미국 유아교사들의 발달에 적합한 실제에 대한 신념과 실행의 예측요인들 = Predictors of the U.S. Early Childhood Education Teachers` Beliefs about and Practices of DAP

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study examines the U.S. early childhood education (ECE) teachers` beliefs about and practices of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) using a survey developed from the second edition of the NAEYC guidelines (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997). Based on the previous studies I n the U.S., predictors for teachers` beliefs and practices were identified and utilized in developing two hypotheses: (1) teachers` beliefs about and/or practices of DAP will have positive and significant correlation, (2) teachers` endorsement of the beliefs about and practices of DAP will be greater when the following properties are present: higher educational level, ECE backgrounds, smaller class sizes, teachers` internal locus of control, longer years of teaching, smaller number of children with free lunch, and teachers` permission for classroom observation. There was a significant positive correlation between beliefs and practices. Regression analyses identified that the hypothesized predictors (ECE background, permission for observation, higher educational level, years of teaching , and a teacher`s internal locus of control), with the exception of a percent of children with free lunches and smaller class sizes, significantly predicted teachers` beliefs about DAP. All the predictors, with the exception of an ECE background and years of teaching, significantly predicted teachers` practices of DAP.