Closeness, Conflict, and Culturally Inclusive Pedagogy: Finnish Pre- and In-service Early Education Teachers’ Perceptions
This study explored the factorial and concurrent validity of a scale developed for assessing teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in engaging with diversity in early childhood education settings. According to tests of measurement invariance, the conceptualization of the constructs varied to some extent b...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.834631/full |
| _version_ | 1811334205694541824 |
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| author | Wenwen Yang Eero Laakkonen Maarit Silvén |
| author_facet | Wenwen Yang Eero Laakkonen Maarit Silvén |
| author_sort | Wenwen Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study explored the factorial and concurrent validity of a scale developed for assessing teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in engaging with diversity in early childhood education settings. According to tests of measurement invariance, the conceptualization of the constructs varied to some extent between Finnish student teachers and qualified teachers. Qualified teachers reported, at the item level, higher confidence in engaging with diversity in mainstream early childhood classrooms than student teachers. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that for both groups, higher levels of reported confidence in planning and implementing inclusive teaching–learning interactions were related to a higher level of closeness during interactions with children. The evidence for concurrent validity may imply beneficial and reciprocal influences between teachers’ confidence in their professional competence and close teacher–child relationships. The implications of the study are discussed from the perspective of teacher training and professional development in the early childhood education context. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T17:04:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ad46551cf02f41e682411156dda0607c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T17:04:31Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-ad46551cf02f41e682411156dda0607c2022-12-22T02:38:31ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-03-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.834631834631Closeness, Conflict, and Culturally Inclusive Pedagogy: Finnish Pre- and In-service Early Education Teachers’ PerceptionsWenwen YangEero LaakkonenMaarit SilvénThis study explored the factorial and concurrent validity of a scale developed for assessing teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in engaging with diversity in early childhood education settings. According to tests of measurement invariance, the conceptualization of the constructs varied to some extent between Finnish student teachers and qualified teachers. Qualified teachers reported, at the item level, higher confidence in engaging with diversity in mainstream early childhood classrooms than student teachers. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that for both groups, higher levels of reported confidence in planning and implementing inclusive teaching–learning interactions were related to a higher level of closeness during interactions with children. The evidence for concurrent validity may imply beneficial and reciprocal influences between teachers’ confidence in their professional competence and close teacher–child relationships. The implications of the study are discussed from the perspective of teacher training and professional development in the early childhood education context.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.834631/fullculturally inclusive pedagogyteacher self-efficacystudent–teacher relationship scalemeasurement invariancestructural equation modelingearly childhood education |
| spellingShingle | Wenwen Yang Eero Laakkonen Maarit Silvén Closeness, Conflict, and Culturally Inclusive Pedagogy: Finnish Pre- and In-service Early Education Teachers’ Perceptions Frontiers in Psychology culturally inclusive pedagogy teacher self-efficacy student–teacher relationship scale measurement invariance structural equation modeling early childhood education |
| title | Closeness, Conflict, and Culturally Inclusive Pedagogy: Finnish Pre- and In-service Early Education Teachers’ Perceptions |
| title_full | Closeness, Conflict, and Culturally Inclusive Pedagogy: Finnish Pre- and In-service Early Education Teachers’ Perceptions |
| title_fullStr | Closeness, Conflict, and Culturally Inclusive Pedagogy: Finnish Pre- and In-service Early Education Teachers’ Perceptions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Closeness, Conflict, and Culturally Inclusive Pedagogy: Finnish Pre- and In-service Early Education Teachers’ Perceptions |
| title_short | Closeness, Conflict, and Culturally Inclusive Pedagogy: Finnish Pre- and In-service Early Education Teachers’ Perceptions |
| title_sort | closeness conflict and culturally inclusive pedagogy finnish pre and in service early education teachers perceptions |
| topic | culturally inclusive pedagogy teacher self-efficacy student–teacher relationship scale measurement invariance structural equation modeling early childhood education |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.834631/full |
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