Problems And Optimizing Strategies Of Teachers’ Observing Behavior In Children’s Free Activities

Teacher’s observation has become an increasingly popular topic in international research.High-quality observation is seen as an essential indicator for effective teaching as well as professional development of teachers.The key to advance education is to improve the quality of educators.An important embodiment of the teacher’s professional capacity,observation is also a factor contributing to the quality of kindergarten education and the development of children’s mind and body.Free activities are indispensable for the development of young children.During free activities,children are independent and free,with space and activities to develop their individual characteristics.In free activities,a teacher’s observation is crucial.Through observation,the teacher can get to know children’s hobbies,physical/mental development,and whether the settings and facilities are suitable for children.The observation can also aid teachers to customize education in accordance with students’ aptitude to satisfy the development of each individual’s personality.The study investigated the current situation of teachers’ observation upon kindergarten children’s free activities through questionnaires,participatory observation,interviews,and case analysis.After describing the status quo of teachers’ observation in A kindergarten,the author summarized the problems in observation and explores the causes in order to optimize teacher’s observation behavior in free activities.The study described teachers’ observation in A school in terms of several dimensions: teacher’s cognition of observing behaviors,the establishment of purposes,the use of methods,and the application of results.Based on the investigation,it is found that the observation in A kindergarten has following problems: lack of determination,inappropriate observation method,information screening inefficiency,subjectivity,inability to make an in-depth observation,and delayed guidance.The causes of problems can be divided into internal factors of teachers and the external environment factors that influence observation.The study found that on one hand,teachers are generally lack of theory guidance,experience and that they tend to analyze children’s activity on the surface level.On the other hand,lack of autonomy,heavy daily task,large class size,and the absence of observation training also deteriorates observation.To optimize the teacher’s observation in A kindergarten,teachers should advance observational theory,reasonably arrange their work content,and actively create an ideal environment for observation.Kindergartens should encourage teachers and provide a decent atmosphere for observation.They should also carry out research on observation,improve teacher’s observation management system,and provide proper auxiliary equipment for teachers.