Positive teacher-child relationships promote children’s engagement, as children feel more secure ... more Positive teacher-child relationships promote children’s engagement, as children feel more secure to explore and participate in free or oriented activities. For children with disabilities, a context wherein they can receive the support to maintain a positive engagement in different activities is even more relevant. A scarcity of research exists on how to promote ECEC quality, namely, how to facilitate teacher-child interactions in inclusive environments. This study aims to evaluate preschool teachers’ opinions about the desirability and feasibility of a set of empirically validated strategies to improve teacher-child interactions in ECEC classrooms, for the group and children with disabilities. The participants were 89 Portuguese preschool teachers. Based on a non-systematic literature review, a questionnaire composed of 22 strategies to facilitate teacher-child interactions (in 4 dimensions: emotionally responsive interactions, classroom management, attend to children’s perspectives...
O envelhecimento demográfico verificado nas últimas décadas, em Portugal, tem sido acompanhado po... more O envelhecimento demográfico verificado nas últimas décadas, em Portugal, tem sido acompanhado por um aumento de pessoas idosas a viverem sozinhas, o que se associa frequentemente a situações de isolamento social e solidão. O projeto de intervenção social "Vínculos entre pessoas, novos raios de luz na vida", orientado pela metodologia de Investigação-Ação Participativa, foi desenvolvido com 12 pessoas idosas e com um grupo de jovens voluntários. Teve como finalidade a melhoria da qualidade de vida, através do combate à solidão e isolamento social e do reforço de sentimentos de autoconfiança e valorização pessoal. Partindo da análise da realidade social e da avaliação do contexto, foram desenvolvidas três ações, que permitiram concretizar os objetivos: ampliar as redes interpessoais e sociais, promover a autoconfiança e uma maior valorização pessoal das pessoas idosas, dinamizar um grupo de voluntários que respondesse a algumas das suas necessidades, e minimizar o isolament...
In the present study, we examine the bidirectional associations between child vocabulary and self... more In the present study, we examine the bidirectional associations between child vocabulary and selfregulation and their interplay with two relational dimensions, teacher-child closeness and autonomy support in preschool. Participants were 208 young children (50% boys; M = 4 years and 11 months, SD = 0.71) from socially disadvantaged areas in Portugal. Self-regulation and vocabulary were assessed at the beginning and end of the year. Teachers reported on levels of teacher-child closeness and autonomy support. A series of path analyses were conducted and tests of direct and indirect effects were included in the models. Results showed bidirectional effects between self-regulation and vocabulary, such that self-regulation at the beginning of preschool was a significant predictor of expressive vocabulary at the end of preschool year, and receptive vocabulary skills at the beginning of preschool year predicted selfregulation at the end of preschool year, controlling for earlier receptive vocabulary and self-regulation skills. In addition, teacher-child closeness uniquely predicted expressive vocabulary, whereas teacher autonomy support uniquely predicted self-regulation.
Good Practices in Early Childhood Education Brief Description of the Early Change Project ◆13◆ st... more Good Practices in Early Childhood Education Brief Description of the Early Change Project ◆13◆ staff, early childhood teachers and caregivers from six European countries. These countries were Greece (coordinator), Portugal, Finland, Denmark, Cyprus and Romania. Overall 19 partner organizations participated in the project, 9 universities and 10 municipalities and educational districts (see graph 1). A basic presupposition for the improvement of the quality of early childhood education across Europe is the enhancement of the early educators' professional development. Towards this direction, the current project contributed to the early educators' professional development from 6 European countries (Greece, Finland, Denmark, Portugal, Romania, Cyprus). Specifically, this project trained a number of approximately 120 early childhood educators in using the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-R (ECERS-R). ECERS-R evaluates the quality of early childhood education (day care and kindergarten classes). ECERS-R (Harms, Clifford, & Cryer, 2005) was selected, because it is a widely accepted and tested scale and has already been implemented in many developed countries (USA,
RESUMO Este trabalho teve como objectivo geral contribuir para o estudo da qualidade das creches ... more RESUMO Este trabalho teve como objectivo geral contribuir para o estudo da qualidade das creches em Portugal, tendo em conta que poucas investigações têm centrado a sua atenção neste contexto de educação e desenvolvimento das crianças com menos de 3 ...
Título: O Sistema de Avaliação da Qualidade do Envolvimento III um procedimento de avaliação do... more Título: O Sistema de Avaliação da Qualidade do Envolvimento III um procedimento de avaliação do envolvimento da criança em contexto de creche. Autores: Ana Isabel Pinto, Cecília Aguiar, Sílvia Barros & Orlanda Cruz. Resumo: ...
In Portugal, early childhood education and care services for children under-three were the first ... more In Portugal, early childhood education and care services for children under-three were the first educational services to reopen after periods of lockdown. COVID-19 prevention and control measures had to be implemented nationwide, but no knowledge was yet produced on their impact in educational settings. This study aimed to map the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures and examine associations among prevention and control measures, perceived changes to pedagogical practices and children’s well-being in early childhood education and care services for children under three. In this study, 1098 early childhood education and care professionals from all districts completed an online survey during January and February 2021. Results indicated that prevention and control measures were widely implemented. Furthermore, early childhood education and care professionals who started to implement prevention and control measures more frequently were more likely to perceive a rein...
The aim of the current study was to present the initial results of the evaluation of early childh... more The aim of the current study was to present the initial results of the evaluation of early childhood education (ECE) quality in six European countries. This study discusses various aspects of the ECE quality in different educational systems. Such comparisons can create a fertile ground for communication and collaboration among the educational communities of different European countries and promote open education. Implications and future recommendations are also discussed
Neste estudo analisaram-se os motivos de estudantes para escolherem a carreira docente e respetiv... more Neste estudo analisaram-se os motivos de estudantes para escolherem a carreira docente e respetivas associações com variáveis sociodemográficas, com características do curso de formação de professores e com crenças de autoeficácia. Participaram 183 estudantes (86% mulheres) de cursos de mestrado em ensino de instituições portuguesas, que preencheram um questionário on-line sobre características sociodemográficas, motivos da sua decisão de se tornarem professores (Kiel, Geider, & Junger, 2004) e crenças de autoeficácia (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995; versão portuguesa de Araújo & Moura, 2011). Através da análise fatorial, foram derivados quatro fatores subjacentes aos motivos para ser professor: (a) Benefícios da profissão, (b) Influências sociais, (c) Interesse no curso ou nos conteúdos académicos, e (d) Promoção do desenvolvimento das crianças/adolescentes. Foram encontrados valores médios mais elevados nos motivos relacionados com a Promoção do desenvolvimento das crianças/adolesc...
Although there is some evidence about the importance of family participation in early child care,... more Although there is some evidence about the importance of family participation in early child care, there are few studies about parents' involvement in Portugal. This study is part of a longitudinal project and intends to describe indicators of mothers' participation in child care centers (nursery and kindergarten), as well as to analyze the association between their participation and the quality of family and child care environment. A hundred and twenty children aged between 14 and 49 months (M = 26.19, SD = 7.07) participated in the first wave (M1) but only 90 of them, aged 54 to 79 months (M = 68.92, SD = 5.57), participated in the second wave (M2). Children attended 30 nursery classrooms at M1 and 43 kindergarten classrooms at M2. The participation of mothers in the nursery and kindergarten was assessed through questions embedded in a sociodemographic questionnaire (Family Questionnaire), from which two composite variables were derived: passive participation and active participation. The quality of family environment was assessed by the Portuguese versions of the Home Observation for the Measurement of the Environment for children up to two years (HOME 0-2 years) and from three to five years (HOME 3-5 years). The Portuguese versions of the Infant / Toddler Environment Rating Scale and the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised Edition were used to evaluate the quality of nursery and kindergarten, respectively.The results showed an association between the two forms of mothers' participation and a stronger association of participation to quality of family environment and maternal education, than to the quality of the out-of-home settings.
Este estudo teve como objectivo principal descrever a qualidade de 110 salas de creche do distrit... more Este estudo teve como objectivo principal descrever a qualidade de 110 salas de creche do distrito do Porto, frequentadas por crianças com idades compreendidas entre os 12 e os 36 meses, com base na utilização da Escala de Avaliação do Ambiente de Creche-Revista (ITERS-R). Verificou-se que 39% das salas observadas revelaram possuir uma qualidade mínima (i.e., os serviços davam resposta a necessidades de guarda e, em pequeno grau, a necessidades de desenvolvimento básicas) e que as restantes salas podiam ser consideradas de qualidade pobre. Os resultados apontam para a necessidade de se reflectir acerca da educação e dos cuidados em contexto de creche e de se efectuar um investimento no sentido de se promover a sua qualidade.
The main goal of this study was to examine parents' and teachers' perceptions of quality in early... more The main goal of this study was to examine parents' and teachers' perceptions of quality in early childhood education for toddlers in Portugal. A total of 110 parents and 110 teachers participated in the study, rating the importance of specific quality criteria and assessing childcare classrooms, based on the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale Parent Questionnaire (ITERS-RPQ) and on the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale Teacher Questionnaire (ITERS-RTQ), respectively. The same quality items were used by external observers to evaluate the same classrooms with the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS-R; Harms et al. 2003). Results suggest that parents and teachers give high importance scores to the quality criteria included in the ITERS-R, substantiating the use of this instrument in Portugal. Although correlations were found between observers' and parents' ratings of quality, and between observers' and teachers' ratings of quality, results suggest that teachers and parents consider education and care in toddler classrooms to be substantially more adequate than the researchers observed. Keywords Childcare quality. Early childhood education. Parents' perceptions. Teachers' perceptions. Portugal Research has been showing the importance of quality of early childhood education (ECE) for children's short-term and long-term outcomes (e.g., Vandell et al. 2010).
Positive teacher-child relationships promote children’s engagement, as children feel more secure ... more Positive teacher-child relationships promote children’s engagement, as children feel more secure to explore and participate in free or oriented activities. For children with disabilities, a context wherein they can receive the support to maintain a positive engagement in different activities is even more relevant. A scarcity of research exists on how to promote ECEC quality, namely, how to facilitate teacher-child interactions in inclusive environments. This study aims to evaluate preschool teachers’ opinions about the desirability and feasibility of a set of empirically validated strategies to improve teacher-child interactions in ECEC classrooms, for the group and children with disabilities. The participants were 89 Portuguese preschool teachers. Based on a non-systematic literature review, a questionnaire composed of 22 strategies to facilitate teacher-child interactions (in 4 dimensions: emotionally responsive interactions, classroom management, attend to children’s perspectives...
O envelhecimento demográfico verificado nas últimas décadas, em Portugal, tem sido acompanhado po... more O envelhecimento demográfico verificado nas últimas décadas, em Portugal, tem sido acompanhado por um aumento de pessoas idosas a viverem sozinhas, o que se associa frequentemente a situações de isolamento social e solidão. O projeto de intervenção social "Vínculos entre pessoas, novos raios de luz na vida", orientado pela metodologia de Investigação-Ação Participativa, foi desenvolvido com 12 pessoas idosas e com um grupo de jovens voluntários. Teve como finalidade a melhoria da qualidade de vida, através do combate à solidão e isolamento social e do reforço de sentimentos de autoconfiança e valorização pessoal. Partindo da análise da realidade social e da avaliação do contexto, foram desenvolvidas três ações, que permitiram concretizar os objetivos: ampliar as redes interpessoais e sociais, promover a autoconfiança e uma maior valorização pessoal das pessoas idosas, dinamizar um grupo de voluntários que respondesse a algumas das suas necessidades, e minimizar o isolament...
In the present study, we examine the bidirectional associations between child vocabulary and self... more In the present study, we examine the bidirectional associations between child vocabulary and selfregulation and their interplay with two relational dimensions, teacher-child closeness and autonomy support in preschool. Participants were 208 young children (50% boys; M = 4 years and 11 months, SD = 0.71) from socially disadvantaged areas in Portugal. Self-regulation and vocabulary were assessed at the beginning and end of the year. Teachers reported on levels of teacher-child closeness and autonomy support. A series of path analyses were conducted and tests of direct and indirect effects were included in the models. Results showed bidirectional effects between self-regulation and vocabulary, such that self-regulation at the beginning of preschool was a significant predictor of expressive vocabulary at the end of preschool year, and receptive vocabulary skills at the beginning of preschool year predicted selfregulation at the end of preschool year, controlling for earlier receptive vocabulary and self-regulation skills. In addition, teacher-child closeness uniquely predicted expressive vocabulary, whereas teacher autonomy support uniquely predicted self-regulation.
Good Practices in Early Childhood Education Brief Description of the Early Change Project ◆13◆ st... more Good Practices in Early Childhood Education Brief Description of the Early Change Project ◆13◆ staff, early childhood teachers and caregivers from six European countries. These countries were Greece (coordinator), Portugal, Finland, Denmark, Cyprus and Romania. Overall 19 partner organizations participated in the project, 9 universities and 10 municipalities and educational districts (see graph 1). A basic presupposition for the improvement of the quality of early childhood education across Europe is the enhancement of the early educators' professional development. Towards this direction, the current project contributed to the early educators' professional development from 6 European countries (Greece, Finland, Denmark, Portugal, Romania, Cyprus). Specifically, this project trained a number of approximately 120 early childhood educators in using the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-R (ECERS-R). ECERS-R evaluates the quality of early childhood education (day care and kindergarten classes). ECERS-R (Harms, Clifford, & Cryer, 2005) was selected, because it is a widely accepted and tested scale and has already been implemented in many developed countries (USA,
RESUMO Este trabalho teve como objectivo geral contribuir para o estudo da qualidade das creches ... more RESUMO Este trabalho teve como objectivo geral contribuir para o estudo da qualidade das creches em Portugal, tendo em conta que poucas investigações têm centrado a sua atenção neste contexto de educação e desenvolvimento das crianças com menos de 3 ...
Título: O Sistema de Avaliação da Qualidade do Envolvimento III um procedimento de avaliação do... more Título: O Sistema de Avaliação da Qualidade do Envolvimento III um procedimento de avaliação do envolvimento da criança em contexto de creche. Autores: Ana Isabel Pinto, Cecília Aguiar, Sílvia Barros & Orlanda Cruz. Resumo: ...
In Portugal, early childhood education and care services for children under-three were the first ... more In Portugal, early childhood education and care services for children under-three were the first educational services to reopen after periods of lockdown. COVID-19 prevention and control measures had to be implemented nationwide, but no knowledge was yet produced on their impact in educational settings. This study aimed to map the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures and examine associations among prevention and control measures, perceived changes to pedagogical practices and children’s well-being in early childhood education and care services for children under three. In this study, 1098 early childhood education and care professionals from all districts completed an online survey during January and February 2021. Results indicated that prevention and control measures were widely implemented. Furthermore, early childhood education and care professionals who started to implement prevention and control measures more frequently were more likely to perceive a rein...
The aim of the current study was to present the initial results of the evaluation of early childh... more The aim of the current study was to present the initial results of the evaluation of early childhood education (ECE) quality in six European countries. This study discusses various aspects of the ECE quality in different educational systems. Such comparisons can create a fertile ground for communication and collaboration among the educational communities of different European countries and promote open education. Implications and future recommendations are also discussed
Neste estudo analisaram-se os motivos de estudantes para escolherem a carreira docente e respetiv... more Neste estudo analisaram-se os motivos de estudantes para escolherem a carreira docente e respetivas associações com variáveis sociodemográficas, com características do curso de formação de professores e com crenças de autoeficácia. Participaram 183 estudantes (86% mulheres) de cursos de mestrado em ensino de instituições portuguesas, que preencheram um questionário on-line sobre características sociodemográficas, motivos da sua decisão de se tornarem professores (Kiel, Geider, & Junger, 2004) e crenças de autoeficácia (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995; versão portuguesa de Araújo & Moura, 2011). Através da análise fatorial, foram derivados quatro fatores subjacentes aos motivos para ser professor: (a) Benefícios da profissão, (b) Influências sociais, (c) Interesse no curso ou nos conteúdos académicos, e (d) Promoção do desenvolvimento das crianças/adolescentes. Foram encontrados valores médios mais elevados nos motivos relacionados com a Promoção do desenvolvimento das crianças/adolesc...
Although there is some evidence about the importance of family participation in early child care,... more Although there is some evidence about the importance of family participation in early child care, there are few studies about parents' involvement in Portugal. This study is part of a longitudinal project and intends to describe indicators of mothers' participation in child care centers (nursery and kindergarten), as well as to analyze the association between their participation and the quality of family and child care environment. A hundred and twenty children aged between 14 and 49 months (M = 26.19, SD = 7.07) participated in the first wave (M1) but only 90 of them, aged 54 to 79 months (M = 68.92, SD = 5.57), participated in the second wave (M2). Children attended 30 nursery classrooms at M1 and 43 kindergarten classrooms at M2. The participation of mothers in the nursery and kindergarten was assessed through questions embedded in a sociodemographic questionnaire (Family Questionnaire), from which two composite variables were derived: passive participation and active participation. The quality of family environment was assessed by the Portuguese versions of the Home Observation for the Measurement of the Environment for children up to two years (HOME 0-2 years) and from three to five years (HOME 3-5 years). The Portuguese versions of the Infant / Toddler Environment Rating Scale and the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised Edition were used to evaluate the quality of nursery and kindergarten, respectively.The results showed an association between the two forms of mothers' participation and a stronger association of participation to quality of family environment and maternal education, than to the quality of the out-of-home settings.
Este estudo teve como objectivo principal descrever a qualidade de 110 salas de creche do distrit... more Este estudo teve como objectivo principal descrever a qualidade de 110 salas de creche do distrito do Porto, frequentadas por crianças com idades compreendidas entre os 12 e os 36 meses, com base na utilização da Escala de Avaliação do Ambiente de Creche-Revista (ITERS-R). Verificou-se que 39% das salas observadas revelaram possuir uma qualidade mínima (i.e., os serviços davam resposta a necessidades de guarda e, em pequeno grau, a necessidades de desenvolvimento básicas) e que as restantes salas podiam ser consideradas de qualidade pobre. Os resultados apontam para a necessidade de se reflectir acerca da educação e dos cuidados em contexto de creche e de se efectuar um investimento no sentido de se promover a sua qualidade.
The main goal of this study was to examine parents' and teachers' perceptions of quality in early... more The main goal of this study was to examine parents' and teachers' perceptions of quality in early childhood education for toddlers in Portugal. A total of 110 parents and 110 teachers participated in the study, rating the importance of specific quality criteria and assessing childcare classrooms, based on the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale Parent Questionnaire (ITERS-RPQ) and on the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale Teacher Questionnaire (ITERS-RTQ), respectively. The same quality items were used by external observers to evaluate the same classrooms with the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS-R; Harms et al. 2003). Results suggest that parents and teachers give high importance scores to the quality criteria included in the ITERS-R, substantiating the use of this instrument in Portugal. Although correlations were found between observers' and parents' ratings of quality, and between observers' and teachers' ratings of quality, results suggest that teachers and parents consider education and care in toddler classrooms to be substantially more adequate than the researchers observed. Keywords Childcare quality. Early childhood education. Parents' perceptions. Teachers' perceptions. Portugal Research has been showing the importance of quality of early childhood education (ECE) for children's short-term and long-term outcomes (e.g., Vandell et al. 2010).
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