Changing perspectives in early childhood education : recasting the Reggio Emillia approach

This national study used descriptive cross-sectional quantitative research methods to examine and describe the perceptions and concerns of individuals from selected university early childhood teacher education programs. The programs were involved in the process of change through the recasting and the reconceptualization of early childhood education through the Reggio Emilia Approach. Traditionally, early childhood education has been influenced by developmental theory and recently selected university early childhood teacher education programs have focused on early childhood education curricula reflective of constructivist and social constructivist approaches.

This study used the Stages of Concern Questionnaire developed by Hall and associates at the University of Texas (1974) to examine individual concerns about the adoption of an educational innovation. The Description of Program Questionnaire examined specific program variables. To gain a deeper perspective, one individual from each university program was interviewed by telephone. The participants of the study were faculty, laboratory school staff and graduate students from the selected university programs. Specific program variables were described and examined for relationships. Individual and group profiles of the stages of concerns were visually examined and graphed to determine individual and group profiles. Statistical analyses were conducted using the computer software SPSS.

Data analysis indicated statistically significant differences in the stages of concern between the university programs; and by primary positions of faculty, laboratory school staff, and graduate student. The most interesting finding of this study was that the highest overall means score in the Stages of Concerns for every university program was in Stage 5-Collaboration. In addition, the Stages of Concerns and the Description of Program questionnaires were correlated for relationships and again, there were positive correlations among five specific university program variables and Stage 5-Collaboration. In the Description of Program Questionnaire, collaboration again emerged as a success and a challenge of these programs. Interviewees' responses revolved around the idea of collaboration as well.

The research indicated that although the programs may have had different issues regarding REA, globally their focus of concern was the same. Previous research on the reconceptualization of early childhood education has concluded that collaboration is an essential tenet in organization growth (Fu, Stremmel, & Hill, 2002). The present study yielded a similar portrait in that every university program reported both concerns about collaboration, while also maintaining that collaborative efforts were their number one success. The results of the study were discussed with regard to the National Research Council on Teaching and Learning's recommendations for the future of early childhood education.