Continuing training is important for all professionals, and is especially essential for professionals in education. In this article, we present a study that evaluates the state of continuing training in early childhood education in Spain. The research identifies the impact of training for teachers, for children and for educational centers. Results…

The aim of this study was to examine how teachers in the Step by Step and traditional kindergartens assess their child-centred activities. 308 teachers participated in the study and a questionnaire was used. The results of the study showed that teachers in the Step by Step programme used a child-centred approach more in their work than teachers in…

In many European heritage early childhood education communities cultural-historical theory has become increasingly influential for informing practice. Yet one of the major challenges facing the field has been the slow mobilisation of new theory into practice. This paper reports on a study of 40 early childhood pre-service students as they moved…

This paper investigates the concept of adjustment to school for a group of primary one (first grade) pupils in Singapore. Pupils rated by their teachers as being well adjusted obtained significantly higher grades at the end of the school year, did not require additional learning support, and exhibited better social skills compared to children…

Early years classroom practice in Northern Ireland is perceived to be dominated by a traditional teacher-directed model to the detriment of a more constructivist, play-based and child-initiated learning environment favoured in many nations' early education provision (see for example Walsh, 2000). In 2002, the Northern Ireland Council for…