Chinese early childhood teachers' perceptions regarding teaching by using analysis of the concept map

This study aimed to analyze the teaching concepts of Chinese early childhood teachers using concept map analysis. Twelve teachers were selected to generate and categorize focus statements, while 110 teachers rated the importance of these concepts. The analysis revealed 52 key statements, categorized into dimensions of ‘Essence-Method’ and ‘Content-Relation’ and further grouped into seven types, including ‘teacher's planning and practice,’ ‘children's learning,’ ‘interaction with learning,’ ‘environmental support,’ ‘teacher's guidance,’ ‘variety based on standards,’ and ‘sustaining children's interest.’ The study found that ‘sustaining children's interest’ concepts were rated as highly important, while ‘teacher's planning and practice’ concepts were considered less significant. These findings provide a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the current perceptions of teaching among Chinese early childhood teachers and offer insights for teachers to reflect on their educational practices.