Date of Award
2011
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Education
Program
Education
Supervisor
Dr. Rosamund Stooke
Abstract
This thesis describes a qualitative case study that examined the intended and operationalized kindergarten Language curriculum in one Ontario half-day kindergarten classroomandonefull-daykindergartenclassroom. Theresearchquestionswere:What are the components o f an operationalized curriculum in a half-day and full-day Ontario kindergarten program? How did each operationalized curriculum differ from the intended curriculum as outlined in the teacher’s day plans? How did curricula vary across program types? I also asked teachers to comment on challenges encountered as they operationalized their intended Language curriculum. The analysis drew on observational field notes, interviews with two kindergarten teachers, and day plans prepared by the teachers. Data were categorized using the research questions as expected themes and again using Schwab’s five curriculum commonplaces. Both classrooms were culturally and linguistically diverse, but the needs of English language learners were not explicitlyaddressedintheprogramdocumentsorthecurricula. Eachteacherfeltthatshe was able to address all the Language expectations in the two-year program, but the teacher in the half-day program felt challenged to provide support to individual children and was able to schedule little time for social interaction and child-initiated play-based learning. The data suggests that the full-day program afforded more time to address the Language expectations in authentic ways, but having an Early Childhood Educator (ECE) as a teaching partner made a more noticeable difference to the curriculum than having more time.
Recommended Citation
Lamb, Sean Stethem, "The Operationalization of the Language Curriculum in Half-day and Full-day Kindergarten" (2011). Digitized Theses. 3570.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/3570