Message in a Model: Teachers’ Responses to a Court-Ordered Mandate for Curriculum Reform

Abstract

This article reports the findings of a qualitative case study of two preschool teachers and their responses to a court-ordered mandate to use the High/Scope curriculum model. Analysis of the data record, which included interviews, observations, and documents, reveal that despite a framework for action, both teachers remained confused about their role and the content of the curriculum. This article suggests that the current policy strategy of using curriculum models to compensate for the lack of qualified teachers in preschool settings is operating on false and outdated logic that may also contribute to teachers implementing less than desirable practices.

what is appropriate mathematics education for four-year-olds?

“…While the theme approach can be an effi cient and effective way of weaving mathematics into other subject matters, experts (Bredekamp and Rosegrant, 1995;Copley and Padron, 1998;Hirsch, 1996) warn about the risk of it becoming 'a grab bag of any mathematics-related experiences that seem to relate to a theme or project' but do not provide a coherent educational experience (NAEYC and NCTM, 2002: 10). Also, while the use of ready-made mathematics curricula and materials may be helpful in terms of allowing children to encounter key mathematical concepts in a logical sequence, this approach needs to be combined with a deep understanding of pedagogy in order to avoid the risk of superfi cial teaching (Ryan, 2004;Walsh et al, 1993).…”

“…The recommended new practices will be fi ltered through the lenses of the teachers' personal beliefs (Pajares, 1992;Richardson, 1996), which may in turn affect their classroom practices (Charlesworth et al, 1993;Stipek and Byler, 1997). Any attempts to change or improve classroom practices without consideration of the teachers' beliefs have often resulted in superfi cial change fraught with misunderstanding and misinterpretation (Kostelnik, 1992;Ryan, 2004;Walsh et al, 1993), or even worse, in strong resistance to change (Bailey, 2000;Sarason, 1990Sarason, , 1996. Therefore, with the current focus on early mathematics education, it is more important than ever to understand prekindergarten teachers' beliefs in order to achieve a high quality mathematics education in pre-kindergarten classrooms.…”