Knowledge Orientations of Prospective Early Childhood Teachers: A Study of Students' Scientific Versus Subjective Orientations in Teacher Education Courses in Germany

Source: Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, Vol. 33, Issue 2, May 2012, p. 144-162

The authors explored prospective early childhood teachers' orientations to scientific knowledge and to research.

A questionnaire addressing orientations to the utility of research, educational and psychological theories versus orientations to intuitive theories and personal experience was completed by 712 prospective early childhood teachers.

In a latent profile analysis, two types of orientation profiles could be identified:
(a) an orientation towards subjective theories, lay theories, and subjective experience, and
(b) an orientation towards scientific theories and research results.