The intent of this descriptive study was to determine principals' preferences and prekindergarten teachers' perceptions of their principal's preference for developmentally appropriate or traditional teaching practices in Georgia's Prekindergarten Program. The research design was quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative data was collected through surveys administered to Georgia public school principals and prekindergarten teachers. Qualitative data consisted of comments received on the survey instrument. Data was analyzed and return rates, demographic data, frequencies and percentages for traditional and developmentally appropriate practices were presented separately. Responses to traditional and developmentally appropriate items were summed to create a traditional and developmentally appropriate score. Independent t-tests were used to determine if significant differences existed in the survey items as well as the traditional and developmentally appropriate scores of principals and prekindergarten teachers.
Findings in the study revealed that principals did prefer developmentally appropriate teaching practices in Georgia's Prekindergarten Program. Prekindergarten teachers perceived their principals as having more of a preference for developmentally appropriate teaching practices in Georgia's Prekindergarten Program. Principals and prekindergarten teachers did not differ in their perceptions of principals as preferring developmentally appropriate teaching practices. No significant differences were found between principals and prekindergarten teachers in either developmentally appropriate or traditional scores.
","abstract_html":"<p>The intent of this descriptive study was to determine principals' preferences and prekindergarten teachers' perceptions of their principal's preference for developmentally appropriate or traditional teaching practices in Georgia's Prekindergarten Program. The research design was quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative data was collected through surveys administered to Georgia public school principals and prekindergarten teachers. Qualitative data consisted of comments received on the survey instrument. Data was analyzed and return rates, demographic data, frequencies and percentages for traditional and developmentally appropriate practices were presented separately. Responses to traditional and developmentally appropriate items were summed to create a traditional and developmentally appropriate score. Independent t-tests were used to determine if significant differences existed in the survey items as well as the traditional and developmentally appropriate scores of principals and prekindergarten teachers.</p> <p>Findings in the study revealed that principals did prefer developmentally appropriate teaching practices in Georgia's Prekindergarten Program. Prekindergarten teachers perceived their principals as having more of a preference for developmentally appropriate teaching practices in Georgia's Prekindergarten Program. Principals and prekindergarten teachers did not differ in their perceptions of principals as preferring developmentally appropriate teaching practices. No significant differences were found between principals and prekindergarten teachers in either developmentally appropriate or traditional scores.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Stoddard, Deanna K."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education in Educational Administration","degree_level":"Dissertation (restricted to Georgia Southern)","degree_discipline":"Department of Leadership, Technology, and Human Development","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["T. C. Chan","Michael T. Moore","Cordelia Douzenis"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2002,"date_issued":"2002-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2002-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:28:00Z","subjects":["ETD","Developmentally appropriate teaching methods","Prekindergarten programs","Principal preferences","Educational Administration and Supervision"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd_legacy/188","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["T. C. Chan","Michael T. Moore","Cordelia Douzenis"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Stoddard, Deanna K."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["1970-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Department of Leadership, Technology, and Human Development"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation (restricted to Georgia Southern)"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education in Educational Administration"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["ETD","Developmentally appropriate teaching methods","Prekindergarten programs","Principal preferences","Educational Administration and Supervision"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd_legacy/188"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The intent of this descriptive study was to determine principals' preferences and prekindergarten teachers' perceptions of their principal's preference for developmentally appropriate or traditional teaching practices in Georgia's Prekindergarten Program. The research design was quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative data was collected through surveys administered to Georgia public school principals and prekindergarten teachers. Qualitative data consisted of comments received on the survey instrument. Data was analyzed and return rates, demographic data, frequencies and percentages for traditional and developmentally appropriate practices were presented separately. Responses to traditional and developmentally appropriate items were summed to create a traditional and developmentally appropriate score. Independent t-tests were used to determine if significant differences existed in the survey items as well as the traditional and developmentally appropriate scores of principals and prekindergarten teachers.
Findings in the study revealed that principals did prefer developmentally appropriate teaching practices in Georgia's Prekindergarten Program. Prekindergarten teachers perceived their principals as having more of a preference for developmentally appropriate teaching practices in Georgia's Prekindergarten Program. Principals and prekindergarten teachers did not differ in their perceptions of principals as preferring developmentally appropriate teaching practices. No significant differences were found between principals and prekindergarten teachers in either developmentally appropriate or traditional scores.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Principals' Preferences for Developmentally Appropriate and Traditional Practices in Georgia's Prekindergarten Program"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["T. C. Chan","Michael T. Moore","Cordelia Douzenis"],"dc:creator":["Stoddard, Deanna K."],"dc:date.available":["1970-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The intent of this descriptive study was to determine principals' preferences and prekindergarten teachers' perceptions of their principal's preference for developmentally appropriate or traditional teaching practices in Georgia's Prekindergarten Program. The research design was quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative data was collected through surveys administered to Georgia public school principals and prekindergarten teachers. Qualitative data consisted of comments received on the survey instrument. Data was analyzed and return rates, demographic data, frequencies and percentages for traditional and developmentally appropriate practices were presented separately. Responses to traditional and developmentally appropriate items were summed to create a traditional and developmentally appropriate score. Independent t-tests were used to determine if significant differences existed in the survey items as well as the traditional and developmentally appropriate scores of principals and prekindergarten teachers.
Findings in the study revealed that principals did prefer developmentally appropriate teaching practices in Georgia's Prekindergarten Program. Prekindergarten teachers perceived their principals as having more of a preference for developmentally appropriate teaching practices in Georgia's Prekindergarten Program. Principals and prekindergarten teachers did not differ in their perceptions of principals as preferring developmentally appropriate teaching practices. No significant differences were found between principals and prekindergarten teachers in either developmentally appropriate or traditional scores.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd_legacy/188"],"dc:subject":["ETD","Developmentally appropriate teaching methods","Prekindergarten programs","Principal preferences","Educational Administration and Supervision"],"dc:title":["Principals' Preferences for Developmentally Appropriate and Traditional Practices in Georgia's Prekindergarten Program"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Department of Leadership, Technology, and Human Development"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation (restricted to Georgia Southern)"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education in Educational Administration"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:28:00Z"}