James L. Hoot

Parent/teacher views of developmentally appropriate practices: A Hungarian perspective

The purpose of the study was to explore the beliefs of Hungarian teachers and parents of children in preschool and Grade 1 as they relate to the construct of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) identified by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC, 1987, 1997). In order to overcome methodological problems inherent in many previous DAP studies, Q-methodology and interviews were utilized to collect, analyze and interpret the data. Fourteen teachers and 14 parents were included in the Q-methodology (7 teachers and 7 parents in each grade level). Follow-up interviews were conducted with 6 participants. Results of the study suggest three major viewpoints regarding DAP beliefs of the Hungarian participants. These included: (1) focusing on children’s individual development and learning, (2) focusing on teaching children according to the traditional teaching methods, and (3) focusing on respecting diversity in schools, in children, and in families. Recommendations for further research included: (1) teacher observations in addition to interviews, (2) exploring administrators’ views of DAP along with that of teachers and parents, and (3) extending the study into higher grade levels.ResumenEl propósito de éste estudio fue explorar las creencias de maestras y padres Húngaros de niños en pre-escolar y Grado I que se relacionan con el constructo de Prácticas Apropiadas para el Desarrollo (DAP) identificadas por la Asociación Nacional para la Educción de los Niños Pequeños (NAEYC, 1987, 1997). A fin de resolver los problemas metodológicos inherentes a muchos estudios previos del DAP, se utilizaron la metodología-Q y entrevistas para recolectar, analizar e interpretar los datos. Se incluyeron catorce maestras y 14 padres en la metodolgía-Q (7 maestras y 7 padres de cada grado). Se condujeron entrevistas de seguimiento con 6 participantes. Los resultados del estudio sugieren tres principales puntos de vista con respecto a las creencias DAP de los participantes Húngaros. Estos incluyen los siguientes: (1) enfoque en el desarrollo individual y aprendizaje del niño, (2) enfoque en enseñar a los niños de acuerdo a los métodos de enseñanza tradicionales, y (3) enfoque en respetar la diversidad en las escuelas, los niños y sus familias. Las recomendaciones para futuros estudios incluyeron: (1) observaciones a las maestras además de las entrevistas, (2) explorar los puntos de vista de los adminsitradores acerca del DAP además de los de las maestras y padres, y (3) extender el estudio hacia grados superiores.RésuméL’opinion de parents et enseignants d’enfants en maternelle et cours préparatoire hongrois a été explorée quant à la notion de pratiques appropriées au développement (DAP), identifiées par l’Association Nationale pour l’Education des Jeunes Enfants (NAEYC, 1987, 1997). Afin d’éviter les problèmes méthodologiques présents dans de nombreuses études sur les DAP, la méthode Q et les interviews ont été utilisées pour recueillir, analyser et interpréter les données. Quatorze enseignants et quatorze parents ont participé à la méthode Q (7 enseignants et 7 parents à chaque niveau d’enseignement). Des interviews de suivi ont été conduites avec six participants. Il ressort de cette étude que les opinions des participants hongrois se centrent sur trois points de vue principaux: (1) le développement et l’apprentissage individuel des enfants; (2) l’enseignement à travers des méthodes traditionnelles; et (3) le respect de la diversité des écoles, des enfants et des familles. Il est recommandé qu’en suivi de recherche soient explorées (1) les observations des enseignants en sus des interviews, (2) les vues des administrateurs sur les DAP, et (3) que l’étude soit étendue aux niveaux d’enseignement supérieurs.

Bullying in an Increasingly Diverse School Population: A Socio-Ecological Model Analysis.

Systematic research into bullying has a short history spanning about 40 years. However, investigations into school bullying from a multicultural context are especially limited. As schools in the 21st century become increasingly diverse due to rapid globalization and immigration, there is a need to consider bullying within changing populations. The goals of this study were three-fold. First, to explore the prevalence of bullying between refugee, immigrant, and native born children. Second, to explore the impact of immigration status, and age and gender on the prevalence of bullying. Finally, through a socio-ecological model framework, this study examined the influence of individuals and teachers upon bullying among refugee children. This study employed a mixed methodology consisting of both the Swearer Bully Survey and in-depth interviews. A purposeful sampling of 116 Grade 3 and Grade 6 students and 13 teachers from an inner city USA public school participated. Quantitative results suggest that statistically significant differences were found only in regard to grade level. A new image of the concept of ‘victim’ emerged from the qualitative data. Refugee children responded as non passive victims in contrast to the ‘passive victim’ adopted by immigrant and native born children.

Early Childhood Teacher Education in Ethiopia: Progress and Emerging Challenges

This article extends concerns of our National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE) membership beyond the borders of the United States to the continent of Africa. Specifically, it explores the current status of early childhood teacher education in one of the poorest nations of the world—Ethiopia. It includes an analysis of recent policy developments as well as continuing challenges to educational progress. The article concludes with a call for like-minded professional organizations such as NAECTE to lend its expertise and support to this struggling nation.

FROM NEAR‐RUBBLE TO REBIRTH: A FORMER CHURCH BUILDING AS A CENTERPIECE OF COLLABORATION FOR CHILDREN

This article describes the collaborative efforts of multiple organizations and individuals in transforming a doomed church in a large urban community into an exemplary public Pre‐k through Grade 2 laboratory school. Central to this emerging facility was the commitment of all cooperating parties to focus upon meeting the educational, health, and social needs of each child through school, home and community involvement. Unique to this collaboration has been the continual involvement of higher education institutions in Western New York in the planning, organization and implementation of this project. Further, infusion of the latest in computer and video technology with distance learning capability supported cross‐fertilization and friendships among higher education professionals and their students from a variety of related disciplines.

A comparison of the views of Finnish and US teachers, administrators and parents on appropriate educational practice for young Children

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare the views of Finnish and US preschool teachers, administrators and parents on appropriate educational practices for children aged 3‐5. To obtain a measure of their attitudes toward quality practices with children, a 26‐item instrument was adapted from Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8. Researchers in the USA and Finland were asked to administer the instrument to subjects they considered to be ‘representative’ of teachers, administrators and parents in their respective countries. Analysis‐of‐variance procedures were then used to determine the differences in views to quality programmes among the three groups in both countries. No significant differences were found among the three groups in the Finnish sample (F(2,69) = 1.34, p = ns). Among the US group, the parents were found to score significantly less than administrators (F(2,120) = 7.85, p < 0.0006). Multivariate analyses of varianc...

Reflections on our past, challenges in our present, and visions for our future: NAECTE celebrates 25 years in support of teachers of our nation's children

The year was 1977. Bernard Spodek was President of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). I was a struggling student in my second year of doctoral study at the University of Illinois. As the annual November meeting of NAEYC approached, I overheard a couple of discussions between President Spodek and a number of his colleagues and senior doctoral students regarding an important teacher education meeting which was being organized for NAEYC. Those informal discussions were my first introduction to what was to become the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE). November 2002, NAECTE met in New York to celebrate the 25th year as an organization dedicated to improving the quality of preparation for those teaching young children. The theme for this historic conference was Making a Difference: Teacher Educators Focus on Policy. Included in the program were: keynote addresses by Jeanne Shaheen (former governor of New Hampshire), Anna Lovejoy (Senior Policy Analyst with the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices), Beth Blue Swadener (Arizona State University); a host of sessions presented by NAECTE colleagues; and a concluding panel session which included three (of 15) colleagues identified as founders of NAECTE (Doris Fromberg, Michael Davis, and Phil Wishon) who shared their reflections on our past, todays challenges, and prospects for our future. At this anniversary conference, the NAECTE Governing Board requested that a theme issue of the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education be devoted to capturing the essence of our 25 year history through a policy lens. In response to this, I sent a personal request to colleagues who had been identified as original founders of our organization inviting them to submit manuscripts for consideration in this anniversary issue. Those who served on the very well-received Founders Panel Session mentioned above were among the first to agree to submit manuscripts based on their presentations. In addition, invitations were sent to a number of conference presenters with theme-related topics. Finally, articles submitted prior to the conference already under review dealing with policy topics were also considered. The volume you hold in your hand is the outcome of this effort. The Preface to this volume provides a concise overview of our organization—its beginnings, its accomplishments, and its present organizational status. Following this history, Phil Wishon opens the volume with his caution that current educational policies are rapidly transforming schools from agents striving for the betterment of society to servants of economic growth. Such policies, Wishon suggests:

Preparing Early Childhood Teachers for the New Millennium

The purpose of the annual theme issue of the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education is to appraise our membership of timely issues/concerns relating to a specific topic. This directed focus is designed to provide a more comprehensive professional discussion of the designated theme topic. In order to give our readership ample opportunity to share their ideas, “Calls for Manuscripts” for each theme topic are announced two years in advance. The theme for 2002 is “Distance Learning in Early Childhood Teacher Education.” Here, we specifically request manuscripts regarding your experiences and research relating to the use of technology to advance our knowledge in the field of Early Childhood Teacher Education. The 2003 theme will focus upon problems/issues relating to “Standards-Driven Curricula and the Early Childhood Profession.” All interested in improving the quality of early childhood teacher education are strongly encouraged to submit manuscripts for these and future themes. See the enclosed “Call for Manuscripts” for submission details.

Distance learning and the early childhood teacher educator

Shortly after the educational computer revolution began in the early 1980s, headlines such as Computers Preparing Preschoolers for Kindergarten, Learning by Computers at Age Four, Computer Bytes Infest Children, and Computer Tutor Programs for Preschoolers began to permeate our media. Parents, concerned with the education of their children, quickly fell prey to implications of such claims. Companies, eager to profit from parental concerns, quickly began exploiting the most vulnerable of all markets—children (Hoot, 1986). Since that time, research and guidance provided by professional organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC, 2000) has helped teachers of young children approach technology in a more professionally justifiable manner. Through these sources (i.e., research and professional guidance) we are now able to maximize the power of this media for promoting developmentally appropriate goals for children and, at the same time, minimize its potential pitfalls.

COLLABORATIONS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATION: CHALLENGES AND PROMISE

The purpose of our annual theme volume of the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education is to focus attention on timely concerns/ issues in our field. In order to obtain the largest number of perspective viewpoints on the theme focus, we now notify our membership of these annual topics two years in advance. Our upcoming theme focus volumes will be Preparing Early Childhood Teachers for the New Millennium (2001) and Distance Learning in Early Childhood Teacher Education (2001). Please consider sharing your work on these topics with our membership. For details, see Call for Manuscripts notification in this issue. This, the 2 annual theme issue of the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, focuses upon collaboration. It is through collaboration that parties involved work together to solve problems and advance a common goal (Berkowitz, 1986; Gray, 1989; Lieberman, 1986). The common goal being addressed herein is how to develop and support a more competent and caring cadre of teachers of young children. In pursuit of this goal, articles in this volume describe how a host of parties (e.g., colleges/universities, businesses, agencies) have advanced both collective and individual goals in efforts toward achievement of this goal (Hord, 1986). As one who has been involved in education from a number of frameworks over the years—as a classroom teacher, director of a child care center, and university professor, I have had numerous opportunities to experience the creative tension of collaboration. The manuscripts that follow share with us challenges and promises emerging from such tension. Lynch and Schupe describe the development of a successful collaboration between a Head Start delegate agency and an associate degree early childhood teacher education program at the University of Cincinnati. Marshall, Morrison, and Davis chronicle the politics of collaboration in development of a state-man-

Distance-Learning in Higher Education: A Status Report on Teacher Education in Central Europe.

H igher education institutions in the 2 1 s• century face many challenges, including an ever-increasxad ing need for funding, the race to attract students in a highly competitive academic market, and the global demand for increased efficiency in a world experiencing unprecedented technological growth. An almost universal response from more highly industrialized nations to these emerging challenges has been a call for greatly expanded distance learning opportunities in higher education. Rapidly emerging distance-based universities (e.g. , State University of New York at Buffalo, Pacific Oaks Colxad lege, and British Open University) now offer entire degree programs via distance teaching formats. Moreover, instituxad tions such as Temple University, University of Phoenix, and Korean National Open University, now have entire virtual (i.e. , solely distance education) wings of their universixad ties. Because of these developments, experts estimated that soon, 15% of all students in the United States alone will be enrolled in some type of distance education courses (West, 1 999) . While evidence clearly supports projections for exxad ponential expansion of distance teaching in the years to come, researchers are only beginning to explore the relative impact of this instructional method (as apposed to more traditional methods) on student learning (Hoot, 200 1 ) . Given this gap between bandwagon technological expanxad sionism and lack of research to support it, we can surmise that emerging technological nations (as well as undevelxad oped nations) could save time and resources by carefully studying distance education successes and failures before moving in this direction. Moreover, given relatively recent progress toward globalization (e.g., continued expansion of the European Union) , it would behoove all nations to work together to maximize the potential of distance education and to minimize its negative consequences. To date, however, we know little about distance educaxad tion outside major industrialized countries. This technologixad cal knowledge void is especially salient in former Soviet Eastern Block nations, where political systems forbad most professional sharing during the Cold War (the demise of which was itself, to a great extent, a direct result of technoxad logical advancement) . This article provides an update on the status of distance education in one of the most rapidly developing of all Eastern European nations-Hungary. Further, since distance education implementation varies greatly across academic disciplines, we focus on one of the largest disciplines-teacher preparation-as an exemplar. Through this status report, we explore distance education in Hungary from an historical perspective, discuss current obstacles to expanding distance education, and suggest the potential this instructional mode might present to this rapidly developing nation.