Carter, Margaret Anne, and Dasson, Merilyn (2014) Teacher professional development: learning a new way of teaching social behaviour and values education with young children in Singapore. In: Living in Harmony Through Early Childhoon Education and Care: PECERA 2014: 15th Annual Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association Conference. A11.011. p. 76. From: PECERA 2014: 15th Annual Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association Conference, 8-10 August 2014, Bali, Indonesia.

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Abstract

In 2013, 31 preschool teachers in three Catholic schools across Singapore embarked on a two year action research project involving the intentional teaching of social behaviour and values education with the children in their school programs. Throughout the duration of this project, staffs participated in ongoing professional development, including attachments to other schools, full day professional workshops, and reflective journaling.

Project leaders worked with school staffs, guiding and supporting them as they translated and contextualized different phases of the social teaching values education program into their communities of practice. Parents and children were consulted throughout the project with input gathered from artefacts, observations, interviews, surveys and video stories. At the commencement of the project, staffs were surveyed to ascertain their perceptions of how young children learn social behaviour. Staff and parents in one of the pilot schools were involved in focus group conversations and information gathered in these sessions was used to inform the program framework. Six months into the project, kindergarten aged children in one of the pilot schools engaged in semi structured interviews with the project leaders.

The authoritative paradigm of teaching and learning underpins the social teaching and values education program. This approach focuses on self-regulation and self-discipline, and is based on values including respect, care, harmony and resilience. Educators have an egalitarian relationship with children and work with them as they develop their knowledge, attitudes and competencies in social behaviour and values education. The action research journey resulting in cultural change within these school communities is described at both the theoretical and practical level in this workshop. The phases and stages of action research will be discussed, as will the outcomes, challenges and next moves.

Item ID:	45602
Item Type:	Conference Item (Abstract / Summary)
Keywords:	action research; preschool; Singapore; values education; ; professional development
Related URLs:	Organisation
Date Deposited:	14 Nov 2016 06:51
FoR Codes:	13 EDUCATION > 1301 Education Systems > 130102 Early Childhood Education (excl Maori) @ 40% 13 EDUCATION > 1303 Specialist Studies in Education > 130313 Teacher Education and Professional Development of Educators @ 40% 13 EDUCATION > 1399 Other Education > 139999 Education not elsewhere classified @ 20%
SEO Codes:	93 EDUCATION AND TRAINING > 9301 Learner and Learning > 930104 Moral and Social Development (incl. Affect) @ 40% 93 EDUCATION AND TRAINING > 9304 School/Institution > 930402 School/Institution Community and Environment @ 20% 93 EDUCATION AND TRAINING > 9302 Teaching and Instruction > 930202 Teacher and Instructor Development @ 40%
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