Early Childhood Education Today: Kindergarten Teachers’ Beliefs, Practices, and Influences

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to gain insight into the face of early childhood education in today's world of education. The study examined kindergarten teachers’ perspectives on (a) how young children should be taught, (b) the reality of how kindergarten teachers are actually able to teach, and (c) current influences on their ability or inability to implement instructional and curriculum decisions that are child-centered. The study took place in three school districts in the southeast United States where 84 teachers completed the Kindergarten Teacher Survey. Descriptive statistics paint a clearer picture for the changing purpose of kindergarten in today’s educational system.