Taiwanese Preschool and Elementary Teachers Beliefs about Discipline, Students, and Teaching Practices

Abstract

East Asian children are among the top academically performing students in the world (OECD, 2010), yet research examining teaching that leads to this success has just begun to identify beliefs. The present study investigated Taiwanese teachers' beliefs about discipline, students, and teaching practices in preschool (N=98) and elementary school (N=251). Results indicated two-three dominant viewpoints on each topic within each sample and emphasized beliefs about the importance of controlling behaviors, caring about students, and role modeling. In most cases, teachers' background and classroom characteristics did not relate to beliefs. We discuss findings within and between samples, as well as implications.