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ERIC Number: EJ1470557
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jun
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1082-3301
EISSN: EISSN-1573-1707
Available Date: 2024-07-05
Characterizing Preschool Teachers' Use of Teaching Practices to Promote Young Children's Self-Determination Skills
Early Childhood Education Journal, v53 n5 p1741-1754 2025
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 observational coding system to describe and quantify preschool teachers' use of teaching practices that could promote young children's foundational self-determination skills. Twenty-one preschool teachers who had children with and without identified disabilities or developmental delays enrolled in their classrooms were observed for 15 min during two types of preschool classroom activities: child-initiated and teacher-directed. Teachers' use of practices ranged from 6 to 60 occurrences across five self-determination skill categories, with an average of 24.43 occurrences in 30 min. Self-regard, self-direction, and self-advocacy practices were more frequently used than self-regulation and social problem-solving practices. Exploratory analyses of the observational data suggested differences in teachers' use of self-determination teaching practices across the two types of activities and positive correlations between teachers' use of self-determination teaching practices and the observed quality of teacher-child interactions. Implications of the study findings for teaching practices teachers can use to promote young children's self-determination skills during classroom activities are discussed in the context of inclusive and high-quality early childhood education.
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1University of Florida, Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies and Department of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies, Gainesville, USA