Caregivers' nutrition and physical activity knowledge is recognised as being important for children's health and body size. Identifying knowledge gaps amongst caregivers may inform professional ...development and obesity-prevention strategies in childcare settings. This cross-sectional validated online questionnaire aimed to measure current early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers' nutrition knowledge for pre-schoolers (2-5-year-olds) and related perspectives. Teachers' (
= 386) knowledge of nutrition was lacking: The overall score was 22.56 ± 2.83 (mean ± SD), or 61% correct. Increased years of experience significantly predicted an increase in knowing that national nutrition and physical activity guidelines exist (B = 0.02 95% CI, 0.00-0.03,
= 0.13,
= 0.033). Teachers' increased agreement in feeling they were confident talking about nutrition to parents significantly predicted an increase in overall nutrition knowledge scores (B = 0.34 95% CI, 0.06-0.63,
= 0.15,
= 0.019). The belief that ECEC teachers play a vital role in promoting pre-schoolers' healthy eating and physical activity was widespread. Common knowledge barriers included a lack of staff training, confidence, and resources. ECEC teachers may lack nutrition knowledge for pre-schoolers, particularly in regard to basic nutrition recommendations (servings, food/beverage choices, and portion sizes).
The primary aim of Vietnam's new educational program is to enhance students' knowledge and skills through practical learning experiences, enabling them to tackle academic and real-world challenges. ...However, teachers in Dong Thap province face limitations in their professional competencies. Thus, this study aims to address these issues by examining different models for developing teachers' professional competencies. 1,116 participants participated in this study (258 managers and 868 teachers from high schools and preschools) who completed two questionnaires assessing their professional competence and the perceived importance of professional development. The findings reveal that teachers lack subject knowledge, interdisciplinary understanding and skills in teaching design and assessment. Both school managers and teachers recognize the necessity of professional competence development. A three-step process for enhancing teachers' professional competence is proposed for implementing professional development activities based on these findings.
The article presents the results of the psycho-pedagogical experiment carried out in two kindergartens in Galati, on a sample comprising 4 teachers, 12 preschool children with autism and 74 inclusive ...preschool children. The study aimed to investigate the development process of the integrative system in early education by ensuring the interdependence between material resources, human resources and methodological resources existing in institutions implementing this type of training. The research is of value because it was carried out on an age segment that is little researched and explored, but which is of overwhelming importance in the development of preschool children with ASD in all aspects: psychological, social and emotional. It has been scientifically and practically demonstrated that a thorough training of teachers in mainstream education is required to ensure a successful integrated approach through a rigorous, well-founded intervention in accordance with the specific characteristics of children with ASD and their educational needs.
The goal of this study is to specify the metacognitive awareness levels of the classroom and pre-school teachers. Metacognitive awareness of teachers has been an important research subject in ...educational literature. However, current research on this topic is limited. Therefore, there is more need for this kind of research and this reality makes the current research more important. Data were collected using "Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI)" which was developed by Schraw and Dennison 1 translated into Turkish by Akin, Arabaci & Cetin 2. The participants were 396 teachers in the primary school and pre-schools of Diyarbakir in the 2018-2019 academic year. Data were analyzed in terms of branch, gender and seniority variables. In analysing data, t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Scheffe tests were used. Results showed the levels of the classroom and pre-school teachers' awareness was high. It was also found that the branch and gender variables were effective on teachers' metacognitive awareness levels, while the seniority variable was not. It is necessary to develop learning strategies to improve teachers' metacognitive awareness.
The present study determinedperspectives of pre-school teachers on television viewing in determining behavioral tendencies among preschoolers in Kenya. The study was guided by Albert Bandura’s Social ...Learning Theory. The target population of the study comprised of one head teacher, three ECDE teachers. Saturated sampling technique was used to sample 3 pre-school teachers.15 preschoolers were sampled using Purposive sampling technique after putting them into three stratus of those from rural, urban and more urban areas, which comprised of 20, 20 and 10 preschoolers from each stratum respectively. The researcher used interview schedules, observation schedules and focus group discussion guides as the study instruments. Validity of the instruments was ensured by seeking expert judgments of the supervisors and trustworthiness of qualitative data was also ensured. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data. The study findings revealed that there was increased physical aggression among children. Though; some children were also empathetic and loving. The finding also established an increased engagement in indoor and outdoor activities by the children. The results further showed an increased language development among children. Moreover, there was also enhanced mutual relationship realized among the learners. The study recommended that; pre-school teachers should encourage parents to engage their children in watching educational TV programs while at home, this was because the study findings revealed that children who watched television had well developed language and also performed well academically. Parents should limit TV viewing time per day and totally banning programs that are too violent or offensive by checking the television listings and programs ahead of time to ensure age appropriate programs, this was because the study findings revealed that children had long hours of TV watching.
This study was conducted to explore the relationship between Internet self-efficacy and preferences toward constructivist Internet-based learning environments. The sample included 365 college ...students in Taiwan who all majored in early childhood care and pre-school education. Some of them were preservice pre-school teachers (n=185), and the rest of them were inservice pre-school teachers who pursued a degree for childhood care (n=180). Through analyzing student questionnaire responses, the findings revealed that general Internet self-efficacy might foster the preferences of constructivist Internet-based learning environments. In other words, when widely implementing constructivist Internet-based learning environments, a prerequisite may be the condition that the learners should have adequate general Internet self-efficacy. By using structural equation model (SEM), this study further investigated the causal relations among the variables considered in this study. The SEM analysis showed that students with higher general Internet self-efficacy clearly showed more preferences toward Internet learning environments where they can use with ease, explore real-life problems, display multiple sources of information, conduct open-ended inquiry learning activities, and elaborate the nature of knowledge. However, students with higher communicative Internet self-efficacy tended to display relatively less preferences for inquiry learning on the Internet.
The 2012 London declaration which committed to "sustaining, expanding and extending drug access programmes to ensure the necessary supply of drugs and other interventions to help control ...soil-transmitted helminths (STH) by 2020" has seen many countries in Africa roll out mass drug administration (MDA) especially among school age children. In Kenya, however, during the National school-based deworming exercise, pre-school aged children (PSAC) have to access treatment at primary schools as the pre-school teachers are not trained to carry out deworming. With studies being conducted on the effectiveness of MDAs, the experiences of key education stakeholders which could improve the programme by giving best practices, and challenges experienced have not been documented.
This was a cross-sectional qualitative study using Focus group discussions (FGDs) and Key informant interviews (KIIs). It was conducted in 4 sub-counties with high STH prevalence at the Kenyan coast (Matuga, Malindi, Lunga Lunga and Msambweni) to understand best practices for implementing MDA among PSAC.FGDs categorized by gender were conducted among local community members, whereas KIIs involved pre-school teachers, primary school teachers, community health extension workers (CHEWs) and opinion leaders. Participants were purposefully selected with the saturation model determining the number of interviews and focus groups. Voice data collected was transcribed verbatim then coded and analyzed using ATLAS.Ti version 6.
Majority of the primary school teachers and CHEWs reported that they were satisfied with the method of mobilization used and the training tools. This was however not echoed by the pre-school teachers, parents and chiefs who complained of being left out of the process. Best practices mentioned included timely drug delivery, support from pre-school teachers, and management of side effects. Overcrowding during the drug administration day, complexity of the forms (for instance the 'S form') and long distance between schools were mentioned as challenges.
There is need to utilize better sensitization methods to include the local administration as well as the parents for better uptake of the drugs. Extending deworming training to pre-school teachers will enhance the national deworming programme.
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