A Comparative Research Of Novice-proficient Teachers’ Observation Strategies In Kindergarten Activity In Play Area

As a form of play for young children,zone activities provide a useful pathway for young children’s learning.Teachers’ professional observation literacy is a key element that affects the quality level of area activities.By observing children’s performance in area activities,teachers are able to understand and evaluate children more comprehensively.The formation of good observation strategies for area activities can facilitate the transformation of novice teachers into skilled teachers.Teachers at different developmental stages have common and individual characteristics in their observation of children’s area activities,and finding the similarities and differences between novice and skilled teachers in observing children’s area play can help novice teachers grow faster and thus promote the progress of teachers at different developmental stages.This study attempts to explore the expressions of teachers’ observation strategies in indoor area activities between novice and experienced kindergarten teachers,and the area observation strategies generated by the observation behaviors of early childhood teachers are worthy of further study.The study selected a total of 26 novice-proficient teachers from six different types of kindergartens in City of J.A total of 52 front-line kindergarten teachers organized zone activities through purposive sampling and videotaping.The research questions were explored in terms of the teachers’ observation strategies before observation,implementation strategies during observation,and application strategies after observation.After each video recording,the teacher was interviewed in a structured and problematic manner,from which a typical video recording of the area activity and an observation record sheet of the area activity were selected for detailed recording.Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative research,the similarities and differences between the two types of teachers’ observation strategies are discussed,and reasonable suggestions for improvement are made for both.The study found that the common features of the novice teachers’ observation strategies were: planning strategies that highlighted the diversity of goal orientation;management strategies with unique individualized management characteristics;guidance strategies based on respecting children’s subjectivity;and reflective strategies that emphasized feedback in action.The individual characteristics of the two types of teachers’ observation strategies include: novice teachers’ motivation strategies are externally driven;novice teachers’ response strategies are less effective;skilled teachers’ methodological strategies are more diverse;and skilled teachers’ assessment strategies are more specific.Based on the comparison,analysis,and contrast of teachers’ observation strategies in regional activities,this study suggests that the suggestions for improving the observation strategies of novice-versed teachers are: firstly,novice teachers’ own observation literacy should be sublimated;secondly,the environment for self-directed learning of skilled teachers should be improved;and finally,the key is to enhance the self-learning efficacy of novice-versed teachers.