scholarly journals Measuring Early Childhood Educators' Self-Efficacy for Mandatory Reporting of Child Maltreatment

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha J Ayling
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Early Childhood Educators ◽  
Mandatory Reporting

scholarly journals Training may enhance early childhood educators’ self-efficacy to lead physical activity in childcare

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brianne A. Bruijns ◽  
Andrew M. Johnson ◽  
Jennifer D. Irwin ◽  
Shauna M. Burke ◽  
Molly Driediger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Early Childhood Educators ◽  
Outdoor Play ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Intervention Component ◽  
Space Extension ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Early childhood educators (ECEs) play a critical role in promoting physical activity (PA) among preschoolers in childcare; thus, PA-related training for ECEs is essential. The Supporting PA in the Childcare Environment (SPACE) intervention incorporated: 1. shorter, more frequent outdoor play sessions; 2. provision of portable play equipment; and, PA training for ECEs. An extension of the SPACE intervention (the SPACE-Extension) incorporated only the shorter, more frequent outdoor play periods component of the original SPACE intervention. The purpose of this study was to explore the individual impact of these interventions on ECEs’ PA-related self-efficacy and knowledge. Methods ECEs from the SPACE (n = 83) and SPACE-Extension (n = 31) were administered surveys at all intervention time-points to assess: self-efficacy to engage preschoolers in PA (n = 6 items; scale 0 to 100); self-efficacy to implement the intervention (n = 6 items); and, knowledge of preschooler-specific PA and screen-viewing guidelines (n = 2 items). A linear mixed effects model was used to analyze the impact of each intervention on ECEs’ self-efficacy and knowledge and controlled for multiple comparison bias. Results The SPACE intervention significantly impacted ECEs’ self-efficacy to engage preschoolers in PA for 180 min/day (main effect), and when outdoor playtime was not an option (interaction effect). Further, the interaction model for ECEs’ knowledge of the total PA guideline for preschoolers approached significance when compared to the main effects model. Participants within the SPACE-Extension did not demonstrate any significant changes in self-efficacy or knowledge variables. Conclusions Findings from this study highlight the benefit of ECE training in PA with regard to fostering their PA-related self-efficacy and knowledge. Future research should explore the impact of PA training for ECEs uniquely in order to determine if this intervention component, alone, can produce meaningful changes in children’s PA behaviours at childcare.

scholarly journals Measuring Early Childhood Educators’ Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior–Related Self-Efficacy: A Systematic Review of Tools

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 455-467
Author(s):  
Monika Szpunar ◽  
Brianne Bruijns ◽  
Patricia Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Early Childhood Educators ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Risky Play ◽  
Healthy Activity ◽  
Physical Activity Programming

Early childhood educators’ (ECEs) self-efficacy is often predictive of their ability and likelihood of promoting healthy activity behaviors in childcare settings. To date, ECEs’ physical activity and sedentary behavior–related self-efficacy has been measured in a variety of ways in childcare-based research, creating difficulty when comparing across studies. To identify the different approaches ECEs’ self-efficacy is assessed, the current study aimed to compare all existing tools that quantitatively measure physical activity and sedentary behavior–related self-efficacy of pre- and in-service ECEs. Seven online databases were searched for original, peer-reviewed, English-written journal articles. Articles were deemed eligible if they employed a tool which measured physical activity and/or sedentary behavior–related self-efficacy of pre- or in-service ECEs. A total of 16 studies were included in this review, and 13 unique tools were identified. All tools measured task self-efficacy ( n = 13), while only 1 tool measured barrier self-efficacy, and approximately half of the tools ( n = 7; 54%) reported on the validity and reliability. Great variability existed among the self-efficacy items included in the tools; however, common constructs included: teaching/leading physical activity, fundamental movement skill development, and physical activity programming. Very few tools mentioned sedentary behavior ( n = 2) and outdoor/risky play ( n = 2). Given the low number of studies that tested validity and reliability of their self-efficacy tools, the lack of consideration for barrier self-efficacy, and the paucity of tools that fully encompassed physical activity, sedentary behavior, and outdoor play considerations for ECEs, future research is needed to validate a new, reliable tool.

Visual arts pedagogy in early childhood contexts: The baggage of self-efficacy beliefs, pedagogical knowledge and limited pre-service training

2020 ◽  
pp. 183693912097906
Author(s):  
Gai Lindsay
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Visual Arts ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Efficacy Beliefs ◽  
Early Childhood Educators ◽  
Arts Pedagogy ◽  
Arts Curriculum ◽  
Pedagogical Choices ◽  
Service Training

Visual arts provisions are central to children’s holistic, play-based learning, yet the visual arts self-efficacy beliefs and subject content knowledge of early childhood educators influence pedagogical choices. When early childhood educators lack the visual arts confidence, skills, and knowledge required to effectively support children’s visual arts learning and engagement, children’s learning in the visual arts domain may be restricted; resulting in a negative cycle of influence whereby the next generation are denied their right to access visual languages. Qualitative case study research explored the visual arts beliefs and pedagogy of 12 degree qualified and vocationally trained early childhood educators. The conceptual framework, designed to to interpret and analyse the research data, aligns Dewey’s philosophies of democracy, education and art with the philosophy and visual arts praxis of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. The research findings suggest educator’s low visual arts self-efficacy beliefs develop during childhood and are not improved by pre-service training, resulting in limited visual arts skills and knowledge. The research participants’ visual arts pedagogy appeared to be strongly influenced by the experiential ‘baggage’ they carried into their pre-service training and practice contexts, by the participants’ theoretical beliefs about children’s development and by a range of divergent beliefs about the purposes of visual art in the early childhood context. Although training has the potential to broadly inform knowledge and practice, this study suggests that unless limiting visual arts self-efficacy beliefs are disrupted by constructivist theoretical knowledge and combined with practical skills and knowledge, the visual arts curriculum offered to children may be significantly compromised.

scholarly journals Early Childhood Educators’ Attitudes to Internet Self-Efficacy and Internet-Related Instructional Applications: The Mediating Effects of Internet Enjoyment and Professional Support

SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824402091439
Author(s):  
Pi-Chun Hsu ◽  
I-Hsiung Chang ◽  
Ru-Si Chen
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Early Childhood Educators ◽  
Professional Support ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Mediating Effects ◽  
Instructional Behaviors

To understand early childhood educators’ attitudes toward internet-related instructional applications, this study examined several factors that influence educators’ practical instructional behaviors and analyzed the mediating effects of internet enjoyment and professional support on their attitudes toward internet-related instructional applications. We conducted a survey in Taiwan and analyzed the original data collected from the questionnaire survey through structural equation modeling. The survey evaluated four factors: internet self-efficacy, internet-related instructional applications, internet enjoyment, and the professional support available via the internet. The results showed that early childhood educators’ attitudes toward integrating the internet into their instruction practices can be measured by these latent constructs. Early childhood educators’ enjoyment of the internet and engagement with internet-based professional support performed partially mediating effects on the relationship between their attitudes toward internet self-efficacy and internet-related instructional applications. Furthermore, early childhood educators’ attitudes toward internet-related instructional applications were influenced by their perceptions of the friendliness of interfaces and their enjoyment of the internet. The platform of community interaction provided by the internet and the atmosphere of cooperative support educators found appraisal of the internet’s broader implications for instructional and professional performance in their field.

scholarly journals Educator Beliefs Around Supporting Early Self-Regulation: Development and Evaluation of the Self-Regulation Knowledge, Attitudes and Self-Efficacy Scale

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Vasseleu ◽  
Cathrine Neilsen-Hewett ◽  
John Ehrich ◽  
Ken Cliff ◽  
Steven James Howard
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Early Childhood Educators ◽  
The Self ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Educator Attitudes ◽  
Cluster Randomized ◽  
The Impact

The current study sought to investigate the extent to which early childhood educators’ confidence in knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy for supporting early self-regulation predicted educator behavior and children’s self-regulation outcomes. Data from a diverse sample of 165 early childhood educators participating in a cluster Randomized Control Trial evaluation of a self-regulation intervention were utilized to evaluate the construct validity, reliability and predictive properties of the Self-Regulation Knowledge, Attitudes and Self-Efficacy scale. Evaluation via traditional (EFA, Cronbach’s Alpha) and modern approaches (Rasch Analysis) yielded a valid and reliable 25-item scale, comprising three distinct yet related subscales (i.e., confidence in knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy). For educators assigned to the intervention group, self-efficacy significantly predicted educators perceived competency to implement the self-regulation intervention as well as their perceptions around the effectiveness of the intervention to enhance children’s self-regulation. For educators assigned to the control group (i.e., practice as usual), educator attitudes longitudinally predicted children’s end-of-year status and change in self-regulation (over 6 months later). Findings from this study suggest the importance of pre-school educators’ beliefs for fostering early self-regulation and highlight a need to further explore the impact of these beliefs with regard to educator engagement with intervention.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document