Kindergarten Teachers' Use of Developmentally Appropriate Practices: Results from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999.

This longitudinal study examined the extent to which developmentally appropriate practices of teaching and evaluation are accepted and implemented in primary schools and the relationship of teacher educational background and experience with the use of these practices. Data were obtained from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study kindergarten class of 1998-1999. The research design was guided by an ecological systems perspective, in which the child's physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development are considered across multiple contexts. The total sample was comprised of 3,047 kindergarten teachers from public and private schools. Findings revealed that half-day teachers spent 3.5 hours and full-day teachers spent 5 hours per day in instructional activities. Half- and full-day teachers spent similar proportions of time in different grouping arrangements, with teacher-directed whole-class grouping comprising the greatest portion of the instructional day. Numerous differences were reported between public and private elementary schools, including proportion of time in teacher-directed whole-class instruction. The majority of kindergarten teachers reported having several activity centers in their classrooms, with differences related to type of school (public versus private), teachers' education level, and teachers' certification area. Teachers were more likely to favor ratings that compared a child's performance with prior performance and that evaluated a child's effort over ratings that compared performance with peers or outside standards. Only type of school (public versus private) was related to type of student evaluation preferred by the teacher. (Contains 12 references.) (KB)