ED421211 PS026624

 

Title: Which Counts More for Excellence in Childcare Staff: Years in Service, Education Level or ECE Coursework?
Author(s): Honig, Alice Sterling; Hirallal, Andrea
Pages: 39
Publication Date: June 1998
Notes: Paper presented at the Annual Quality Infant/Toddler Caregiving Workshop (22nd, Syracuse, NY, June 15-19, 1998).
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC02 Plus Postage.
Language: English
Document Type: Reports--Research (143); Speeches/meeting papers (150)
Geographic Source: U.S.; New York
Journal Announcement: RIEDEC1998

A sample of 81 caregivers in 24 urban centers was observed in interactions with preschool children ages 3 to 5. Observation centered on the domains of positive and negative socioemotional inputs, language facilitation, concept promotion, and caregiving and cleaning up (of children and of environment). The teachers provided responses to questions about their number of years of formal schooling, years in child care, years at the same center, own parenting status, and how many ECE/CD (early childhood education and child development) courses and workshops they had ever taken. Hierarchical stepwise regressions and ANOVAs showed the importance of ECE/CD training. When all positive teacher interactions tallied in the classroom were combined, ECE/CD training accounted for over 62 percent of the variance in teacher inputs. Results suggested that when interviewing candidates for child care positions, directors need to verify a candidate's prior ECE/CD training, along with providing supports for staff to obtain ongoing ECE/CD coursework to ensure high quality child care. (Contains 32 references.) (Author/EV)

Descriptors: *Caregiver Child Relationship; *Child Caregivers; Day Care; Day Care Centers; Early Childhood Education; Interaction; *Teacher Background; Teacher Characteristics; Teacher Student Relationship; *Teaching Experience; *Training
Identifiers: *Caregiver Qualifications; Caregiver Training; *Day Care Quality