Predictors of developmentally appropriate classroom practices in kindergarten through third grade

• Published in: Early childhood research quarterly Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 431 - 452
• Main Authors: Maxwell, Kelly L., McWilliam, R.A., Louise Hemmeter, Mary, Ault, Melinda Jones, Schuster, John W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.01.2001
• Subjects: Class Size; Classroom Environment; Developmentally Appropriate Practices; Elementary School Teachers; Instructional Program Divisions; Observation; Predictor Variables; Preschool Teachers; Primary Education; Psychometrics; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Characteristics; Teacher Qualifications; Teacher Student Relationship; Test Reliability; Test Validity
• ISSN: 0885-2006; 1873-7706
• DOI: 10.1016/S0885-2006(01)00118-1

This study was designed to (a) test the psychometric properties of a new observation measure of developmentally appropriate classroom practices in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms, and (b) determine how well classroom and teacher characteristics predict developmentally appropriate classroom practices. Teacher-reported and observational data from 69 classrooms provided support for construct validity, internal consistency, and interrater agreement of the Assessment of Practices in Early Elementary Classrooms (APEEC) measure. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that classroom characteristics (grade, class size, number of children with disabilities), teacher characteristics (education level, years of experience) and teacher beliefs (developmentally appropriate beliefs and developmentally inappropriate beliefs) accounted for 42% of the variance in observed classroom practices. With all variables in the model, teacher education, grade, and beliefs in developmentally appropriate and inappropriate practice accounted for most of the variance in observed classroom practices.