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ED426798 PS027283
Title: Staff Development in Early Childhood Education: An Individualized Approach.
Author(s): Seng, SeokHoon
Pages: 11
Publication Date: November 1998
Notes: Paper presented at the Educational Research Association Conference (Singapore, November 23-25, 1998).
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
Language: English
Document Type: Information Analysis (070); Speeches/meeting papers (150)
Geographic Source: Singapore
Journal Announcement: RIEJUN1999
Research on
staff development suggests that teachers are more likely to benefit
from training if they are able to learn on their own. This paper
examines staff development for early childhood professionals, focusing
on the need for an individualized approach and applying the findings
to preschool education in Singapore. The paper considers the evolution
of staff development from a patchwork of courses and workshops into
a systematic plan of professional growth and maintains that early
childhood educators need further professional training beyond their
initial degree. In addition, the paper points to the importance
of opportunities for early childhood teachers to reflect upon their
teaching and to assess their ability to cope with classroom problems.
The paper identifies an individualized approach to staff development
that considers the organizational dynamics of the school as the
most effective approach. A 5-step process of individualized staff
development as described by D. Clough (1991) is summarized: (1)
teacher/principal planning conference; (2) professional growth activities;
(3) progress update conference; (4) continued professional growth
activities; and (5) summative teacher/principal conference. The
paper concludes by noting that an individualized approach to early
childhood teachers' professional development offers an alternative
to the traditional inservice training program. (KB)
Descriptors: *Early Childhood Education; Individualized Programs;
*Preschool Teachers; *Professional Development; Reflective Teaching
