2007 volume 2 number 1

On the topic "Early Learning"

Ursula Carle, Diana Wenzel

This text gives a short overview of the articles on the topic "Early Learning" (bildungsforschung, issue 2007 volume 4 number 1).

The Implementation of new Standards for Preschool Education – Prospects and Troubles for Child Carers

Malte Mienert, Heidi Vorholz

New standards for preschool education in Germany focus on self-education. Their implementation depends on how child carers redefine their function in children’s learning process. This article describes backgrounds of these educational standards. Modern requirements for preschool education are contrasted with traditional expectations on child carers. A historic view on the role of child carers is given. The necessity for further education offers is being accentuated

Early Childhood Care Centres jammed between offer of service, learning proposals and educational quality

Katja Koch, Ann-Kathrin Jüttner

The quality of early childhood care is critically analyzed in Germany these days. The politically responsible persons try to improve the quality in this field by introducing curricula. The paper discusses if these requirements are yet implemented in some early childhood care centres.

Interaction Process between Educators and Children as starting point for education in the kindergarten

Anke König

International research studies indicate that the interaction process between teacher and child influences the quality of effective provision. The paper focuses on the extension of the learning environment in preschools. The article emphasizes education and quality research, and results from preschool practise and interaction research.

Individual theories of educators concerning education in kindergarden

Karin Müller

In the center of this article are individual theories of educators concerning education in kindergarden. These theories are responsible for concrete pedagogical action. You can name three types of education as conclusion of this qualitative study: (1) primary education as successful way of teaching; (2) primary education as individual and active process for children; (3) primary education preparing childrens’ learning-motivation.

How to become a teacher in Texas?

Barbara Berthold

Different routes to teacher certification in Texas are given. Considering some of their charac-teristics (accredited teacher training program, practice teaching, bachelor’s degree), they stand for other teacher education programs in the United States of America. The focus is descriptive. The data has mainly been collected by analyzing official documents; personal experience has been included.

Artistic procedures as model for children's Early Learning

Stefan Bree

The article gives an overview about empirical studies which examines, whether and how artistic methods for the adult education can be placed into a systematic connection also for the Early Learning of children and for the Organizational Change. Sample aesthetic perception procedures shows, how artistic procedure can clearly reconstruct the children’s successful learning process for the educational staff development.

To unveil with Portfolios the tracks of learning in early learning of children in the kindergarten [Practice Report]

Diana Wieden-Bischof, Elisabeth Schallhart

Portfolios help to identify the individual learning process of each learner and to support and promote their independence. In the European area, the use of Portfolios for the learning development in the kindergarten is not widely spread. The following experience report shows one possibility for the integration of Portfolios in the infantile development and how the Portfolio method is effectively integrated in the kindergarten Maurach in Tirol, Austria.

Prerequisites of kindergarten children`s passing to elementary school

Frank Hellmich

Preschool children`s successful passing to elementary school is an important condition for their personality and competence development. Besides, a special key position comes up to the preparation of preschool children on a successful passing to elementary school. In this article, a study is presented concerning attitudes and expectations towards elementary school of 112 preschool children. The results show establishing points for concepts of the preparation for preschool children`s successful passing to elementary school.

Children and their Curriculum - The Perspectives of Primary and Elementary School Children

Christina Huf

This paper discusses a longitudinal ethnography which asks for the perspectives and experiences of primary and elementary school children in Germany and England and gives an insight into the practice of the research.

Perspectives for preschool and kindergarten mathematics education

Frank Hellmich

Besides the learning of reading, writing and science education in kindergarten, there is a surge of attention to mathematics in early childhood. Therefore, the article focusses on research findings in early childhood mathematics instruction and gives an overview on standards for preschool and kindergarten mathematics education.

Effects of sport and movement on the development of kindergarten children

Andreas Frey, Christoph Mengelkamp

In early and middle childhood fundamental skills are developed, which affect the process of the further development. In this study data of 2.279 kindergarten children at the age 3 to 6 years are evaluated, in order to answer the question whether children, who do regularly sport have developed better manual, cognitive and social-emotional skills than children doing less sports.

Usability testing in the classroom: Why usability research is important for primary learning

Gudrun Scholten-Theuerzeit, Sascha Görlich

This article gives an insight into a drill-and-practice computer program for training sound-letter combinations concerning learning efficacy, acceptance and easiness of using. The software was applied as an additional implementation into the context of primary reading and writing education with an experimental and a control condition. Results show a slightly increased learning efficacy of the software, a high degree of acceptance in both teachers and pupils and as well as a good easiness of usability and technical improvement of the program during the study.

A Discipline’s History "on the Spot". About the Sense and Benefit of a Micro-historical Reconstruction of Educational Sciences at Universities.

Martin Rothland

For a long time, historiographic research in educational sciences in Germany has disregarded the discipline’s development within its concrete and its institutional contexts at different universities, which were significant for its genesis. This paper outlines how important local research of the discipline’s history at different universites has been for the historiography of educational sciences. It highlights the relevance, the potencial and the advantages, but also the limits and problem areas of a contextualized discipline’s history of educational sciences.

Shifting Boundaries? Biographical learning in biographies of binational couples

Margarete Menz

Biographies of binational couples are analysed under the focus of (Re-)construction of gender and natio-ethno-cultural membership. The relationships can be seen as a possibility to realize specific concepts of life which would not have been possible in a mono-national relationship. During the development modifications and shifting of the categories take place, but not inevitable in an emancipatory way.