Profiles of teaching practices and reading skills at the first and third grade in Finland and Estonia. (May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tang, Xin; Kikas, Eve; Pakarinen, Eija; Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina; Muotka, Joona; Nurmi, Jari-Erik
• Is Part Of: Teaching and teacher education. Volume 64(2017)
• Page Start: 150
• Page End: 161
• Publication Date: 2017-05
• Subjects: Child-centred practices -- Teacher-directed practices -- Child-dominated practices -- Reading skills -- Primary school; Teaching -- Periodicals; Teachers -- Training of -- Periodicals; Enseignement -- Périodiques; Enseignants -- Formation -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 371.10205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2017.01.020
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0742-051X

Abstract

Abstract: The Early Childhood Classroom Observation Measure was used to observe 91 first-grade and 70 third-grade teachers in Estonia and Finland. Using a person-oriented approach, four profiles of teaching practices were identified in grade 1: the child-centred style, teacher-directed style, child-dominated style and a mixture of the child-centred and teacher-directed styles. An additional profile, the extreme-child-centred style, was found in grade 3. Children taught by child-centred teachers showed the highest reading skills, whereas children taught by child-dominated teachers showed the lowest skills. More Estonian than Finnish teachers applied the child-dominated style in grade 1 and the extreme-child-centred style in grade 3. Highlights: Using person-oriented approach to identify different profiles of teaching practices. Child-centred style was most beneficial while child-dominated style was least beneficial for reading skills. Mixture of child-centred and teacher-directed style was beneficial in grade 3. Extreme-child-centred style did not guarantee reading fluency in grade 3. Less beneficial styles showed more in Estonian teachers than in Finnish teachers.