Barbadian Teachers' Personal Practical Knowledge About Advocated Pedagogic Practices Used in the Education of the Under-Fives
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Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses: Doctorates and Masters Theses 1-1-1999 Barbadian teachers' personal practical knowledge about advocated pedagogic practices used in the education of the under-fives Sonja M. Anderson Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses Part of the Educational Methods Commons Recommended Citation Anderson, S. M. (1999). Barbadian teachers' personal practical knowledge about advocated pedagogic practices used in the education of the under-fives. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1259 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1259 Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses: Doctorates and Masters Theses 1999 Barbadian teachers' personal practical knowledge about advocated pedagogic practices used in the education of the under-fives Sonja M. Anderson Edith Cowan University Recommended Citation Anderson, S. M. (1999). Barbadian teachers' personal practical knowledge about advocated pedagogic practices used in the education of the under-fives. Retrieved from https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1259 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1259 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. Where the reproduction of such material is done without attribution of authorship, with false attribution of authorship or the authorship is treated in a derogatory manner, this may be a breach of the author’s moral rights contained in Part IX of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Courts have the power to impose a wide range of civil and criminal sanctions for infringement of copyright, infringement of moral rights and other offences under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. USE OF THESIS The Use of Thesis statement is not included in this version of the thesis. EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY BARBADIAN TEACHERS' PERSONAL PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ADVOCATED PEDAGOGIC PRACTICES USED IN THE EDUCATION OF THE UNDER-FIVES By Sonja Myrtle Sandra Anderson T. Cert. Erd. & UWI, B.A. UWI A Thesis Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Doctor of Philosophy at the Faculty of Education, Edith Cowan University September 1999 rd iv Declaration I certify that this thesis does not, to the best of my knowledge and belief • incorporate without acknowledgment any material previously submitted for a degree or diploma in any institution of higher education; • contain any material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the text; • or contain any defamatoty material. Signature: _ Date: iii Abstract This study investigated the personal practical knowledge of twenty-one Barbadian teachers in relation to a range of pedagogic practices advocated for use in the education of children under five years of age. The investigation of this knowledge was based on an interpretative perspective. The conceptual underpinning was framed by Personal Construct Psychology (Kelly, 1955), and its methodology, the repertory grid technique. The grid was fommlated and used in a sample of schools with under-fives. Findings were clarified, confirmed and elaborated by the use of in-depth interviews conducted with teachers in their classroom settings. The findings revealed that teachers construed pedagogic practices from two perspectives. First, those concerned with the total development of the child, and second, those which empham«f cognitive development. The filctors associating the practices and the perspectives were presented under five major themes: Consideration of the Child; Benefits to the Under-fives; Classroom Experiences; Traditional Academic Focus; and Teacher's versus Child Dominance. Eclectic constructions and uses of teaching practices were clearly evident. Individual choices were varied and at times conflicting; they derived from the teachers' own construct systems, their anticipation of events in early childhood education, and their technical, cultural and theoretical knowledge. The implications and recommendations made in this study provide the basis for the development of coherent teaching strategies for early childhood education in Barbados. r b V Acknowledgments I welcome the opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to the completion of this thesis. I am particularly indebted to my supervisors Dr. Caroline Barratt-Pugh and Dr. Tony Fetherston for their invaluable wisdom, guidance, support, suggestions and patience throughout the writing of this research. I am especially grateful to all those lecturers at the Edith Cowan University (ECU) who gave up their precious time to discuss and suggest solutions to problems or offered encouragement during the process of the research. Special thanks to Dr. Lorraine Corrie who gave up teaching time to allow me to pilot a repertory grid technique with her in-service teachers. I also extend special thanks to my colleagues in early childhood education at Edith Cowan University, and the Director and teachers at the Edith Cowan Day-care Centre who took time to participate in the pre-testing of the grids. I am also indebted to the Ministry ofEducation in Barbados and principals of primary, infant and nursery schools for granting permission to conduct this research. Extra special thanks to the 21 teachers in Barbados who tolerated me in their classrooms and so good-naturedly shared their personal practical knowledge about the under-fives and their education. I am also grateful to typist Sandra Hoyte, transcribers Denise Alleyne and Beverly Jones, and proof reader Grace Haynes, for their part in the completion of this research. - vi Finally, I wish to thank my family, especially Winston, my two daughters Anessa and Aleisha, and my son Anquan, for their unfailing support, sacrifice and patience throughout the period of study. It is to my three children and all the under-fives in the education system in Barbados that this study is dedicated; vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 111 DECLARATION 1v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS v LIST OF TABLES viv UST OF FIGURES xvi CHAPTER ONE 1 Introduction to the Study 1 Introduction 1 Background to the study 1 Physical Characteristics of Barbados 2 Social and Political History of Barbados 3 A BriefHistory ofthe Development ofEducation in Barbados 4 An Overview ofthe various levels in the Education System in Barbados 7 Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Barbados 10 The Problem and Significance ofthe Study 16 Aims of the Study 19 The Research Questions 20 Operational Definitions 21 Thesis Outline 22 CHAPTER TWO 25 Literature Review 25 Introduction 25 Pedagogic Practices in ECE 26 Developmentally appropriate practices in ECE 28 Defining Personal Practical Knowledge 30 Components ofPersonal Practical Knowledge 31 Uncovering Personal Practical Knowledge 34 Di:fficultiesofAccessingTeachers'Personal Practical Knowledge 36 Importance of Research about Teachers' Personal Practical Knowledge 40 Research on Teachers' Personal Practical Knowledge 42 Summary 46 Conclusion 46 CHAPTER THREE 47 Theoretical Framework 47 lntroductio1 · 47 The Interpra itive Paradigm 47 viii Personal Construct Psychology (PCP) 50 Theoretical and Philosophical Assumptions 51 Conceptual Framework ofthe Study 55 Summary 57 CHAPTERFOUR 58 Methodology 58 Introduction 58 Methods of investigation 58 Phases ofthe Study 60 The Preparatory Phase ofthe Study 60 Selecting of the Sample 61 Instruments used in the Study 63 The Researcher as an Instrument 63 An Introduction to the Repertory Grid Technique 64 Constructs 65 Nature ofthe Elements used in the Study 66 Elicitation of Constructs 67 Elicitation of Contrasting Poles 68 Rating the Grids 69 Analysis of the Grid 71 Advantages of the Repertory Grid Technique 75 Identification ofthe Elements used in the Study 76 Pre-testing the Elicitation of the Constructs 80 Survey 82 An overview ofDepth Interview 83 Preparation for the Depth Interview 84 Data Collection Process 85 Pre-testing the Repertory Grid Technique and Depth Interview in Barbados 85 Data Collection process in Barbados 87 Implementing a "full form" Repertory Grid Technique 87 Eliciting the Teacher' Constructs 88 Obtaining the Opposite Pole 88 Implementing the Rating 90 Grid Analysis 94 Survey ofBackground Information 96 Depth Interview Procedure 96 Time Span 100 Data Analysis 102 Validity and Reliability ofthe Study 103 Reliability of the Study 104 External Reliability 107 Researcher's Roles 108 Informants' Selection 108 Social Context 109 Data Collection a.. ·d Analysis Strategies 110 .... ix: Analytical Premise 11 O Internal Reliability 110 Validity of the Study 111 Intemal Validity 111 External Validity 113 Validity and Reliability ofRepertory Grids 114 Ethical Consideration 116 Conclusion to the Chapter 118 CHAPTER FIVE 119 The Results ofthe Demographic and Background Survey 119 Introduction 119 The Types and Locations of the Schools 119 The Contexts of the Schools 121 Time Schedules at the Three Types of Schools 123 AgeRangeofUnder-fives