Exploring early years teachers classroom practices in two private schools in Karachi: Learning from ECED: Certificate in education programme, AKU-IED
Date of Award
8-1-2009
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Master of Education (M. Ed.)
Department
Institute for Educational Development, Karachi
Abstract
Early Childhood Education has been considered as a fundamental pillar for lifelong learning. In this regard, the teachers of early years need to play a significant role in the teaching and learning process at the classroom level. The study aimed to explore the question, "How do two early years teachers implement their learning, acquired from the Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED) Certificate in Education (Cert. Ed.), Programme 2006-2007, at the Aga Khan University, Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED), Karachi. The study was qualitative in nature. Purposive sampling method was used under the qualitative case study approach where only the trained AKU-IED, ECD teachers were selected from two private schools in Karachi. The two ECD (Class I, II) teachers' perception, their conceptual understanding regarding different aspects of teaching in the early years, their classroom practices, the factors that facilitated them in the implementation of their learning and challenges they faced while translating their learning into classroom practices were explored. The data was generated through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, informal talks or chats, and document analysis. The study is significant at both personal and professional level. It has strengthened and deepened my understanding about child development, how children learn, the role of the teacher and the environment specific to early childhood classrooms. Moreover, it has attributed to the literature about early childhood education especially, in the developing world context. Furthermore, it has also informed ECED faculty at AKU-IED about the implementation of ECED programmes in the real school context. The findings of this study will hopefully make a contribution in designing further training programmes for ECED facilitators at AKUIED. Besides the findings will be particularly helpful in those schools, where the study was conducted. It will provide the two teachers an opportunity to reflect on their own classroom teaching practices, improve and undertake different initiatives in early year's education. The findings suggest that a change has occurred in the teachers believes and perceptions regarding the teaching learning practices in the early years. They have adapted their learning by contextualizing it in their classroom and made a shift from the previous traditional approaches of teaching towards the usage of more innovative ways of teaching. As a consequence, they look at them in a more effective role as early years teachers. They are translating their learning acquired from the programme including active learning, integrated teaching and the usage of different teaching strategies in their classroom. The findings also inform that the teachers find the full fledge implementation of their learning difficult because of the schools own prescribed curriculum which needed to be completed in the given time which gives ,more weightage to the two academic skills including reading and writing. Hence, being unable to ensure the full fledged implementation of their learning both the teachers at times seem less motivated also regarding taking self initiatives in the implementation of their learning regarding certain aspects as well.
Recommended Citation
Jan, J. (2009). Exploring early years teachers classroom practices in two private schools in Karachi: Learning from ECED: Certificate in education programme, AKU-IED (Unpublished master's dissertation). Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.