Parent/teacher views of developmentally appropriate practices: A Hungarian perspective

The purpose of the study was to explore the beliefs of Hungarian teachers and parents of children in preschool and Grade 1 as they relate to the construct of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) identified by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC, 1987, 1997). In order to overcome methodological problems inherent in many previous DAP studies, Q-methodology and interviews were utilized to collect, analyze and interpret the data. Fourteen teachers and 14 parents were included in the Q-methodology (7 teachers and 7 parents in each grade level). Follow-up interviews were conducted with 6 participants. Results of the study suggest three major viewpoints regarding DAP beliefs of the Hungarian participants. These included: (1) focusing on children’s individual development and learning, (2) focusing on teaching children according to the traditional teaching methods, and (3) focusing on respecting diversity in schools, in children, and in families. Recommendations for further research included: (1) teacher observations in addition to interviews, (2) exploring administrators’ views of DAP along with that of teachers and parents, and (3) extending the study into higher grade levels.