Effectiveness of Educational Program regarding Children Mental and Personal Developmental Stages of Kindergarten Teachers Knowledge

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate kindergarten teachers’ knowledge toward early childhood developmental stages, and to evaluate the effectiveness of a prepared educational program in improving their knowledge

Study Design: Quasi-experimental study
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the College of Nursing, University of Babylon, Iraq, from 12th June 2025 to 31st July 2025.

Methods: 50 kindergarten teachers in nine kindergartens in holy city of Karbala. The data collected consist of twenty multiple choices items related to developmental stages of kindergarten children’s age group.

Results: Majority of kindergarten teachers were between 35 and 44 years old and mean age was 36.82±7.5 years, had a bachelor's degree or higher, and at least five years of experience. Most had attended one or two training courses related to child growth and development. Pre-test results indicated that teachers' knowledge of both developmental stages was fair. The educational program demonstrated statistically significant effectiveness in improving knowledge. Teachers' knowledge of developmental stages was strongly associated with education level, years of experience, and training participation, but not with age, child responsibility, or type of kindergarten.

Conclusion: Kindergarten teachers' basic knowledge related to child of developmental stages was insufficient in their pre-test, but the designed educational program effectively enhanced their knowledge through posttest. Educational level, professional experience, and previous training were critical factors in determining knowledge, highlighting the importance of structured professional development.