We explored the differential impact mechanism and boundary conditions of emotional labor and its subdimensions on the turnover intention of kindergarten teachers. Our research was based on the job ...demands–resources model and the concept of symbolic interactionism. The results
of a survey conducted with 3,679 in-service kindergarten teachers showed that use of emotional labor strategies had a significant positive predictive effect on the turnover intention of kindergarten teachers. Further, professional identity played a partial mediating role in the link between
teachers' emotional labor (surface acting) and their turnover intention. Finally, we found that as the length of teaching service increased, surface acting had a greater influence on teachers' professional identity. Thus, kindergarten teachers' turnover intention can be effectively reduced
through surface acting.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, FSPLJ, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
42.
The Early Care and Education Workforce Phillips, Deborah; Austin, Lea J. E.; Whitebook, Marcy
The Future of children,
09/2016, Letnik:
26, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
In this article, Deborah Phillips, Lea Austin, and Marcy Whitebook examine educational preparation, compensation, and professional development among the early childhood workforce. Their central theme ...is that these features look very different for preschool teachers than they do for the elementary school teaching workforce. Most teachers of kindergarten through third grade can count on clear job requirements, professional development opportunities, workplace supports such as paid planning time, and a transparent and rational salary structure based on qualifications and experience. These teachers often earn a wage that approaches the median income in their communities. For most preschool teachers, Phillips, Austin, and Whitebook write, the situation is very different. Job requirements and qualifications vary wildly from program to program and from state to state. Professional development is both scarce and inconsistent. Compensation often fails to reward educational attainment or training; in fact, many preschool teachers are among the lowest-paid workers in the country. Poor compensation fuels turnover, which means that society loses investments in professional learning, and produces economic insecurity and stress among preschool teachers. The crux of quality in early childhood education lies squarely in the interactions that transpire between teachers and children, the authors write. Thus it's long past time, they argue, to recognize prekindergarten through third grade as a continuum that requires a seamless system of professional learning and compensation tied to qualifications, including education. To move beyond incremental improvements in the quality of early care and education, they conclude, empirical research, intervention, and policy alike should focus on the preparation, professional development, compensation, and wellbeing of early childhood teachers.
Online professional development programmes have a long tradition in adult education. However, in early childhood education, such programmes are only just beginning to be developed. Before online ...professional development courses can be made inclusive, accessible and widely available to early childhood educators, they must meet a few basic requirements. The present study provides insights into essential aspects that need to be considered when setting up online professional development programmes, a field which is still in its infancy in Austria. The results of a representative survey (n = 317) demonstrated that early childhood educators' digital competencies are highly variable and cannot be taken for granted. The survey results also stress the need to provide educators with functional digital devices appropriate to their work environment. Early childhood educators' interest in online professional development programmes is very high, in recognition of the advantages afforded by flexible participation options independent of users' time constraints or location. The development of attractive, compelling and accessible online professional development courses can contribute to current professionalisation efforts in the field of early childhood education.
Practitioner notes
What is already known about this topic
Online professional development has already a very long tradition in the field of adult vocational training but not in Early Childhood Education.
The possibility of attending online professional development programmes independent of a participant's time constraints or location is viewed as a particularly beneficial advantage.
Online professional development programmes positively affect the professionalisation of educators. For this reason, they must increasingly be integrated into the field of early childhood education.
What this paper adds
In the field of early childhood education in German‐speaking regions, online professional development training courses are only beginning to be developed.
This paper examines the challenges and barriers for early childhood educators associated with implementing online professional development programmes for early childhood educators.
The survey was conducted during the COVID‐19 pandemic and includes current data on the ongoing digitalisation boom.
Implications for practise and/or policy
Online professional development courses should not be understood as competition for conventional face‐to‐face programmes. Instead, they act as a useful supplement.
Media competencies are a fundamental prerequisite for everyday professional life—early childhood educators need functional media devices, stable internet connections, and support structures in IT and computer literacy.
Early childhood educators require effective instruction in using online professional development programmes to expand online professional development programmes in their field. They must also address compelling topics in early childhood education relevant to educators' practise.
Seeking personal well-being and life satisfaction during a global pandemic can be daunting, such is the case for early care and education teachers who were considered non-health care essential ...workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The potential changes in their physical activity, along with their overall physical and psychological well-being, may have ultimately influenced their life satisfaction. These changes included the potential for increased sedentary behaviors. Despite the high health risks associated with these factors during the pandemic, the role of physical activity in early care and education teachers’ well-being and life satisfaction remains largely unknown. The purpose of this study is to examine the associations of physical activity and sedentary behaviors with teacher well-being and life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, we explored two competing models of the relationship between the teachers’ physical activity, well-being, and life satisfaction, one with physical activity as a mediator and the other with teachers’ well-being as a mediator. An online survey, that collected information on physical, psychological, and professional well-being, job demands, and life satisfaction, was completed by 1434 US ECE teachers in 46 states. To test our hypothesized models, we conducted confirmatory factor analyses, followed by structural equation modeling. Of the respondents, 77% were overweight or obese and only 39% met the recommended 150 min of moderate physical activity per week. They had a mean life satisfaction score that qualifies as slight satisfaction, they experience moderate stress, and, collectively, are approaching the threshold for depression yet still reflect moderate-to-high work commitment. The empirical test of our competing mediation models found the model where teacher well-being mediated the association between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and life satisfaction was the superior model. The relationships between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and overall well-being suggest that these modifiable risk factors can be addressed such that early care and education teachers can improve their overall physical and psychological well-being, along with their life satisfaction.
Early childhood educators (ECEs) are the primary daytime role models for many young children, and are responsible for facilitating physical activity (PA) opportunities and minimizing sedentary ...behaviour (SB) in childcare. However, they have reportedly received little related education in their pre-service training. The purpose of the Training pre-service EArly CHildhood educators in physical activity (TEACH) pilot study was to explore changes in pre- and in-service ECEs' knowledge, self-efficacy, behavioural intention, and perceived behavioural control following the TEACH e-Learning course in PA and SB.
Pre-service ECEs were purposefully recruited from three Canadian colleges, while in-service ECEs were recruited via social media. A pre-post study design was used. ECEs completed two online surveys; one prior to, and one immediately following the completion of the TEACH e-Learning course (~ 5 h). Descriptive statistics were reported, and McNemar Chi-Square tests and paired samples t-tests were used to examine changes in ECEs' question-specific, and total knowledge scores, respectively. Wilcoxon Signed Ranks tests were employed to examine changes in self-efficacy, behavioural intention, and perceived behavioural control.
Both pre- (n = 32) and in-service (n = 121) ECEs significantly increased their total knowledge scores from pre- to post-course completion (p < .05*). Significant positive changes in self-efficacy (p < .025*), behavioural intention (p < .007*), and perceived behavioural control (p < .007*) were demonstrated by in-service ECEs following course completion, while only select composite scores within these tools were significant among pre-service ECEs.
These findings provide preliminary evidence of the potential efficacy of the e-Learning course at improving ECEs' knowledge, self-efficacy, behavioural intention, and perceived behavioural control to support PA and minimize SB in childcare. Following the success of the pilot study, testing the effectiveness of the TEACH e-Learning course on a larger scale, with a comparison group, is warranted prior to recommending broader dissemination of the training in pre-service ECE programs and for in-service ECE professional learning.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the association between preschool playground size, formalized physical activity (PA) policies, time spent outdoors and preschool teacher's levels of ...PA and children's objectively assessed levels of PA and sedentary time (ST) during preschool hours. Methods In total, 369 children and 84 preschool teachers from 27 preschools in S#246;dermalm municipally, Stockholm Sweden wore an Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometer during 7 consecutive days. Preschool environmental and structural characteristics were measured via the Environment and Policy Evaluation Self-Report (EPAO-SR) instrument and time in- and outdoors was recorded by preschool teachers during the PA measurements. Weight and height of children were measured via validated scales and parents filled out a questionnaire on demographical and descriptive variables. Linear mixed models, nested on preschool level, were used to assess the association between predictors and outcomes. Results The mean child age was 4.7 years (SD 0.8) and 45% were girls. We found that children were more active in preschools with a formalized PA policy, compared to preschools without such a policy, but not less sedentary. The association between policy and activity seemed to be more pronounced when accounting for other environmental factors. Similar associations were found in children spent most time outdoors (uppermost quartile) compared with children spent least time outdoors (Lowermost quartile). Preschool teachers' light PA (LPA) (#223; = 0.25, P = 0.004) and steps (#223; = 0.52, P0.001) were associated with childrens LPA and steps while the preschool playground size showed no association with PA in children, when accounting for other environmental factors. Conclusion The current study showed that preschool structural characteristics such as formalized PA policies and more time spent outdoors were positively associated with children's PA. These findings suggest that formalized PA policies and time outdoors may be of importance for promoting children's PA during preschool hours.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Choking refers to a blockage of upper airways by food or other objects resulting in interruption of breathing. It is a medical emergency that needs immediate action by anyone near by the victim to ...save life. Chocking is a major cause of illness and death in the pediatric population under the age of 5 years. Children at this age spent more time in their school and are at high risk during their feeding and playing. Immediate provision of first aid in response to choking by a preschool teacher will help to decrease the risk of developing life-threatening complications, length of hospital stays, the cost of treatment, and death.
Institutional-based cross-sectional study design was applied to the study area using pretested, structured, and self-administered questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with Knowledge, attitude, and practice of kindergarten teachers towards first aid management of choking.
A total of 224 Kindergarten teachers were involved in the study with a response rate of 95%. Only eighty-three (37%) of them were knowledgeable and 97 (43.3%) have faced a choked child in the school compound. Of these, only 42 (43.2%) had provided first aid to the victim. Most of the respondents 95.1% had a positive attitude towards choking first aid and 57.1% of them agreed that choking needs immediate management. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that Kindergarten teachers with the previous first aid training were 2.9 times more knowledgeable than those kindergarten teachers without previous first aid training (AOR: 2.902, 95% CI: 1.612, 5.227).
The level of knowledge and skills for providing first aid for choking children among kindergarten teachers is low. There is a need for urgent intervention to train teachers regarding the provision of first aid for choking children.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Previous studies have reviewed positive correlations between the formal education levels of educators in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centres and the quality of interactions, but the ...findings have not been consistent (Early et al., 2007; Manning et al., 2017). Moreover, informal learning processes seem to be important too (Pianta et al., 2016). The present paper addresses this and explores how education levels of ECEC staff, years of service, and the frequency of team meetings relate to the quality of interactions in Austrian centre-based settings for children under 3 years. The interaction quality was measured among early childhood educators and assistants (N = 116) using the Graz Scale of Interaction Quality for Children between 0 and 3 years (GrazIAS 0-3) (Walter-Laager, Flöter et al., 2019). The results of multiple regression models indicate that the frequency of team meetings strongly positively correlates with both the subscales of interaction quality, 'ensure relationships and wellbeing' and 'support learning'. Further, the level of education of the ECEC staff and their years of service positively correlate with the subscale 'support learning' with low-to-medium effect sizes. The findings also suggest that team meetings might be important for increasing the quality of interactions at ECEC centres.
Early childhood education is a sector often mis-represented in the media and public domain, depicting a sector beleaguered by low salaries, lack of professional recognition and inadequate working ...conditions. Missing from this depiction is the fullness of the everyday teaching and learning experiences of early childhood educators, and subsequent joy experienced in working with young children and families and the significant contribution of this emotion to educator practice and sense of wellbeing. Using an online survey, educators were invited to share their perspectives of factors that are contributing to the crisis in the field, their daily encounters with children and the moments, both big and small, that shaped and guided their pedagogy. Findings suggested that while the concept of joy was embraced and validated by educators, it was also elusive and hard to define. Suggestions for validating the place of joy as central in early childhood education conclude the paper.
In recent years there have been significant changes in education across the globe, largely as a result of changing demographics, technological developments, and increased globalization. Relatedly, ...the changing needs of societies and families, along with new research findings, provide new directions in early childhood education. Consequently, early childhood teachers today are faced with higher and more complex expectations to help ensure that their students achieve their full potential. Such expectations suggest that early childhood teachers should be professionals who are able to draw on a robust knowledge base in making educational decisions. It follows that teacher education programs should develop and implement innovative programs that can potentially enhance the quality of our future teachers.An awareness of pressing issues in the field of early childhood teacher education led the editors to develop this volume. The chapters in these two volumes bring together scholars from across the US and the globe who are interested in improving the quality of early childhood teacher education. The chapters present their experiences, perspectives, and lessons learned as they addressed some of the challenging issues concerning the education and preparation of future early childhood teachers. The various issues and perspectives from different states in the US or countries across the globe provide insights into current issues and dilemmas facing the field. The contributions of these scholars should inform the discourse on early childhood teacher education and help those who work with preservice teachers improve the quality of their work.
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