were associated with more positive teacher behaviors. Implications for professionals and future research areas are discussed