Date of Award

1999

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Bachelor of Education Honours

School

School of Education

Faculty

Faculty of Community Services, Education and Social Sciences

First Supervisor

Dr Loraine Corrie

Abstract

The delivery of pre-primary education in Western Australia has undergone dramatic and rapid change since its tentative beginnings in 1911. During the 1990's we have seen the most tumultuous period of change with the implementation of the government's Good Start Program. It is timely that we investigate what the primary stakeholders expect from pre-primary programs. Are parents and teachers expecting the same things? Is there harmony between the curriculum of the home and the school? This study addressed these questions. A survey was conducted, involving 150 parents and 60 teachers (30 pre-primary teachers and 30 year one teachers). Schools were randomly selected from three school districts. The data collected were entered into the SPSS computer program. Analysis included frequency tables and graphs; coding of responses; and comparison of means using independent samples t-tests. The results of this study identify parents as a primary source of pressure to formalise the pre-primary curriculum. Although parents appear to understand that pre-primary is a period where young children develop social, language and cognitive skills through play and problem solving, they also want children to learn to read and write. This study discusses the need for a negotiated curriculum that gives ownership to stakeholders and scaffolds what teachers and parents learn from each other about the children in their care.

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