kalliope vrinioti & giannis thoidis university of western macedonia - greece pre-and primary...

Kalliope Vrinioti & Giannis Thoidis

University of Western Macedonia - Greece

Pre-and primary school teachers’ views on children’s learning: A critical

appraisal of the Greek case

EECERA 25th ConferenceBarcelona, Spain 7-10 September 2015

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Introductory note

This comparative study of preschool teacher’s and primary school teacher’s perspectives on children’s learning was carried out in the context of the multilateral Comenius project SIGNALS, in which Greece – the University of Western Macedonia – is one of seven partners.

EECERA 25th Conference

Barcelona, Spain 7-10 September 2015

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The main objective of SIGNALS (Strengthening Activity – Oriented Interaction and

Growth iN the EArLy Years and TransitionS )

is the development of children’s

abilities to participate actively and codecide

in preschool and in the first grades of

primary school, in close cooperation with

teachers, other children and their parents.


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The Greek SIGNALS project

was developed in the first and second

grades of primary school (2014-2015).

During the stage of initial needs analysis

of the project we have investigated the

views of the primary school teachers as

well as those of the pre-primary school

teachers.


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It was decided to ask also the

preschool teachers because their views

on children’s learning in preschool

influence children’s learning before

they arrive at the primary school.


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Purpose of the study

The aim of this study is to compare the

views of the Greek primary school

teachers with those of preschool

teachers on children’s learning in pre-

and primary school.


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Main hypothesis

Given that different pedagogical approaches are implemented in the curricula of preschool and primary education, it was expected that the views of the Greek primary school teachers and those of preschool teachers on children’s learning would be different.


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Method

The theoretical framework of the study

emerged out of social-cultural learning

theories whose main analytical concepts

are: “actors”, “activity”, “participation” and

“social interaction” (Vygotsky 1978; Rogoff

1990, 1993; Lave 1993; Lave & Wenger, 2005)


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Research Instrument This study expands on earlier research of

Danish and Swedish colleagues who

initially designed and utilized the survey

questionnaire in Denmark and Sweden. (Broström, Johansson, Sandberg, & Frokijaer,

(2012). To identify teachers’ views about

how children learn in pre-and primary

school the questionnaire comprised four

main questions: EECERA 25th Conference


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The main questions

1) What situations can be characterized as learning?

2) What activities are important for learning?

3) What are the best conditions for children’s learning

4) How do preschool teachers understand participation in relation

to children’s learning in preschool and respectively in primary

school? • Teachers were asked to rate the importance of each

of the response options using a 4-point Likert-type scale

(1 = most important to 4 = least important)


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Participants (n = 222)


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The sample is not representativeAlthough the sample is not representative for the

entire population of the Greek pre - and primary

school teachers, its findings and especially those

which confer information concerning the way the

respondents understand the importance of

children’s active participation in daily educatio-

nal process, were helpful to us to respond to the

concrete real needs of the teachers. This is the

reason why we will focus, in this presentation,

more on these findings. EECERA 25th Conference


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Statistical analysis

• Descriptive statistics

• One-way Anova, Kruskal -Wallis chi squared tests, PrincipalComponent analysis

• Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS (version 21.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). Cronbach’s Alpha: .87


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What is learning? Situations in school that can be characterized as learning

8 items, M: 2.00, S.D.: 54, a: .70

Pre-school teachers, M: 1.96, S.D. 56, Primary school teachers M: 2.02, S.D.: 53

Aa


A1 A3A2 A4 A5 A6 A8A7

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Pre-school teachers, Primary school teachers

Aa


A1 A3A2 A4 A5 A6 A8A7

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Aa


A1 A3A2 A4 A5 A6 A8A7

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Aa


A1 A3A2 A4 A5 A6 A8A7

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Ab

Pre-school teachers

Primary school teachers

A7A2 A5 A8

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Ab

Pre-school teachers


A7A2 A5 A8

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Correlation between factors related to

situations in school that can be characterized as learning

A5

A7

A5 A8

A7

A8

r = 404** p = .000

r = 405** p = .000

r = 480** p = .000

Ac


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How do children learn? Activities that are important for children’s learning

10 items, M: 2.04, S.D.: 43, a: .64

Pre-school teachers, M: 2.02, S.D.: 45 Primary school teachers M: 2.06, S.D.: 41

Ba


B1 B2 B4B3 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 B10

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How do children learn? Activities that are important for children’s learning

10 items, M: 2.04, S.D.: 43, a: .64


Ba


B1 B2 B4B3 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 B10

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How do children learn? Activities that are important for children’s learningBb


Pre-school teachers


U = 3750, z= -2.02,p = .043, n1 = 80, n2 = 112

t = 3.69, p = .000, df = 175

t = 2.62, p = .010, df = 203

B2 B4 B9

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How do children learn? Activities that are important for children’s learningBb


Pre-school teachers


U = 3750, z= -2.02,p = .043, n1 = 80, n2 = 112

t = 3.69, p = .000, df = 175

t = 2.62, p = .010, df = 203

B2 B4 B9

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activities that are important for children’s learning

B1

B9

B4 B5

B2

B8

r = 476** p = .000

r = 413** p = .000

r = 496** p = .000

Bc


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Best conditions for children’s learning

6 items, M: 1.75, S.D.: 52, a: .69


Ca


t = -2.25, p = .026, df= 204

C1 C2 C6C4 C5C3

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Best conditions for children’s learning

6 items, M: 1.75, S.D.: 52, a: .69


Ca


t = -2.25, p = .026, df= 204

C1 C2 C6C4 C5C3

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7 items, M: 1.69, S.D.: 51, a: .71

Pre-school teachers, M: 1.70, S.D. 56, Primary school teachers M: 1.68, S.D.: 47

Teachers’ understanding of participationDa


D2D1 D4D3 D5 D6 D7

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the teachers’ understanding of participation

D1

D6

D1 D5

D4

D5

r = 415** p = .000

r = 458** p = .000

r = 607** p = .000

Db

r = 506** p = .000 D7D6


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Differences in relation to participationbetween pre-school and primary school teachers (Items A8, B4, C6, D1)


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Differences in relation to the years of service


< 1010-20> 20

Kruskal-Wallis, p = .018,x2 = (2, N = 193) = 8.02

Anova, p = .05F(2, 185) = 3.04

p= .039 x2 = (2,N= 199)= 6.51

p=.006 x2=(2,N=199)=10.27

p=.042 x2=(2,N=208)=6.36 p=.023

x2=(2,N=211)=7.51

D6A6 D5B7B4 C1

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Discussion 1/3

From the comparison of the views of the

two groups we found common perceptions

of the importance of the role of school and

children in the learning process.

In contrast, we found differences

between the two groups regarding

specific aspects of learning. EECERA 25th Conference


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Discussion 2/3 For example in contrast with pre-school

teaches primary school teachers concentrate on knowledge acquisition.

According to the primary school teachers, children’s own initiatives are rated, in comparison with other factors, as having relatively little influence on learning.

These differences can be mainly attributed to

the different levels of education and to the

differences in the curriculum at these levels.EECERA 25th Conference


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Discussion 3/3The critical appraisal of the differences but also

of the similarities of the views of both groups

was the starting point of the construction of the

design and the development of the Greek

SIGNALS project, because these views have

an impact upon the teaching and learning

process in the first and second grade of the

primary school and are, hence, factors which

facilitate or, on the contrary, impede the

development of participation and codecision. EECERA 25th Conference


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Thank you for your attention

[email protected]

[email protected]


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kalliope vrinioti & giannis thoidis university of western macedonia - greece pre-and primary...

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