Analysis of Types of Perceptions toward Instructional Media for Young Children among Pre-service Early Childhood Teachers using Q-methodology

Abstract

This study investigated the types of perceptions that teachers have toward instructional media for young children and the characteristics of the types of perceptions using Q-methodology. The P-sample consised of 47 students in their junior year in a college’s department of early childhood education. Using Q-methodology, these students classified 48 Q-sample statements. Analyzing the scores from the 48 statements using Q-factor analysis, we found the following results. First, the pre-service teachers’ perceptions toward instructional media for young children were classified into three types, which had an explanatory power of 55.98% for Type I, 10.66% for Type II, and 9.81% for Type III. Type I—child-centered perception—accounted for 34 subjects (72.4%). Type I subjects agreed that instructional media should connect children to learning. Type II—young children’s learning-teacher-centered perception—accounted for seven subjects (14.89%). Type II subjects agreed that instructional media should be appropriate for teaching and learning, but did not agree that teachers should be required to create instructional media. Type III—teaching function-centered perception—accounted for six subjects (12.77%). Type III subjects agreed that instructional media are tools to deliver teaching content and are useful in accomplishing educational objectives. Results of this study suggest that teacher education programs need to educate pre-service early childhood teachers on the importance of instructional media from the perspective of both child development and the teaching practice.