ERIC Number: EJ1023909
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1040-9289
EISSN: N/A
Mind What Teachers Say: Kindergarten Teachers' Use of Mental State Language during Picture Story Narration
Misailidi, Plousia; Papoudi, Despina; Brouzos, Andreas
Early Education and Development, v24 n8 p1161-1174 2013
The study focuses on the mental state language kindergarten teachers use when narrating picture stories. The aims were to examine (a) individual differences in the frequency with which kindergarten teachers use mental state terms, (b) the types of mental state terms (e.g., emotion, desire, belief terms) teachers use most frequently, and (c) the effect that the content of the story to be narrated has on teachers' use of mental state language. A total of 38 kindergarten teachers took part in the study. Participants were asked to narrate a familiar picture story and six short illustrated stories that fell into one of two categories: behavioral or mentalistic. Behavioral stories emphasized the story characters' actions, whereas mentalistic stories emphasized the story characters' mental states. Research Findings: The results showed a significant variation in kindergarten teachers' use of mental state terms. Moreover, teachers used significantly more cognitive state terms than terms expressing other mental states (e.g., emotions and desires). The content of the picture story (behavioral, mentalistic) was not found to have an effect on teachers' use of mental state language. Practice or Policy: Implications of these findings for educators are discussed.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Cognitive Processes, Emotional Response, Story Reading, Picture Books, Kindergarten, Young Children, Theory of Mind, Language Usage, Interrater Reliability
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Kindergarten; Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Greece
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A