Collaboration, reflection, and self-assessment to promote curricular change in early childhood education

The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe in-depth teacher training focused on one aspect of the project approach: children's expressions of knowledge. The primary question of this study was what elements of professional development are most meaningful to early childhood teachers as they approach curricular change through collaboration, reflection, and self-assessment and why. A secondary question was, how do classroom activities and teacher beliefs and practices change when early childhood teachers are provided with intensive, regular training in the expressions aspect of the project approach and have the opportunity to reflect, self-assess, and collaborate with other professionals? This study recorded three teachers' articulations and the outcomes reflected in their classrooms during the months they participated in professional development activities. Through six formal training sessions, teachers were provided with information about and engaged in discussions on the value of expression in constructing knowledge; the development of children's expressions in art, dramatic play, and block-building; and teacher roles and documentation strategies of the project approach.; Qualitative research methods were utilized to describe the teachers' participation in and reactions to the professional development process. Data were collected through classroom observation, videotapes of classrooms, videotapes of workshop discussion groups, still photographs, pre- and post-research self-assessment rankings on the adapted ECERS-R (Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised), and researcher's journal notes.; Data analysis revealed that teachers found the following aspects of the professional development program to be meaningful: focused, ongoing collaboration with peers; opportunities to observe other teachers; taking still photographs of the children's expressions of knowledge; content focused on teaching and learning theories; and self-assessment using the adapted ECERS-R. Suggestions were made for administrators of early childhood teachers to implement these successful elements.; A degree of change was evident in each of the three teachers' attitudes and classrooms at the end of the professional development program. Changes were perceived in classroom environments, activities, and interactions with children. Implementation of elements of the project approach and interactions that enhanced children's expressions were increased. Further analysis suggested that the success of these professional development efforts relied on the relationship that developed among this small group of teachers.