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Measuring Teachers' Perceived Interactions with Children: A Tool for Assessing Beliefs and Intentions (HTML)
By Sharon L Ward, Amanda Wilcox-Herzog
Early Childhood Research and Practice, 6, 2; Fall, 2004

Summary: This study examined the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and intentions about the importance of teacher–child interactions. The participants were 71 early childhood teachers in California who had worked with children (aged 3–5 years) for an average of 9 years. Approximately 35 percent of the teachers had majored in early childhood education and 63 percent held at least a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Sixty-six percent of the sample had taken enough coursework in early childhood education to obtain a permit to work with young children. Results show that beliefs are predictive of intentions. Results also indicate that depth of training influences intentions. It appears that those with the least and most training feel that they are interacting with children most appropriately. Job title was related to perceived ability to practice beliefs. Teacher aides felt more able to practice their beliefs than did teachers. The Beliefs and Intentions Questionnaire is appended. Contains 35 references.

Index Terms: Attitudes, Child Care Providers, Communication, Interactions, Perception, Early Childhood Education, Educational Philosophy, Early Childhood Research and Practice (ECRP), National Association For the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Publisher: Early Childhood Research and Practice

Sponsoring Institution (or Funding Source): Bernard van Leer Foundation, Teaching Strategies

Publication Type: Journal Articles

Pages: 14 pages
Language: English
URL: http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v6n2/herzog.html

 
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