The Effect of a Pre-School In - Service Training Program on Some Aspects of Kindergarten Teachers' Attitudes and Behavior in Bahrain (A Case Study)

Abstract

Abstract : This study investigated the effects of pre-school in-service training on some aspects of kindergarten teachers' attitudes and behavior towards pre-school education in Bahrain. Two aspects were focused on and are as follows: 1) Children's Behavior Guidance; 2) Organization of the educational environment. This study was done on one group of nine kindergarten teachers who finished their training and were working back at their kindergartens. Data were gathered from questionnaires, interviews, and observations before the commencement of the training program, during the teacher training program, and after the training program. Investigations and analysis have led to confirm that the most important change that affected teacher trainees' behavior is the growing concern for children's characteristics and needs, and the appropriateness of the environment design and equipment. It was clearly seen that all teacher trainees were trying their best to perform what they were taught during the in-service training program When the teacher trainees lacked initiative and flexibility, and confined their actions to the verbatim instructions and directives of their trainers, they demonstrated a very elaborate awareness of the behavior and attitudes on the part of the children that could be inappropriate and harmful as opposed to those that could be appropriate and useful. At the very least, they are now convinced that children at this stage learn much more by playing in a healthy educational environment than by listening to a scholarly teacher. However, the change that was observed in the teacher trainees' behavior and attitudes, which was a result of a training period of only two months, should not be judged as a final outcome of the training session but should be regarded as an indicator of the potentially increasing influence the in-service training program had on the trainees.