Identifying domains of ideas to influence early childhood teachers’ beliefs in globalisation: a mixed-method study

Abstract

In the age of globalisation, it has been understood that teachers’ beliefs revolve between old–new and local–foreign ideas of teaching and learning. The purpose of this study is to identify the domains of the various ideas that influence teachers’ beliefs in globalisation, compare them to the strengths of influence, and explore the meanings of influence. A mixed-methods research methodology is adopted to use both quantitative and qualitative analysis to triangulate the findings. In total, 216 early childhood teachers in Singapore participated. The findings identify four domains of clustered ideas: pedagogy and advocacy, school, personal, and global. We discuss the findings and suggest an integrated teacher education programme to promote teachers’ recursive thinking between old–new and local–foreign ideas in globalisation.

Keywords:

• early childhood
• teacher education
• belief and practice
• mixed methods
• Singapore