The negotiation of head start teachers’ beliefs in a transborder community

Publication date: 2nd Quarter 2019Source: Early Childhood Research Quarterly, Volume 47Author(s): Sarah Garrity, Alyson Shapiro, Sascha Longstreth, Jillian BaileyAbstractUsing a cultural communities approach as our guide, the purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the beliefs of early childhood educators in a transborder community located along the U.S./Mexico border and known for its large Latino population. Participants were 77 Head Start associate teachers, teachers, site supervisors, and other education staff. The majority were Latina (83%) and bilingual in both Spanish and English (70%). The Teacher Beliefs Q-Sort was used to examine participants’ beliefs regarding discipline and behavior management, teaching practices, and children. Factor analyses suggested patterns of teacher beliefs that reflected both collectivist and individualistic orientations to teaching and learning. Latina educators scored significantly higher on factors that appeared consistent with a collectivist orientation and seemed to reflect the cultural value of raising children to be bien educado. Participants’ beliefs were also compared with those of faculty exemplars, and participants who prioritized items in way similar to the experts tended to be more educated and were more likely to be non-Latina. Findings point to the need to examine the intersection of education level, ethnicity, and recommended practice and how teachers negotiate these beliefs in transborder settings.

Source: Early Childhood Research Quarterly - February 21, 2019 Category: Child Development Source Type: research