Consistency between teaching practice and curriculum guidelines in a preschool classroom: A case study

Abstract

A number of previous studies have expressed the concern that teachers often show difficulty in changing their practices, remaining attached to familiar and well-established teaching methods and techniques. The present study is motivated by this concern. The purpose of this study is to investigate the consistency between teaching practice and curriculum guidelines during a teaching session of the science concept "Sinking/Floating". Data was collected through in-classroom observation of the "Sinking/Floating" lesson and a semi-structured interview with the classroom teacher, where they were asked to describe the way they usually approach teaching "Sinking/Floating". Results show a level of inconsistency between curriculum guidelines and teaching intentions and practices, as well as an attachment by the teacher to traditional practices and previous curricula.© Common Ground, Paraskevi Kavalari, Domna Kakana, Vasilia Christidou All Rights Reserved.