The Implementation of Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Early Childhood Programs as practiced by kindergarten Teachers in the State of Kuwait

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the implementation of the Developmentally Appropriate Practices )DAP( as practiced by kindergarten teachers in the State of Kuwait. It also aimed to investigate the effect of variables such as teaching experience, school district, and classroom size. The study sample consisted of )649( kindergarten teachers. To achieve the research purpose, a questionnaire was developed consisting of )39( items that addressed four domains: building social relationships, enhancing children’s development and learning, curriculum planning, and assessment of children. Results indicated that the implementation of DAP as practiced by Kuwaiti kindergarten teachers was high. Moreover, the results showed that there were signifcant differences regarding teachers’ practices due to teaching experience and school district, while the results showed that there were no signifcant differences due to classroom size. The study ended by putting forward a number of suggestion and recommendation related to the improvement of kindergarten teachers’ practices.