ERIC Number: EJ929594
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0256-8543
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Sociocultural Influence on Children's Social Competence: A Close Look at Kindergarten Teachers' Beliefs
Han, Heejeong Sophia
Journal of Research in Childhood Education, v24 n1 p80-96 2009
This study was conducted with White American kindergarten teachers from a southeast region of the United States to examine their beliefs about culture and social competence. Overall, from a sociocultural perspective, these teachers had limited understanding of young children's social competence and showed varying degrees of cultural knowledge for different racial/cultural groups: African American, Hispanics, and Asians, from the most to the least. In addition, several insights, such as teachers' personal beliefs about social competence, represented low-context cultural beliefs; teachers' major source of cultural knowledge was professional experience; and teachers' beliefs about multicultural education revealed color-blind teaching emerged through the qualitative individual interviews. Taken together, the findings of this study have implications for practice in early childhood teacher education, such that institutional support should be in place to provide teachers with opportunities to become aware of their own identities and beliefs. It is also suggested that teacher education programs should restructure the educational courses to embrace the sociocultural influence on child development and learning, as well as expand multicultural preparation courses, to enhance teachers' multicultural knowledge and skills beyond the level of awareness. (Contains 2 tables.)
Descriptors: Kindergarten, Preschool Teachers, Sociocultural Patterns, Teacher Attitudes, Cultural Awareness, Interpersonal Competence, Young Children, Early Childhood Education, Teacher Education Programs, Multicultural Education, Child Development
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Kindergarten
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A