Beliefs and Practices in Early Care and Education: The Relationships among Teachers' and Administrators' Beliefs and Characteristics, Classroom Practices, and Global Quality
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Victoria Kintner-Duffy (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- Catherine Scott-Little
Abstract: Teachers' beliefs have been an important construct in understanding teachers' practices and classroom quality in early care and education. Despite some theoretical and empirical evidence for the relationship between teachers' beliefs and practices, results from previous research have been mixed. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teachers' beliefs and practices, as well as examine other characteristics which may impact this relationship. Specifically, these factors included administrators' beliefs, administrator leadership style, and teacher efficacy. Results indicated that teachers' beliefs were positively related to both teachers' reported practices (r =.722) and classroom global quality (r =.294). Additionally, administrators' beliefs were related positively to global quality (r =.252). Teacher efficacy was also related positively to teachers' report of developmentally appropriate practices (r =.263). Surprisingly, teachers' perception of administrators' leadership style was associated negatively with teachers' practices (r = -.345). Teachers who reported their administrators as strong on several leadership characteristics also reported implementing developmentally inappropriate practices. These findings have important implications for efforts to improve classroom quality, specifically in terms of identifying and challenging beliefs in teacher and administrator professional development. Future directions for research are also discussed.
Beliefs and Practices in Early Care and Education: The Relationships among Teachers' and Administrators' Beliefs and Characteristics, Classroom Practices, and Global Quality
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Created on 5/1/2008
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- Language: English
- Date: 2008
- Keywords
- Teachers' beliefs, administrators' beliefs, administrative leadership, early care, early education, teacher efficacy, global quality, leadership
- Subjects
- Effective teaching.
- Teachers $x Attitudes.
- School principals $x Attitudes.
- Educational leadership.