Study On The Effectiveness Of Mixed-age Regional Activities In Kindergartens

Compared with peer education,mixed age education provides a more natural educational ecological environment for young children,which is conducive to expanding their peer interaction and enhancing their initiative and social development.As the key carrier for the implementation of mixed age education,the mixed age regional activities in kindergartens,in essence,are children’s natural active learning activities.Their diversified attributes will inevitably pose a higher challenge to the activity organization and teachers’ professional quality and educational tact.Therefore,the purpose of this study is to rely on the theoretical analysis framework of the effectiveness of mixed age regional activities,investigate the practical problems of mixed age regional activities and analyze the possible reasons,explore the universality of activities,and then take action research paradigm to seek solutions,and summarize practical strategies for improving the effectiveness of mixed age regional activities in reasonable evaluation and analysis.Based on Montessori’s education theory,open space education program and Weiner’s attribution theory,this study explains and defines the concepts of mixed age regional activities,effectiveness,and the effectiveness of mixed age regional activities,and defines the analysis framework of the effectiveness of mixed age regional activities.Taking 5 mixed age kindergartens in Binzhou City as the survey subjects,this study investigates and analyzes the practical problems of mixed age regional activity organization in kindergartens through various research methods such as questionnaire survey,interview,and observation,with the dimensions of material environment,activity process,and teacher support.The survey found that the organization of activities in mixed age areas in kindergartens mainly has the following problems: First,the concept of active learning for young children has been initially recognized,but teachers lack ideas for implementing the concept of active learning.Secondly,the lack of hierarchy in the creation of the physical environment and the neglect of regional connectivity are manifested in the fact that the creation of the regional environment does not fully consider mixed age factors,the lack of hierarchy of materials,and poor connectivity between regions.Thirdly,the systematic nature of the activity process is insufficient to reflect children’s autonomy,and some activity links are not updated and fully implemented in a timely manner.Fourth,the teacher’s support ability in activities is weak,especially the lack of targeted support,which is not conducive to the development of children’s individuality and initiative.Analyze the reasons for the above problems,including the following three aspects:weak professional literacy and insufficient professional support of teachers,separation of regional teaching and research activities from teachers’ growth progress,and insufficient attention paid to the evaluation of mixed age regional activities.Based on the above survey results and cause analysis,this study selected X Mixed Age Class of H Kindergarten in Binzhou City as the research site,and worked with cooperative teachers to systematically plan and design activities to improve the effectiveness of mixed age regional activities.On this basis,through the process of practice,reflection,and re practice,a set of effective activity organization models to enhance the effectiveness of mixed age regional activities was summarized.In addition,this study used the observation scale for children’s active learning in mixed age regional activities to conduct a pre test and a post test,using a mixed design of quantitative investigation and qualitative data analysis to jointly test the actual promotion effect of dynamic adjustment of physical environment,activity process,and teacher support as a medium on children’s active learning level in mixed age regional activities.Research shows that programs to enhance the effectiveness of mixed age regional activities have a positive impact on children’s active participation,cooperation,communication,and exploration abilities,and collaborators such as children,teachers,and parents have made some progress and improvement.Based on a systematic perspective,the continuous improvement of quality and efficiency of mixed age regional activities requires the participation of kindergartens,families,and teachers.Firstly,adhere to the organic unity of the purpose and implementation means of mixed age regional activities,implement the concept of early childhood development centered on active learning,and actively improve the core elements of mixed age regional activities.Secondly,awaken teachers’ problem awareness and enhance their ability to explore real issues,thereby promoting the generation of practical wisdom and self-development of teachers in mixed age regional activities,and enabling them to provide necessary support to young children with professional qualities and attitudes.Thirdly,starting from respecting the differences of mixed age children and highlighting their subjectivity,we should deeply identify the rationality of the differences among mixed age children,stimulate their autonomy and initiative in activities,and promote the development of individual individuality of mixed age children.Finally,building a community atmosphere and a collaborative teaching and research culture to build the characteristics of kindergarten based research,encouraging teachers to establish emotional identity relationships in the research of mixed age regional activities,thereby providing a path for promoting the development of mixed age teachers’ abilities such as critical reflection and problem solving.