Poster #182 - The Relations between Preschool Teachers’ Background, Classroom Time Allocation and Quality of Language Instruction

• In Event: 1-005 - Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Section - School Readiness/Childcare

Integrative Statement

Supporting the development of children’s language skills is one of the key aims of early childhood education yet considerable research identifies this as an area of relative weakness for preschool teachers (e.g., Neuman & Dwyer, 2009). Beyond teacher credentials and experience, structural elements of classrooms such as group size and classroom climate can support or inhibit instruction and child outcomes. Moreover, research suggests that preschool teachers vary widely in how effectively they allocate time (e.g., Early et al., 2010). As such, this study explored relations between time preschool teachers spent across settings, the calm or chaos of the classroom and aspects of classroom language environment, controlling for teacher background.

The sample comprised 80 preschool teachers participating in a study evaluating teacher-child language interactions across public, private, and Head Start site types. Thirty-one teachers taught in Head Start, 8 in public preschools, and 41 in private preschools, all serving 3-5 year-old children. Classroom observations lasting approximately three hours were conducted six times across the school year using the Classroom Language Environment Observation Scale (CLEOS; Phillips et al. 2011, 2018), which measures the instructional language environment and consists of four major subscales: the general language environment (GLE), incidental language instruction (ILI), incidental vocabulary instruction (IVI), and explicit vocabulary instruction (EVI); current results include fall observations. Observers also assessed the “chaotic” nature of classrooms using a 16-item Classroom Environment Scale. Data on time allocation to specific settings (e.g., center time, circle time, gross motor, and meals) and to non-engagement was captured from videos using Noldus Observer Xt software.
Teachers demonstrated substantial variability on the CLEOS scales (with moderate language-focused scores but generally weak vocabulary-focused scores) and in time allocation (e.g., ranging from 2-72 minutes for routines and 0-66 minutes for small-group). To assess predictive associations, regression models were conducted for the CLEOS subscales with setting and teacher background variables entered as an initial block, and with CHAOS and time variables entered as a second block. For parsimony, when there were no significant predictors in the background variables block, it was trimmed from the final model (see Tables 1-2). Overall, findings indicated no predictive relations for GLE, perhaps because of restricted range. Furthermore, results indicated that setting and teacher background variables, including education and experience, rarely or never contributed to aspects of language environments; these findings support literature indicating the limited explanatory power of teachers’ backgrounds. Teachers engaged in more self-managed behaviors like cleaning and adult conversations were less likely to engage in language scaffolding. For both vocabulary subscales, the duration of meal times predicted higher scores; this finding requires further investigation but perhaps relates to Head Start and similar programs’ commitment to group meal times that may support language interactions. Surprisingly, findings indicated teachers with more experience teaching kindergarten engaged in less incidental vocabulary instruction. Whereas findings highlight some links between time allocation and language environment quality, results suggest a need to better explain what differentiates teachers providing higher-quality instruction. Additional analyses will explore site type, classroom management and curricula as potential predictors.

Authors

• Beth Phillips, Florida State University
  Presenting Author

• Felesa Oliver, Florida State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Michael P. Mesa, Florida State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Chelsea N. Funari, Florida State University
  Non-Presenting Author