Socio-structural Influences on Teacher-child Interactions During Project Work

• In Event: 2484 - Section on Sociology of Education Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 21. Schools and Classrooms 1

Abstract

This case study examines two Head Start classrooms’ pedagogic and social structures relating to the implementation of the Project Approach. Teachers took part in six training sessions on the Project Approach in the fall. Results suggest that the classrooms employing weaker classification and framing (Bernstein, 1980) in terms of pedagogic and social structures also employed more varied conversations about the project topic. In addition while both classroom teachers engaged as novices with project work, there were marked differences in the level of child engagement, physical evidence of the topic, and curricular use of the project topic. These findings raise questions with regards to teachers’ views of developmentally appropriate practice, curricular boundaries, and children’s competencies that may influence classroom practice.

Authors

• Tanya Espinosa Cordoba, University of Illinois

• Stephanie C. Sanders-Smith, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign