Theory strengthens the methodological and interpretive stance of a research study and is most fruitful when theoretical understandings are shared within collaborative research teams. This paper describes an approach to engaging productively with a theory, specifically the theory of practice architectures. Such engagement enabled the use of the…

This study investigated the influence that the "Environmental Leadership Professional Development" program had on preschool teachers. The program's aim is to enhance environmental awareness, thus developing environmental citizenship and leadership. The program offered experiential and reflective learning, meetings with environmental…

The aim of this study is to examine the mental images of preschool teacher candidates related to the concept of drama via metaphors. We questioned these questions; "What are the metaphors or mental images of teacher candidates?," "Under which conceptual categories are these metaphors or mental images can be collected?" and…

The goal of this study was to identify pre-school teacher candidates' beliefs and conditioned judgments regarding children's body image. The exploratory research pattern was used in this study. The sample group included final year B.A. students from the Pre-School Education departments in two state universities in Izmir. The qualitative part of…

A substantial challenge confronting public education systems across the world is the employment and retention of high-quality paraprofessionals (also known as teaching assistants and educational assistants). The current study expands upon previous research by employing a mixed methods design to examine the relationship between paraprofessionals'…

Background: Teachers' conceptions and misconceptions about neuroscience are crucial in establishing a proper dialogue between neuroscience and education. In recent years, studies in different countries have examined primary and secondary school teachers' conceptions. However, although preschool education has proved its importance to later academic…

The primary education plays an important role in the life of an individual as well as the nation as a whole. This study aims at investigating the level of psychological burnout in early childhood female teachers at public and private kindergarten schools. It also aims to prove whether these burnout levels differ according to the type of school,…

How do pre-service teachers perceive place identity, and is there a connection between their formative place identity and the development of their professional teaching identity? These questions are probed among pre-service teachers who participated in a course titled "Integrating Nature into Preschool." The design of the course was…

This article presents the findings from a teacher intervention in Dutch kindergartens aimed at improving teachers' differentiation practices (DP) to better anticipate student differences. The intervention was designed to improve the match between student levels and curricular activities, in particular for high-ability students and consists of…

This study investigated the food consumption and nutrition perceptions of pre-service early childhood teachers using a mixed method research design. Data was gathered from 37 pre-service early childhood teachers through survey consisting of items in rating scale and open-ended questions. Descriptive analyses were conducted to report pre-service…

Technology is a prominent way that young children choose to play. With new advents in technology, children are finding it easier to gain access to technology through parents' cell phones and tablets. The influx of technology in the daily lives of children is putting into question whether or not children are spending too much time engaging in such…

This study investigated young children's preferences for books to read aloud. Participants included 142 children enrolled in 4 public kindergartens in the Sanliurfa province of Turkey, their parents (142 parents), and teachers. Forty-nine 4-year-olds and 93 5-year-olds and their 9 teachers participated in the study. Parents filled out surveys;…

Here we present the main findings of a study conducted at the Department of Teaching and School Organization of the University of Santiago de Compostela to explore the perceptions of teachers regarding didactic and music materials used and produced to facilitate teaching in early childhood education. This descriptive and interpretative study…

School-community relationships can serve many goals ranging from enhancing student achievement to community development. This article examines the relationship between school-community partnerships and community development in light of a state prekindergarten policy that requires partnering. To understand the local responses, we propose a typology…

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in early childhood education is an area currently given little attention in the literature, which is unfortunate since young children are natural scientists and engineers. Here, we outline our mixed-methods design-based research investigation of a pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) classroom where two…