Commonalities, Differences, and Mismatches: Central Stakeholders' Perspective on Quality in Early Childhood Education

• In Event: Roundtable Session 34
  In Roundtable Session: Discursive Constructions of Early Childhood Education Teachers: Defiance, Commonalities, and Mismatches

Abstract

This research explores the question defining a good early childhood program from the perspective of both parents and teachers. Participants included 411 preschool teachers and parents who had preschoolers. Commonalities and differences existed within and across teachers’ and parents’ perceptions as well as within and across program types. Discrepancies and mismatches were also found between the official discourse and what teachers and parents thought was important. This research suggests that serious attention should be first given to allowing all stakeholders to reflect on the goals, curriculum, and theoretical frameworks of the program, on teaching practices, deeply held values, alternative perspectives, and local contexts.

Author

• Kyoung Jin Kim, Ball State University