The purpose of the study was to compare first grade teachers' beliefs and classroom practices in Thailand and in the United States and to obtain a rich understanding of these beliefs and practices rather than on generalization of the findings of the study. A qualitative research design, specifically ethnographic methodology, was adopted. Data were collected from multiple sources: Interviews, classroom observations, and relevant documents. The study was conducted in eight first grade classrooms (four from Thailand and four from the United States).
Results indicated that teacher beliefs influenced classroom practices in a variety of ways. Teachers in Thailand and the US shared many similarities and differences in their teaching philosophy(ies) and classroom practices. Thai teachers preferred the child-centered approach while teachers in the US made efforts to maintain a balance between direct teaching and child-centered approaches. However, the findings suggested that US classrooms were more consistent with Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) as recommended by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) than classrooms in Thailand.
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