The effects of in-service training practices for preschool teachers in line with the constructivist approach on teacher-child and teacher-parent relationships

This study was carried out in order to investigate the effects of in-service training practices for preschool teachers in line with the constructivist approach on teacher-child and teacher-parent relationships.Data were collected from a sample of 44 preschool teachers, 176 preschoolers in the age range of 4 to 6 years, and 352 parents ( 176 mothers and 176 fathers) in Kastamonu. Data were gathered through (a) ?Personal Information Forms?, (b) Questionnnaires to determine Teachers? Perceptions, (c) ?Teacher-Child Relationship Scales?, (d) ?Teacher-Parent Relationship Scales?, and (e) ?Parent-Teacher Relationship Scales?. Through the course of the study, an empirical application (in-service training) was conducted by using a model having pretest-post-test control groups. The data obtained were analyzed with covariance (ANCOVA).While testing the significance of the differences in scores obtained in the Scales with respect to the demographics of the participants both in the experiment and in the control groups, Mann Whitney U Test was employed if there were two groups, and Kruskal Wallis Test was utilised if there existed three or more groups.The results of the analysis revealed that after the In-service Training Programme there was no significant difference in post-test avarage scores of ?Teacher-Child Relationship Scale?(p>.05). However, following the In-service Training Programme, significant differences between the average pretest and post-test scores in ?Teacher-Parent Relationship Scale (p.<05), in Parent (mother) ?Teacher Relationship Scale (p.<01), in Parent (father) ? Teacher Relationship Scale (p.<05), and in Questionnaires to determine Teachers? Perceptions (p.<05) were observed.In accord with these findings, it is recommended that such in-service training programmes should be supported with different models and be frequently carried out, and that families should also be included in such in-service programmes.