Language: English

Language: English

Published: New Delhi, India, 2022

Abstract/Notes: This dissertation examines neoliberalist policy in public school education in order to understand the influence of this neoliberalist policy on educator wellness in New Mexico early educators. Establishing the neoliberal influence in public education, the presidencies of Eisenhower, Johnson, Carter, G.H.W. Bush, G.W. Bush, and Obama, as related to education policy and influences, presents the idea of education for profit through high stakes testing and scripted curriculums (Ali, 2019; Burke, et al., 2020; Howell et al., 2017; Leistyna, 2010; Mazzoni, 1977; Vaughn et al.; Wooley et al., 1999; Yardley, 2000). This dissertation establishes connections between neoliberal federal policy and widespread unrest among American educators (Adams et al., 2018; Macrine et al., 2010; Nieto, 2013). National exit attrition rates as well as rates of enrollment in teacher preparatory programs examined herein connect to widespread professional dissatisfaction among public educators (Boe et al., 2008; Engledowl, et al., 2020; Nieto, 2013). Subjective Well Being (SWB) of New Mexico early educators as influenced by neoliberalist public education policy is qualitatively examined via this interpretive phenomenological analysis. Methods included interviews, surveys, and questionnaires conducted with eight New Mexico educators. Utilization of hermeneutic member checking promotes trustworthiness and credibility (Noon, 2018). Through coding, findings reveal that NM early educators’ SWB may be negatively influenced by neoliberalist policy in public education. Themes related to connections between neoliberal public education policies and SWB include: demoralization caused by leaders; control of creativity; confines of curriculum; an illusion of freedom; limitations of high stakes testing and curriculum; experiences centered on abuse, trauma, and PTSD; and exhaustion, lack of humanity in public education policy, as well as educators’ invisibility. Implications exist for the arenas of education policy, high stakes testing, curriculum, ethics in education, and educator activism.

Language: English

Published: Las Cruces, New Mexico, 2022

Abstract/Notes: The focus of this research is the spiritual experience of young children in early childhood educational settings. Spirituality is included in the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki, but is a relatively unarticulated aspect of educational practice. In order to find out how spirituality is supported in early childhood educational contexts this qualitative case study research took place in three early childhood settings: a Montessori casa, a private preschool and a Steiner (Waldorf) kindergarten. The methods used in the research included participant observation, interviews and focus groups. The teachers were asked to make a video about spirituality to reflect their own context and photographs were taken in each setting. The metaphor of spiritual landscape is used in this research. In this landscape everyday experience merged with the spiritual to form the concept of everyday spirituality. The cultural theories of everyday life supported a realisation that ordinary daily activity can become wonderful and mysterious when the spiritual dimension is realised. The themes that emerged from analysis of the case studies are conceptualised as transformative aspects of learning and relationships. They are aspects of everyday spirituality identified as spiritual withness; spiritual inbetweenness; and the spiritually elsewhere. Representing spiritual experience is challenging. The thesis is written in narrative form and contains core narratives as prose and poems. Using writing as a means of discovery made communicating spirituality through the medium of words a possibility. Spirituality is proposed to be an inclusive concept that affirms a sense of connection and this thesis found that all pedagogical practices in early childhood settings have the potential to include a spiritual aspect. In Aotearoa New Zealand many children lead their everyday lives in the context of an early childhood environment that includes teachers and parents as part of that community. This thesis argues that when everyday spirituality permeates early childhood contexts that all aspects of the curriculum are realised and the spiritual experience of everyone connected to that setting is supported.

Language: English

Published: Palmerston North, New Zealand, 2007

Abstract/Notes: The individual through earliest recorded history reveals contradictory views of the human life-span. "Am I a free and unique individual, able to make choices and decide my own destiny?, or, "Am I only a victim of circumstance, a speck of dust in the universe's whirlwind of fate?" Each view is recognized in education and psychology, but the latter outlook is often prominent in schools which discourage decision making. Throughout the life-span, however, the individual must make choices. Allowing the young student to progress on the road to autonomy, requires a new educational outlook. How might teacher education focus on this new perspective? Rational Autonomy (RA) is an original conceptualization of the psychological foundations for a learning-teaching theory of practice; one which promotes autonomy and reasonable decision making in children and adults. Its purpose is to provide a framework for the development of an autonomous educator who may conceptualize the interaction between the dichotomies of autonomy and rationality. These values are imbedded within the leitmotif of liberty and freedom; individuality and socialization; creativity and cooperation all natural tensions within a democracy and a democratic classroom. Cognitive psychologies today advance a view reflecting an autonomous individual who is interactive, purposeful and capable of conscious decision making. Montessori (1870-1952) recognized these traits as inherent in most children. Viewing autonomy and reason as the individual's means to full cognitive and personality development, she proposed an expansive educational psychology which would anticipate this view in cognitive psychology. Until now, few psychological definitions were available to define Montessori's theories. Thus, this thesis defines existent psychology as providing a "Social Cognitive Field" frame in which to define her theories and derive a new concept. The concept of Rational Autonomy incorporates psychological principles from human development, social, personality and learning theories. Constructs are demonstrated by interaction models of the child, family and educator. These are exemplified in a school program through a site and case study. Elementary and early childhood teacher education extends the Design into a life-span theory. The mentor-teacher relationship, curricular implications, educator group facilitation and university aims are included in the RA Design.

Language: English

Published: Corvallis, Oregon, 1989

Abstract/Notes: Although a little dated in terms of related research, Haines, dissertation provides a thorough introduction to the topic as well as substantially confirming the accuracy of the ages assigned to each period by Maria Montessori.

Language: English

Published: Edwardsville, Illinois, 1997

Abstract/Notes: Since early childhood programs were first introduced in the United States in the 1820s, early childhood professionals have been aware that teaching and caring for young children involves establishing relationships with their families. This study is a historical examination of the relationships between early childhood programs and parents. The study considered the political, social, and economic factors that have influenced the development of relationships between parents and early childhood programs, including: infant schools; kindergarten; laboratory schools; nursery schools; Montessori programs; day nurseries and child care; and Head Start. The study showed that the history of parent involvement in early childhood programs is essentially the history of early childhood programs. Since the 1820s, early childhood professionals have provided ample literary evidence of how parents were expected to be involved in early childhood programs, and how these expectations were communicated to them. Literary evidence was the basis for this study. Evidence used in the study included: autobiographies, journals, recollections, and letters of key participants; manuals of early childhood practice; proceedings from meetings and conferences; publications from government agencies; articles and commentaries from professional journals and popular magazines; theoretical and practical works by leaders in the field; research studies; textbooks; and childrearing advice books. The history of early childhood programs reveals a wide range of attempts to bring parents and early childhood programs together. At various times and in various contexts, these attempts have been called parent cooperation, parent education, parent participation, parent involvement, and teacher-parent partnership. Throughout most of the history of early childhood programs, parents were cast in the role of learner. More recently, the ideal relationship between parents and early childhood professionals has been characterized as that of a partnership. The various terms that have been used to describe the relationships between parents and early childhood programs were examined through the course of this study, as were the assumptions and beliefs that have influenced the interpretation of these terms.

Language: English

Published: Boston, Massachusetts, 1999

Abstract/Notes: Early childhood education has been shown to positively impact future academic performance, as well as social and emotional development. With ever-increasing demands being placed on children's academic performances, school readiness has become a key component of academic success. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine the effectiveness of different early childhood curriculum models in preparing children for kindergarten, and to investigate whether one early childhood curriculum model better prepares students than another. The theoretical framework for the study is based on the developmental constructivist theories of Piaget, Vygotsky, Erikson, and Dewey. Kindergarten teachers assessed school readiness by administering the Kindergarten Observation Form. Each student had matriculated from either Montessori, High/Scope, or Reggio Emilia programs or early childhood programs without an identified curriculum model. Kindergarten teachers rated students on 24 items related to areas of cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical development. ANOVA and post-hoc tests revealed that students matriculating from programs without an identified curriculum model scored significantly better than their counterparts, F (3,122) = 5.33, p = .002. Implications for social change include improved kindergarten readiness on the part of students, increased awareness by educators as to best practices in early childhood education, and, a move towards understanding the types of environments in which children learn best.

Language: English

Published: Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2012

Abstract/Notes: These findings suggest the following implications for teachers, administrators, teacher educators, and reformers. With growing interest in teacher collaboration within already over-burdened systems, understanding school identity is becoming more important to educators. Understanding schools as places where teachers learn to teach can prevent indoctrination. Greater awareness of situated notions about what constitutes good teaching makes implicit values more visible so that they may be examined and reformed. I argue that a search for essential characteristics of good teaching over-simplifies the complexity of teaching. Broadening notions of teaching to include work outside the classroom such as talk about teaching, peer observation, and joint problem setting and solving would enlighten teacher self-evaluation.

Language: English

Published: Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, 2006

Abstract/Notes: This study investigates the efficacy of Conscious Discipline’s teaching strategies to enrich social-emotional learning and establish a positive classroom climate in an early childhood Montessori classroom. Conscious Discipline is a written program, of instructional and behavioral strategies created by Dr. Becky Bailey (2011). The question throughout this research project was “Does teaching Conscious Discipline strategies enhance social-emotional learning in preschool aged children?” The study was conducted in a Montessori classroom, the participants being both boys and girls ranging in age from 3 to 4 years. For six weeks, Conscious Discipline strategies were being implemented on a day-to-day basis, when dealing with real-life incidents in the classroom, reading books purchased through Conscious Discipline and establishing a Safe Place. During this sixweek study data was gathered through observations, a pre-survey, and a standardized assessment, and analyzed to document the effects of Conscious Discipline. The data collected demonstrated an increase in social-emotional learning, an increase in the joy in teaching, a positive classroom climate, a decrease in aggressive acts, and an increase in student respect and responsibility in a social community.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2014