Educators' self-efficacy influences their practice and thus determines the quality of teaching in early childhood education and care (ECEC). This study analyzed educators' self-efficacy to teach physical education (PE) and the differences between pre-service and in-service early childhood educators. Early childhood educators (N = 381) completed a…

By utilizing inquiry processes, such as observing and questioning, young children learn to investigate and use evidence to evaluate information. Through intersubjectivity, or social collaboration and mutual focus, children coconstruct an understanding of the world. Children's inquiry and intersubjectivity were observed in a range of activities in…

Investigated relationship of preschoolers' helping behaviors and their younger peer-directed internal state language, perspective-taking, and attendance at mixed-age day care. Found that helping behaviors were positively related to frequency of vocal turns to younger peer, perspective-taking ability, and length of day care attendance;…

Evaluated effects of a nine-month project that paired fourth graders with elderly volunteers for a number of shared interdisciplinary activities. The Children's Perception of Aging and Elderly inventory posttest scores indicated the experimental group had significantly more positive attitudes toward the elderly than the control group. Results held…

Examined educational attitudes of 168 students and their parents in the first year of a primary level multiage program. Found that although the majority of parents and students considered the experience positive, their principal concern was that older students did not appear to be sufficiently challenged academically, suggesting the need for…

Examined the collaborative literacy learning that occurred in a literacy-enriched sociodramatic play center. Literacy behaviors were coded from transcripts of 15 hours of free play. Found substantial cross-age literacy-based collaboration, with almost half the interactions involving older children helping younger children. This collaboration was…

Compared reading, writing, and mathematics achievement of Title I and non-Title I third graders in comparable multiage and single-age classrooms in three school districts. Found higher achievement among non-Title I students in multiage settings when compared to those in a single-age setting. No setting differences were observed for Title I…

Surveyed reactions of experienced primary teachers to the educational changes mandated by the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) and whether these changes affected teacher retirement decisions. Responses indicated concern over the primary school program components of multiage grouping, no retention/no promotion, and increased mainstreaming. KERA…

Examined along three assessment criteria (self-esteem and attitudes toward school, writing, and reading) the effects of literature-based mixed-age grouping compared to traditional grouping that emphasized a basal-reader approach in language arts. Found significantly higher increases in pretest-posttest scores for students in mixed-age settings.…

Comments on the articles presented in this issue with respect to their implications for classroom practices. Stresses that in this issue, the researchers describe how social context factors (such as adult viewpoints and adult-child interaction patterns) and physical context factors (such as variations in classroom space-time organization and…

Multiage settings are alternative educational groupings that promote complexity in young children's thinking. Grouping children across ages and grades encourages interconnectedness in social and intellectual development. This study compared the academic achievement of one group of multiage students to national norms on standardized achievement…

Examined teachers' beliefs on what constitutes developmentally appropriate literacy instruction. Three teachers were interviewed, observed during planning and instruction time, and asked to reflect on their beliefs and practicing. Through practice, they came to believe that appropriate literacy instruction involves a variety of instructional…