The Influence of Preschool Teachers’ Gender on Strategies to Scaffold SocioEmotional Competence (SEC) in Children in Eldoret Town, Kenya
##article.subject##:
Socio-Emotional Competence, Strategies, Preschool teachers, Teachers’ gender
##article.abstract##
Gender equality is a recurring theme in international conventions on education and social development. Relatively, little information exists regarding gender differences among teachers and their strategies to scaffold Socio-Emotional Competence (SEC) in preschool children. The information available has so far provided a mixed picture with some studies mainly focusing on the influence of teachers’ gender on children’s achievement. Some of these studies show that women have greater influence on children’s achievement, while others find no significant differences. This mixed methods study provides supplementary evidence on the influence of teachers’ gender on children’s achievement, but specifically, on SEC which is non-cognitive. From a total of 98 public and private preschools in Eldoret town, purposive sampling was used to select 301 preschool teachers out of which 6 participated in an interview while 2 classrooms were placed under observation. From these data, despite women being nurturers, there was no statistical significant influence of gender on strategies used by preschool teachers to scaffold SEC in children. Both men and women used the same strategies to scaffold SEC in children and this has been explored in detail. Efforts should be made to encourage preschool teachers regardless of their gender to intentionally scaffold SEC in children.
References
Ayiro, P. L. (2010). Quantitative methods. Paper presented at the Moi University 5th Campus Wide Research Workshop, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya.
Bascia, P. (2010). Class size and student diversity: Two sides of the same coin. Alberta: Canadian Teachers Federation.
Bennet, K. J., & Lipman, E. L. (1999). Predicting conduct problems: Can high risk children be identified in kindergarten and Grade 1. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67(4), 470-480.
Blee, K. M., & Tickamyer A. R. (1995). Racial differences in men's attitudes about women’s gender roles. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57, 21-30.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Burchinal, M. R., Vandergrift, N., Pianta, R., & Mashburn, A. (2010). Threshold analysis of association between childcare and child outcomes for low income children in pre-kindergarten programs. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25, 166-176.
Buschmeyer, A. (2013). Between model and Suspect: How to construct manhood in the educational profession. Meadow Bath: Springer.
Chavez, M. (2000). Teacher and student gender and peer group gender composition in German foreign language classroom discourse: An exploratory study. Journal of Pragmatics, 31(3), 10-19.
Cooney, M. H., & Bittner, M. T. (2001). Men in early childhood education: Their emergent issues. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(2), 71-82.
Creswell, W. J. (2014). Research design. London: Sage.
Creswell, W. J., & Clark, P. L. V. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. London: Sage.
Dakar Framework for Action. (2000). Retrieved from http://unesco.org.
Drudy, S. (2008). Gender balance/gender bias: The teaching profession and impact of feminization. Gender and Education, 20 (4), 309-323.
Durkin, K. (1987). Minds and language: Social cognitive, social interaction and acquisition language. Mind and Language, 2(2), 250-264.
Education International (EI). (2010). Early childhood education: A global scenario. Brussels: Education International early Childhood Education Task Force.
England, P. (2010). The gender revolution: Uneven and stalled. Gender and Society, 24, 149-165.
Farquhar, S. (1997). Are male teachers really necessary? Early Years, 29(3), 45-56.
Feldman, S. R. (2014). Development across the lifespan. Boston: Pearson.
Gakii, C. M. (2003). Preschool teachers’ factors that influence the teacher-child relationships in Miriga-Mieru divisions, Meru Central District, Kenya (Unpublished M.Ed. Thesis). Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Good, T. L., & Brophy, J. E (2003). Looking into classrooms. London: Allan and Bacon.
Gushman, P. (2005). Let’s hear it from the males: Issues facing male primary school teachers teaching. Teacher Education, 21(3), 227-240.
International Labour Organization. (2012). Right beginnings: Early childhood education and educators. (Report for discussion at the Global Dialogues Forum on Conditions of Personnel in Early Childhood Education).Geneva Switzerland.
Islahi, F., & Nasreen, M. (2013). What makes effective teachers men or women? An Indian perspective. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 1(4), 285-293.
Kalsen, H, (2012). Not so unconventional after all: A Quantitative study of men in case-oriented study programs and professional occupation in Norway (Unpublished Ph. D. dissertation).University of Oslo, Oslo.
Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology and Techniques (2nded). New Delhi: New Age International.
Lacey, C. H., Saleh, A., & Gorman, R. (1998, October 11-12). Teaching nine to five: A study of teaching styles of males and female professors. Paper presented at Annual Women in Education Conference, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Laird, N. F. T., Garver, K. A., & Niskode, S. A. (2007). Gender gaps: Understanding teaching styles between men and women. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 2(4), 190-200.
Maner, A. F. (1987). Towards a richer theory of feminist pedagogy: A comparison of liberation and gender: Models for teaching and learning. Journal of Education, 2(1), 24-34.
Mashiya, N., Kok, L., Luthuli, N., Xulu, S., & Mtshali, Z. (2015). Foregrounding the gender divides in early childhood teacher education: A case of South Africa. Journal of Social Science, 42(3), 259-265.
McComark, O., & Brownhill, S. (2014). Moving away from caring; Exploring the views of in-service and pre-service male teachers about the concept of the male teacher as a role model at an early childhood and post primary level. International Journal of Academic Research in Education and Review, 2(4), 82-96.
Ministry of Education of Kenya. (2011). 2010-2011. National education statistics. Retrieved from http://sgb.meb.gov.tr.lstatistik/meb.statistiklevi_orgun_egitim_2011.pdf.
Neuman, J.M., Josephson, K., & Peck, G.C. (2015). A review of the literature: Early childhood care and education (ECCE) personnel in low and middle –income countries. Early Childhood Care and Education Working Papers Series, 4. UNESCO New Jersey: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Ngure, G. (2014). Dynamics of gender disparity amongst teachers of young children in Thika District, Kenya. Journal of Education and Practice. 5(10), 57-65.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (2012). Starting strong III: A quality toolbox for early childhood education and care. Paris: OECD.
Opper, S. (1962). Hong Kong’s young children: Their preschools and families. Hong Kong: University of Hong Kong Press.
Peeters, J. (2007). Including men in early childhood education: Investigations from the European experience. Early Childhood Education Journal, 10, 15-25.
Rashidi, N., & Saher, N. (2012). The effects of gender on patterns of classroom interaction. Education, 2(3), 30-36.
Republic of Kenya. (2012). Education for all: End decade assessment (2001-2010). Nairobi: Ministry of Education and UNESCO.
Sandberg, A., & Pramling-Samuelson, I. (2005). An interview of gender differences in preschool teachers’ attitudes towards children’s play. Early Childhood Education Journal, 32(50), 297-301.
Serem, D., Boit, J. M., & Wanyama, M. N. (2013). Understanding research: A simplified form. Eldoret: Utafiti foundation.
Shaeffer, S. (2015). The promotion of decent work for early childhood education personnel: The professionalization of a neglected profession (Background paper for discussion at the 12thsession of the Committee of Experts on the Application of the Recommendations concerning Teaching Personnel (CEART)). Geneva: ILO.
Singer, T. (1996). Espoused teaching paradigms for college faculty. Research in Higher Education, 37(6), 659-679.
Skelton, C. (1991). A study of the career aspects of male teachers of young children. Gender Education, 3(1), 279-283.
Solberg, S. (2004). Men in kindergarten: A sociological study of how men in kindergarten construct their work (Unpublished M.A. Thesis). University of Bergeer, Norway.
Statham, A., Richjardson, L., & Cook, J. A. (1991). Gender and teaching: A negotiated difference. Albany State: New York Press.
Sturbuck, G. H. (2009). College teaching styles by gender. Paper presented at the Western Social Science Association annual meeting, Nevada.
Tennhoff, W, Nentwich, J., & Vogt, F. (2015). Gender and professionalism: Exploring the intersectionalities of gender and performance in ECE. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 23(3), 340-350.
UNESCO. (2006). Morocco: Early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes (Country Profile commissioned for the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2007, Strong foundations: early childhood care and education). Geneva: UNESCO.
Waithaka, E. N. (2002). A study of pre-school teacher job satisfaction by type of school sponsorship in Thika Municipality (Unpublished M.ED.Thesis). Kenyatta University, Kenya.
Wang, I., Chai, C. S., & Haron, S. J. (2016). Exploring the impact of teacher experience on questioning techniques in a knowledge building classroom. Journal of Computers in Education, 1-6.
Whitehurst, R., & Chingos, M. (2011). What research says and what it means for state policy. Brookings. Retrieved from www.brookingsedu
Wood, D. T. (2012). Teacher perceptions of gender based differences among elementary school teachers. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 42(2), 317-345.
Yoshikawa, H., & Kabay, S. (2015). The evidence base on early childhood care and education in global contexts. Paper commissioned for the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2015, Education for All 2000-2015: achievements and challenges.
Bascia, P. (2010). Class size and student diversity: Two sides of the same coin. Alberta: Canadian Teachers Federation.
Bennet, K. J., & Lipman, E. L. (1999). Predicting conduct problems: Can high risk children be identified in kindergarten and Grade 1. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67(4), 470-480.
Blee, K. M., & Tickamyer A. R. (1995). Racial differences in men's attitudes about women’s gender roles. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57, 21-30.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Burchinal, M. R., Vandergrift, N., Pianta, R., & Mashburn, A. (2010). Threshold analysis of association between childcare and child outcomes for low income children in pre-kindergarten programs. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25, 166-176.
Buschmeyer, A. (2013). Between model and Suspect: How to construct manhood in the educational profession. Meadow Bath: Springer.
Chavez, M. (2000). Teacher and student gender and peer group gender composition in German foreign language classroom discourse: An exploratory study. Journal of Pragmatics, 31(3), 10-19.
Cooney, M. H., & Bittner, M. T. (2001). Men in early childhood education: Their emergent issues. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(2), 71-82.
Creswell, W. J. (2014). Research design. London: Sage.
Creswell, W. J., & Clark, P. L. V. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. London: Sage.
Dakar Framework for Action. (2000). Retrieved from http://unesco.org.
Drudy, S. (2008). Gender balance/gender bias: The teaching profession and impact of feminization. Gender and Education, 20 (4), 309-323.
Durkin, K. (1987). Minds and language: Social cognitive, social interaction and acquisition language. Mind and Language, 2(2), 250-264.
Education International (EI). (2010). Early childhood education: A global scenario. Brussels: Education International early Childhood Education Task Force.
England, P. (2010). The gender revolution: Uneven and stalled. Gender and Society, 24, 149-165.
Farquhar, S. (1997). Are male teachers really necessary? Early Years, 29(3), 45-56.
Feldman, S. R. (2014). Development across the lifespan. Boston: Pearson.
Gakii, C. M. (2003). Preschool teachers’ factors that influence the teacher-child relationships in Miriga-Mieru divisions, Meru Central District, Kenya (Unpublished M.Ed. Thesis). Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Good, T. L., & Brophy, J. E (2003). Looking into classrooms. London: Allan and Bacon.
Gushman, P. (2005). Let’s hear it from the males: Issues facing male primary school teachers teaching. Teacher Education, 21(3), 227-240.
International Labour Organization. (2012). Right beginnings: Early childhood education and educators. (Report for discussion at the Global Dialogues Forum on Conditions of Personnel in Early Childhood Education).Geneva Switzerland.
Islahi, F., & Nasreen, M. (2013). What makes effective teachers men or women? An Indian perspective. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 1(4), 285-293.
Kalsen, H, (2012). Not so unconventional after all: A Quantitative study of men in case-oriented study programs and professional occupation in Norway (Unpublished Ph. D. dissertation).University of Oslo, Oslo.
Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology and Techniques (2nded). New Delhi: New Age International.
Lacey, C. H., Saleh, A., & Gorman, R. (1998, October 11-12). Teaching nine to five: A study of teaching styles of males and female professors. Paper presented at Annual Women in Education Conference, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Laird, N. F. T., Garver, K. A., & Niskode, S. A. (2007). Gender gaps: Understanding teaching styles between men and women. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 2(4), 190-200.
Maner, A. F. (1987). Towards a richer theory of feminist pedagogy: A comparison of liberation and gender: Models for teaching and learning. Journal of Education, 2(1), 24-34.
Mashiya, N., Kok, L., Luthuli, N., Xulu, S., & Mtshali, Z. (2015). Foregrounding the gender divides in early childhood teacher education: A case of South Africa. Journal of Social Science, 42(3), 259-265.
McComark, O., & Brownhill, S. (2014). Moving away from caring; Exploring the views of in-service and pre-service male teachers about the concept of the male teacher as a role model at an early childhood and post primary level. International Journal of Academic Research in Education and Review, 2(4), 82-96.
Ministry of Education of Kenya. (2011). 2010-2011. National education statistics. Retrieved from http://sgb.meb.gov.tr.lstatistik/meb.statistiklevi_orgun_egitim_2011.pdf.
Neuman, J.M., Josephson, K., & Peck, G.C. (2015). A review of the literature: Early childhood care and education (ECCE) personnel in low and middle –income countries. Early Childhood Care and Education Working Papers Series, 4. UNESCO New Jersey: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Ngure, G. (2014). Dynamics of gender disparity amongst teachers of young children in Thika District, Kenya. Journal of Education and Practice. 5(10), 57-65.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (2012). Starting strong III: A quality toolbox for early childhood education and care. Paris: OECD.
Opper, S. (1962). Hong Kong’s young children: Their preschools and families. Hong Kong: University of Hong Kong Press.
Peeters, J. (2007). Including men in early childhood education: Investigations from the European experience. Early Childhood Education Journal, 10, 15-25.
Rashidi, N., & Saher, N. (2012). The effects of gender on patterns of classroom interaction. Education, 2(3), 30-36.
Republic of Kenya. (2012). Education for all: End decade assessment (2001-2010). Nairobi: Ministry of Education and UNESCO.
Sandberg, A., & Pramling-Samuelson, I. (2005). An interview of gender differences in preschool teachers’ attitudes towards children’s play. Early Childhood Education Journal, 32(50), 297-301.
Serem, D., Boit, J. M., & Wanyama, M. N. (2013). Understanding research: A simplified form. Eldoret: Utafiti foundation.
Shaeffer, S. (2015). The promotion of decent work for early childhood education personnel: The professionalization of a neglected profession (Background paper for discussion at the 12thsession of the Committee of Experts on the Application of the Recommendations concerning Teaching Personnel (CEART)). Geneva: ILO.
Singer, T. (1996). Espoused teaching paradigms for college faculty. Research in Higher Education, 37(6), 659-679.
Skelton, C. (1991). A study of the career aspects of male teachers of young children. Gender Education, 3(1), 279-283.
Solberg, S. (2004). Men in kindergarten: A sociological study of how men in kindergarten construct their work (Unpublished M.A. Thesis). University of Bergeer, Norway.
Statham, A., Richjardson, L., & Cook, J. A. (1991). Gender and teaching: A negotiated difference. Albany State: New York Press.
Sturbuck, G. H. (2009). College teaching styles by gender. Paper presented at the Western Social Science Association annual meeting, Nevada.
Tennhoff, W, Nentwich, J., & Vogt, F. (2015). Gender and professionalism: Exploring the intersectionalities of gender and performance in ECE. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 23(3), 340-350.
UNESCO. (2006). Morocco: Early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes (Country Profile commissioned for the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2007, Strong foundations: early childhood care and education). Geneva: UNESCO.
Waithaka, E. N. (2002). A study of pre-school teacher job satisfaction by type of school sponsorship in Thika Municipality (Unpublished M.ED.Thesis). Kenyatta University, Kenya.
Wang, I., Chai, C. S., & Haron, S. J. (2016). Exploring the impact of teacher experience on questioning techniques in a knowledge building classroom. Journal of Computers in Education, 1-6.
Whitehurst, R., & Chingos, M. (2011). What research says and what it means for state policy. Brookings. Retrieved from www.brookingsedu
Wood, D. T. (2012). Teacher perceptions of gender based differences among elementary school teachers. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 42(2), 317-345.
Yoshikawa, H., & Kabay, S. (2015). The evidence base on early childhood care and education in global contexts. Paper commissioned for the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2015, Education for All 2000-2015: achievements and challenges.
##submissions.published##
2018-03-01
##issue.issue##
##section.section##
Articles
