Search results for "child-centered"

Child-centered and teacher-directed practices in relation to calculation and word problem solving skills

2019

Abstract This study examined transactional associations between classroom-level math skills and teaching practices. Participants were 523 children from 31 classrooms. Math skills were assessed three times. Teaching practices were observed in Grades 1 and 3. Child-centered practices promoted subsequent calculation skills whereas teacher-directed practices were associated with a lower level of calculation skills. Higher problem-solving skills at Grade 2 predicted more child-centered practices and less teacher-directed practices in third grade. Moreover, calculation skills mediated the effect of child-centered practices on problem-solving skills. The results suggest that teaching practices and…

Antecedents and consequences of long-term unemployment

2001

Child-Centered and Teacher-Directed Practices in Two Different Countries: A Descriptive Case Study in Finnish and Japanese Grade 1 Classrooms

2023

This descriptive case study examined how teaching practices were evidenced in Grade 1 classrooms in two different cultural and educational contexts, Finland and Japan. Teachers’ teaching practices were video-recorded in 53 classrooms in Finland and six classrooms in Japan and rated with the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure by trained investigators. Four Finnish teachers and two Japanese teachers having the highest scores in either child-centered or teacher-directed practices were selected for a descriptive case study to take a closer look at how teaching practices in terms of management, climate, and instruction are evidenced in authentic classroom situations. The analysis reve…

A new child-centered approach to the organization of extra-curricular activities in Finnish schools

2017

Extracurricular activities are currently included in Finnish school legislation, but their organization is fragmented. History: Club activities at school led by teachers have been arranged since 1947 on extra pay, but their amount and content have depended on available funding and often on teachers’ willingness to lead club activities. Schools have also had a possibility to use cultural or sport operators. However, system has preferred teacher-led club activities. A dramatic change occurred in the early 1990s when economic recession reduced extra funding for schools and day care. Consequently, club activities after school hours were reduced to less than half, and afternoon care services wit…

Child-centered versus teacher-directed teaching practices: Associations with the development of academic skills in the first grade at school

2016

This study examined the extent to which child-centered versus teacher-directed teaching practices predicted the development of children's reading and math skills in the first year of elementary school. In addition, we investigated whether associations between teaching practices and children's academic skills development in Grade 1 differed among children who had low, average, or high initial academic skills at the beginning of school. The reading and math skills of 1,132 Finnish children from 93 classrooms were assessed at the beginning and end of Grade 1, and the Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure (ECCOM) was used to observe teaching practices in 29 classrooms. The results of mu…

Effectiveness of a creative physical education intervention on elementary school students’ leisure-time physical activity motivation and overall phys…

2018

This study investigated the effectiveness of a creative physical education (CPE) intervention on students’ perceptions of motivational climate in physical education (PE), leisure-time physical activity (PA) motivation, and overall PA. A sample of 382 fourth to sixth grade students ( Mage= 10.87[.93]) from two elementary schools were assigned to the CPE intervention ( n = 196; Mage= 10.84[.95]) and control ‘PE-as-usual’ ( n = 186; Mage= 10.90[.90]) groups. Students’ perceived task- and ego-supportive climate in PE, leisure-time PA motivation, and overall PA were measured before and after the one-year intervention. Analyses of covariance and path analyses were implemented to test the effectiv…