Fathi Ihmeideh

Barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre‐school settings

Technology has increasingly become an important and accepted tool in early childhood education classrooms. Despite its power and significance in supporting childrens development, early childhood educators still struggle with using technology in their teaching practice. This study investigated the barriers to the use of technology in Jordanian pre‐school education. Interviews with pre‐school teachers (n = 30) and principals (n = 15) were conducted. Results indicated that the lack of software, funds, time and technology skills were found to be the main barriers to using technology in most Jordanian pre‐school settings. Moreover, the results revealed that most pre‐school teachers were aware of the value of using technology for learning and teaching, whereas principals were not certain about its benefits for children. The study concludes with putting forward a number of practical and theoretical recommendations for the field of study.

The Association Between Internet Parenting Styles and Children’s Use of the Internet at Home

Parenting styles are known to have a powerful influence on child development, and as such they can significantly influence children’s Internet use. The purpose of this study is to examine the Internet parenting style of Jordanian parents and their perspectives on their children’s Internet use. Children’s Internet use was evaluated in terms of four distinct parenting styles: authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and neglectful. A total of 570 Jordanian parents of K–2 children participated in this study. For the purpose of the study, the researchers developed two scales: Internet Parenting Style Scale and Internet Usage Scale. Results indicated that the authoritative Internet parenting style was the most commonly used parenting style practiced by Jordanian parents, followed by the permissive and authoritarian parenting styles, with the neglectful parenting style being used the least. According to the parents, their children’s Internet use typically involved playing games online and visiting websites. The findings also revealed that only the authoritarian parenting style was a significant predictor of children’s Internet use. Implications of these findings for parents and children are considered.

Teaching reading in the early years: exploring home and kindergarten relationships

This study investigated the relationship between home and kindergarten with regard to helping children with reading in Jordan. Interviews with parents of four‐ to five‐year‐old kindergarten students (n = 40) and their teachers (n = 20) were conducted. Results indicated that, although there was cooperation between parents and teachers, the role of teachers in encouraging parental involvement in their childrens reading was quite limited. Results also indicated that teachers consider parental involvement as unhelpful since (1) they look at parents as unqualified persons to take a role in teaching reading, and (2) parents usually pressure teachers to employ inappropriate methods to teach children how to read. However, parents expressed their willingness to be involved when teachers give them the opportunity. Most parents think they need to know the appropriate methods to teach children how to read. This study identified the need for educating parents about kindergarten goals and appropriate activities.

Promoting Kindergarten Children's Creativity in the Classroom Environment in Jordan.

This study aimed at investigating teachers’ classroom practices, which either stimulate or inhibit the development of the creative environment of classrooms in Jordan, and determining the differences between practices according to educational level, experience level and type of teaching. The sample of the study consisted of 215 kindergarten teachers. A five‐dimensional questionnaire consisting of 50 items was developed to achieve the study aims. The results revealed that the rating of teachers’ practices that encourage creativity in children was satisfactory for the domains of physical environment and educational materials, lesson planning and creative instructional practices. In addition, teachers’ rating lies in the category of ‘good’ for the domains of knowledge and awareness of creativity, and creative classroom climate. Moreover, the results showed that there were statistically significant differences due to the type of teaching in favour of the cooperative method, and due to the educational level in favour of postgraduates, while no statistically significant differences were found due to experience level. Based on the findings, appropriate recommendations were suggested.

The Impact of Dramatic Play Centre on Promoting the Development of Children's Early Writing Skills.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of dramatic play centre (DPC) on promoting the development of childrens early writing skills in the Jordanian context. It also intends to investigate the forms of childrens writing skills that emerge through the use of dramatic play. Observations and interviews were conducted to obtain information from kindergarten children involved in this study. The results revealed a statistically significant difference in the writing behaviors of children in the experimental group, showing that childrens early writing behaviors improved following the employment of dramatic play activities. The results also indicated that these children produced different forms of writing. The production of letter-like forms was the most common form of writing exhibited by children in the DPC, followed by writing via drawing, and writing via reproducing well-learned units or letter strings. In addition, the results demonstrated that children who have been exposed to dramatic play activities developed more positive attitudes toward the process of writing. Finally, the results are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered.

Exploring Kindergarten Teachers' Views and Roles Regarding Children's Outdoor Play Environments in Oman.

The purpose of this study was to explore kindergarten teachers’ views and roles regarding outdoor play environments in Omani kindergartens. Thirty kindergarten teachers from 15 private kindergartens were observed and interviewed. The results indicated that teachers recognize the importance of outdoor play in children’s development and learning. Although teachers are satisfied with the safety conditions of the outdoor play environments, they feel they need to know more about how to maintain safety criteria in this environment. Teachers most frequently took on the role of supervising and guiding children’s behaviour or setting up materials for play, whereas providing verbal comments and participating in play were less common. Omani outdoor play environments were found to face specific difficulties, such as the hot climate, a shortage of materials and equipment, a lack of natural surroundings and the short length of time spent outdoors. The article concludes with policy implications and pedagogical recommendations.

Early writing development: kindergarten teachers’ beliefs about emergent writing in Qatari preschool settings

ABSTRACT Writing often begins during the very early years of childhood; however, some children first learn writing when they begin attending school. Teachers’ beliefs about early writing development can influence when and how children learn to write. The purpose of this study was to determine kindergarten teachers’ beliefs about the development of children’s emergent writing in Qatari preschool settings. A 30-item questionnaire was completed by 93 kindergarten teachers with a range of qualifications, years of teaching experience, areas of specialisation, and preschool teaching level. They were selected from private and government-funded schools in Doha. The questionnaire consisted of four components: mechanisms of writing, concepts of writing, conventions of writing, and composing. The questionnaire responses indicated that teachers hold positive beliefs regarding most emergent writing components, with concepts of writing receiving the highest mean score, followed by mechanisms of writing. The results also revealed statistically significant differences among teachers due to a number of study variables. Based on these findings, the researchers offered a number of suggestions and recommendations aimed at promoting children’s emergent writing in Qatari preschool settings and similar contexts.

Assessment of Early Childcare Programs in Jordan

Research Findings: Forty-five child caregivers and 120 parents participated in this study to examine perceptions of childcare programs in Jordan. The researchers developed a questionnaire that consisted of 6 dimensions: health, education, parent–caregiver relationship, facilities, building/landscape, and playground. Moreover, interviews with 10 child caregivers and 20 parents were conducted. Results indicated that child caregivers expressed moderate satisfaction with the programs. In contrast, parents expressed lower satisfaction with the childcare programs. The results also revealed that caregivers and parents perceived the playground area as effective but found health and the parent–caregiver relationship ineffective. Practice or Policy: This study highlights the need to supervise childcare programs effectively and the importance of fostering a strong partnership between child caregivers and parents.

The characteristics of the role of early childhood education mentors in Jordan

This study aims to explore empirically how far the roles adopted by the mentors of early childhood education students teaching in Jordan coincide with a model of roles suggested in the literature of teacher training. This study is an attempt to draw from the literature as many views about the role of the mentor as possible and then to attempt to develop a comprehensive model to describe mentoring. Such a model can then be explored empirically in the context of a Jordanian teacher education programme. The results of this study are reported in respect of two qualitative research techniques using evidence from three rounds of interviews with eleven early childhood education mentors and their fourteen student teachers, and the observation and field notes taken during fieldwork.

Teacher Education Programs in Jordan: A Reform Plan.

The study presents a historical background of teacher education in Jordan and outlines the components of the present teacher education program at Hashemite University. This includes admission policy, academic study plans, practicum programs, selection of cooperative schools, selection of cooperative teachers, stages of training, and assessment of student teachers. Based on the discussion of the current teacher education program and the revision of related educational literature, this paper attempts to present a reform plan that will take into account the gaps and shortcomings in the current teacher education programs and the views of researchers in the field. The reform plan comprises three dimensions: reconsidering the admission policy, revising the academic and the educational preparation plans to meet the challenges of the 3rd millennium, and reorganizing the practicum program. It is hoped that the suggested plan, if implemented, will yield competent teachers and upgrade teacher education programs in Jordan.