外文翻譯--兒童早期教育管理員簡介尋找領(lǐng)導(dǎo)模式

1、<p>　　中文6000字，3700單詞，2.1萬英文字符</p><p>　　出處：Sciaraffa M A. Profiles of Early Childhood Education Administrators: Looking for Patterns of Leadership[J]. 2004.</p><p>　　Profiles of Early Childh

2、ood Education Administrators: Looking for Patterns of Leadership</p><p>　　MA Sciaraffa</p><p>　　Administrators in the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE) assume multiple roles each day beca

3、use of the many interdependent and interacting components of the early childhood program. They maintain an organization that delivers a complex set of servicesto children and their families. Culkin (1997) stated,“Early c

4、hildhood managers work in the areas of personnel, budget, pedagogy, adult education and staff development, families, outreach to community, communication, planning, and overall atten</p><p>　　Supervision in

5、the field of ECE is very complex. First, there is no one clear pathway to becoming an administrator in ECE (Kagan & Bowman, 1997; Mitchell, 1997). Individuals usually become administrators in ECE settings with little

6、 or no higher educational preparation. Despite the multiple roles and the various types of ECE programs (e.g., public schools, Head Start, private child care), there are very few required qualifications for administrator

7、s (Mitchell, 1997). Currently, there is not a com</p><p>　　In contrast, there is a well-established path to becoming an administrator in a school system. This route entails attending a teacher preparation pr

8、ogram at a four-year college or university in order to become certified to teach within the public school system. Then, these individuals may teach within a public school system after graduation from such a program. They

9、 may enroll in a graduate program, such as Educational Leadership, and complete the state requirements to be certified as a school a</p><p>　　Administrators of Head Start programs follow a similar path. Head

10、 Start administrators typically begin as teachers, become coordinators with some management responsibilities, and finally assume an administrative role. Unlike many child care directors, Head Start administrators do have

11、 access to training and technical assistance and have a support system at regional and national levels. Additionally, there is a Head Start</p><p>　　Directors ’ Association, which offers

12、 formal and informal peer support and training(Mitchell, 1997).</p><p>　　However, becoming a director of a child care program, for example, involves a less direct route and requires little or no formal

13、education. There are few college-level programs to prepare early childhood administrators and even fewer continuing education opportunities (Mitchell, 1997; Morgan, 2000). Many times, teachers in child care become admin

14、istrators but do not necessarily prepare for administration with formal education. In a survey of 990 directors of child care centers in Illinois, it w</p><p>　　(1997), “ Some directors do prepare for th

15、eir leadership roles by working as assistant directors under the nurturing guidance of a mentoring director in a large center”. Mitchell suggested that it is important to learn from predecessors and mentors.</p>

16、;<p>　　One resource new directors have to direct and guide them in the state licensing standards. Unfortunately, these guidelines are typically minimal and promote standards that are good enough to “do no harm” (M

17、organ, 2000). Mitchell (1997) pointed out that early</p><p>　　childhood administrators have few opportunities to attend formal college-level courses. According to Culkin (2000):</p><p>　　Current

18、 preservice and inservice director-focused training opportunities are varied and uneven in terms of scope of knowledge and design of learning activities. Some are embedded in higher education, others are based on practic

19、al experiences, and some combine the theoretical with the practical, either in higher education settings or in programs designed for on-the-job learning .</p><p>　　Additionally, only eight states mention ad

20、ministrative training in their licensing requirements (Morgan, 2000). Bloom (1992) stated, “ While there is uniform agreement among theorists about the importance of the director’s role and the need for highly- trained p

21、ersonnel to serve in this capacity, there is a surprising lack of agreement about what</p><p>　　constitutes minimum qualifications and how individuals should be trained”. ECE advocates</p><p>　　

22、have discussed the need to implement a compulsory director credential, which would outline educational requirements for early childhood administrators. Having such a credential, “will better equip directors with the nec

23、essary interdisciplinary and leadership knowledge and skills” (Culkin, 2000). The American Business Collaboration for Quality Dependent Care (ABC Initiative) has been investing in director training and credentialing</

24、p><p>　　through projects at the state, local, and community agency level (Culkin, 2000). This initiative is aiming to improve the quality of early childhood programs through the implementation of a director cre

25、dentialing project.</p><p>　　A second factor that makes supervision in the field of ECE particularly complex is the management of variously qualified staff. The early childhood administrator manages staff me

26、mbers who do not have clearly defined roles and who are at various levels of cognitive ability, professional development, and stages of life (Sheerer & Bauer, 1996). Child care providers are generally at a different

27、educational and professional level than teachers in elementary schools (Kagan & Bowman, 1997). Bloom (1992</p><p>　　the accumulation of evidence in the research literature regarding the crucial impact of

28、 caregivers on children’s development in their early years, personnel requirements are not regulated in the same manner as those for degreed professionals in elementary schools”. The field of ECE appears to be a fragment

29、ed system characterized by inequities because of the diverse requirements for child care providers, Head Start staff, and elementary school teachers. Bloom (1992) claimed, Many believe we are</p><p>　　Shee

30、rer & Bauer (1996) noted the lack of higher levels of education in the field of ECE with many caregivers having less than an associate’s degree and having little to no child development or early childhood backgrounds

31、. Thus, “ supervision often becomes interwoven with the professional development of staff- a sound concept, but one that is</p><p>　　often overwhelming for untrained supervisors ” (Sheerer & Bauer, 1996,

32、 p. 202). Staff</p><p>　　turnover can also make administration difficult because the administrator may spend a great amount of time and money on recruiting new staff members and training new staff members.&l

33、t;/p><p>　　A third factor that makes supervision in the field of ECE complex is the auspice of the program. Early childhood programs exist for diverse purposes, serve children and their families in a variety of

34、 ways, and confront different internal and external challenges. They are offered to society through various sponsors (see Table 1): community and government agencies, for-profit groups, employers, churches and synagogues

35、, public schools, private institutions, and individual providers (Goffin, 1994). </p><p>　　Some programs are privately owned and are for-profit programs or are affiliated with a corporate program (e.g., Kind

36、er Care, Bright Horizons, or Tutor Time). Some programs are church-sponsored and are not-for-profit programs. Other programs fall into the Head Start category and can be governed by community action agencies, local schoo

37、l boards, or non-profit programs. Early childhood educational programs can also be set within the larger context of a Community College or a University. These progr</p><p>　　childhood administrator’ s behavi

38、ors and beliefs may be a function of the interaction of</p><p>　　bureaucratic expectations, individual motives, and informal norms as constrained by environmental forces (Hoy & Miskel, 1991).</p&g

39、t;<p>　　A fourth factor that makes supervision in the field of ECE complex is that many early childhood programs are privately owned or supported through grants. The administrators of these early childhood program

40、s often have responsibilities that are similar to those of owners of small businesses. Within the field of business and industry, management models discuss customer satisfaction as a component of quality. For private ea

41、rly childhood programs, customer satisfaction is similar to that of the bus</p><p>　　of “soft money” and cuts in publicly funded social programs thus, making it difficult to</p><p>　　determine

42、 the continuation of the program from year to year. Early childhood administrators of publicly funded ECE programs may have to make drastic cuts in the scope and range of program services when funding is decreased (Bloo

43、m, 1991).</p><p>　　Lastly, supervision in the field of ECE is complex because there is no compulsory accreditation program. Each state determines the licensing standards for early childhood programs, however

44、, these standards are minimum standards that do not necessarily reflect best practices in ECE. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has developed a voluntary accreditation program for ECE

45、programs. However, Bredekamp and Glowacki (1996) stated, “The biggest challenge we faced in </p><p>　　Statement of the Research Problem</p><p>　　Despite its complexity, there is little research

46、on the role and work of early childhood administrators. As Culkin (2000) pointed out, “The lack of broad, consistent attention to the role of a director means that one cannot yet point to a formal consensus concerning

47、the</p><p>　　role and work of the director ” (p. 9). The patterns of leadership qualities for early</p><p>　　childhood administrators are unknown. More specifically, little research has been don

48、e on the personal characteristics and experiences that help early childhood administrators develop and lead high-quality early childhood education programs.</p><p>　　Rationale for Study</p><p>　

49、　A good early childhood education program can benefit children, families, and communities. According to the Children’s Defense Fund “an estimated thirteen million</p><p>　　children under age 6 spend either

50、 some or all of their day being cared for by someone other than their parents”(Children’s Defense Fund, 2000, p. 47). However, it is known that 80% of child care centers have low to mediocre quality and that low-quality

51、programs lack the</p><p>　　learning opportunities that promote children ’ s healthy development (Cost, Quality and</p><p>　　Child Outcomes Study Team, 1995). This may be due, in part, to admi

52、nistration. Morgan (2000) claimed,“The assumption that early childhood professional preparation as a teacher is the only training that administrators need is one of the reasons the quality of children’s programs in the U

53、nited States is largely poor to mediocre ” . Most research that defines</p><p>　　quality care and the factors linking quality care to positive child outcomes has focused on the caregivers and their role in f

54、acilitating children ’ s development, rather than the administrator’s characteristics (Bloom, 1992). However, an emerging trend in ECE is the recognition of the importance of the role the center director plays in the qua

55、lity of the program (Neugebauer, 1999).</p><p>　　One way to understand the lives and work of administrators in early childhood is through a life history narrative that tells a story of an individual, with a

56、specific focus on the turning points of that person’s life (Cresswell, 1998). This method is particularly useful</p><p>　　for studying topics, like early childhood administration, about which little is known

57、 (Bogdan & Biklen, 1998). Various terms are used for capturing one person’s interpretation of his or her life: “l(fā)ife history,” “narrative,” “l(fā)ife narrative,” and “case study.” Hauser (1995) claimed, “ Despite the va

58、riation in terminology and different points of emphasis, common themes are apparent in these methods. One is the value of life history to let the reader enter and then understand the lives and work o</p><p>

59、　　By understanding the turning points in an individual’s life one can better understand the lives and work of early childhood administrators. Hauser (1995) stated,As research tools, life histories provide descriptions of

60、 real people, in real situations, struggling with real problems. Stories remove the anonymity of statistical samples and carefully controlled treatments. They connect us with the humanity that is what the business of tea

61、ching and learning is all about .</p><p>　　Recording the stories of early childhood administrators will offer lessons gleaned from “real people, in real situations, struggling with real problems” (Hauser, 19

62、95). The use of a life history narrative as a vehicle to research early childhood administrators is supported</p><p>　　by Jalongo, Isenberg, & Gerbracht (1995) who show that narratives are a good way to

63、help the brain understand complex experiences. Narratives are powerful because they have the ability to present many interesting paradoxes and simultaneously are abstract and concrete (Jalongo, Isenberg, & Gerbracht,

64、 1995). Jalongo, Isenberg, & Gerbracht (1995) said, “…</p><p>　　story is a useful way of portraying life in schools because it is equal to the task, providing a sufficiently flexible, complex, and indi

65、vidualized format to accurately document authentic experience”. Learning from early childhood administrators about authentic experiences that are embedded in context, such as the people, places, artifacts, and cultures o

66、f the programs, will add to the research in the area of early childhood administration. Telling stories of individuals through life history nar</p><p>　　Research Questions</p><p>　　The purpose o

67、f this study was to conduct a systematic inquiry into the development of six early childhood administrators and investigate how these administrators’ development influenced and was influenced by the contextual factors th

68、at supported the quality of early</p><p>　　childhood programs. Bloom (1992) defined directors as the “ gatekeepers to quality ” .</p><p>　　Using the concept of “ gatekeepers to quality, ” th

69、is study looked at the personal characteristics and experiences of six early childhood administrators who developed early</p><p>　　childhood programs with a reputation of providing high-quality services for

70、young children. This study investigated if early childhood administrator’s beliefs or contextual factors were related to their career choices, leadership characteristics, and management techniques. This investigation too

71、k the stories these early childhood administrators told about their lived experiences and sought patterns that emerged from the stories about common career paths, personal characteristics, and administrat</p><

72、p>　　Why do individuals become early childhood administrators? What pathways do they take on their career journey? This study investigated the career choices of six individual early childhood administrators. As

73、mentioned, there is no one clear pathway to becoming an early childhood administrator; therefore, this study looked at the career journey of six early childhood administrators.</p><p>　　In addition, this stu

74、dy investigated the personal characteristics of individual early childhood administrators, including their behaviors and beliefs. These behaviors included the administrator’s actions, efforts, thought processes, purposes

75、, language, and affect. Do</p><p>　　successful early childhood administrators share personal characteristics?</p><p>　　This study also investigated the administrative styles of the six identif

76、ied early childhood administrators. The study focused on two aspects of administrative style. The first aspect of the individuals’ administrative style studied was their leadership qualities.</p><p>　　For

77、 example, what vision did they have for the early childhood program? The second area of focus was on the managerial techniques employed by the individuals. For example, how did they handle the daily operations of the ear

78、ly childhood program?</p><p>　　The intent of this research was to capture each administrator’s interpretation of her life</p><p>　　and career experiences. Walsh, Tobin, and Graue (1992) suggeste

79、d, “As researchers, we have measured people, but we have not listened well to them ” (p. 465.) Through an interpretive inquiry, I hoped to gain a greater understanding of the underlying actions employed by individuals wi

80、thin their roles as early childhood administrators.</p><p>　　Significance of the Study</p><p>　　This study was designed to contribute to a growing body of knowledge concerning the complexities o

81、f the roles of early childhood administrators. Schomburg (1999) claimed, “ Given the wide variety of programs and roles in the [ECE] field, it is easy to see the</p><p>　　challenges in trying to reach consen

82、sus on the type of preparation leaders should have. No one could be fully prepared for leadership in all of these settings. It is important, however, that leaders be able to see beyond the structure and parameters of the

83、ir own setting to move toward unity in the profession” . This study was designed to help the field of ECE move toward unity in the understanding of leadership.</p><p>　　This study provided insight into the p

84、rocess of becoming an effective early childhood administrator. Culkin (2000) claimed, “ If directors and administrative leaders are important to the ECE field ’ s development, then steps to support the development of dir

85、ectors as leaders are important to the ECE profession” (p. 11). This study was designed to investigate the development of leaders within the field of ECE and their role in leading and managing an early childhood program.

86、 Thus, a study of this</p><p>　　Limitations</p><p>　　Several limitations existed within this study. The quality of this research was directly impacted by the willingness of the participants to a

87、ccurately share personal experiences that were limited to three interviews. The research was also limited by the lack of direct observations because several of the participants cease to administer an Early

88、Childhood program. Because of the lack of direct observations, the full essence of the dynamic relationship between the early childhood adm</p><p>　　Definitions</p><p>　　Throughout this study,

89、 the term “ director ”and “ administrator ”are used interchangeably to designate the person in a management role. Individuals working in early childhood settings typically have titles such as “ program direc

90、tor, ”“ program coordinator,” “site supervisor,” “facilities manager,” “child development specialist,” “executive director” or “principal.”</p><p>　　Early Childhood Education is defined in accordance with

91、the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) definition. For the purposes of this study, early childhood education will refer to group settings of children from birth to age eight. The term will i

92、nclude center-based child care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and/or school</p><p>　　aged children; campus children ’ s centers; church-sponsored programs; and</p><p>

93、;　　community-based early care and education initiatives. These programs may be sponsored by various public, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations of different sizes.</p><p>　　The term “ caregiver ” will

94、be used interchangeably with the term “ child care</p><p>　　provider” or “teacher.” The terms “caregiver,”“child care provider,” and “teacher”</p><p>　　will be used throughout this study to

95、indicate the adult, other than the parental figure, who cares for the child during the course of the day. The term parent will be used to refer to the adult who is the child’s legal guardian.</p><p>　　The te

96、rm “ developmentally appropriate practice ” is used to refer to beliefs and activities that reflect guidelines for the individually appropriate, age appropriate, and</p><p>　　culturally appropriat

97、e early childhood education, developed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The term “ developmentally inappropriate practice” is used to refer to practice that is not appropriate for