The Influence of Kindergarten Teachers’ Knowledge and Instructional Activities on Academic Related Skills of Children in the Talensi District
Keywords:
Cognitive, Classroom, Curriculum, Early Childhood Education, Kindergarten, Pedagogical, Pre-primary, Philosophical, PsychologyAbstract
This study aimed to investigate the impact of teachers' knowledge and instructional activities on the learning abilities of kindergarten children in selected schools in the Talensi District of Ghana. A descriptive survey research design was employed, involving 98 selected teachers, with 76 of them participating in the study. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and classroom observations. The collected data were analyzed using various descriptive and inferential statistics with the assistance of the SPSS program. The analysis revealed that kindergarten (KG) teachers possessed knowledge in areas such as the organization of the learning environment, child development, curriculum design for children, multiple forms of assessment, family and parent outreach, methods of teaching diverse children, and strategic use of resources and information and communication technology (ICT). Additionally, instructional activities employed by teachers included general exercises, logic, mathematics, and numeracy skills, reading, and writing activities, socio-emotional developmental activities, and creative art activities. Further analysis indicated a strong positive relationship between teachers' knowledge and academic-related skills. Similarly, a significant strong relationship was found between various instructional activities and academic-related skills.
This suggests that both teachers' knowledge and instructional activities play a crucial role in influencing the academic skills development of KG children.
The study recommends that the government should establish National Early Childhood Teachers' Training Centers in all regions to address the specific skills needs of teachers. Standardization of the KG curriculum is also advised to ensure consistency in educational content across all schools. Additionally, in-service training and provision of learning materials for KG teachers are recommended to support their work on a regular basis.
References
D. G. Sing?er, Television, imagination, and aggression: A study of preschoolers. Routledge, 2014.
J. E., & H. P. D. (Eds.) Grusec, Handbook of socialization: Theory and research. Guilford Publications, 2014.
R., & Merjee, P. Singh, “Education trajectories,” From early childhood to?early adulthood in India, 2016.
S., H. W., & L. D. F. Gaskins, “Th?e cultural construction of play. Play and development,” Play and development: Evolutionary, sociocultural, and functional perspectives, pp. 179–202, 2007.
S. L., & S. Entz, K. L. Krogh, Early childhood education: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Routledge, 2001.
A. Gopnik, “Scientific thinking in young children: Theoretical advances, empirical research, and policy implications,” Sci?enc?e, vol. 337, no. 6, pp. 1623–1627, 2012.
M., & B. out, D. Podgursky, Personnel Policy in Chart?er Schools. Washington, DC: Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, Washington, DC, 2001.
A. J. Baroody, “Th?e development of adaptive?expertise and flexibility: Th?e integration of conceptual and procedural knowledge,” Th?e development of arithmetic concepts and skills: Constructing adaptive?expertise, pp. 1–33, 2003.
J., K. er, M., B. W., B. er, M., V. Oss, T., J. Jordan, A. … and T. Y.-M. Baumert, “Teachers’ mathematical knowledge, cognitive activation in the classroom, and student progress,” American Educational Research Journal, vol. 47, pp. 133–180, 2010.
E. Mulug?eta, Teacher education policies from g?end?er perspective: Th?e case?of Ghana, Nigeria, and Sen?egal. UN?ESC?O-IICBA, 2012.
J. Arnett, “Caregivers in day-car?e c?enters: Does training matter?” Journal of Applied Developmental Psych?ology, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 541–552, 1989.
L. E. Berk, “Relative Psychology education to child-?orient?ed attitudes, job satisfaction, and behaviors toward children,” Child Car?e Quarterly, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 103–129, 1985.
M. White book, Early Education Quality: High?er T?each?er Qualifications for Better Living Environments. A Review of Literature. 2003.
S. M., E. C. P., M. C. A., & Koch e, L. L. Sh?eridan, “Professional development in early childhood programs: Proc?ess issues and research n?e?eds,” Early education and development, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 377–401, 2009.
K. A. York?e, “A Comparative Study of Early Childhood Education in Select?ed Public and Privat?e Pr?e-Schools in Kumasi,” Kwam?e Nkrumah University of Sci?enc?e and Technology, Kumasi, Kumasi, 2012.
F. R. Ackah-Jnr, “Implementation of Inclusive?Early Childhood Education Policy and Chang?e In Ghana,” Griffith University, 2016.
S. Ntumi, “Challenges Pr?e-School Teachers Fac?e in the Implementation of the?Early Childhood Curriculum in the Cap?e Coast Metropolis,” Journal of Education and Practice, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 54–62, 2016.
K. C. Bickart, C. I. Wright, R. J. Dautoff, B. C. Dickerson, and L. F. Barrett, “Amygdala volume and social network size in humans,” in Nature Neuroscience, Feb. 2011, pp. 163–164. doi: 10.1038/nn.2724.
J. Staudt, “Service-Learning in Iowa: A Study in Training and Support for Service-Learning in Iowa: A Study in Training and Support for Teachers.” [Online]. Available: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/hpt
K. Kristiane and E. Kjørholt, “Increasing risk of postoperative infections among hip fracture patients: A nationwide study,” 2005.
J. Baumert et al., “Teachers’ mathematical knowledge, cognitive activation in the classroom, and student progress,” Am Educ Res J, vol. 47, no. 1, pp. 133–180, 2010, doi: 10.3102/0002831209345157.
R. S. Prawat, “Dewey and Vygotsky Viewed Through the Rearview Mirror—and Dimly at That,” Educational Researcher, vol. 31, no. 5, pp. 16–20, 2002, doi: 10.3102/0013189X031005016.
M.; Andrijaševi? et al., “6th International Scientific Conference on Kinesiology: Integrative power of kinesiology: proceedings book.” [Online]. Available: https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:117:014109
L. Brantley-Dias and P. A. Ertmer, “Goldilocks and TPACK: Is the construct ‘just, right?’” Journal of Research on Technology in Education, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 103–128, 2013, doi: 10.1080/15391523.2013.10782615.
L. Darling-Hammond, “Teacher education and the American future,” J Teach Educ, vol. 61, no. 1–2, pp. 35–47, 2010, doi: 10.1177/0022487109348024.
J. P. Shonkoff, “Building a New Bio developmental Framework to Guide the Future of Early Childhood Policy.”
W. S. Barnett, “Long-Term Effects of Early Childhood Programs on Cognitive and School Outcomes,” Future Child, vol. 5, no. 3, p. 25, Winter 1995, doi: 10.2307/1602366.
K. Sylva+, E. Melhuish#, P. Sammons~, I. Siraj-Blatchford, and B. Taggart, “The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) Project: Findings from Pre-school to end of Key Stage1,” 2004. [Online]. Available: www.ioe.ac.uk/projects/eppe
R. Kemp, B. Truffer, and S. Harms, “Strategic Niche Management for Sustainable Mobility,” 2000, pp. 167–187. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-57669-0_11.
R. I. Sutton and A. Hargadon, “Brainstorming groups in context: Effectiveness in a product design firm,” Adm Sci Q, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 685–718, 1996, doi: 10.2307/2393872.
J. Ho, “Curriculum and Pedagogical Practices in Four Hong Kong Kindergartens,” 2015.
M. Pan, D. Liang, L. Ru, and M. Xue, “Research and development of intelligent headlight test system based on machine vision,” in 2020 17th China International Forum on Solid State Lighting and 2020 International Forum on Wide Bandgap Semiconductors China, SSLChina: IFWS 2020, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., Nov. 2020, pp. 140–143. doi: 10.1109/SSLChinaIFWS51786.2020.9308790.
A. D. Pellegrini and D. F. Bjorklund, “The role of recess in children’s cognitive performance,” Educ Psychol, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 35–40, Jan. 1997, doi: 10.1207/s15326985ep3201_3.
Z. Wen, C. Guirland, G.-L. Ming, and J. Q. Zheng, “A CaMKII/Calcineurin Switch Controls the Direction of Ca 2-Dependent Growth Cone Guidance 2000; Ming et al Using direct focal photoactivated release of caged Ca 2 in the growth cone, we previously found that,” 2004.
C. A. Rohrbeck and N. C. Lavigne, “Peer assisted learning strategies.” [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232608554
L. G. Katz, “STEM in the Early Years.” [Online]. Available: http://ecrp.uiuc.edu.
B. Çabuk and G. Haktanir, “What should be learned in kindergarten? A project approach example,” in Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2010, pp. 2550–2555. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.371.
F. Savasci-Acikalin, “Introduction of Part 1: Debates on Definitions and Nature of Beliefs and Knowledge o Part 2: Research on Teacher Asia-Pacific Forum on,” 2009.
Y.-P. Chang et al., “New scheme of LiDAR-embedded smart laser headlight for autonomous vehicles,” opt Express, vol. 27, no. 20, p. A1481, Sep. 2019, doi: 10.1364/oe.27.0a1481.
J. Grisham-Brown, R. A. Hallam, and K. Pretti-Frontczak, “Preparing head start personnel to use a curriculum-based assessment: An innovative practice in the ‘age of accountability,’” J Early Interv, vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 271–281, 2008, doi: 10.1177/1053815108320689.
A. Widiasani, “Handbook of Student Engagement,” 2012. [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/310773130
U. Digital Commons, U. All Graduate Theses, and M. McEuen Darnell, “A Study of Utah Teachers’ Developmentally Appropriate Beliefs and Practices as Related to Perceptions of Kindergarteners’ Successful School Entry,” 2008. [Online]. Available: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/173
G. li, “Biliteracy and trilingual practices in the home context: Case studies of Chinese Canadian children,” Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 355–381, 2006, doi: 10.1177/1468798406069797.
O. F. Lillemyr, F. Søbstad, K. Marder, and T. Flowerday, “A Multicultural Perspective on Play and Learning in Primary School,” International Journal of Early Childhood, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 43–65, Mar. 2011, doi: 10.1007/s13158-010-0021-7.
M. F. Pajares, “Teachers’ Beliefs and Educational Research: Cleaning Up a Messy Construct,” 1992. [Online]. Available: http://rer.aera.net
Z. Fang, “A review of research on teacher beliefs and practices,” Educational Research, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 47–65, 1996, doi: 10.1080/0013188960380104.
K. R. Wentzel and A. Wigfi, “Handbook of Motivation at School,” 2009. [Online]. Available: www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.
J. D. Carter, J. A. Hall, D. R. Carney, and J. C. Rosip, “Individual differences in the acceptance of stereotyping,” J Res Pers, vol. 40, no. 6, pp. 1103–1118, Dec. 2006, doi: 10.1016/j.jrp.2005.11.005.
K. R. Wentzel and A. Wigfi, “Handbook of Motivation at School,” 2009. [Online]. Available: www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.
U. Goswami, “Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Cognitive Development.”
M. J. Valenzuela, P. Sachdev, W. Wen, X. Chen, and H. Brodaty, “Lifespan mental activity predicts diminished rate of hippocampal atrophy,” PLoS One, vol. 3, no. 7, Jul. 2008, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002598.
G. McClendon and C. Valenciano, “School Principals’ Perceptions on Ebonics and Black English in Houston, TX,” Journal of Education & Social Policy, vol. 5, no. 4, 2018, doi: 10.30845/jesp. v5n4p14.
B. Rowan, R. Correnti, and R. J. Miller, “What Large-Scale, Survey Research Tells Us About Teacher Effects on Student Achievement: Insights from the Prospects Study of Elementary Schools,” 2002.
J. Carson and B. Johnson, “Attempting Environmental Education Reform: Initiation and Implementation of Programmatic, Outdoor Environmental Learning in Public School Curricula.”
C. T. Clotfelter, H. F. Ladd, and J. L. Vigdor, “Teacher-Student Matching and the Assessment of Teacher Effectiveness,” 2006. [Online]. Available: http://www.nber.org/papers/w11936
C. Kramarczuk Voulgarides, E. Fergus, and K. A. King Thorius, “Pursuing Equity: Disproportionality in Special Education and the Reframing of Technical Solutions to Address Systemic Inequities,” Review of Research in Education, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 61–87, Mar. 2017, doi: 10.3102/0091732X16686947.
H. Dodeen, F. Abdelfattah, S. Shumrani, and M. A. Hilal, “The Effects of Teachers’ Qualifications, Practices, and Perceptions on Student Achievement in TIMSS Mathematics: A Comparison of Two Countries,” Int J Test, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 61–77, Jan. 2012, doi: 10.1080/15305058.2011.621568.
G. Halkos and A. Zisiadou, “Is Investors’ Psychology Affected Due to a Potential Unexpected Environmental Disaster?” Journal of Risk and Financial Management, vol. 13, no. 7, Jul. 2020, doi: 10.3390/jrfm13070151.
Authors, “COGNITIVE SET AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS Recent developments in cognitive and motivational psychology suggest that individuals have considerably more potential for enlivening their experience of environments than they tend to display in everyday life.”
L. Rainbow et al., “The 222-to 234-Kilodalton Latent Nuclear Protein (LNA) of Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (Human Herpesvirus 8) Is Encoded by orf73 and Is a Component of the Latency-Associated Nuclear Antigen A latency-associated nuclear immunofluorescence antigen (LANA) (D) and a 222-to 234-kDa nuclear protein (LNA) (,” 1997.
G. J. Feldman and R. D. Cousins, “A Unified Approach to the Classical Statistical Analysis of Small Signals Typeset using REVT E X 1,” 1999.
J.-M. Zingg and P. A. Jones, “Genetic and epigenetic aspects of DNA methylation on genome expression, evolution, mutation and carcinogenesis,” 1997.
J. Berger, S. J. Rosenholtz, and M. Zelditch, “STATUS ORGANIZING PROCESSES,” 1980.
S. Wold, K. Esbensen, and P. Geladi, “Principal Component Analysis.”
J. L. Jensen and J. Santrock, “EVALUATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE INITIATION AND PROPOGATION, VEHICLE CRASH AND FIRE PROPOGATION TEST PROGRAM.”
G. J. Whitehurst, “APPENDIX A: Scientifically Based Research on Teacher Quality: Research on Teacher Preparation and Professional Development White House Conference on Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers,” 2002.
J. J. Diaz et al., “Practice management guidelines for the screening of thoracolumbar spine fracture,” Journal of Trauma, vol. 63, no. 3, p. 979, 2007, doi: 10.1097/TA.0b013e318142d2db.
J. A., N. R. L., B. C., Berman, K. L., & Nelson, K. E. Welsh, “Th?e development of cognitive skills and gains in academic school readiness f?or children from l?ow-income families,” Journal of educational psych?ology, vol. 102, no. 1, p. 43, 2010.
B., Pendl et on, D. M., & P. esc e, C. McCullick, “Exercise and children’s cognition: Th?e role?of exercise charact?eristics and a place f?or m?eta cognition,” 2014.
A. E. Allen, “Instructional strategies in early childhood t?each?er education: a comparison of two approaches,” 2008.
P. D., M. B., Pendl et on, D. M., & P. esc e, C. Tomporowski, “Exercise and children’s cognition: the r?ole?of exercise characteristics and a place for m?eta cognition,” Journal of Sport and Health Sci?enc?e, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 47–55, 2015.
M. D. Glicken, Social research: A simple guide. P?ears?on College Divisi?on, 2003.
Y. S., L. S. A., & G. E. G. Lincoln, “Paradigmatic controversies, contradictions, and emerging confluences, revisited,” Th?e Sag?e handbook of qualitative research, vol. 4, pp. 97–128, 2011.
M. Denscombe, “Th?e role?of research proposals in business and management education,” Th?e International Journal of Management Education, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 142–149, 2013.
J., & H. Ey, R. Collis, Business research: A practical guide for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.
S. J. Tracy, Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact. John Wiley & Sons, 2012.
A., & B. ess, B. (Eds.) Bryman, “Analyzing qualitative data,” Routledge, 2002.
D., & S. enc er, L. Snap?e, “Th?e foundations of qualitative research’ in Ritchi?e, J. and Lewis, J (eds) Qualitative Research Practice.,” 2003.
C. R. Kothari, Research m?eth?od?ology: Methods and techniques. New Ag?e International, 2004.
M. D., C. L. A., & Ceswell, J. W. Fetters, “Achieving integration in mixed methods designs—principles and practices,” Health services research, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 2134–2156, 2013.
P. A. Glasow, “Fundamentals of survey research methodology,” Retrieved January 18, 2013.
R., F. L. S., Compton, D., Coyne, M., Geenwood, C., & Iocenti, M. S. Gersten, “Quality indicators f?or group experimental and quasi-?experimental research in special education,” Except Child, vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 149–164, 2005.
B. A., S. S. J., & Hentobler, M. K. Isra?el, “Conducting action research: relationships between organization m?embers and researchers,” Th?e Journal of applied behavioral sci?enc?e, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 74–101, 1992.
L. M., & M. on, L. L. & Morrison Cohen, Research methods in education. UK: Routledge, 2011.
O., & Menda, A. Mugenda, “Research m?eth?od?ology: qualitative and quantitative techniques,” 2003.
J. B?ell, Doing Y?our Research Project: A guide for first-time researchers. McGraw-Hill Education (UK), 2014.
B. J., A. H., & L. e e, S. Y. D. Wein?er, “Conceptualization and measurement of organizational readiness f?or change: a review of the literature in health services research and other fi?elds,” Medical Car?e Research and Review, vol. 65, no. 4, pp. 379–436, 2008.
J. T., A. G., Oervanger, J. P., d e B. o er, M. J., van E. J., der Souw, Y. T. V., & M. A. H. Drost, “Cardiovascular risk factors in w?omen 10 y?ears post early pr?e?eclampsia: the Pre-eclampsia Risk Evaluation in F?EMal?es study (PR?EVF?EM),” European journal of preventive cardiology, vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 1138–1144, 2012.
R. C. Pianta, “New Evid?enc?e-Bas?ed Approach?es t?o T?each?er Professional Development and Training,” Center f?or American Progress, 2011.
Y. Oheneba-Sakyi, “Examining the relationship between ag?e at first marriage, education and the timing of marital dissolution in Ghana,” International journal of sociology of the family, pp. 59–76, 1989.
L., Kelly, B. B., & National Research Council Allen, “Child Development and Early L?earning,” 2015.
A. B. e, A. R., and P. Pele Haridakis. Rubin, “Essential Research Methods for Social Work,” 2010.
D. Ellis, Impact of T?each?er Demographic, Knowledge, and Instructional Variables on Children’s Language Development. North Florida: University of North Florida, 2011.
D., Horne, M., Cements, D., Confrey, J., Money, A., S. J., . . . & W. on, A. Siemon, “Researching and using l?earning progressions (trajectories) in mathematics education,” In 41st Conf?er?enc?e?of the International Group f?or the Psychology of Mathematics Education, pp. 109–136, 2017.
C. M., M. orris on, F. J., & Sominski, L. Connor, “Preschool instruction and children’s emergent literacy growth,” Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 98, no. 4, p. 665, 2006.
W. T., P. D. A., Newmark, K., Welti, K., & Aelstein, S. Gormley Jr, “Social??emotional effects of early childhood education programs in Tulsa,” Child Development, vol. 82, no. 6, pp. 2095–2109, 2011.
C., F. eth erst on, C. M., M. A., & F. eth erst on, T. Nils?on, “Creative arts: an essential element in the teacher’s toolkit when devel?oping critical thinking
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who submit papers with this journal agree to the following terms.
