Informational Texts in Classroom: A Blended Training Program for Kindergarten Teacher’s

Abstract

This article presents the findings of quantitative and qualitative data gathered in a two years (2012-2014) long study that examined the effect of a comprehensive blended training course on kindergarten teachers’ instructional use of informational texts. Participants were forty-three (43) full-time teachers from a variety of geographical areas of Chania – Crete Prefecture. Participants were split in two samples, to form an experimental (24 subjects) and a control (19 subjects) group. Data were collected with a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Content analysis was used to analyze the open-ended questions. The results confirm initial assumptions of the research concerning the effectiveness of blended training courses on kindergarten teachers’ knowledge and instructional practices concerning the use of informational texts. Educating children on the comprehension, use and production of informational texts enables them to develop competence in communicative practices and conventions adopted globally by the contemporary world.