|
" Beliefs and perceptions of early childhood teachers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, about classroom assessments in preschools "
Zain I. Nassif
E. Thorp
| Document Type
|
:
|
Latin Dissertation
|
| Language of Document
|
:
|
English
|
| Record Number
|
:
|
53312
|
| Doc. No
|
:
|
TL23266
|
| Call number
|
:
|
3255802
|
| Main Entry
|
:
|
Zain I. Nassif
|
| Title & Author
|
:
|
Beliefs and perceptions of early childhood teachers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, about classroom assessments in preschools\ Zain I. Nassif
|
| College
|
:
|
George Mason University
|
| Date
|
:
|
2007
|
| Degree
|
:
|
Ph.D.
|
| student score
|
:
|
2007
|
| Page No
|
:
|
184
|
| Abstract
|
:
|
Preschools in Saudi Arabia have been around and continuously growing and improving for more than 40 years. These programs, however, still collectively suffer from the lack of utilization of classroom assessments to support learning and help teachers make decisions about curriculum and other pedagogical issues in their classrooms. A research project was undertaken to investigate early childhood teachers' beliefs, views, and perceptions about various issues of classroom assessment in the Jeddah metropolitan area in the western region of Saudi Arabia. Assessment issues examined included the purpose, techniques, and utilization of classroom assessment in early childhood education to promote children learning. Teachers' current assessment practices and their inservice training needs in classroom assessment were also investigated. Surveys were sent to 292 teachers in 18 randomly selected public and private preschools in the three school districts of Jeddah city. The return rate for the surveys was 67.5%. Following the return of the survey, six volunteers from the survey sample participated in an in-depth interview. The study resulted in significant findings concerning teachers use and understandings of classroom assessment and training needs. Teachers' views on major classroom assessment issues were consistent with commonly held views in the field of early childhood education. Due to a low level of training in assessment, teachers, however, reported lack of knowledge, skills, and hence confidence in the use of various appropriate classroom assessment techniques. Time management was also an issue for all six teachers involved in the interview. Formal hands-on training that included an overview and practice of new skills, collaboration with colleagues and mentors, and access to self-training materials such as books, videotapes, and CDs were teachers' preferred methods of training for assessment. The study discusses important implications for teachers' inservice and preservice training needs. Suggestions for meeting these and other related needs are also discussed.
|
| Subject
|
:
|
Education; Classroom assessments; Early childhood teachers; Inservice; Jeddah; Preschools; Preservice; Saudi Arabia; School administration; Preschool education; Curricula; Teaching; 0518:Preschool education; 0514:School administration; 0727:Curricula; 0727:Teaching
|
| Added Entry
|
:
|
E. Thorp
|
| Added Entry
|
:
|
George Mason University
|
| |