3. Methodology

This chapter refers to an individual teacher research focusing on the quality of adult-child interactions of three teachers from a 3-year old and 4-year old classroom. The research team and teachers focused on creating awareness of cultural forces, the quality of questions, and reflective sessions to improve adult-child interactions.

The research team contributed to this study with a leadership role as well as participant observers. This role involved working with the teachers and making efforts to encourage administrative participation as a means of creating long lasting change.

Their goal was to empower teachers to make curriculum and pedagogical decisions, reflect on the type of adult-child interactions they have, and reflect on the quality of questions that lead to thoughtful conversations. The research team worked with the teachers to create a sense of community by engaging teachers and administrators in reflective sessions to analyze their interactions with their students.

During class sessions, the research team documented class activities with field notes and videos. Teachers were then invited to reflect on their practice during reflective sessions in which the field notes and videos were reviewed and reflected upon using a ladder of feedback structure. The meeting times were limited; however, this was a risk-free environment open for teachers to share anxieties and accomplishments while receiving support for their efforts to implement new ideas.

During the gatherings, the research team attempted to model what they wanted the teachers to do. The research team recognizes the value of team work and how constant work must be done to evolve and improve on these practices. Resources utilized for reflective sessions included Cultures of Thinking, Making Thinking Visible, and the typology of questions to promote good thinking in the classroom.

> came from diverse backgrounds: American, African American, Latinamerican, and Indian. Most students were bilingual, with the expectation of two that spoke only

Opportunities in the Odds; Exploring Adult-Child Interactions and Their Effects…

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82515

For 6 weeks the research team visited the classrooms twice a week for almost 3 hours during circle time, planning, morning movement ritual, outdoor time, relaxation time, and time in learning centers. Data were collected through videos that captured circle times, field notes that included the teachers' closing remarks, final observation notes, reflective session notes, and photos that illustrated visible thinking documentation found in the classrooms as well as images of certain interactions between the students and teachers. Video recordings were edited for analysis to highlight meaningful interactions. The analyzed recordings ranged from 9 to

The research team processed collected data using ATLAS.ti 8.2.3. Data were categorized using Ritchhart's cultural forces, the typology of questions, and the types of thinking that are part of an Understanding Map [2]. Codes were created and used to analyze collected data for the presence of cultural forces. Codes consisted of: environment, changes in concepts, expectations, interactions, language, modeling, opportunities. This analysis was conducted with the intent to provide a glimpse into the possibilities held when exploring opportunities in the odds of adult-child interactions and the outcomes they can have on children's cognitive and learning progress with the implementation of high-quality coaching that empowers educators when making curriculum and pedagogical decisions.

English.

Figure 2. Schedule.

3.3 Data collection

16 minutes in duration.

3.4 Data analysis

27

#### 3.1 Setting

This study took place in a learning center located in a shopping mall in a middleclass neighborhood serving young children from 3 months old to 10 years old. The center was randomly selected based on the participation of at least one teacher in sponsored professional development courses at a higher education institution offered by the Children's Trust, an initiative dedicated to improving the quality of child services. This learning center follows the High Scope Educational Curriculum, a program intended to create learning opportunities for children by actively involving them with their environment. This includes allowing children to make decisions and plan how they would like to interact with people, ideas, materials, and events as a means of pursuing their own interest. Spaces in the school are organized in a manner that facilitate this process. These spaces focus on subjects such as literature, science, creative art, dramatic play, as well as cognitive and motor development. The school is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Apple. The schedule implemented in this learning certain was one of continuous changes from one activity to the next (Figure 2).

#### 3.2 Participants

Three teachers were observed. To protect the identity of these educators they were given pseudo names: Iris, Ana, and Marta. Marta participated in professional development courses provided through a higher education center in which one of the research team members was the instructor. This teacher led the 3-year-old classroom alongside Ana. Most students in this room were 3 years-old with the exception of a few younger students about to turn three and others that had just turned 4. Iris led the 4 year-old classroom that had students from age 4 to 6. The study was initially made up of 40 students. A few new students were brought into the rooms, either permanently or temporarily during the observations. The children Opportunities in the Odds; Exploring Adult-Child Interactions and Their Effects… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82515


The research team contributed to this study with a leadership role as well as participant observers. This role involved working with the teachers and making efforts to encourage administrative participation as a means of creating long lasting

Their goal was to empower teachers to make curriculum and pedagogical decisions, reflect on the type of adult-child interactions they have, and reflect on the quality of questions that lead to thoughtful conversations. The research team worked with the teachers to create a sense of community by engaging teachers and administrators in reflective sessions to analyze their interactions with their

During class sessions, the research team documented class activities with field notes and videos. Teachers were then invited to reflect on their practice during reflective sessions in which the field notes and videos were reviewed and reflected upon using a ladder of feedback structure. The meeting times were limited; however, this was a risk-free environment open for teachers to share anxieties and accomplishments while receiving support for their efforts to implement new

During the gatherings, the research team attempted to model what they wanted the teachers to do. The research team recognizes the value of team work and how constant work must be done to evolve and improve on these practices. Resources utilized for reflective sessions included Cultures of Thinking, Making Thinking Visible, and the typology of questions to promote good thinking in the classroom.

This study took place in a learning center located in a shopping mall in a middleclass neighborhood serving young children from 3 months old to 10 years old. The center was randomly selected based on the participation of at least one teacher in sponsored professional development courses at a higher education institution offered by the Children's Trust, an initiative dedicated to improving the quality of child services. This learning center follows the High Scope Educational Curriculum,

a program intended to create learning opportunities for children by actively involving them with their environment. This includes allowing children to make decisions and plan how they would like to interact with people, ideas, materials, and events as a means of pursuing their own interest. Spaces in the school are organized in a manner that facilitate this process. These spaces focus on subjects such as literature, science, creative art, dramatic play, as well as cognitive and motor development. The school is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Apple. The schedule implemented in this learning certain was one of continuous changes from one activity to the next

Three teachers were observed. To protect the identity of these educators they were given pseudo names: Iris, Ana, and Marta. Marta participated in professional development courses provided through a higher education center in which one of the research team members was the instructor. This teacher led the 3-year-old classroom alongside Ana. Most students in this room were 3 years-old with the exception of a few younger students about to turn three and others that had just turned 4. Iris led the 4 year-old classroom that had students from age 4 to 6. The study was initially made up of 40 students. A few new students were brought into the rooms, either permanently or temporarily during the observations. The children

change.

Early Childhood Education

students.

ideas.

3.1 Setting

(Figure 2).

26

3.2 Participants

came from diverse backgrounds: American, African American, Latinamerican, and Indian. Most students were bilingual, with the expectation of two that spoke only English.

#### 3.3 Data collection

For 6 weeks the research team visited the classrooms twice a week for almost 3 hours during circle time, planning, morning movement ritual, outdoor time, relaxation time, and time in learning centers. Data were collected through videos that captured circle times, field notes that included the teachers' closing remarks, final observation notes, reflective session notes, and photos that illustrated visible thinking documentation found in the classrooms as well as images of certain interactions between the students and teachers. Video recordings were edited for analysis to highlight meaningful interactions. The analyzed recordings ranged from 9 to 16 minutes in duration.

#### 3.4 Data analysis

The research team processed collected data using ATLAS.ti 8.2.3. Data were categorized using Ritchhart's cultural forces, the typology of questions, and the types of thinking that are part of an Understanding Map [2]. Codes were created and used to analyze collected data for the presence of cultural forces. Codes consisted of: environment, changes in concepts, expectations, interactions, language, modeling, opportunities. This analysis was conducted with the intent to provide a glimpse into the possibilities held when exploring opportunities in the odds of adult-child interactions and the outcomes they can have on children's cognitive and learning progress with the implementation of high-quality coaching that empowers educators when making curriculum and pedagogical decisions.
