The Effects of the Classroom Schedule and Teacher Beliefs on Head Start Teacher-Child Interactions

Abstract

Time can be examined from several viewpoints in the early childhood classroom: wasted wait time; instruction which is undifferentiated or not on the child’s cognitivelevel, missing the child’s target learning needs; the source and control of the classroomschedule; children’s perceptions of time; and the current trend to maintain a rigid time schedule because of accountability demands. This study investigated Head Start preschool programs in a large midwestern urban area using an analysis of teacher beliefs and the classroom schedule. The instruments used to measure predictor variables were the Teacher Beliefs Scale (TBS) and Evaluation of the Early Childhood Classroom Schedule (EECCS); and the outcome variables were measured by observation with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System – PreK (CLASS) and the Individualized Classroom Assessment Scoring System (InCLASS). Thirty four teachers and 89 children participated. Correlation and hierarchical multiple regression were computed to assess the strength of Time can be examined from several viewpoints in the early childhood classroom: wasted wait time; instruction which is undifferentiated or not on the child’s cognitive level, missing the child’s target learning needs; the source and control of the classroom schedule; children’s perceptions of time; and the current trend to maintain a rigid time schedule because of accountability demands. This study investigated Head Start preschool programs in a large midwestern urban area using an analysis of teacher beliefs and the classroom schedule. The instruments used to measure predictor variables were the Teacher Beliefs Scale (TBS) and Evaluation of the Early Childhood Classroom Schedule (EECCS); and the outcome variables were measured by observation with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System – PreK (CLASS) and the Individualized Classroom Assessment Scoring System (InCLASS). Thirty four teachers and 89 children participated. Correlation and hierarchical multiple regression were computed to assess the strength of Time can be examined from several viewpoints in the early childhood classroom: wasted wait time; instruction which is undifferentiated or not on the child’s cognitive level, missing the child’s target learning needs; the source and control of the classroom schedule; children’s perceptions of time; and the current trend to maintain a rigid time schedule because of accountability demands. This study investigated Head Start preschool programs in a large midwestern urban area using an analysis of teacher beliefs and the classroom schedule. The instruments used to measure predictor variables were the Teacher Beliefs Scale (TBS) and Evaluation of the Early Childhood Classroom Schedule (EECCS); and the outcome variables were measured by observation with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System – PreK (CLASS) and the Individualized Classroom Assessment Scoring System (InCLASS). Thirty four teachers and 89 children participated. Correlation and hierarchical multiple regression were computed to assess the strength of the relationships between the predictor and criterion variables. Research question 1 asked how teacher’s learner-centered use of time in the early childhood classroom, (EECCS), was related to Head Start classroom interactions and child engagement, (CLASS and inCLASS). Results indicated that EECCS was not a statistically significant predictor of CLASS scores or inCLASS scores. Research question 2 asked how teacher beliefs, (TBS), were related to Head Start classroom teacher-child interactions (CLASS), and Head Start classroom teacher-child, peer-peer, and child-material interactions, (inCLASS). No statistically significant results were found. Research question 3 asked how the early childhood classroom schedule moderated the relationship between developmentally appropriate teacher beliefs and Head Start Classroom interactions. No statistically significant results were found. Supplementary analyses were performed with activity settings and yielded several significant findings. Statistically significant changes were found for all instruments from fall to spring. Teacher beliefs and the classroom schedule were statistically significantly correlated. This study will also add to the body of literature a connection between teacher child interactions (CLASS) and child engagement with teachers, peers and tasks (inCLASS)