Engaging students in their learning depends on the teachers' pedagogical practices. The first author is a STEAM scholar and preschool educator who realized engagement is necessary for meaningful learning. For this, teachers and students must have exposure to innovative and arts-integrated pedagogy (e.g., storytelling). However, the teachers in the…

Preschool classrooms serve children of varying abilities, including those who may benefit from social communication intervention. Research supports the use of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBI) to effectively increase the social communication skills of young children. Yet, little is known about preschool teachers'…

Self-determination refers to skills used to experience a quality of life consistent with one's preferences, strengths, and needs. Theoretical and empirical literature has identified contextual opportunities for children to learn and use these skills in their everyday activities and routines. The present study used an investigator-developed…

This study examines the attitudes of Israeli preschool teachers towards the teaching of science and technology (S&T) in preschools in general, and towards the Israeli Ministry of Education's S&T program in particular. It assesses the connection between the teachers' attitudes and their implementation of the program and examines the…

In this paper, we aimed to examine what characterizes teachers' interactions with children in micro-level transitions in Norwegian preschools. We used video and observed transitions at the micro level, such as between meal and sleeping time, and between playing and meals. The participants were 22 teachers from 22 classrooms in 17 preschools. We…

The benefits of service-learning experiences for preservice undergraduate students are well-documented. However, the perspectives of in-service teachers and their students are not commonly presented in the literature. There is a need for more research examining the impact of service-learning experiences on all stakeholders. The purpose of this…

Developing children's abilities to act safely, respectfully, and responsibly in digital environments has been an essential component of educational systems for all ages. This study aims to explore what adequate digital competence is in early childhood education and how preschool teachers characterise young children's adequate digital competence.…

In Lithuania, citizenship education for preschool children was not regulated until 2022, and consequently the related issues have not yet received much attention from Lithuanian researchers. However, based on the insights of scientists from other countries it can be argued that in order for children to be active citizens when they grow up, it is…

This article attempts to address the challenge that preschool teachers face, when integrating a specific content area, science, with play. The study builds on the theoretical framework of Play-Responsive Early Childhood Education and Care (PRECEC), in which teaching, and play are understood as a mutual activity. In this mutual activity, teachers…

In recent years, the concept of "deeper learning" has generated great interest in the field of preschool education in China. However, deep learning in the preschool stage is different from that in school education, as it requires explaining content characteristics, developing observational tools to identify deep learning, and exploring…

The transition to kindergarten (TTK) occurs at a stage in a child's development when it can have a direct impact on later school success. For children with disabilities, TTK may be especially challenging, and U.S. federal policy provides limited guidance and mandates related to use of practices to support children with disabilities and their…

The quality of early childhood experiences is crucial to a child's development and educational success. Yet few early childhood education and care services in the world today offer a consistently high level of educational quality. In particular, educational quality depends on the context's characteristics. The aim of this study was therefore to…

This study on technology education in preschool aims to explore how technology activities in preschool are enacted and what knowledge, related to the five dimensions of the nature of technology, is made possible for the children to learn when intersubjectivity is established in the interaction between the participants. The empirical data encompass…

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…

Play has long been understood as an important pedagogical practice, particularly in early childhood education and care settings. Playing with food, however, has typically been overlooked, and very little is known about food play during mealtimes. The apparent dichotomy between rule-following and playfulness at mealtimes has led to a paucity of…