Quality Talk in Early Childhood Education: Mapping Teacher Style.

N

11

Classroom Communication; Classroom Environment; Classroom Techniques; Discipline; Foreign Countries; Instructional Leadership; Teacher Expectations of Students; Teacher Influence; Teacher Response; Teacher Student Relationship; Teaching Styles; Verbal Communication

Australia's process for quality child care improvement has 20 core principles, 4 of which relate to interactions between children and staff: (1) staff interactions with children should be warm and friendly; (2) all children should be treated equally, and their individual needs and backgrounds should be respected; (3) both sexes should be treated equally; and (4) staff should use a positive approach in guidance and discipline. With regard to this last principle, teacher style is a key determinant of quality interactions. Teacher style can be mapped out using leadership style characteristics developed by Lewin, Lippit, and White. Semantic features differentiating teacher styles include: (1) type of questions asked; (2) timing and manner of evaluation; (3) type of commands issued; and (4) the offering of global or local information. Teacher praise might be of the student's product, of the student, or of either, combined with supporting information. Democratic and predominant leadership, which provides support and structure, engages children in activities which orient them to specific goals, shows the students how an activity's steps reflect those goals, and assists the students in learning and practicing their own role in the activity. Understanding the role of language in learning facilities understanding how the manner of teachers' speech influences students and can help improve the quality of interaction between teachers and children. Contains 14 references. (JW)

1996

ED389456