Abstract:

Purpose: Preschool teachers are crucial in meeting children's needs and supporting their learning and development. This study explored the link between preschool teachers' engagement in collaborative professional practices and their pedagogical practices to meet children's needs. Design/Methodology/Approach: This research used survey data from 1546 preschool teachers in Turkey who took part in the TALIS Starting Strong Survey 2018 by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling were used for data analysis. Findings: The findings indicated that preschool teachers' engagement in collaborative professional practices positively predicted their pedagogical practices regarding children's needs. Furthermore, engagement in collaborative professional practices accounted for approximately 7% of the variance in pedagogical practice. Highlights: These results provide compelling evidence for the positive impact of teachers' collaborative professional learning on their pedagogical practices, which in turn can contribute to children's learning and development in preschool education. Collaborative professional practices in preschool education effectively support children's learning and development.

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