Research on Preschool and Primary Education

Mediation in conflict situations among early childhood children

Dafni Petkou — 2024-09-27

This research examines the effect of conflict resolution intervention programs on reducing conflict among early childhood students. Conflicts are defined as occasional or mild disagreements among children of the same age. Although they do not always lead to violence, learning peaceful conflict resolution skills from preschool age is considered important. The study analyzed the frequency and intensity of conflicts in early childhood students. In this direction, a team of students participated in conflict resolution activities. The results support that the implementation of specialized intervention programs in early childhood students lead to the strengthening of positive conflict management skills.

The power of play: investigating student success in kindergarten classrooms

Karyn Allee — 2024-11-01

Teaching in kindergarten has shifted in recent decades, with the US lagging behind other countries that embrace play as a core pedagogical approach. While global efforts, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and national curricula in countries like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand promote play, opinions on its role in early elementary education (K-2) remain divided in the US, and more research is needed to develop effective teaching strategies. This quasi-experimental, pilot study explored the effects of two pedagogical approaches on Title I kindergarten students’ executive function (EF), receptive vocabulary, and academic achievement, hypothesizing that purposeful play would particularly benefit students from low-income backgrounds. Results showed that the play-based group made significantly greater reading gains, with links between stronger teacher-reported EF skills and higher academic progress. Although some limitations exist, the findings underscore the potential of play-based pedagogy to enhance children's educational outcomes.

Preschool teachers' perceptions of preschool education during Covid-19 in Greece: a diary-interview study

Nantia Chatzitheodorou — 2024-04-26

Preschools all around the world had recently been forced to adopt Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) as a means to encounter the Covid-19 pandemic. While online teaching and learning has already been employed in higher education for many years, this was the first time it had been implemented in preschool classrooms. The current study aimed to investigate preschool teachers’ experiences of formal education during the transition between ERT and face-to-face education in Greece. Teacher diaries were collected over a four-month period, followed by online interviews with the teachers. Both data sets were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings indicated that ERT had a short-term negative influence on children’s behaviour and eagerness to engage in interpersonal social interactions upon their return to preschool. Teachers further reported that the measures adopted by the Greek Government as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on children’s learning, belonging, development and participation and failed to meet young children’s needs. The appropriateness of remote teaching as a mode of learning for preschoolers is discussed.

Using literacy strategies to assist parents with Common Core mathematical practices

Kerry Carley Rizzuto — 2024-09-11

Parent and family engagement in Common Core State Standards (CCSS) emphasizes meaningful involvement and consultation of parents in supporting their children with necessary mathematics and literacy skills at home. As the mathematical methods taught in schools following the CCSS differ from what parents are used to, parents need support learning new approaches to solving mathematics problems – moving from an algorithm-concentrated method to a concept-oriented process – and helping their children develop necessary mathematics and literacy strategies. This study describes a parental intervention designed by researchers to support parents using literacy strategies to help their fourth-grade (nine- to ten-year-old) children with mathematics homework. The results from the parent interviews indicate that the parental intervention program enabled parents to be aware of their beliefs and attitudes about mathematics, school mathematics, ways to support children’s mathematical work, and knowledge and practice of active involvement to connect literacy and mathematics. This paper discusses the implications for educators in leveraging language and literacy strategies for parents’ involvement in their children’s mathematical thinking and provides recommendations for further research.

Beyond the classroom: structural and qualitative challenges in Bangladesh's primary education

Muhammad Rehan Masoom — 2024-07-03

The study provides an overview of the problems in the primary education system of Bangladesh by highlighting issues such as teacher-student ratio variations, unqualified teachers, different educational systems, and coordination issues in primary schools. The adverse impact of poverty on children’s schooling, worsened by health and nutrition problems, is identified as a major barrier to academic achievement. This study employed a sociological perspective to systematically investigate and identify the structural inequities inherent within the primary education system. The study analyzed news articles from Bangladesh’s most popular newspaper in 2023 to identify pressing issues in the primary education system, focusing on teacher qualifications, teacher-student ratios, and the impact of COVID-19. The findings were triangulated with sociological theories and existing empirical investigations. While it is ethical to use public data, there are also limitations, such as potential media bias and the year of data collection, which could potentially affect generalizability. This study aims to enhance equity and academic achievement within the country’s primary education landscape by investigating and proposing solutions to the challenges of Bangladesh’s primary education.

Rethinking the music curriculum theories: Towards an updated comprehensive student-centred approach

Regina Saltari — 2024-02-28

This article reports a theoretical investigation on music curriculum and explores the factors that shape the practice of music education in terms of the official and other music curricula. We drew on relevant literature and explored four key aspects of the design and implementation of music curriculum: policy-making contexts, teaching practices, students’ practices and attitudes, and school contexts. Currently, music education research focuses on student-centredness as an important element in music practice. Embracing students’ various ways of musical engagement as well as their music identities promotes further development of their musical-social skills and enhances their interests. We suggest the development of an updated and comprehensive music curriculum which is student-centred and based on new musical literacies that respond to students’ daily musical needs and address the challenges of today’s social context. Our suggestion is encompassed in five core principles: 1) Getting to know our students, 2) Discussing the teaching-learning goals with our students, 3) Adapting to local conditions, 4) Bottom-up and top-down perspectives: Finding the balance through authentic classroom activities, and 5) Contextualising assessment. The article advocates for the effective use of all types of music curricula so that students become active, responsible and critical thinkers in their personal, social and musical lives.

Book review: Methodology for Research with Early Childhood Education and Care Professionals; Cecilia Wallerstedt et al., Eds.; Springer Nature: Cham, 2023; ISBN: 978-3-031-14582-7

Wei Xu — 2024-07-31

The ideas of sustainable development during the students' religious education in Swedish female schools at the beginning of the 20th century

Viktoriia Chorna — 2024-01-08

This article explores the role of female education in Sweden in the development of religious education and its role in the sustainable development of primary school pupils at the beginning of the 20th century. For this purpose, a retrospective analysis of contemporary thematic content was conducted. Archival documents from the Stockholm Archives were used for the article to ensure a reliable result. Based on an analysis of regulatory documents (Protocols of the Swedish Parliament and Protocols of the General Church Meeting), the archives of four private schools (The school of Anna Sandstrom; The co-educational school of Sofi Almquist; New Elementary School for Girls or The school of Anna Ahlmstrom; The school of Anna Rönström), the author concludes that teachers of these institutions: 1. use religious orientation materials for general education; 2. draw on religion as an instrument to show pupils their connection with other components of the environment and to convince them that all components are connected and that the expected future depends on each individual; 3. show pupils the connections amongst the society – people – nature and the necessity to multiply all their resources.