what is appropriate mathematics education for four-year-olds?: pre-kindergarten teachers' beliefs

This study explored pre-kindergarten teachers' beliefs about the appropriateness of early mathematics education. Thirty pre-kindergarten teachers of four-year-olds, half working with low-SES children at publicly funded pre-kindergartens and the other half with middle-SES children at private pre...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of early childhood research : ECR 2007-02, Vol.5 (1), p.2-31
Main Authors: Lee, Joon Sun, Ginsburg, Herbert P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Goal Orientation
Interviews
Kindergarten
Low Income Groups
Mathematics Education
Mathematics Instruction
Preschool Teachers
Private Schools
Public Schools
Socioeconomic Influences
Teacher Attitudes
Teaching Methods
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Summary:This study explored pre-kindergarten teachers' beliefs about the appropriateness of early mathematics education. Thirty pre-kindergarten teachers of four-year-olds, half working with low-SES children at publicly funded pre-kindergartens and the other half with middle-SES children at private pre-kindergartens, were interviewed concerning written vignettes describing two fictitious pre-kindergarten teachers' contrasting pedagogies concerning key issues in teaching mathematics to young children. The low-SES publicly funded pre-kindergarten teachers tended to support a strong focus on goal-based mathematics teaching at pre-kindergarten and at home to get children ready for kindergarten. The middle-SES private pre-kindergarten teachers tended to endorse flexible mathematics education relying on a child-centered curriculum and child-initiated learning and to oppose the instructional use of computers. Both groups, however, were similarly likely to mention that with increased academic demands, pre-kindergarten teachers needed to provide mathematics education, especially in simple arithmetic, albeit in a fun manner, without triggering stress or anxiety. These findings have significant implications for professional development.
ISSN:1476-718X
1741-2927
DOI:10.1177/1476718X07072149