English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Research has found that caring relationships provide children with a sense of security, acceptance, belonging, self-confidence, and personal connection with others. Caring relationships thus create a supportive environment that fosters children’s autonomy and motivation. For these reasons, it is important that teachers establish caring relationships with the children in their classrooms using such techniques as modeling, dialoguing, practicing, and confirming (Noddings, 1992). Although a good deal of research has been conducted in this area on children in kindergarten and above, few studies have focused on the pre-K level. As a result, little is known about how preschool teachers conceptualize caring relationships; what they perceive as the connections among caring relationships, autonomy and motivation; and how culture influences the way in which caring is manifested in their classrooms. In an attempt to shed light on this issue, this study explored preschool teachers’ perspectives on caring relationships and their perceptions of how such relationships affect children’s autonomy and motivation in preschool in two cultural settings: Shenzhen, China and Portland, Oregon. Data was collected from preschool teachers in both locations using a qualitative interviewing research strategy. Interviews were conducted with preschool teachers (N=20) who had had at least two years of college training in early childhood education and three years of experience working with children between the ages of 2 and 6 in early childhood centers funded by diverse sources in each city. A Study of Teachers’ Perspectives ii The study found that consensus exists among preschool teachers from the two cities about the importance of caring relationships, in which trust, acceptance, equality, and mutual respect were viewed as these relationships’ primary characteristics. There were also shared values regarding teachers’ roles and their effective strategies for establishing social skills and caring and sharing among children. Nevertheless, some underlying assumptions about caring, especially teachers’ understandings of autonomy and motivation, differed somewhat in relation to the social, cultural, philosophical, or practical influences in the two cultural contexts. There were also differences in perspectives on the relationship between autonomy and intrinsic motivation. The results of the study provide opportunities for early childhood teachers and teacher educators in both contexts to reflect on their own assumptions about caring relationships, autonomy, and motivation. The findings also contribute to the literature on early childhood teachers’ perspectives regarding these issues, as well as insights for preparing caring teachers in both cultural settings. A Study of Teachers’ Perspectives iii

Preschool Teachers' Perspectives on Caring Relationships, Autonomy, and Intrinsic Motivation in Two Cultural Settings