"Why don't you let her try doing it herself?" Ideological and practical conflict in the early childhood classroom.
Item
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Title
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"Why don't you let her try doing it herself?" Ideological and practical conflict in the early childhood classroom.
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Identifier
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AAI3047277
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identifier
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3047277
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Creator
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Wilgus, Gay.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Stanley Aronowitz
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Date
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2002
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Sociology, Individual and Family Studies | Education, Early Childhood
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Abstract
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Diverse ideologies, values and beliefs about childrearing and early educational practice can create conflict in the early childhood classroom. Some conflictual ideologies derive from teachers' cultural, ethnic or educational backgrounds, others occur between teachers of similar background. Conflict of this nature has been given scant attention by research literature and by teacher training programs.;Existent studies suggest that teachers' ideological and practical choices can be understood exclusively in terms of their cultural backgrounds. This study maintains that other elements are involved, since some teachers espouse ideologies antithetical to those attributed to their cultural groups.;The theoretical framework addresses problems with traditional early childhood research methodologies which rarely solicit early childhood teachers' input. Researchers often work at a significant distance from the early childhood classroom, generating theory, policy, curriculum innovation and professional development strategies which do not benefit classroom teachers.;Research was conducted in New York City at (1) an Early Head Start program in a housing project and (2) a preschool serving upper middle class families. Teachers at both sites were from diverse cultural and class backgrounds. Ethnographic data included extensive classroom observation and open-ended interviews in which teachers described their beliefs about and practical approaches to early childhood education, then identified which of these results in conflict with co-workers.;"Categories of conflict" were identified for each school. These included conflict over (1) encouragement of children's autonomy versus adherence to teacher direction; (2) appropriate limit setting strategies; (3) feeding, napping and carrying practices; (4) treatment of co-teachers and subordinates; (5) disagreements with administrative policy and practice; (6) the role and rights of parents at school; (7) curriculum and materials.;Identified conflicts were then historically contextualized. Conflicts common to both sites were compared in detail.;Questions raised by the study are explored. These include: Should Developmentally Appropriate Practice invariably serve as the "bottom line" in early childhood classroom practice? Should teachers' or parents' "intuitive" beliefs about childrearing wield weight? Is the child's "best interest" at risk when one voice is overpowered by the other?;Indications for reform of teacher training programs and for mediated discussions among early childhood personnel are made.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
