THE QUALIFICATION AND TRAINING NEEDS OF NEW KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS IN PALESTINE FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF KINDERGARTEN DIRECTORS IN PALESTINE
The current study aimed to identify the qualification and training needs of new kindergarten teachers in Palestine from the point of view of kindergarten directors in Palestine, as well as to revealthe fundamental differences in the variables under study depending on the variable of place of residence, type of kindergarten, age, and educational qualification. To achieve the aim of the study, the researchers designed a tool to measure the qualification and training needs ofnew kindergarten teachers in Palestine after ensuring its validity and reliability. It was applied to a stratified random sample of (141) kindergarten principals in Palestine. The results of the study showed that the educational levels preferredThe percentage ofkindergarten directors for appointment as kindergarten educators ranged from 89.4% to 0.7%, and the highest levels were for those who held a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, with a rate of 89.4%, and the percentage of answers regarding the specialization they prefer for kindergarten directors for appointment as kindergarten educators. The percentage ranged from 52.5% to 5.7%, and the highest levels came for those who belong to the kindergarten field. The results of the study also showed that the overall score for the training needs seen by kindergarten principals in Palestine when new teachers were appointed was highly significant, as it obtained an arithmetic average of (3.85). The results of the study showed that there were no statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α ≤ 0.05) in the degree of training needs for new kindergarten teachers in Palestine from the point of view of kindergarten directors in Palestine depending on the variables of place of residence, type of kindergarten, age, and scientific qualification. The researchers recommended a set of recommendations, most notably the adoption by the Palestinian Ministry of Education of the results of this study because of their importance in developing the human staff and training them on many topics in the field of kindergartens, and reconsidering the training programs for kindergarten nannies in a way that is consistent with training needs.
Keywords: Kindergarten, Child educator, Qualification needs, Training needs