Early Childhood Educ J (2013) 41:307–314 DOI 10.1007/s10643-012-0550-9
‘‘NAEYC’s Key Attributes of Quality Preschool Programs’’ Applied to the Jordanian Kindergarten Context Tagreed Fathi Abu Taleb
Published online: 12 September 2012 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
Abstract Jordan’s education system is currently undergoing rigorous and comprehensive reform processes that focus on improving the status of educational policies and experiences for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Kindergarten education in Jordan has been dominated until recently, by the private-sector. For the past decade, the Ministry of Education has taken initiative to provide government-funded kindergarten programs. The main objective of this research was to evaluate program practices implemented by private and public-sector programs and examine their alignment with Developmentally Appropriate Practices. Using NAEYC’s ‘‘Top 10 Signs of a Good Kindergarten Classroom’’ as evaluative guidelines, observational data was collected from 118 classrooms (50-private, 68-public). Demographic data were also obtained from classroom teachers; level of education, specialty, and years of experience. The results of the analysis revealed significant differences in application of the 10 NAEYC guidelines between public and privatesector programs. Ministry of Education kindergarten classroom practices were found to be closely aligned to best practices compared to private-sector programs. Also, teachers with bachelor’s degrees and those with early childhood education backgrounds outperformed their counterparts in the application of Developmentally Appropriate Practices. Years of experience yielded no significant results for this sample of teachers. Reflecting on the results of this study, several recommendations were posed.
T. F. Abu Taleb (&) The University of Jordan, Queen Rania Street, Jubaihah, Amman, Jordan e-mail:
[email protected]
Keywords NAEYC Jordan Kindergarten Public and private-sector programs
Public and Private-Sector Kindergarten Education Programs The early childhood years are a significant period in human development. The quality of experiences encountered by young children during this period has a tremendous impact on their personal development and learning abilities. Internationally, kindergarten education is considered a necessary component of education systems that prepare children academically and personally. Jordan has recognized the importance of this developmental period and, for the past decade, increased opportunities of access to government-funded kindergarten education programs. Kindergarten education in Jordan is provided for by the public and private sectors. Public, Ministry of Education kindergartens are highly regulated; they have identical curriculum, mandatory teacher training programs, and refurbished classrooms in accordance with international standards. Private-sector kindergartens constitute the vast majority of programs in the country and the quality of services they provide varies widely. Typically, the highest quality private-sector kindergarten programs are found to be an integral part of comprehensive schools and constitute the minority of existing programs. The larger numbers of programs however, are center-based, and provide children average to below average care and education. These programs are self-regulated and oftentimes were found to employ non-specialty teachers and to meet minimal educational requirements. Quality educational opportunities rank high on Jordan’s national education agenda but research guiding the reform
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process at the preschool and kindergarten levels is scarce, thus limiting informed reform initiatives. To the best of this researcher’s knowledge, this is the first study to compare educational practices implemented in private and publicsector kindergarten programs. The intention of this research initiative is to provide a general overview of current program practices and to document possible reasons behind possible variations in educational strategies within each sector. Guided by NAEYC’s ten guidelines ‘‘Top 10 Signs of a Good Kindergarten Classroom’’ (1996), the present study used observations in several public and private kindergarten classrooms in Jordan to determine the extent to which Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) were applied. Developmentally Appropriate Kindergarten Practices: Review of Relevant Research Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has been committed to improving the wellbeing of young children from birth through age eight. In 1996, NAEYC released a policy brief labeled ‘‘Top Ten Signs of a Good Kindergarten Classroom’’ which includes guiding principles by which kindergarten programs can be generally judged by families and educators. According to this brief, learning occurs within the context of children’s daily experiences and the curriculum is adapted to meet individual needs. Classrooms are decorated with children’s work and provide a variety of developmentally appropriate activities that balance among individual, small group, and large group activities. Play is an integral part of the program and should be encouraged for healthy physical and brain development (Campbell and Hesketh 2007; NAEYC 1995). In 2007, Ginsburg argued that active play should be included in the actual definition of early childhood due to its central role in child development. Throughout the school day, children have free access to educational materials such as puzzles and picture books. Book reading for example, is a cornerstone of developmentally appropriate kindergarten programs that contributes to future academic success (Hull 2011; Medinaa et al. 2011; The Albert Shanker Institute 2009). NAEYC (2009a, b) emphasized the significance of providing kindergarten children with a variety of developmentally appropriate practices that encourage their selfesteem, independence, identity formation, and individual strengths. Developmentally appropriate practice means that teachers shift their focus from traditional teaching strategies and move toward providing experiences that align with children’s needs, abilities, and love for learning (Epstein 2007; Pianta 2003). By nature, children develop at varying rates which dictates two central school responsibilities (NAEYC 1995). These include teachers’
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responsiveness to the diverse range of abilities within a group of children and the curriculum that should provide meaningful contexts for children’s learning. Effects of Quality Kindergarten Programs General agreement exists among the international community concerning aspects of quality preschool and kindergarten education programs. These programs typically adopt a child-centered approach to education, provide services that align with children’s developmental needs, and are documented to positively impact development and school readiness (North Dakota Department of Human Services 2010). There is strong evidence linking the quality of support children receive during the early childhood years to health, level of education and improved economic outcomes during adulthood (Camilli et al. 2010; Carneiro and Heckman 2003; Chambers et al. 2006; Coghlan et al. 2009; Karoly et al. 1998, 2005; Waldfogel and Washbrook 2010). One of the most compelling longitudinal studies linking quality early childhood care and education to personal and professional effectiveness in the adult years was recently released by the FPG Child Development Institute (Campbell et al. 2012). The results of this study suggest that adults who were exposed to high quality kindergarten education programs had more years of education and were four times more likely to have completed college compared to their counterparts from the control group. Several factors such as teachers’ education level, specialty and behavior, availability of a wide variety of materials, and a developmentally appropriate curriculum are documented to contribute to the quality of early childhood programs (Colker 2008; Hyson et al. 2009; Johnson and Mathien 1998). Teachers’ behavior in high quality programs for example, is frequently correlated with a positive impact on young children’s learning and development (Wilson et al. 2007). Also, teachers with early childhood education credentials are better able to provide safe environments for children to grow and explore. In 2001, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario stated that well-trained early childhood teachers have the ability to foster safe and nurturing classroom environments that promote young children’s physical and social development. An effective kindergarten program builds on children’s prior learning and provides them with plenty of opportunities to expand their knowledge and promote their skills. These programs are guided by teachers who have a thorough understanding of children’s learning and development in the social/emotional, physical, cognitive, and language domains (Fleer et al. 2006). Teachers take into account the developmental level of each child while encouraging holistic learning through challenging activities and
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appropriate experiences. Children in developmentally appropriate programs are found to be independent and taskoriented compared to their counterparts in formal academically oriented kindergarten programs (Stipek et al. 1995). When teachers provide children with integrated experiences and emotional support, they contribute to promoting their motivation toward learning and enhance their cognitive skills, thus contributing to long-term personal and academic outcomes (Gregory and Weinstein 2004; Pianta et al. 2002; Rimm-Kaufman et al. 2005). Purpose and Significance of the Present Study In this study, NAEYC’s ‘‘Top 10 Signs of a Good Kindergarten Classroom’’ were applied to the Jordanian kindergarten context in an attempt to examine the extent of alignment between these guidelines and program practices. More specifically, these signs were used as general guidelines to examine the differences in the quality of practices between public and private-sector kindergarten programs. For the purposes of this study, kindergarten refers to education programs for children in the year prior to first grade. It is important to examine this alignment at this time of educational reform in Jordan in order to inform policy makers, practitioners, and families about the level to which program practices coincide with developmentally appropriate practices. The following questions guided the present research study: 1.
2.
3.
To what level (low-average-high) are NAEYCs 10 guidelines applied in Jordanian kindergarten classrooms? Do public and private-sector kindergarten programs differ in classroom practices as measured by NAEYC’s 10 guidelines? Are there differences in application of the NAEYC 10 guidelines in relation to teachers’ demographic variables: education level, specialty, and years of experience?
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childhood education in college while 26 had other specialties, and 61 of the teachers had over 5 years of experience as kindergarten teachers and 53 of them had below 5 years. Measure and Procedures Measure The measure for this study consisted of two sections: (1) demographic section soliciting information from teachers concerning their education level, specialty, and years of experience, (2) NAEYCs ‘‘Top10 Signs of a Good Kindergarten Classroom’’ guidelines. Each sign, with the exception of the seventh and eighth, was assigned a threepoint evaluative scale ranging from highly applicable to least applicable. The seventh and eighth practices were assigned a yes/no scale. Content validity: To determine the appropriateness of the statements to the Jordanian kindergarten context, the measure was evaluated by early childhood education specialists, kindergarten teachers, field supervisors, and program administrators. Evaluators deemed all observational statements as appropriate for this study’s objectives with the exception of the last statement ‘‘children and their parents look forward to school’’. Given that research assistants observed for only 1 day in each classroom and no parents were involved in this study, evaluators recommended that observers watch children as they arrived in the morning and evaluate their demeanor upon entering the classroom. Internal consistency reliability for the measure was performed using Cronbach’s Alpha and calculated for the total NAEYC scale. Analysis revealed that the measure was reliable at a = 0.82 level. Procedures
Method
The data for this study were gathered by research assistants who obtained demographic information from kindergarten teachers and conducted classroom observations. Two observers worked concurrently to evaluate program practices by spending an entire school day in each of the kindergarten settings.
Sample
Data Analysis
Data for this study were collected using observations in 118 kindergarten classrooms in Amman, Jordan. 50 of the classrooms were Ministry of Education public-sector kindergartens while 68 were private-sector kindergarten classrooms. Demographic information collected from these kindergarten classroom teachers was as follows: 79 teachers were bachelor’s degree holders while 35 had associate degrees, 88 teachers were specialized in early
Statistical analyses of the study’s data were performed using descriptive statistics and t test analyses. Descriptive statistics were used to systematically describe and summarize the observational information. T tests were conducted to determine differences in kindergarten classroom environments in relation to education sector (public–private, teachers’ level of education, specialty, and years of experience.
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Means range from 1 to 3 with 1–1.66 = low, 1.66–2.33 = average, 2.33–3.00 = high
between the level of applicability between public (M = 2.29) and private (M = 1.94) kindergartens, clearly favoring public sector kindergarten settings. The results of this analysis are presented in Table 2. Further t test analyses were conducted to examine individual items contributing to the significant differences found within the total means. As can be seen in Table 3, the public-sector means for guideline applications were higher across all items compared to private-sector means. A closer examination of the highest and lowest means within each sector however, revealed that both sectors scored the highest for ‘learning through daily experiences’ (private M = 2.28, public M = 2.62) and ‘seem happy upon entering classroom’ (private M = 2.26, public M = 2.59) and the lowest for ‘project work’ (private M = 1.34, public M = 1.88) and ‘outdoor play’ (private M = 1.53, public M = 1.53).
Table 2 t test for differences in application according to education sector
Differences in Application of NAEYC Guidelines According to Teachers’ Demographic Backgrounds
Table 1 Descriptive statistics for ‘‘10 Signs of a Good Kindergarten’’ applied to the Jordanian context NAEYC signs
Mean
SD
Playing/working with materials and others
2.17
0.79
Access to activities throughout the day
1.88
0.81
Individual, small and whole group work
2.22
0.79
Decorated classroom
2.05
0.80
Learning through daily experience
2.43
0.74
Project work
1.59
0.69
Outdoor play Book reading
2.28 1.96
0.75 0.70
Curriculum adapts to individual needs
2.01
0.80
Seem happy upon entering classroom
2.40
0.63
Total
2.15
0.48
Sector
Mean (SD)
t value
df
Sig.
Private
1.94 (0.43)
-4.235
116
.000*
Public
2.29 (0.47)
* p B .05
Results Level of Applicability of the Measure to the Total Sample The descriptive analysis of the data revealed an average level of application on the 10 NAEYC guidelines for the total sample. A closer examination of the means indicates that the highest averages were for ‘learning through daily experience’ (M = 2.43) and ‘children seem happy upon entering the classroom’ (M = 2.40). The lowest means as evident by the analysis were for ‘access to activities throughout the day’ (M = 1.88) and ‘project work’ (M = 1.59). The results of this analysis are presented in Table 1.
Differences in Application of NAEYC Guidelines According to Education Sector To test the differences in application of the NAEYC guidelines according to education sector (private, public); a t test analysis was performed. An examination of the total means of both sectors indicates a significant difference
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In order to determine differences in application according to teachers’ demographic variables, t tests were performed. Significant difference emerged between teachers with associate degrees and those with a bachelor’s degree in favor of the latter. Teachers with a bachelor’s degree had a higher level of applicability on the 10 guidelines (M = 2.24) compared to teachers with associate degrees (M = 1.95). With regard to specialty, the analysis showed that teachers with early childhood specialties had higher means (M = 2.21) that teachers from other specialties (M = 1.97). Analysis for teachers’ years for experience yielded no significant results however. These analyses can be viewed in Table 4.
Discussion The main purpose of the present study was to present information about the quality of kindergarten program practices in Jordan using NAEYC’s ‘‘Top 10 Signs of a Good Kindergarten Classroom’’ as evaluative guidelines. More specifically, the guidelines were applied to a sample of public and private kindergartens to determine application differences between the two sectors and in relation to teachers’ demographic variables. The main results of this study indicate that public-sector kindergartens adhered to NAEYC’s guidelines at higher levels compared to privatesector kindergartens. Also evident was the effect of teachers’ education level and specialty on level of guideline applicability.
Early Childhood Educ J (2013) 41:307–314 Table 3 t test for ‘‘10 Signs of a Good Kindergarten’’ according to education sector
*p B .05
Table 4 t test for differences in application according to teacher demographics
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NAEYC signs
Education sector Private M (SD)
t value
df
Sig.
Public M (SD)
Playing/working with materials and others
1.94 (0.78)
2.46 (0.71)
-3.69
111
.000*
Access to activities throughout the day
1.62 (0.78)
2.20 (0.74)
-3.99
108
.000*
Individual, small and whole group work
2.13 (0.83)
2.35 (0.72)
-1.43
114
.154
Decorated classroom
1.89 (0.77)
2.26 (0.80)
-2.49
114
.014*
Learning through daily experience
2.28 (0.81)
2.62 (0.60)
-2.48
112
.015*
Project work
1.34 (0.54)
1.88 (0.75)
-4.37
109
.000*
Outdoor play Book reading
1.52 (0.50) 1.82 (0.83)
1.53 (0.50) 2.25 (0.65)
-0.06 -3.05
118 119
.950 .003*
Curriculum adapts to individual needs
1.88 (0.85)
2.18 (0.73)
-2.07
111
.041
Seem happy upon entering classroom
2.26 (0.64)
2.59 (0.57)
-2.89
113
.005*
-4.75
120
.000*
Total
Demographic variables
17.82 (5.61)
22.15 (4.1)
Mean (SD)
t value
df
Sig.
Associate
1.95 (0.43)
-3.297
112
.001*
Bachelors
2.24 (0.47) 2.334
112
.021*
0.124
112
.902
Education level
Specialty Early childhood education
2.21 (0.48)
Other specialty
1.97 (0.44)
Experience
* p B .05
Below 5 years
2.16 (0.50)
Above 5 years
2.15 (0.46)
NAEYC Guidelines as Applied to Total Sample The analysis for the entire sample yielded an average level of applicability on NAEYC’s 10 Signs of a Good Kindergarten classroom. These results can be explained in several ways. A focus on quantity rather than quality may have contributed to the average results, possibly affected by practices in private-sector programs. In most of the kindergartens sampled in this study, for example, the average number of children in each classroom exceeded the appropriate child-teacher ration, thus affecting the standard of care and developmentally appropriate teaching strategies. In addition, most of the classrooms were neither furnished nor equipped with materials that provide children with structured and unstructured play opportunities. Rather, children adhered to rigid academically-based program strategies that were teacher-directed rather than childcentered. In many of these programs, teachers were observed to impart knowledge through traditional strategies that require children to be receptors rather than initiators. Subjects were taught separately instead of being woven into children’s daily experiences. According to NAEYC (2009a, b) and
Gullo (2006), children benefit most when the curriculum provides for all areas of development and is incorporated across all subject areas. The minimal attention given to project work, access to activities throughout the day, and book reading most likely contributed to these average results. A noteworthy positive finding was the demeanor of children upon entering the kindergarten classroom. Researchers observed that many of the children seemed happy with no apparent reluctance or resistance to begin their school day. This is a surprising finding, considering the structured environments most of them are exposed to; it might be explained in several ways. It is possible that children look forward to a day of social interactions with their peers, albeit non-encouraged interactions. Children may also be looking forward to outdoor play time which they perceive as another opportunity for unstructured interactions with their peers. NAEYC Guidelines According to Education-Sector A comparison between public, Ministry of Education and private-sector kindergartens was conducted and a pattern of
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significant results emerged for this sample favoring publicsector programs. Although applicability level of the 10 NAEYC’s guidelines for public kindergartens was at an average level, it remained higher across all signs compared to private-sector programs, thus revealing that these programs’ practices were closer to being developmentally appropriate. These results can be explained in several ways. The Ministry of Education has for the past decade focused on providing children with quality preschool opportunities. Through its expansion program, the Ministry adopted a multidimensional, holistic approach to kindergarten education. Most Ministry teachers for example, are university educated with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education allowing them to better implement appropriate practices. This supports studies conducted by Guernsey and Ochshorn (2011) and Saluja et al. (2002) who maintain that teachers in public schools are more educated and better able to implement developmentally appropriate strategies compared to teachers in for-profit settings. The Ministry’s comprehensive reform approach also includes obligatory in-service teacher training programs that focus on developmentally appropriate teaching strategies enabling teachers to prepare classroom environments fit for young children. These strategies and approaches are based on ‘The National Interactive Curriculum’ required in all Ministry kindergarten. This nationally developed Curriculum is activity based and child-centered. According to NAEYC (2009a, b), young children benefit most from well-planned curricula that are culturally relevant and intentionally implemented. In addition, most Ministry kindergarten classrooms are refurbished according to the highest quality early childhood international specifications and are equipped with supporting educational materials. Classrooms are therefore organized into learning centers such as math, science, reading, art, and blocks. It can be concluded that this comprehensive approach seems to have positively impacted public-sector programs as evident by the findings of this study. Indeed, with the lack of educational materials, minimal in-service support, and oftentimes unqualified teachers in private-sector programs, lower NAEYC guideline application should be expected. Private-sector kindergarten teachers are found to mainly implement rigid, academically-based teaching strategies considered relatively easy to implement and that require minimal instructional materials, thus minimizing the operational costs for program owners. In most of these programs, children are expected to be receptors of information rather than initiators and are oftentimes required to sit for long hours during the day listening to teachers’ verbal instructions. Guided social interactions and free-play activities are not encouraged and therefore tend to limit language and social
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development. This situation is certainly far from being aligned with NAEYC’s developmentally appropriate practices. In the least, the Association calls for plenty of play opportunities in early childhood settings allowing children to experiment and acquire various skills (NAEYC 2009a, b). These results lend support to the supposition by Guernsey and Ochshorn (2011) who in their report posited that many children are enrolled in dismal early childhood programs that rarely provide children with access to stimulating environments. It may be concluded that in-service teacher training programs and workshops, allocation of adequate budget to refurbish classrooms, and implementing developmentally appropriate curricula seem to have a positive impact on teaching strategies and overall classroom quality. As the literature suggests, developmentally appropriate early childhood programs enable children to add to their existing knowledge and acquire new cognitive, physical and social skills through self-initiated and structured activities (Crosnoe et al. 2004; Gregory and Weinstein 2004; McClelland et al. 2006; Pianta et al. 2002; Rimm-Kaufman et al. 2005). Clearly, such effective environments and strategies do not occur by chance but are rather planned and budgeted for, as is the case for public-sector Ministry of Education kindergarten programs. NAEYC Guidelines in Relation to Teachers’ Demographic Variables For this study’s sample, results revealed that teachers’ education level and area of specialty positively influenced their teaching strategies while years of experience seemed to have no effect on overall quality of program implementation. Education Level The education level of teachers appeared to have an impact on teaching strategies and implementation of program practices. Teachers with an associate’s degree were less capable of implementing developmentally appropriate strategies with kindergarten children compared to their counterparts with bachelor’s degrees. In Jordan, early childhood bachelor’s degrees are provided by major local universities. Students enrolled in these 4-year teacher education programs are rigorously trained by early childhood specialists. Students are continuously required to complete extensive field work in quality kindergarten programs. While community colleges provide students with adequate pre-service training, they are by nature limited to a timeframe that may be insufficient to train them to their fullest potential. It may therefore be concluded that in order to promote the field of early childhood
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education, Jordan’s higher education system needs to focus on reforming policies regarding the quality of education in community colleges to create a highly educated early childhood workforce. Existing research goes beyond this call for action and suggests that a 4-year degree in early childhood should become the minimum acceptable level of education received by teachers of young children (Bowman et al. 2001). Specialty The positive relations found in this study between teachers’ specialty and quality of kindergarten program is by no means surprising. Specialized teachers are generally more knowledgeable about developmentally appropriate practices and are better able to apply suitable teaching strategies with children which in turn promote program quality. This claim is supported by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (2001), Barnett et al. (2005), Johnson and Mathien (1998), and Saluja et al. (2002) who conclude that areas of specialty have a profound influence on the quality of care and education provided to young children. Years of Experience In this study, years of experience in teaching kindergarten were found to have no impact on the quality of classroom practices. This was an expected result. Regardless of the number of years in the profession, teachers in the field seem to be repeating the same teaching strategies, but with different groups of children. For the most part, privatesector kindergarten teachers receive no in-service training and are not supported or encouraged to attend workshops to improve their teaching strategies.
Scope for Future Research Systematic assessment of kindergarten programs needs to become a national priority, especially at this time of educational reform in Jordan. Further research can be conducted to systematically examine teacher and familyrelated factors contributing to the quality of education in public and private-sector kindergarten programs. While international research about short and long-term effects and benefits of quality kindergarten programs is abundant, it is almost non-existent in Jordan. These effects need to be assessed, published, replicated, challenged, and documented. This data can be used in intentional and responsible ways to inform policy makers, families and communities about the quality of existing practices and their effects on young children’s lives.
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Conclusions and Recommendations Reflecting on the results of this study, it is safe to conclude that Jordan’s Ministry of Education has succeeded during the past decade in providing children, who otherwise have no educational options. It is hoped that policy makers, educators, and families can use this study’s’ information to advocate for resources to strengthen private-sector program practices. One main recommendation is for the privatesector to allocate technical and budgetary resources and channel them into developmentally appropriate in-service teacher training programs. Also, the Ministry of Education is encouraged to expand its responsibilities to include direct supervision and evaluation of private-sector practices. This knowledge can empower children’s families to demand an improvement in the quality of teaching and learning in these programs.
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