A Preschool Teacher's Perception of School Buses and their Potential as an Early Childhood Care and Education Environment

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to clarify the teacher's perception of the work on the school bus and the behavior of the children that ride the school bus through an interview of the preschool teacher as a rider on the school bus. Additionally, the characteristics of the school bus as an early childhood care and educational environment will be considered. Through the qualitative analysis of the interview data, various considerations of teachers concerning the rewards and/or dissatisfaction regarding their work were revealed. Additionally, it was learned that on school buses, children shared their experiences from their classes and homes, resulting in relationships called “bus groups.” In these groups, children shared their customs and cultures with peers of different ages. However, teachers do not necessarily recognize school buses as ECCE environments.