Review of studies on teachers’ understanding of children’s behaviors and characteristics: With a focus on cognitive processes

Recently, researchers have begun to examine teachers’ perspectives on and understanding of the behaviors and characteristics of children. This paper reviews previous studies based on the following four topics. First, it examines the link between teachers’ perspectives and teachers’ behaviors, suggesting that teachers have common perspectives or frameworks and particular interaction styles depending on children’s behaviors and characteristics. Second, it examines teachers’ perspectives toward children’s behaviors and characteristics, identifying the importance of the external objective viewpoint, the internal empathetic viewpoint, and the background environment. Third, regarding reflection for improving teachers’ understanding of children, previous research suggests that it is important that teachersreflect on children analytically. To reflect on children analytically, teachers need to be particularly aware of the external objective viewpoint, the internal empathetic viewpoint, and the background environment. Fourth, regarding knowledge for understanding the behaviors and characteristics of children, more research is needed concerning the specific nature of knowledge and knowledge representation, particularly with reference to cognitive psychology research. Finally, the review suggests that it is necessary to clarify and visualize the cognitive processes involved in teachers’ understanding of children’s behaviors and characteristics

Relationships between nursery teachers’ reflection and perception of practical skills : Comparison of reflection pattern by cluster analysis <Short report>

This study aimed to reveal the difference between reflection patterns of nursery teachers by cluster analysis, and examined the relationships between reflection patterns and the teachers’ perception of practical skills．As reflection is an important cognitive skill in early childhood education and care, analysis that considers both individual differences and group characteristics is necessary. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 434 nursery teachers. Cluster analysis revealed 7 subtypes of reflection pattern. And the 7 subtypes were categorized into three groups：low, middle, and high. On comparing the reflection patterns in the three groups, even if the frequency of the reflection was at the same level, characteristics regarding targets or the level of reflection were different. In relationships between the perception of practical skills and reflection, differences in the target or level of reflection were associated with behavioral aspects regarding how one reacts to children. We concluded that in conferences and during training it may be possible to examine specific teaching efforts according to individuals’ reflection patterns

Development of the composition strategies use in argumentative writing scale for undergraduate students

This study developed a scale to capture the conscious use of writing strategies that undergraduate students employ when they write argumentative essays. The questionnaire survey was conducted with 202 undergraduate students. The factor analysis of the responses to the questionnaire indicated four factors: Reader Awareness, Consideration of Opposing Views, Flow of Composition, and Expressing One's Position. The content validity of this structure was examined by comparing the score for the strategy between those with high and low subjective frequency for writing essays, as well as groups separated by high and low levels of student expectations of effectiveness and values towards writing essays. Scores for the Flow of Composition strategy were higher among students reporting a high frequency of writing essays. Additionally, scores for the strategies of Reader Awareness, Consideration of Opposing Views and Flow of Composition were higher for students with greater expectations of effectiveness and values toward writing essays. This indicated a degree of content validity for the scale

Collaboration between kindergarten teachers and researchers in practice research : Difference in recognition of practice research <Collaboration with the local community>

In practice research on early childhood care and education, collaboration between practitioners and researchers has been actively implemented. However, such partnerships have not always been successful. In such cases, it is necessary to consider the possibility of a difference in the recognition of practice research between the two parties. The purpose of this study was to clarify such recognition differences between kindergarten teachers and researchers. Interviews with kindergarten teachers and researchers who collaborated in performing practice research were qualitatively analyzed. Results showed that recognition of five items of research － research themes, scope, duration, results, and application possibilities － differed between researchers and kindergarten teachers. Teachers, being more practice oriented, prefer more concrete research themes and scope, whereas researchers lean more toward abstract themes and scope. In addition, teachers give little consideration to research duration, whereas researchers focus on the need to gather and analyze the data within the determined period. Moreover, neither of the parties is fully aware of these differences. Consequently, interaction in the collaboration may come to resemble a “tug-of-war” with both partners asserting their own viewpoints

Collaboration between kindergarten teachers and researchers in practice research : The role of graduate students <Collaboration with the local community>

The aim of this study was to examine how the role of graduate students differs when university professors participate in collaborative research. The study method involved the researcher interviewing three kindergarten teachers who had participated in various forms of practice research. The teachers were aware of four roles of graduate students. The following was shown as four roles. (1) Graduate students sympathize with teachers, and give them a boost by acting in an approving manner towards the teachers’ practice. (2) Graduate students supplement and explain the words of the university professors, leading them to act as intermediaries. (3) Graduate students give their opinions to teachers in a positive way. (4) Graduate students also take on a guidance role by supporting teachers. When university professors participated in the research, the graduate students took on an intermediary role between the university professors and the kindergarten teachers. However, the students tended to take on a stronger guidance role when the university professors were not present. In other words, the role of the graduate students changed in the presence of university professors. Therefore, the various roles adopted by the graduate students contributed to the success of collaborative research between teachers and researchers

The relationship between emotional understanding and social skills in young children <Research papers>

This study investigated the relationships between emotional understanding and social skills in young children. Participants were 111 children (4-6 years old), 59 of whom were boys and 52 were girls. The investigator told a story and asked each child to answer with what kind of emotion (happy, sad, or angry) the protagonist would feel. The results showed that there was a significant correlation between children’s emotional understanding and social skills in the elder age group (ages 61-72 months), but no equivalent significant correlation in the younger age group (ages 48-60 months). These results suggest that the relationship between emotional understanding and social skills in children could be distinguished according to age group

保育実践を支える保育者の子ども理解と省察に関する研究

内容の要約広島大学(Hiroshima University)博士(心理学)Doctor of Philosophy in Psychologydoctora

Preschool teachers' mental models as a framework of understanding young children <Article>

保育者の保育行為の背景となる認知的側面は,子ども認知,信念,実践的知識,子ども理解などテーマや領域ごとに研究されてきた。そこで本稿では,保育者の子ども理解に基づいた保育行為を体系的に捉えるために,これまでの研究を整理することによって,今後の保育研究に関する研究課題を検討した。従来の研究では,保育者の保育行為の背景となる認知的側面に関する概念が整理されておらず,実践に関する認知的側面を動的なものとして捉えられていない。また,その動的な認知的側面の獲得される過程が明確にされていないと考えられた。そして,これらの問題点を改善するために,人の経験や知識を元に作り上げられた心的枠組みであるメンタルモデルという概念を提案した。教師や専門家の持つメンタルモデルを検討した研究から,第一に,認知的側面の顕在化により自分自身の問題点の修正が容易になること,第二に,経験による変化の過程を捉えることができること。第三に、他者との比較検討・共有ができることが示された。以上より,保育者の子ども理解に基づく保育行為を捉える概念としてメンタルモデルが有効であると考えられた

The Effect of Continuous Visits by Early Childhood Education Advisors: Based on the analysis of the advisor’s visit report

This study aimed to clarify the changing awareness of the issues, advice, and impressions of the preschool and nursery of early childhood education advisors through continuous visits. The analysis was based on a report written after visits by three advisors. The results showed that, the advisors considered the issues to lie in the simultaneous care and education program, the environment in which children cannot develop their own activities, and the insufficient support from early childhood care and education teachers. The advisors gave advice based on understanding the issues. Specifically, the advice on environment creation was concrete and practical. With appropriate advice from the advisors, the surroundings improved, and the children’s behavior changed. Hence, continuous visits by advisors contribute to the improvement of the quality of early childhood care and education

エピソードを用いた継続的な保育カンファレンスの成果と課題 : 「 乳児保育における５つの力育み事業」参加園の自由記述の分析から

The purpose of this study was to identify the achievements and issues of ongoing childcare conferences conducted at four nursery schools participating in a childcare project implemented by the Hiroshima Prefecture. At the end of the two-year project, a free answer questionnaire was administered to and answered by 80 nursery teachers. The results of the analysis showed that the teachers’ understanding of the children increased, which led to improved environmental organization and more positive interactions with parents. Furthermore, the children played more freely. These achievements of the childcare project show that the conferences functioned effectively. Two elements of the childcare project were unique to it: first, the use of the five perspectives to understand children’s development sometimes limited the teachers’ understanding of the children. The other was setting aside time and space for conferences, which had the effect of creating an affable atmosphere among teachers, and to providing perspective on the next practice