A teacher with the characteristic of creative leadership adopts approaches beyond conventional education and fulfils the requirements of twenty-first-century skills. By doing so, they positively influence the motivation of individuals who contribute to the envisioned future, bringing forth their courage, collaboration, and creativity. In line with…

Kindergarten teachers' work is unique because they juggle the roles of caregiver to young children, tending to their physical, emotional and educational needs, and managing their kindergarten unit. The year of internship and transition into teaching is particularly intense. For new kindergarten teachers (NKTs) to fully integrate in the…

The study examined predictors (teacher-child interactions, teacher-child relationships, child's self-control) of preschoolers' classroom engagement (135 preschoolers, 15 East Tennessee classrooms). Hierarchical linear regression revealed child's self-control significantly contributed to engagement. Teacher-child closeness enhanced engagement, but…

Our article explores the challenges that faced Jewish and Arab kindergarten teachers, and their different ways of coping with those challenges, during the implementation of the programme 'My Diverse Kindergarten' in three mixed cities in Israel. The programme aimed at reducing prejudices and improving the relationship between Jews and Arabs in…

The kindergarten teachers of the Religious Kibbutz movement (RK) as a unique group are connected both to the educational approaches of the kindergartens in the general Kibbutz Movement and the state religious kindergartens. A qualitative study included semi-structured interviews with 15 RK kindergarten teachers in order to explore their…

This study aims to examine preschool literacy practices during observations in Swedish preschools with a focus on environment, read-alouds and emergent writing. The study reported on in this article is based on empirical data from 433 observations in preschools in 80 Swedish municipalities that has been analysed qualitatively and quantitatively.…

The article discusses the role of the different forms of capital within the patterns of relationships between kindergarten teachers (KTs) and parents in kindergartens located in one medium-high socioeconomic status neighborhood in Israel. The qualitative analysis conducted reveals how the parents' cultural capital serves as a resource to advance…

Social robots are designed to interact with humans and this technology is entering early childhood classrooms across the world. Research is needed to understand teachers' perspectives on the benefits and barriers of using social robots with children. In this study, 94 teachers working in preschool or the early years of primary school, in…

Attendance at preschool represents an important transition, as it is often here that children have their first experience with unfamiliar adults. In this context, several factors can affect children's adjustment. Two important protective factors are the attachment relationship with the teacher and the level of executive functions. We investigate…

The phenomenon of diverse families has expanded in recent years. Although it has important implications in the field of education, this issue has been largely overlooked in the research on early education in Israel. The aim of the present study is to examine the attitudes of Israeli kindergarten teachers towards diverse families and the practices…

The positive impact of warm and supportive relationships between children and preschool teachers on children's development has been highlighted in many studies. However, research gaps exist regarding the prediction of teacher-child relationships in preschool. In particular, little is known about associations between child personality and…

This study used mixed methods to explore how Israeli special education preschool teachers' professional identity and social support predict their job satisfaction. Participants in the quantitative portion included 192 Jewish special education preschool teachers (Mage = 34.37, SD = 8.75) with an average of 10.66 (SD = 8.40) years teaching. A…

Reviews concerning the enhancement of preschool children's social competencies reveal areas within which teacher approach, definitions of social competence and methods of study can be enhanced. In response, teachers and researchers co-developed and introduced a peer-based relational intervention to support children's communication, empathic…

Critical thinking is essential for young children and can be enhanced through appropriate and supportive curricula. With the rich affordance of digitalization, this study evaluated the effects of a hybrid STEM curriculum on critical thinking skills in 74 kindergarteners (42 boys and 32 girls) aged 5.83-7.25 years (Mean = 6.44, SD = 0.31) from a…

The aim was to investigate the staff's language support towards children in Swedish preschools after eight weeks of structured language support. This study took place after an initial study of six weeks' language support. To identify support of Language Learning Environment, Opportunities and Interactions an observation-tool was used. Structured…