Pre-Kindergarten Teachers’ School Readiness Beliefs, Classroom Practices, and Moderating Contextual Considerations

• In Event: Big Conversations on Early Childhood Praxis

Abstract

Weak theoretical framing and ambiguity in the measurement of beliefs and practices have contributed to challenges in researching the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and practices. The current study proposes a theoretical framework and uses a person-oriented approach to examine early childhood teachers’ content-related school readiness beliefs. Teachers’ belief profiles are used to explore the link between teachers’ beliefs and their use of instructional time. The influences of classroom and school contextual considerations on both teachers’ classroom practices were investigated. The study found no evidence that teachers’ belief profiles were associated with their practices, but results suggest that classroom-level contextual considerations may be more important and relevant to teachers’ classroom practices than previously recognized.

Authors

• Cathy Yun, California State University - Fresno

• Dale C. Farran, Vanderbilt University

• Mark W. Lipsey, Vanderbilt University

• Kerry Guess Hofer, Vanderbilt University

• Carol Bilbrey, Vanderbilt University