Bildiri Konusu:Erken Çocukluk Eğitiminde Fen-Matematik Eğitimi ve Erken Okuryazarlık


Exploring Interactivity in Read Alouds: A Study of Pre-Service Teachers in Preschool Education
This study delves into the interactive dynamics observed during read-aloud sessions conducted by preschool teacher candidates during their internships, a critical component of their early childhood education training. The research explores the concept of interactivity within early childhood classrooms. The study focuses on interactions between pre-service teachers and kindergarten students as they engage collaboratively or individually while reading and comprehending various children's books. The study was conducted in Adıyaman, Turkey, encompassing six diverse preschools with children primarily of Turkish origin, including a minority of refugees. These publicly-supported schools adhere to a national curriculum emphasizing holistic child development. Reading activities are integral to this curriculum, serving as a means to cultivate cognitive, linguistic, and social skills while encouraging active participation and critical thinking among children. The research involves 26 pre-service teachers, who voluntarily participate in read-aloud sessions as part of their multicultural literature project. These teachers choose children's books covering diverse themes, such as multiculturalism, diversity, divorce, and gender, seeking to expose children to a range of perspectives and experiences. Over a 12-week period, 74 video recordings of these sessions were collected and analyzed, with transcriptions facilitating qualitative analysis. The analysis employs a framework developed by Beauchamp & Kennewell (2010), categorizing interactions into five levels: none, authoritative, dialectic, dialogic, and synergistic. These levels describe the nature of interactions between teachers and students during read-aloud sessions. Quantitative insights are derived from the data, providing a percentage representation of the distribution of interactivity levels. The results of the analysis showcase the diverse nature of interactions during read-aloud sessions. At the "none" level, children primarily absorb information without active engagement. At the "authoritative" level, teachers employ structured questioning to guide discussions. The "dialectic" level encourages students to challenge ideas, while the "dialogic" level fosters critical understanding and exploration of various perspectives. Finally, the "synergistic" level promotes critical application of concepts and collaborative engagement. As of our current progress, the analysis process remains ongoing, and we anticipate its completion prior to the upcoming conference date. We eagerly look forward to presenting our comprehensive findings and insights during the conference, sharing valuable contributions to the field of early childhood education and interactive read-aloud strategies. Through this in-depth qualitative analysis of the video recordings, we aim to highlight the instances of interactivity, shedding light on the dynamics between pre-service teachers and students during read-aloud sessions. We expect that the findings will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of interactive read-aloud strategies in early childhood education and underscore the importance of fostering a rich learning environment that encourages questions, reflections, and dialogues. Overall, this research contributes to the understanding of interactivity within early childhood education and emphasizes the significance of incorporating interactive read-aloud strategies to create inclusive and empowering learning environments. We believe that preschool teacher candidates play a vital role in shaping the future of young learners, preparing them to be compassionate and globally aware members of society. Based on this research, we make two suggestions for policy-makers to support pre-service teachers in early childhood education. First, policy-makers should consider integrating comprehensive training programs on interactive read-aloud strategies into the pre-service teacher curriculum along with children’s literature courses. These programs should emphasize the importance of fostering interactive and engaging reading sessions in early childhood classrooms. By including this training as a mandatory component of teacher education, policymakers can ensure that pre-service teachers are well-equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively engage young learners in interactive reading experiences. Second, there should be more opportunities for ongoing professional development in interactive read-aloud techniques for practicing teachers. There might be workshops, seminars, and online resources that allow teachers to continuously enhance their skills in interactive reading. By investing in the professional growth of educators, a culture of lifelong learning can be promoted and it can be ensured that teachers are consistently implementing effective strategies in their classrooms, benefiting both teachers and students alike.

Anahtar Kelimeler: interactivity, interactive read-alouds, pre-service teacher

Exploring Interactivity in Read Alouds: A Study of Pre-Service Teachers in Preschool Education
This study delves into the interactive dynamics observed during read-aloud sessions conducted by preschool teacher candidates during their internships, a critical component of their early childhood education training. The research explores the concept of interactivity within early childhood classrooms. The study focuses on interactions between pre-service teachers and kindergarten students as they engage collaboratively or individually while reading and comprehending various children's books. The study was conducted in Adıyaman, Turkey, encompassing six diverse preschools with children primarily of Turkish origin, including a minority of refugees. These publicly-supported schools adhere to a national curriculum emphasizing holistic child development. Reading activities are integral to this curriculum, serving as a means to cultivate cognitive, linguistic, and social skills while encouraging active participation and critical thinking among children. The research involves 26 pre-service teachers, who voluntarily participate in read-aloud sessions as part of their multicultural literature project. These teachers choose children's books covering diverse themes, such as multiculturalism, diversity, divorce, and gender, seeking to expose children to a range of perspectives and experiences. Over a 12-week period, 74 video recordings of these sessions were collected and analyzed, with transcriptions facilitating qualitative analysis. The analysis employs a framework developed by Beauchamp & Kennewell (2010), categorizing interactions into five levels: none, authoritative, dialectic, dialogic, and synergistic. These levels describe the nature of interactions between teachers and students during read-aloud sessions. Quantitative insights are derived from the data, providing a percentage representation of the distribution of interactivity levels. The results of the analysis showcase the diverse nature of interactions during read-aloud sessions. At the "none" level, children primarily absorb information without active engagement. At the "authoritative" level, teachers employ structured questioning to guide discussions. The "dialectic" level encourages students to challenge ideas, while the "dialogic" level fosters critical understanding and exploration of various perspectives. Finally, the "synergistic" level promotes critical application of concepts and collaborative engagement. As of our current progress, the analysis process remains ongoing, and we anticipate its completion prior to the upcoming conference date. We eagerly look forward to presenting our comprehensive findings and insights during the conference, sharing valuable contributions to the field of early childhood education and interactive read-aloud strategies. Through this in-depth qualitative analysis of the video recordings, we aim to highlight the instances of interactivity, shedding light on the dynamics between pre-service teachers and students during read-aloud sessions. We expect that the findings will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of interactive read-aloud strategies in early childhood education and underscore the importance of fostering a rich learning environment that encourages questions, reflections, and dialogues. Overall, this research contributes to the understanding of interactivity within early childhood education and emphasizes the significance of incorporating interactive read-aloud strategies to create inclusive and empowering learning environments. We believe that preschool teacher candidates play a vital role in shaping the future of young learners, preparing them to be compassionate and globally aware members of society. Based on this research, we make two suggestions for policy-makers to support pre-service teachers in early childhood education. First, policy-makers should consider integrating comprehensive training programs on interactive read-aloud strategies into the pre-service teacher curriculum along with children’s literature courses. These programs should emphasize the importance of fostering interactive and engaging reading sessions in early childhood classrooms. By including this training as a mandatory component of teacher education, policymakers can ensure that pre-service teachers are well-equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively engage young learners in interactive reading experiences. Second, there should be more opportunities for ongoing professional development in interactive read-aloud techniques for practicing teachers. There might be workshops, seminars, and online resources that allow teachers to continuously enhance their skills in interactive reading. By investing in the professional growth of educators, a culture of lifelong learning can be promoted and it can be ensured that teachers are consistently implementing effective strategies in their classrooms, benefiting both teachers and students alike.

Keywords: interactivity, interactive read-alouds, pre-service teacher