Program quality and children's experienced curriculum in kindergartens

本研究旨在探討幼兒園品質與幼兒課程經驗之關係。在幼兒園品質衡量的部分採用兩份量表「幼兒學習環境評量表修訂版中文本」(ECERS-R)、「幼兒園品質量表」，在課程經驗的部分使用自編之「幼兒課程經驗觀察表」進行結構式觀察，觀察對象為台北縣市六間幼托園所中各一班大班班級，每班各六位幼兒，共36位。幼兒園品質之觀察時間為每間園所一到兩次，每次兩小時，共12次，並於觀察結束後與園所進行訪談，而幼兒課程經驗之觀察時間為上午九點到下午四點，每次觀察同一個班級中的兩位幼兒，共18天。 本研究結論如下: 壹、幼兒園品質層面：一、幼兒園品質以中等居多；二、ECERS-R與幼兒園品質量表各有優缺點，可互相輔助使用。 貳、幼兒課程經驗層面：一、活動內容，「生活層面」占幼兒一天中大部分時間。「學習層面」中顯示活動種類繁多，且活動進行時間短；占最高比例之學習活動為英語，另外有發現幼小銜接課程提早從中班開始，課程內容以國字讀寫與注音為主；在下午時間仍有安排教師主導之團體學科活動，與公幼下午課程安排的情形不同；二、活動主導者，各層面皆以教師為活動主導者，其中自然科學的部份是由幼兒為主導，推測與教師自然科學之專業知能有關；三、共同參與者，「學習層面」與「生活層面」較常以團體方式進行；「轉銜時間」之共同參與者為同儕占最高比例，與公幼中參與者為教師與同儕的研究結果不同。 參、幼兒園品質與幼兒課程經驗層面: 不同品質園所之幼兒課程經驗有差異，須深入觀察分析才能發現。 一、活動內容:高低品質園所間，在各活動層面之時間分配比例相差不大，但仔細比較活動項目發現，「學習層面」中高品質園所中較多非結構、幼兒自由選擇的課程活動，而低品質園所中則較多結構性由教師主導的活動。「生活層面」中低品質園所較高品質園所花更多時間在整理方面。「轉銜活動」低品質園所中等待時間為高品質園所的兩倍。 二、活動主導者:不論品質高低，「學習層面」與「生活層面」皆以教師為活動主導者，但仔細比較活動項目發現，「學習層面」中的美術活動，在高品質園所中是由幼兒為活動主導者，而在低品質園所中則是由教師為活動主導者。「轉銜活動」在高品質園所中，以教師、幼兒為活動主導者，而在低品質園所中轉銜活動皆以教師為活動主導者。 三、共同參與者:不論品質高低，「學習層面」與「生活層面」以同儕與教師為共同參與者，但仔細比較活動項目發現，「學習層面」高品質園所有較多同儕共同參與的活動，低品質園所則較多獨自進行的活動；「生活層面」與「轉銜活動」也發現高品質園所中有許多同儕互動的機會，而低品質園所中則較常獨自進行各種活動。 最後，研究者根據結論，對幼兒園園所與教師之實務面與後續研究提出具體建議，以期對未來幼教發展有所助益。The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between program quality and children’s experienced curriculum in kindergartens. This research uses “Chinese version of Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised Edition “(ECERS-R) and “Early Education Program Quality Evaluation Scale (EEPES)” to evaluate the quality of the program in kindergartens. The research also uses “Children’s experienced curriculum record” to do the structural observation on children’s experienced curriculum. The objects of observation are thirty-six of five years old kindergarteners who were chose from six kindergartens located in Taipei city and Taipei County. Researcher observed each program once or twice, every section is two hours, and interviewed teachers after the observations. Total is twelve sections. The time to observed children’s experienced curriculum is from nine o’clock in the morning to four o’clock in the afternoon, and observed two children in the same class each time. Total is eighteen days. The conclusion is as following： 1. In aspect of program quality: (A) the program quality of the evaluated six samples(kindergartens) is medium, (B) EEPES is more discriminative than ECERS, while ECERS offers a more detailed description of program quality, especially at process quality. It is concluded that they are complementary in evaluating and improving program quality. 2. In aspect of children’s experienced curriculum :(A)curriculum，daily routine occupies most of children’s time during a day. There are many kinds of Learning activities but the period of the activities is short. The most of the Learning activities is English. In addition, the study found that the content of school readiness is read and write, and it’s not appropriate to begin from preschool. The curriculum in the afternoon of the six samples(kindergartens) is different from the public centers’. The learning activities at afternoon of the six samples(kindergartens) are led by the teachers. (B)The main leader of daily routine ,Learning activity and transition time are the teachers.(C)The co-participants of Learning activity and daily routine are also teachers and peers. But the co-participants of transition time is peers. That is different from the public centers’(teachers and peers). 3. In aspect of both program quality and children’s experienced curriculum：We can find out there is difference in children’s experienced curriculum between kindergartens with different program quality if we observe carefully. (A) Curriculum：The time distributed for each activity domain is almost the same in kindergartens with different program quality. Learning activity：High-quality kindergartens have more non-structure activities and activities of children’s free choice. Low-quality kindergartens have more structure and teacher-directed activities. Daily routine：Low-quality kindergartens spend more time in arrange than high-quality kindergartens. Transition time：The empty duration is twice as much low-quality kindergartens as high-quality kindergartens. (B) The leader of activity：Despite of the quality, both learning activity and daily routine are teacher-directed activities. But we can see the difference by advanced observation. Learning activity：The leader of artistic activity in high-quality kindergartens is child, but the leader is teacher in low-quality kindergartens. Transition time：Both teachers and children are the leaders in high-quality kindergartens, but teachers are the leaders in low-quality kindergartens. (C) The co-participants：Despite of the quality, the co-participants are peers and teachers in learning activity and daily routine. But we can see the difference by advanced observation. They have more opportunity to interactive with peers and teachers in high-quality kindergartens than low-quality kindergartens. Finally, based on the results, this study proposes some suggestions for kindergartens, administrations, teachers and researchers